Saturday, April 16, 2011

Fibromyalgia Should Be Your Reason Not Your Excuse!

I think for most people with Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (FM/CFS) our first frustration is the diminished ability to be as physically involved in our lives as we once were, such as now a day at the park with family can set you back a week. The second thing is we start to miss the feeling of contribution to society. If you are still working, I am sure you have noticed it takes more of a toll on you emotionally and physically to do what used to be so simple. If you have become unable to work due to FM/CFS then this feeling will be much more prominent. We all want to feel needed and when the brain fog clears we can do a lot to contribute to family, non-profits or socialize with friends.

There are many of us who have become homebound, live alone or have excluded themselves from being apart of something due to the fear of how your symptoms will interfere, which then leads to the part where you have to explain why you can't do the job or get it done on time. Healthy or sick, nobody wants to be in this situation. The good new is, we know what our bodies are capable of doing. I know I can't run in a Fundraising 10k but I may be able to sit at the registration booth for a few hours. I know I can't manage an entire project with a specific timeline without backup and the people I work with knowing why there will be days where I just can't participate. I also know I can't plan my girlfriends entire baby shower but I can help make up some goody bags over a period weeks.

Why is all of this so important? In all of our humanity the one thing that sticks out the most is the desire to be apart of something larger than ourselves, to make our mark on the world and most of all feel useful. This deep seeded need seems to slowly slip away in some, after years of excluding and isolating themselves. It has to stop! Fibromyalgia must become your reason to seek out ways to become apart of your community, your family, your friends. It must become your reason to be honest with yourself and what your abilities are, then make it your reason to be honest and involved with those around you.

I have been able to find ways to be involved with non-profits, activist groups online and in my community and after introducing myself, I flat out say, "I would love to be apart of your charity, these are the things I am good at, then I simply state I have FM/CFS and that it should be taken into consideration when assigning me a project."  Trust me, as straight forward as this may sound not once have I ever been turned away and the best part about it is that I took the elephant out of the room before I even got my foot in the door. I used Fibromyalgia as a reason to become active.

As far as I am concerned, we are all fighters and there is NO EXCUSE to not find a REASON to get involved. Keeping or getting back the pride we feel when we're apart of something bigger is possible,  just be brave enough to take the first step.

If you have questions, topic ideas or would like to get in touch with me, please feel free to email me.

1 comment:

  1. Thank you so much for this excellent
    topic you have expressed as it is vital.
    I have always been a TYPE A person who
    just knew how to get the job done in an excellent way. I suppose that is why I am now reluctant to accept anything less of myself as I still have the desire and skill within this now fragile
    body. So I needed this pep talk in getting reinvolved & stop acting like life has to 'be all or nothing'. It is
    difficult to plan, however. But being honest upfront sure is one way to handle the situations of life.

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