National Chronic Invisible Illness Awareness Week

This week is National Chronic Invisible Illness Awareness Week. The theme this year is: “I choose to (fill in the blank).” I choose to let everyone know I have Fibromyalgia. I choose to not suffer in silence. I choose to help educate people about my illness. I choose to fight and not let Fibromyalgia run my life.

My Fibromyalgia consist of body wide muscle, joint and nerve pain. Some days I have little to manageable pain. I love those types of days. Those are the days I can enjoy my family, pull off a killer photo shoot or rip the runway and just enjoy life. Other days I can experience debilitating pain to the point where I cannot get out of bed.

Lately, I have been doing an extreme amount of research on Fibromyalgia and its symptoms. I came across www.fibroandfatigue.com and they listed every symptom I am experiencing. So I would like to share them with my readers.

Chronic muscle pain, muscle spasms or tightness Moderate or severe fatigue and decreased energy Reduced tolerance for exercise and muscle pain after exercise Insomnia or waking up feeling just as tired as when you went to sleep Stiffness upon waking or after staying in one position for too long Difficulty remembering, concentrating, and performing simple mental tasks (“fibro fog”) Tension or migraine headaches

Abdominal pain, bloating, nausea, and constipation alternating with diarrhea (irritable bowel syndrome) Jaw and facial tenderness Sensitivity to one or more of the following: odors, noise, bright lights, medications, certain foods, and cold Feeling anxious or depressed Numbness or tingling in the face, arms, hands, legs, or feet Increase in urinary urgency or frequency (irritable bladder) A feeling of swelling (without actual swelling) in the hands and feet

I have found lots of good advice on WebMD too. I have found coping techniques, support groups, and exercises that can help me strengthen by body. Here is a link that keep in my favorites, http://www.webmd.com/fibromyalgia/default.htm.

My life will not change because I have Fibromyalgia.  I will still write, rip the runway and be at as many events as I can. I will not let Fibromyalgia dictate my life, and no one else should. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to me at smartcurves@thecurvypark.com.