I started down this path myself and I know how dangerous it can be. Isolation gives power to our pain and our symptoms because they become our focus, and the reason for everything – or should I say the reason for the lack of everything we used to know. The more time we spend alone in our symptoms, the more intense our symptoms seem. When I found myself becoming more and more isolated, and felt my symptoms becoming the focus of my everyday, I decided I needed to make some changes quick.

I needed community. I needed to be around people who understood and did not judge. I needed emotional support. So I sat down at my computer and did some research looking for a local support group. I did not find what I was looking for so I did the next best thing – I created FibroHaven support group. I wasn’t even sure if I had the energy to facilitate such an undertaking, but once I started the ball rolling, there was no looking back. I knew I needed to make it as easy on myself as possible, and fortunately I was already familiar with the great social networking site Meetup:

Meetup is the world’s largest network of local groups. Meetup makes it easy for anyone to organize a local group or find one of the thousands already meeting up face-to-face. More than 2,000 groups get together in local communities each day, each one with the goal of improving themselves or their communities.

Meetup’s mission is to revitalize local community and help people around the world self-organize. Meetup believes that people can change their personal world, or the whole world, by organizing themselves into groups that are powerful enough to make a difference.

I love their mission statement and believe in it wholeheartedly, and that is where I found the energy to form and organize FibroHaven support group on Meetup. I wanted a local community; I wanted to change my personal world and the world of others suffering with Fibromyalgia; I wanted to make a difference.

When they say they make it easy to organize a group they are not kidding. I followed their easy instructions and templets, and created a group website. They guided me the entire way. Then I followed their prompts to promote my group and I waited for members to join. Before I knew it I had several members and was ready to schedule our first meeting.

We began humbly last November in a coffee shop – seven of us sharing our stories, and excited to meet people who just “get it.” There was no need  for pretense or pretending; we had an instant knowledge and understanding of each other through our shared experience of living with Fibromyalgia. I soon found that I was not alone, and that there were many people in my own community who shared my need to combat the isolation of Fibromyalgia. For nine months now we have continued to grow, continued to share, and continued to improve our overall states of wellbeing.

So how does my little support group apply to you, and how can it help you alleviate your isolation? It is simply an example of the options and opportunities out there for all of us. I am not suggesting that we all start our own groups, because for many of you there might already be Fibromyalgia groups in your community. Click on the Meetup link above and check it out. There are over 80 Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue and Chronic Pain Meetup groups across the country.

If there is not one in your community, consider joining a group that appeals to your interests. Do you knit? Are you a book worm? Interested in meditation or yoga? I bet there is a group for most anything you are interested in. Sign up, join, and then commit yourself to attend a function. If you combine something that interests and matters to you with people who have the same interests, you are bound to have a positive experience.

I cannot recommend Meetup enough. In fact recently President Obama commended them on the difference they are making in local communities across the country. I know I could not be a successful organizer without them. I have a new sense of purpose, am less isolated, and more hopeful because of my group. I wish I could invite each and everyone one of you to become a member. But since I can’t, please take a moment and research what kind of groups are available to you. Honor yourself and make the commitment to participate in life.

Man I have a lot going on right now – a lot of good things going on right now. I have teased in the past that I am working towards bigger and better things for FibroHaven. I want this to be more than just a blog where I come to relieve my tension, share my experiences, and hopefully educate and entertain you. I want this blog to be the foundation for a whole infrastructure of community, heath, and wellness, which we are all so hopefully pursuing. And I am working on it.

To that end, I am finding that each day I have more and more on my plate. Today for example, this is what I am hoping to accomplish:

To-Do List

• write two blog posts
• read the assignment and complete homework for business class I am taking
• email back the 14 people who are waiting so patiently for my response
• prepare for meeting tonight to cover progress of FibroHaven launch
• confirm details with guest presenter for support group meeting on Wednesday
• schedule August meetings for FibroHaven support group

Whew!

