During the past 16 years I have learned how to live with fibromyalgia and have some of my own tips for fibromyalgia relief. Of course the most difficult part is not feeling well. I’ve found that it affects almost every other area of my life from where and how I work to even where I live. The following outlines a few of my experiences; although work with a doctor to figure out what is right for you.

Acceptance: This is the first step in a lot of illnesses. For the first year when I got sick I honestly believed I would get better. There were so many natural cures and inspiring stories out there that surely I was going to be one of them.

I reasoned that if doctors didn’t know what caused it; then surely they didn’t know that there wasn’t a cure. This lead me to have my heart broken later on when I still remained sick but had just spent a lot of money, time, hope, and energy on things that didn’t work.

Adapting Dreams and Lifestyle Changes

Over time I adapted and learned how to make my life as good as it possibly could be. When I was chasing after a lot of the “fibro cures” this wasn’t the case. My life was on hold until I got better. I didn’t think about how my relationships would function if I remained sick because I was going to get better.

I didn’t think of alternative plans for my education or career because I wasn’t going to need that. I think when this period ends is when you need to be the most careful because this is where depression can set in; when you’re faced with the reality that your life isn’t what you had planned it to be.

Taking Action

Then I settled into a phase where I realized I wasn’t totally powerless. I had plenty of options to experiment with diet and exercise. I needed to reorganize my life so I could sleep better and have less stress. Learning tools for dealing with stress has had a huge impact on my life.

I’m still sick and I’m still in pain; but my muscles aren’t as tense and I don’t wake up in the night a lot worrying. I was able to work out a routine where I still wasn’t healthy; but I was as healthy as possible.

Finding Hobbies and Interests

I’ve read a lot of books about being chronically ill. Several writers have pointed out how people start identifying themselves as the disease. It takes over their wholes lives. I can see how this could happen just because being in intense pain all the time and not sleeping puts a person in survival mode. There have been lots of days where my main objectives included cooking or emptying the dishwasher because every movement was like moving through quick sand and required so much effort.

This leads to a lot of hobbies and relationships deteriorating over time. Instead, I try to put in a little bit of effort where I can so my personality remains intact. If I’m not up to going out then I can call or write to a friend so there is still contact there. I used to play the violin and when I was just getting good my hands became too stiff and painful to practice regularly. I still play around Christmas time for a little bit.

While this could have been a huge disappointment I focused on what I could do; which was simply listening to music more when I wasn’t feeling well. I built an extensive CD collection so I could still have the things in my life that I love even if it’s just a different form.

Support Groups for Fibromyalgia

When visiting support groups and sites I’m often struck how many people find the gratitude and good in life even when they don’t feel well. The fact that I’m sick forced me to move to the desert and live a quiet and simple life. Had I not been sick I never would have had these experiences; some of which were good and some of which were bad; but all of which amounted to an adventure I never would have gone on. It’s been a chance to define who I am on the inside because I haven’t been able to be as busy or active as I would have been if I’d never gotten sick.

When I first was diagnosed my main question wasn’t medical. It was “What is going to happen to me next?” After years of dealing with this illness I’ve learned that no one has an answer to that; even healthy people. Living with fibromyalgia is still living. It might be a different life than the one you had planned on but it’s still a life that can be full of almost anything you choose if you’re willing to adapt it somewhat.

If you have a serious desire to feel better may I suggest a step by step approach?

• Step 1: Make a written assessment of how you feel. Observe closely and record the answers to the following questions (the more detail the better, so in 1 week, or 1 month, or 1 year you can compare how you feel). If you try to improve your condition you need to be able to measure the improvement, and then that measured improvement can be used as a strong motivator to keep you going.
  • a. How do you sleep?
  • b. Do you wake rested or tired?
  • c. Do you have more aches or pains when you arise in the morning?
  • d. Do you have good stamina (for your age group) or does physical activity cause a feeling of exhaustion?
  • e. When you are physically tired, does rest refresh you, or does it take a long time to recover.
  • f. Is your skin hyper-sensitive? (rate it from 1 to 10)
  • g. Do you have muscle pain even when well rested? (rate it from 1 to 10)
  • h. Do your joints ache? (rate it from 1 to 10)
  • i. Add other factors that you note as you seriously examine your health state.
• Step 2: Begin with one concerted effort to change your pH (See: Controlling your pH).
• Step 3: Decrease your consumption of refined sugar and products with a high sugar content, or a high glycimic index. (The Importance of Limiting Refined Sugar)
• Step 4: Add to your diet some foods which are high in antioxidants, omega-3 fatty acids, and which are high in fiber. (See: Dried Cherries and Fruit Smoothies)
• Step 5: Develop a system of rewards to extend the motivation to continue and expand your efforts

Follow the above recommended steps for 4 weeks, evaluate the results based on your written assessment of how you feel, note the improvements and record them and then continue the process, frequently reviewing your progress as a source of assurance and continued motivation. Good Luck! (We usually make our good our luck). God Bless!