Baby it's Cold outside

I enjoy snow sledding, snow mobiling, the aroma of burning wood and fresh pine in NJ during the winter and traveling through NYC penn station and seeing it transformed into a Winter Wonderland.

What I don't enjoy is the way my body reacts to cold. My fibromyalgia usually runs rabid whenever there is a drastic change in temperature and ALWAYS during times of Rain.

Rain, Rain go Away, I have fibro and the pain is not welcomed to stay.

It may be cold outside, but there are ways to keep our bodies warm.

Ugg boots are the best shoe ever made! They can be a bit pricey and may not go with every outfit but they keep my feet warm which in turn makes me comfortable. I can always be more fashionable in the warmer months when I feel better and can choose from a wide variety of sandals. Life is about making compromises anyway.

I have traded in Soda for Tea. This is a win-win situation. We have all heard the disturbing side effects of soda and the wonderful benefits of drinking tea. The tea keeps me warm and helps with other issues as well. Peppermint Tea aides with the symptoms of IBS and Chamomile aides with winding down after a long day.

I could not survive a winter without my heating blanket. I remember walking through Walmart, noticing heating blankets on sale and thinking that would be a nice gift for my mom when she is elderly and needs to remain warm. My mom has yet to receive one for Christmas; however, it is the best $19.99 ever spent. It not only helps me stay warm during the night, it also feels nice to get in a warm bed after coming in from the cold (I use it as the top sheet, not as a cover).  I also learned something new-heating blankets are not made only for the elderly.

Warm baths are my new best friend. That is until the water heater decides it needs a break. I've never really believed that taking breaks from relationships were beneficial to either party but my relationship is with the warm bath and not the water heater. Guess this proves that relationships are really only meant for two people. The warm bath in the AM helps get my body warm and ready to tackle the winter cold. The warm bath in the PM helps get my body warm after being out in the cold and is a relaxing way to wind down after fighting fibromyalgia all day.

This is how I tackle the Cold & Rain in an attempt to manage symptoms. When all else fails, I remind myself that this too shall pass and it ALWAYS does!

Sharing is Caring!

Is it time to fire your Doctor?

 As I sat in the Rheumatologist office, I hoped that today would be the day he had answers. I filled out the form as usual, circling the parts of my body that hurt,any recent changes,emergency room visits, prescription medicines and my growing list of symptoms. 

I went into his office, he reviewed my chart, asked me who had diagnosed me with hypothyroidism, scribbled some notes and then handed me a tri-fold pamphlet detailing Fibromyalgia-sending me on my way.  As I exited his office, tears were streaming down my face. I spent the next thirty minutes in the parking lot crying, angry with the doctor, with Fibromyalgia and with the world. Out of all the medical issues in the world, why did I get diagnosed with the one that is not yet understood by the medical community? What is this stupid pamphlet going to do for me when I'm in pain? Am I supposed to read the pain away? 

I've heard way too many stories similar to mine. Fibromyalgia patients everywhere leaving their Doctor's office in tears.

I now understand that our MD's are only a piece of the puzzle. I no longer expect to receive answers while I am there, unless it is a new symptom (9 out of 10 times that symptom somehow ties in to Fibromyalgia anyway).  However, they still have an obligation to treat us with Respect & Compassion. In fact, they took an oath to do just that. 

I have a wonderful Doctor-Patient relationship with my Primary Care Physician. He listens, we discuss treatment options/plans, I never feel rushed, he is empathetic and assures me that he wants to find answers just as much as I do. 

"Doctors are scientists and when we can't figure out the science, we become just as frustrated as our patients".

Your MD should be open to a patient centered care approach. S/he must be empathetic. S/he must understand Fibromyalgia and the symptoms, conditions commonly associated with this syndrome. 

List created by the National Fibromyalgia Association

If you are not content with your Doctor, you can start a Doctor search by visiting the National Fibromyalgia & Chronic Pain Association Heath Care Directory: http://www.fmcpaware.org/healthcare-provider-directory.html

Word of Mouth or Referrals are also a good place to start. Ask others in support groups or who live near you. 