Now mind you, todays list is this long because I accomplished nothing productive over the weekend – except having a great bbq with my family and catching up on some movies I have wanted to see – but nothing that would make my “to-do” list more palatable.

So when I found the image above, I thought it was a great reminder for me. Yes, I am “chewing” a lot right now, but like that yummy strawberry the tortoise is so happily munching on, it is all good for me. Everything I am working on and working towards will not only enrich my life, but it will also enrich everyone who becomes a part of my vision for FibroHaven – one great big community where we all share, and support, and connect, and explore. A community where no one feels isolated or alone. A community where when you are in the middle of the storm that is life, you can retreat to for a little shelter and protection – a Haven!

It may not be the most organized haven, and it may sometimes progress like the tortoise instead of the hare, but it will be a haven none-the-less. Our Haven! And the great thing is you all understand. You all get it. I didn’t need to get on here today and apologize for anything. I just came on here to share. Because I can. Because I know you will understand and you will listen. That is what I am working hard to develop – a place where we can all go when we need a little understanding.

Note to self: write two one blog post.

My Favorite Posts from the Last 30 Days

1. I Do Not Want to Think About Fibromyalgia Everyday - This post came on day three of my assignment when I realized the reason I have not been writing about Fibromyalgia everyday is because I do not want to THINK about Fibromyalgia everyday. I really enjoyed this post because I got to shout out loud, “I am more than my diagnosis!”
2. Secrets of My Soul - Every secret of a writer’s soul, every experience of his life, every quality of his mind is written large in his works. – Virginia Woolf. This is a piece from a creative non-fiction/personal essay class I am taking.
3. Conversation on Isolation - This started as a conversation in the comments of a previous post, but I made it into a new post to continue the conversation, and also to applaud the commenter, Kathy, for speaking out and holding me accountable for my word choice.
4. Practice May Not Make Perfect, But it Can Make a Habit - Hope that my 30-in-30 writing assignment will make writing more habitual for me.
5. Things I Love #6: My New Office - My new Fibromyalgia friendly office. Love it!
6. The Law of Detachment - In order to acquire anything in the physical universe, you have to relinquish your attachment to it – and how this applies to me and my support group.
7. Misery Loves Company - Where I proceed to rip apart the most ignorant, inaccurate and judgmental acupuncturist to every treat Fibromyalgia. His article perpetuates every negative and inaccurate assumption about Fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue.
8. My Six-Word Memoir - I have pain, therefore I am. NOTE: I have pain, but I am not my pain. Look for a post soon on “I am…”
9. Fibromyalgia Affects Everyone: An Interview with My Niece - I interviewed my 13 year old niece about her thoughts on having an Auntie with Fibromyalgia and how it affects her. Maybe my favorite of my favorite posts.

Most Informative Pieces from the Last 30 Days

1. Why I Love Yoga, and Why You Will Too - I cannot emphasis enough how much I have come to love yoga and the improvements in my symptoms since I began practicing several weeks ago. This post is my attempt to entice you to try yoga for yourself.
2. New Book on Fibromyalgia – Claims to Fill in the Missing Pieces - Information from a press release I received – not an endorsement.
3. Bloggers Unite for Fibromyalgia Awareness Day - On Fibromyalgia Awareness Day, I shared how some of my fellow bloggers acknowledged the significance of the day on their blogs. Great way to discover some new bloggers.
4. Review: Treating Fibromyalgia Naturally — So You Can Shine Again – From the womentowomen.com newsletter. I found this to be a very realistic, in touch and accurate assessment of Fibromyalgia.
5. Online Social Networking for Fibromyalgia Support and Information - Part one in my series on Fibromyalgia support and information – focus on social networking sites.
6. Online Forums for Fibromyalgia Support and Information - Part two in my series on Fibromyalgia support and information – focus on online forums and support groups.
7. Online Resources for Fibromyalgia Support and Information - Part three in my series on Fibromyalgia support and information – focus on blogs and general resources.
8. Join Hillary for Her Next Teleseminar - I continue to follow and recommend the meaningful work of Hillary Rubin and her inspirational message about embracing your diagnosis as a gift, teacher and blessing.
9. Self-hypnosis for Treatment of Fibromyalgia - Just one more possible tool for our toolboxes.

