\Ffibromylagia (6)

I live with this every day, and have to learn to live around it. Mine is more complicated because I also have Myofascial Pain Syndrome. When these two are combined, treatment is even harder. For example, acupuncture works well for Fibromyalsia, but can trigger MFPS. Massage therapy works well for MFPS, but can worsen Fibromyalsia. I work out with weights, even though one isn't supposed to with this disease. I just do it lightly with higher repetitions and progress slowly. I meditate and do Tai Chi, and that helps me to deal with the pain. I know my triggers, and stress is a big one, so I do my best to avoid them. When I do have a bad flare-up, I meditate more. It helps.

Alcohol and smoking are two other triggers for this. Most of us can look through the list of symptoms and see things we've had since childhood, and out of something like 19 or 20, I've had about 15-16 of them my entire life, or developed them with age, so I think that this is really a progressive disorder.

I'm lucky because despite its complications, mine is mild and manageable most of the time. (I also have the IBS that can accompany it.) I know that not all are so fortunate.