Call the office and ask if the Doctor has experience in seeing patients with Fibromyalgia. 

You are allowed to change Doctors, even with managed health care. We deal with so many symptoms and conditions that our Doctor's must be Supportive, Understanding and Knowledgeable about the options available to manage pain.

Allowing people with Fibromyalgia to suffer is Inhumane & Unacceptable!

Sharing is Caring!

I may not have much time to write the next few days, but that does not mean that I have forgotten about any of you.  The reason I have not posted is that I am currently attending the Leaders Against Pain Training by the National Fibromyalgia and Chronic Pain Association.  

We are ALL in this together and I wanted to remind you that we are ALL Leaders Against Pain. I hope you all have a Happy & Pain Free Day. If today is not your day, remind yourself that this too shall pass and that while the sun is shining on someone else today, it will make its way around to you. 

PS- This training is not for me it is for ALL of us!

Real Life Super Heroes

As I read the article about 12 year old Collin with Fibromyalgia in California who hand delivered a proclamation request to his Mayor and submitted letters to other elected officials including the President of the United States, I found strength.

Then we have the 16 year old on Instagram with Fibromyalgia who walks around with a service dog. This young person is currently taking online classes in order to graduate with a High School diploma and her attitude is that although some things don't get better-We do because we get stronger. Once again I found strength.

Then there are ALL of you, some of whom I had the pleasure of meeting face to face and others who I only know from contact through Social Media. You ALL helped me realize that we can lead happy lives with Fibromyalgia-despite the pain, fatigue, sleep disturbances, anxiety, depression, IBS and other symptoms. You all get it when my back hurts one day and the pain has shifted to my arm the very next day, you get it when I say I'm exhausted but can't sleep, you get it when I am so sick from my stomach that the mere smell of food makes me nauseous, you get it when I can't remember what I did yesterday let alone something I may have just said, you get it when I'm depressed because I had to cancel plans at last minute because my body just won't allow me to go out that day. You get it because you walk in my shoes everyday. You understand how it feels to wake up in the morning feeling more tired than the night before and then the night comes and you can't sleep. You know that seeing a doctor is only a piece to the puzzle and that no Doctor can help us because the science has yet to be discovered. 

You know that there is no one size fits all in living with Fibromyalgia. You understand that to smile again, you will need to self identify triggers and self manage your pain. You understand that while we have options, symptoms can vary from person to person and Fibromyalgia can affect people differently.

You know the importance of rolling up your sleeves and helping a fellow Fibromyalgia warrior when they are having a bad day. In fact you create a huge cheering section for that person and when that fails, you know to simply remind the person that this too shall pass, because it always does. Don't we all have a 100% track record of recovering from Fibromyalgia flares? You overcome adversity on a daily basis by facing Fibromyalgia and do not allow it to steal your heart or smile-You are my Real Life Heroes!

Stay Tuned!

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What are my Triggers?

If you read my last post "Run Milly Run" you would get the impression that one day I woke up began a walking regimen and POOF-Fibromyalgia was gone (well….. it is a flarey tale).

Anyone with Fibromyalgia knows that if it were that easy, there would be millions walking in droves to restore our health. Running has helped me immensely but before the running, I was on a quest to manage symptoms. I learned early on that Fibromyalgia is a personal syndrome in that it affects each person differently.  I also learned that for me cold weather was a trigger.  Weather  also seemed to be a common trigger for many; however I noticed that while one person with Fibro was thriving in Alaska there were many others there who felt as if they did better in Carribean temperatures and vice-versa (personal syndrome).  While we may not be able to control the weather and yes we can choose to pack up and move, weather is not the only common trigger. So let's start by taking control of what we can do to manage symptoms.  A guide to managing symptoms starts with a pain journal. Two of my favorites are:  http://www.catchmypain.com and http://www.chronicpainapp.com.


Once we identify triggers we can start paying attention to the signs.  A few days ago, in the midst of a very hectic day, I decided to eat a cheeseburger from a local fast food chain.  What on earth was I thinking?  I ordered the burger, knowing very well that this would cost me later. The next two days consisted of pain, fibro fog and my favorite of all Irritable Bowel Syndrome-Did somebody say Flare? 