There were Three Holidays/Days of Observance in the Month of May

1. Are You Aware? Fibromyalgia Awareness Day is May 12 - In 1993, May 12 was designated as the International Awareness Day for Chronic Immunological and Neurological Diseases. The National Fibromyalgia Association (NFA) joined the Awareness Day effort in 1997 and has led the call for increased recognition of fibromyalgia each May 12.
2. In Honor of Every Mom Living with Chronic Illness - Happy Mother’s Day!
3. Take a Minute and Pause - In observance of Memorial Day.

Fun and Mindless Posts I Wrote on What Normally Would Have Been a Down Day

1. 15 Counterproductive, Needless, and Delaying Things I Did Today - I had a lot of fun with this post, and if you have not yet watched the 2 minute video on procrastination, it is a must! Maybe I should move this up into my favorite posts category.
2. Best Chocolate Cake Ever! Just Happens to be Gluten Free – Yummm!
3. It’s a Down Day – Example of a post I never would have written were it not for my assignment. It was day 12 and I was feeling awful, but committed to completing my assignment. Not much of an effort, but much better than giving up!
4. Taking the Easy Way Out – Day 13 was not much better, so I copied 25 Random Things About Me from my facebook page and posted it here. It was the easy way out, but it still honored my commitment. Yea me!
5. Recognize My Wall? – Just another bad day.
6. Another Careless Doctor to Avoid – Found something quick and simple to write about, but that doesn’t mean it is not worth the read.

So there it is, my last thirty days! I am seriously impressed with what I was able to accomplish, and very proud that I never gave up. There were moments – as early as day three – when I wondered “why did I do this to myself?” and I had several loving and caring people in my life tell me to take it easy and not demand too much of myself. It really would have been easy and perfectly understandable to quit on one of the many bad days I had throughout the month, but that is just not me.

Fibromyalgia has taken many things away from me, but I am still the same determined, stubborn and resilient person I have always been. I still have the abilities that made me a top sales rep at my previous job, I just need to apply them in a new and less demanding direction.

You know the saying “objects in motion stay in motion,” well this was my mantra when I was in sales. The more I got out there everyday to visit accounts, the more new accounts and new sales seemed to fall into my lap. Wouldn’t you know it, the same thing happened in the middle of this writing assignment. I picked up a new monthly newsletter that I am going to be writing for, and something else so exciting I have to wait until everything is finalized before I share it with you. Fibromyalgia or not, very cool things can happen if you believe in yourself, honor your passions, and never give up on your potential.

Social Networking Sites

Twitter – The day I wrote Conversation on Isolation I hopped onto twitter and posted the following comment: “Twitter is a great way to combat the isolation of Fibromyalgia and chronic illness. Bravo to everyone who makes the choice to reach out.” Of the 258 comments I have written on twitter, this one received the most responses and re-tweets (reposting of my comment by fellow tweeters to help spread the message). Twitter is a great way to connect with other people living with Fibromyalgia and chronic illness. Last week I left a brief tweet that I was not feeling well enough to participate on twitter, and I received many well wishes and encouraging responses. It moved me deeply. I highly recommend giving twitter a try. Here are a few tips.

1. When you create your profile keep in mind the kind of people you want to connect with. If you have Fibromyalgia, are a passionate reader, love to knit, and are living a gluten free lifestyle, include all of that in your profile and it will help others with similar interests find you.

2. Upload a photo into your profile. It doesn’t have to be a photo of you. It can be a photo of an eggplant if you want. Go crazy. Be original. People are more likely to follow you if you have an image in your profile, and once you get active and start tweeting they will immediately identify you by your photo.

