How to Cope with Fibromyalgia – NOT!

How did Leah cope with Fibromyalgia cope with fibromyalgia Cope with Fibromyalgia? Before I don’t write a lot about coping with the symptoms of fibromyalgia for one main reason – I sucked at it! I did not “cope” very well at all. My life was a shambles, my pain was out-of-control, I couldn’t work, I could barely care for myself, and I was so miserable I didn’t want to live anymore. I felt a prisoner in my own body. Sound familiar?

I was just living a life of quiet (and sometimes not-so-quiet) desperation. I couldn’t see a way out. Now I know a way out, that has not only worked for me but others as well. I compare it to being lost in the woods: someone found a path out and led me out. I have now gone back to help others get out.

I don’t write about coping not only because I did not do it very well, but because I feel it’s a waste of time when I can tell you about recovering. Yes, you need strategies to help you in the here and now, but you can find them all over the internet. What is more unique are strategies for healing and recovery, so that is my focus.

I want to help you recover your health so you can do whatever it is you want to do in life. Maybe you want to lead people out of the woods too, or maybe you want to raise your children, finish school, or start a business. Whatever it is, it will be nearly impossible if all you can do is “cope.”

You don’t need to feel like a prisoner in your own body. For the last six years of my illness I was in bed 12-16 hours a day. I felt stuck. Don’t do like I did, get unstuck and take your life back.

So if you are wondering how to cope with fibromyalgia, I invite you to follow my “roadmap” for recovery from the symptoms of fibromyalgia and its coexisting conditions. You can read the first chapter of my book for free at https://unconventionaltraditional.com/my-story/ . I would love to hear your thoughts about it.

If it feels right to you, then I invite you to take a look at one of the many resources I offer, including the upcoming 3D Fibro Healing TeleClass. Our first class is free and it is on April 21st at 7pm EST. To get information go to www.3DFibro.com/optin .

I look forward to hearing about your recovery and what you do once you take back your life!

Yours in joy and health,

Leah

Why Do Many Chronicly Ill Patients have Pets?

I get to talk to people every day that have a chronic illness of some kind. When talking about comfort measures, an often overlooked one is pets. When I was severely ill with fibromyalgia and its coexisting conditions I had several pets that meant the world to me. They were part of my family and my link to the world.

I lived in a two-story house and I had to go down both flights of steps to let the dogs out into the yard. Some days it was all I could do to get up and down those steps to let them out. I was actually wishing for a one level house, which, ironically now that I’m well, I now live in. But going up and down those steps, and letting them outside and interacting with them, was part of the bridge that kept me in this world.

It can be very difficult for “normal” people to understand how isolating it is to have a chronic illness. In my case, I lost my job, I lost most of my friends; my family relationships were strained, and at the worst points, the only “social” interactions I had were with health care providers. I wasn’t shopping, going to restaurants or going to movies. I felt like an elderly shut-in person, which is awful for anyone but, for an outgoing and friendly person such as myself, that is even more terrible.

There were times when I was so depressed and in so much pain that the only things that kept me in this world were my husband, my parents and my pets. My sweet little pets were my non-judgmental friends that were a great comfort to me. Petting and interacting with them was a tangible way to get some much needed social and emotional stimulation. I was very fortunate that my husband was able to take care of the litter boxes and take the dogs for a walk. The only thing I could do with them was let them out into our fenced back yard, as I mentioned above.

When I started to recover, my fur babies were right there with me. In the mornings I would get up to spend some time with my husband before he left for work. Normally, after he left, I would go back to bed, and sometimes that would be the best sleep I could get. As I started to recover, I started sleeping normally and I didn’t have to lay down in the morning. After my husband left in the morning, the gang would start trotting down the hall to the bedroom, but when I didn’t follow they got confused. This was one of the signs for me that things had really changed.

One of the more “impossible” things I thought could never happen was horseback riding: I was too heavy, my boots wouldn’t fit because my feet had grown, and my knees were shot. Much to my surprise, after I lost 70 pounds, my feet and calves shrunk so much that my from college fit again and my knees didn’t hurt anymore. I began taking riding lessons again and after an over 20 year hiatus I was shocked how my body remembered to ride. It was wonderful!

I have been so well for over seven years now so all those precious pets have now gotten old and passed away. We wanted to wait awhile before we got any more pets, but the house didn’t feel like a home without a dog and a cat. After our last cat died we only waited three months before we got our new cat Mitzi, and after our last dog died we only waited five months before we got our new dog, Annie.

What types of comfort measures have you taken that have worked to alleviate the social and emotional isolation that having a chronic illness makes? Also I would love to see a picture of your fur babies, preferably with you!