A few years ago, I probably would have been flaring for weeks.  Why? because I did not know my triggers and would have continued making wrong choices causing a spiral effect.  Although, there is no cure for Fibromyalgia and we will ALL have bad days, we can learn to manage symptoms and hopefully the good days can start outweighing the bad days (soft hugs).

Show some Love by sharing!

Run Milly Run!

I was conditioned to believe that when you are sick you pop a pill, get rest and the next day you wake up feeling better.  While that may be true for "normal" people it is often not the case for people living with Fibromyalgia. 

Our daily reality is more like the seven dwarfs :

Sleepy-Oh those darn Chronic Fatigue Days.

Dopey-When you can't take the pain anymore and give into the narcotics prescribed by your MD.

Bashful-We just never know what might come out of our mouth-Fibro Fog.

Doc-Since Md's don't understand us we have to figure ourselves out.

Grumpy-You would be too, if you were constantly in pain.

Happy-On those HAPPY Pain Free Days!

Sneezy-Allergies are commonly associated with Fibromyalgia (along with 49 other conditions.. but we will get to that in a later post).


I tried OTC medicines, prescription medicines, sleeping more. So why on Earth was I not feeling better? I no longer had a PCP.  I now had a team of Doctors that consisted of a PCP, GYN, Rheumatologist, Gastroenterologist, Dermatologist, Neurologist and not one could provide me with any relief from my symptoms.  I started drafting a contingency plan in my head for the day when I could no longer work.  Heck-I even started questioning myself and whether this was all in my head.  Everyone else my age was out enjoying life and all I could do was push myself to work and even that was proving to be more difficult on a daily basis.  My co-workers were running marathons and here I was, unable to walk up a flight of stairs without feeling like I was about to die.  Yup… I was hating.  Why was I handed this shitty deck of cards with Fibromyalgia?

Then out of the blue one day as I reflected back on my life, I reminded myself that life has never been easy for me and still I had a 100% track record of over coming every obstacle placed in front of me-until Fibromyalgia. It was then that I decided  to  try this walking bit that everyone kept talking about. If Fibromyalgia was going to give me uninvited pain then why be afraid of pain that I cause on myself.



I began my daily walks in the park. I enjoyed the tranquility of being surrounded by nature and found it helpful in de stressing from the negativity of the day. Not only was I feeling better mentally but physically as well. I began jogging and eventually I was running, it was my way of being able to run away from everything that bothered me even if only for 1/2 an hour.  I felt the fibro pains many times and still do today.  I ignore the pain because it is my way of taking back control of my body. I registered for a 3k run for healthy kids and the goal was to finish. Guess What? I ran a 5k with a few stops to catch my breath and yes I cried when I sprinted across that finish line because I knew that although I have Fibromyalgia it does not have me.

Read my next posts to hear what else I did to  restore mind, body, spirit and soul.  Running was just the icing on the cake.

Why Blog?

I have thought about blogging for quite sometime now but kept putting it off.

Some of the reasons:

What if no one reads my blog?

What can I say to other fibro warriors that they don't already know?

When will I find the time to blog?

Well, Im here and if no one reads, at least I can say that I tried. There are many things that I can share with my fellow fibro warriors regarding my personal journey leading up to diagnosis, the struggle finding myself in a body with Fibromyalgia and finally learning to live again.  I think I might have to blog for the next forty years and still not come close to touching all of it.

Enough about why I second guess myself.  Let's get back to why we are here.  I have always been a believer that everything happens for a reason.  But what could be the reason for this Fibromyalgia diagnosis?  It was handed to me during a stage in my life that should have been one of the happiest. I was finally a homeowner, my husband and I had sorted out our relationship issues, our children were doing well in school & life, my career was just beginning to thrive. It felt as if the universe looked at me and said, so you think you can overcome anything- Try Fibromyalgia. 

This may have been my toughest battle this far but it's quite difficult to beat a person that does not believe in giving up.  In the words of Whitney-"I was not built to Break"!