3. Make your tweets meaningful to your intentions. If you sign up and start tweeting about the tacos you made for dinner, that may not interest any of your followers, but if you include info on a great gluten free taco seasoning you used, then you are sharing meaningful and interesting information that will likely start a conversation.

4. Search other tweeters to follow with similar interests by using twitter search and keywords – ex: Fibromyalgia, #Fibromyalgia. The hashtag (#) placed before a word helps to organize the published updates which in turn helps with your search.

5. Join a Twibe. For every area of interest, there is a twitter group to join, and if not – start your own! I belong to twibes for Fibromyalgia, gluten free, bloggers, and writers. It is another great way to find people to follow and start making connections.

6. There are many, many twitter applications out there to help you. I have no specific recommendations, but if you decide to join twitter just do a quick google search to help find them. How is that for vaguely helpful!

7. Follow Fibrohaven on Twitter! Come on now. You know I am a lot of fun and I sometimes even have something useful to say!

Facebook – Most of us know facebook is a great way to reconnect with old friends, and to stay in touch with family members, but there are also many groups and causes on facebook to join.

I belong to Fibromyalgia Awareness. It is a global group with 12,877 members and over a thousand discussion topics. You can always find a conversation going on and I have met several women who I now call friends from this group. If Fibromyalgia Awareness is not a good fit for you, there are several other groups you can join like I Will Not Let Fibromyalgia Run My Life, or Fibromyalgia Sucks. 

There are also several blogs you can follow on facebook including Fibromyalgia Haven.  Each blog has its own page and message board so you can dialog with the blog’s author and other followers. It is a great way to create small intimate communities.

And if you just want to get away from Fibromyalgia for awhile and connect with people that love In-N-Out burger as much as you, there is a group for that too! In addition to Fibromyalgia Aware, I belong to a writers group and a group for fans of my favorite author (T.C. Boyle) just to name a few. Facebook is worth joining just to explore all of the possibilities. 

Meetup – Meetup is a great resource to find events and groups in your own community. Their motto is Do something • Learn something • Share something • Change something. Everyday someone is creating a new group on topics from Fibromyalgia and CFS, to book clubs and clubs for beagle owners, groups for personal growth and the law of attraction. You name it, there is probably a group for it.

Meetup is the site I use to organize my support group. For a small annual fee we have a wonderfully organized website with a message board and calendar to list our events. So even members who are never physically at a meeting can contribute and participate. I am also regularly being contacted by other meetup organizers and members looking to participate in a meeting or sponsor an event. Meetup is an excellent resource. Currently there are 78 Fibromyalgia meetup groups worldwide – 57 Chronic Fatigue, 75 Chronic Pain & 52 Chronic Illness. Maybe there is a group close to you!

Myspace – I am not active on myspace, but I did a simple search that came back with nearly 10,000 pages related to Fibromyalgia.

So you see, there are a lot of options just within these four examples. The best way to research them is to go ahead and create a personal profile so you have access. There is no risk or cost to you, and if it turns out not to be the environment for you, you can easily delete your profile. If social networking is not for you, maybe an online forum will be. Check back tomorrow for my post on the multitude of forums out there.

19/30

Kathy

Okay, I’m gonna grump all over this one. “Isolating if you let it”. I didn’t let it…it dragged me away from my life and I was kicking and screaming the whole way (ask my husband!).

I did not LET myself get isolated…my “friends” did not understand why my body quit and my brain departed and they, almost to the last one, bailed on me. Thank goodness for the Internet. I am much less isolated now, but still not enough face time to suit me.

Invisible Chronic Illness is isolating in and of itself. There’s no “letting” about it. If this “Awareness Day” accomplishes anything I hope it instills a bit of compassion and possibly some empathy in people like my former friends so no one else “lets” themselves be isolated.

Grump over. It’s a bathrobe day  lousy excuse. I may regret spouting off like that…but you hit a bit of a sore spot. Sorry.

By the way…I love seeing something new every time I check out your blog! No pressure to keep grinding away of course…

 

My Response

Grump away Kathy. That is what this space is for and you are certainly entitled. Besides, how boring would it be if everyone agreed with me all the time?

