It started with my blog, which forced me to open up about the fact that I have Fibromyalgia, and about how very hard it is to manage my life sometimes. I feel like I have finally come clean, and that I no longer need to keep up the appearance of the strong, healthy person I once was, and used to pretend to still be. My life feels more honest now. Fibromyalgia Haven has brought me integrity and self-acceptance. And it has brought me a new set of online friends and contacts which I value very much.

Then the support group happened. I think my blog helped prepare me to lead my support group. I don’t think I would be a very effective leader if I was still too ashamed or embarrassed to talk about my health. I take a lot of pride in the organization and planning, and I feel so fortunate to have the ability and desire to help the group grow, learn and prosper. The women in the group are fantastic! Such a smart, fun, friendly group who listen with compassion and share with honesty. Everyone is eager to improve their health which has lead me to do a lot of  research for resources.  My research has been very educational and enlightening, and best of all it took me to the next great thing in my life right now, the Wellness Center.

Initially I went to the Wellness Center to ask them to be a sponsor for our group and allow us to have our meetings there. Shortly after touring the facility I realized the enormous potential the Center had to help me improve my health and my life. And not just because of the classes and fitness expertise that they offer – each person I have connected with there has in some way contributed to the development of my support group – whether it is through contacts, or resources, or simply with encouragement. They are more than just a sponsor for the group, they are an interested and active partner. And it is working both ways. They have referred several people on to me who were looking for resources and information about Fibromyalgia, and I was very happy to help.

Fibromyagia is a part of my life for a reason. I can no longer ignore or deny it. I no longer want to ignore or deny it. Now that I have opened my life to the reality of it, my life has improved. It makes me think of the great Mexican painter and hero Frida. Her life was shaped by the pain she suffered as a result of the tragic bus accident. There is an inseparable duality between her pain and her passion for life that overwhelms her art. Would her art be as spectacular and enduring if not for the accident that sentenced her to a life of unbearable pain? I wonder. Was she meant to suffer so she could tap into her creativity? Much of her art is gruesome in its depiction of her struggles, and yet it was not without hope. 

Viva la Vida is Frida’s last painting. It was finished in 1954, the year of her death. She was bed ridden, highly medicated, and just a shell of her former self. So where did she find the inspiration to paint such a hopeful painting? Maybe it was because she lived her life exactly as she was meant to, working with her disabilities and limitations instead of working against them. Maybe it was because she knew she lived her life honestly and with integrity. Whatever the reason, I admire her greatly. And right now, in this moment, I believe I am on a similar journey to creating a legacy of my own.

Viva La Vida - Long Live Life!

This year Rob and I are resolved to improve our health. We are both turning the big 4-0 in 2009 and have decided we want to spend the next decade healthier than we did the last. Because of my Fibromyalgia we have not been able to do the hiking, backpacking and other outdoor activities we once enjoyed doing together. An unfortunate side affect of my FM limitations has been that Rob no longer has his partner in crime to do all those activities with. Even something as simple as walking the dogs has become a solo activity for him. 

Even though my doctor released me several months ago, I have frankly been fearful to start exercising again because I know it will lead to pain and to flare-ups, and I live everyday trying to avoid exacerbating my Fibromyalgia. And yet I firmly believe that I need to exercise to strengthen my core and my muscles, which will enable me to better manage my FM. Crazy, vicious circle! Well I think we have found the place that will encourage both of us to exercise and improve our health, and as our gift to each other this year we bought a membership.

Today is actually the grand opening of a brand-new-state-of-the-art Wellness Center which was built just a couple of miles from our house. When I first drove past the two-story, 58,000 square foot facility I had no idea what I was looking at. So I went to their website and found this description:

The Wellness Center offers the only health and fitness experience of its kind in the region. A fully-integrated health and fitness campus sets the stage for a comprehensive, medically integrated environment focused on your total well-being, ranging from day-to-day health maintenance to sports performance training and rehabilitation.

We also place a priority on personalized service. Our team of degreed and certified fitness specialists, dietitians and health educators are able to work collaboratively with you to develop a personalized fitness program that will help you achieve the positive benefits of exercise including:

• Improved quality of life
• Reduced risk of heart disease, diabetes and cancer
• Weight control and enhanced body composition
• Healthier bones, muscles and joints
• Increased flexibility
• Increased muscle strength and endurance
• Increased cardiovascular fitness
• Lower blood pressure
• Reduced stress
• Healthier outlook

After reading this my interest was peaked, so Rob and I went on a tour last month, and before we even got out of the locker room we were convinced this was the place where we could both commit to getting our health back. Not only do they have every high-end piece of gym equipment you would expect to find, but included in the membership are cooking and nutrition classes; meditation, yoga, pilates & qigong classes; three indoor pools with aquatic fitness classes; personal trainers and physical therapists. They even have massage and accupunture, but they do cost extra.

We were beyond impressed with the Wellness Center. Rob calls it a fitness country club. They have everything I need to ease myself back into exercise and they are all about improving health and wellness. I have been interested in Qigong for quite some time, but the only place I could find that offers it is 45 minutes away. Now it is just down the road, and if all is well I will be taking my first class this Thursday. So we are excited, and RESOLVED to get the most out of the Center and improving our health. As a team I believe we can do anything. To quote Rob, we will be “looking fine in 0-9.”