12/05/2026
It's Fibromyalgia awareness day today, 12th May. I was diagnosed with it over 5 years ago, although the worst symptoms started a year before that. Also, I now realise there were warning signs several years before that but I (and my docs) didn't recognise that my body was throwing up red flags to say that something was wrong.
Although I'm doing much better these days, it hasn't gone away and I'm not 'cured'; I've just managed to calm the symptoms down. I say 'just' like it was easy but I've literally thrown the kitchen sink at it, trying pretty much everything I could. I've done it almost entirely on my own, as the NHS just hands you a leaflet and packs you on your way. It's cost a lot of my money, time and patience and been very hard work at times.
I still get flare ups (having one this week) but I now understand things much better and accept that I have to slow down and look after myself. Luckily, I do seem to have more resilience these days and my lows are not the rock bottom they used to be.
Fingers crossed 🤞 that remains, as each time you go into a flare up, you live in fear that you may not come back out of it again.
Sending love and strength to all Fibro sufferers out there (we are a huge community - about 5% of the population).