You are right, there is so much about Fibromyalgia that is depleting and that is out of our control. A lot of loss and adjustment to loss comes with it. But your argument changes the context of the point I was making when I said “isolating if you let it.” Yes, FM changes our lives dramatically, and we do lose a certain amount of control, but let me use my support group members to explain what I meant. We all still have the ability to make choices. FM did not strip us of that.

I have 53 members in my group. I do not advertise the group. You would have to take the time to research to find it. Then once you have put forth that effort, you will have to take the time to fill out a profile and submit it to me for approval (I do this to protect the privacy and integrity of the group. You would not believe how many marketers think it is okay to JOIN a group for people with chronic illness just to sell their product).

My point is that you really have to be ready to find support and connect with others with FM to join my group. So why go to all that trouble and then stop there? At some point you have to decide to attend a meeting. At some point you have to honor the commitment you made to yourself to connect with others like you and show up.

Each of us at the luncheon on Tuesday could have used Fibromyalgia as a reason to stay home. None of us felt great that day, but we made the choice to attend. We did not LET our Fibromyalgia symptoms stop us from what turned out to be a very fun and cathartic afternoon.

This is the dilemma I face with many of my members. They call and e-mail me with all sorts of intentions – they plan to come to the next meeting, they want to come to the next meeting, but they do not know how to break out of the pattern of isolation they have grown comfortable with. It is safe to stay home. Going out to meet a room full of people they don’t know feels like a risk. Fibromyalgia is extremely depleting, but it does not take away our ability to make choices. Even if it is just to spend a few minutes on an online chat room. We need to not give in to the isolation.

The more isolated someone is, the more they feel like they are the only one feeling so bad, the only one who has lost so much, the only one who understands.

At each meeting, over and over again I see the faces of my members light up as they chat with someone and realize that a symptom or frustration is shared with the other member. I am telling you, these meetings are never sad or depressing. It is more like a bunch of scientist making new and exciting discoveries. The sound of laughter is a constant at the meetings. Who couldn’t benefit from that?

So when I said “isolating if you let it,” that is what I had in mind. FM may limit our choices, but it does not eliminate them. Every day we have the opportunity to make many choices that can affect and improve our lives, and to a certain degree, remaining isolated is a choice.

P.S. Please do not regret spouting off. You made the choice to speak up and state your mind. I say good for you! It would have been easy to read what I wrote and get frustrated, but not leave a comment. Instead you broke the barrier and started a dialog. Very healthy and non-isolating of you!

Plus it gave me something to think about. Word choice is very important and something I should consider when writing my posts – so thanks!

Kathy

That was very eloquent FH (now how’s that for a nickname?). Thank you for “letting” me have my temper tantrum and turning it into a teaching moment.

I do see myself in what you wrote, but I also see a lot of hope for the future… I got beat down pretty hard by the collision between my past life and fibromyalgia. Most of the time I feel like I’ve gotten over it and moved on, but obviously I still have some sore spots. Ouch.

I think I am moving towards a brighter and less isolated future. Not many people get a “do over” like this…

And I guess I have some researching to do. Thanks!

My response

No research necessary. You are in!

When I read that you feel hope for the future, it makes me feel hope! There are no quick and easy answerers with FM, we are all pioneers really if you think about it. Not that long ago diseases like MS & arthritis were exactly where FM is today.

The key is to come together on our quest for wellness. Whether it is in person or online, we need to build and strengthen the FM community, first and foremost so that no one feels alone in their struggles. There will be days when we cannot participate, but if we let those days turn into weeks, weeks can turn into months… Somewhere in that isolation hope will be lost. I want everyone with FM to have hope!

Thanks so much for starting this conversation! You have inspired me and I plan to share our dialog in a blog post.

Kathy really did get me thinking, and yesterday I jumped on twitter with this question, “Just had an interesting exchange on my blog about isolation. Got me thinking. What are some good online communities to join?” I got a lot of great responses, so look for a post with online resources soon.

What are you thoughts on isolation? How do you combat it? Is it a problem for you? Let’s keep the conversation going.

14/30

I started a discussion by asking how I could encourage some of our members who never come out to attend a meeting. I’m not sure if we ever answered that question, but we all agreed that Fibromyalgia and chronic illness can be very isolating if you let it. I have many thoughts on the issue, but the one I want to focus on here is how fortunate we are in this day and age because of the internet. There are huge communities of people online making connections they never would have were it not for their computers. So today, on Fibromyalgia Awareness Day, I thought it would be fun to share with you how some of my fellow bloggers acknowledged the significance of the day on their blogs.

Time thief posted a great educational article on Fibromyalgia at this time – this space. Very well done!

Over at Chronic Babe the Editrix is asking her readers today “Are you well-read? Well-informed? Do you keep up on research? Read the latest journals?” And if you answer no to any of those questions she steers you in the right direction with information, suggestions and resources. 

Michelle at Rhetoric Aesthetic reflects on her own anniversary with FM “in hopes of raising awareness, overcoming stereotypes, and celebrating the good that has come.”

Living It, Loving It reminds us this year’s theme is “Fibromyalgia Affects Everyone” and the goal this year is to emphasize the sweeping effects of the disease. She also has a great list of resources to check out.

The retro housewife shares how Fibromyalgia turned her into the person she is today – brave, strong and GREEN. Learn how she became an environmentalist to help eliminate the toxic chemicals that many believe cause/contribute to Fibromyalgia.

In honor of Fibromyalgia Awareness Day, Fab Fibro Friends decided to blog about her life with fibro.

Sheri at Prospering Over Fibromyalgia lit a candle for us all and asked that we pass it on.

Life as We Know It wants everyone to understand chronic fatigue syndrome is a physical, not psychological condition.

Fibro Helper Gin has a tea schedule where she plans to dispel the myth that “all Fibromyalgia patients are fat, white, American suburban housewives looking for attention.”

Sherril put together a great catalog of various events going on today and Fibromyalgia resources in general. Check it out at The ICI Experience.

Rochelle uses Fibromyalgia Awareness Day as a platform to share her personal Fibromyalgia story on her blog Learning to Trust.

The above is just a small sampling of what is out there. I would LOVE it if you have a blogger you would like to add to this list. Just leave a link to your/her/his blog in the comments section.

11/30

My first exposure was to a yahoo support group for Fibromyalgia. It did not take me long to realize that it was not the place for me. Each person on there had a signature which listed all of their illnesses and health complaints. The longer the list the more clout you had. People were listing every trivial thing wrong with them in an attempt to make their signatures longer. I was really turned off to it, and it did not help that I could not find an informative message thread that I was interested enough to contribute to. But to prove that “value” is not the right word I am going to address that this group clearly did have value as it had a lot of members – over a thousand if I remember correctly – and they all seemed very happy with their labels. From my perspective it was a group that embraced victimization and was not so much looking for answers to questions and improvement to their health as they were looking for a community of fellow complainers. Again, this is my perspective.

Since starting this blog I have researched many other online groups, and there are some great ones out there – great to me that is, which is purely subjective. Maybe that is the word. Maybe “subjectiveness” works where “value” does not because it is all subjective. It is a matter of taste, preference and compatibility. I belong to one in particular where I am constantly impressed with the thoughtful and informative topics that are discussed. I am impressed because that is what I am looking for in a group and that is the type of group in which I feel comfortable sharing. But sharing in an online forum can still be isolating and impersonal, which leads me to some of the things I have been struggling with.

Even on my favorite message boards, I see people who go unnoticed and unheard. I see people reaching out and getting no response. Last night for instance I found the following two posts by the same person to which there were no replies.

Post One

does anyone live in california in the san bernardino area? looking for support and and new friends.

Post Two

i feel so alone right now. just wonderd if there was anyone close to me or does everyone live so far away..

These posts broke my heart when I read them. I did respond to her with information on a local support group in her area, but it really got me to thinking afterwards. How many posts like this go unnoticed? How is she left feeling about her exposure and the group after this experience? How much responsibility do we have as members to reach out and help her? How much responsibility does she have to find the right online group for her needs? Is she even interested in the information I gave her?

These are my thoughts on a Monday morning and they have left me melancholy. I do not have the answers, but I do feel a responsibility and a need to authenticate my contribution to these boards. It may take me sometime to contemplate all of this, but then again, whatever I come up with, it will all be purely subjective. Welcome to my brain!

Working from home may be one of the best things to come from living with Fibromyalgia.  I have been forced to adjust my career to allow for flare-ups and for days when I am not suitable for human consumption.  It has been a gradual transition from the full-time job I had when I was first diagnosed, to my current career as a freelance writer and homebody, but I am very pleased with the direction my career has taken.

The doctor who diagnosed me told me plainly and simply, “You are going to have to change your life, and most definitely your career, but you will be able to live and work productively with Fibromyalgia.”  I did not realize it at the time, but by saying that she had given me a gift, and her words play a huge part in how I have approached living with Fibromyalgia.  And the accident too, it also played a huge part in the changes I have made – forced change if you will.  I understand that I cannot be productive the way I once was.  I can no longer work a routine schedule set by the needs of an employer, but I am still capable of working at my pace.  So I have found a career to suit my needs and stimulate my mind.  So far it has been very satisfying, if not yet financially rewarding.  And now here I sit at my desk, which is an old refurbished army desk from my husband’s Dad, in my lovely antique chair that my husband procured for me off Craigslist.  I sit here each day and feel lucky to have the opportunity to pursue a writing career in the comforts of my own home with all the benefits it affords.

For instance, I get to spend the day with my lab Casey curled up behind me in her favorite leather chair.  She is thirteen and has endured a lot this year – 4 surgeries to open her scarred esophagus and later an awful stomach infection.  She is old, skinny, and riddled with arthritis, but she is a happy girl and it brings me great comfort spending every day with her, and feeling her constant presence behind me.  I have found there is a rhythm to the sound of her snore and it soothes me.

The coffee breaks are better when you work form home.  If I decide to go out for my break I have several nearby coffee shops to choose from, and I get to take my work with me.  How great is that?  It is a good way to stimulate my brain and usually gives me new and fresh ideas for my writing.  It is also a good way to counteract the isolation of working from home and to remind myself that the world is still abuzz with activity.

Working from home has helped save our budget too.  Previously I was a commissioned sales rep and traveled 3 counties to visit accounts.  I had to spend money to make money.  Not just on gas, but on lunches, and supplies, and general wear and tear on my car, and also on my wardrobe.  A sales rep lifestyle is expensive.  Now I can do everything from my desk, and who cares what I am wearing!

You have to be disciplined to work from home otherwise you lose a lot of valuable time.  I am fortunate (when I am not sidelined by a flare-up) to not have issues with this so far, and mostly that is because I love writing and when I am not writing I am doing research for my writing, which I enjoy as much if not more.  There are so many freelance writing opportunities on the Web on such varied topics.  It is fascinating and I feel constantly driven to get my piece of it.  I am not the most accomplished author, but check back with me soon!

Despite my limitations, I still need to feel productive.  I need to feel like I am contributing to my life.  I cannot give in to the pain.  I will not let it defeat me.  Disability is not an option.  That is what my doctor told me eleven years ago.  That was her gift to me and I hold onto it tightly.  It is because of her gift that I sit here today in my antique chair; at my refurbished army desk; with my cup of coffee and my lab Casey, and write these words that few will read.  But these words will lead to the next, each one building the foundation of my new career.  Just think, without the Fibromyalgia, I may never have made this leap.  I am not quite ready to “thank” my Fibromyalgia, but I do acknowledge that it just might be taking me to a better place.  I hope it not to be with me when I get there!