Establish a partnership with your health-care team.
While speaking with your doctor, see if there is a good personality match and if you feel comfortable. Trust your intuition. Learn about your illness and don’t be afraid to ask questions.
Do what you can for your body. Practice the basics of healthy living: eat a nutritious diet, get enough rest, and participate in a MILD exercise program, even if it’s a five minute walk.
Grieve for what you have lost. We have to accept the fact we have a chronic illness. It means accepting your new situation.
Let yourself feel your feelings. We have to go through the feelings of loss, grief, anger and sadness when we learn we have a chronic illness.
Don’t Blame Yourself !!! It isn’t your fault that you’re sick. We are sometimes programmed to believe we can overcome anything if we work hard enough. Don’t let yourself feel guilty because you have this illness.
Find support. It really helps to talk to other people who suffer with the same illness. You don’t have to explain so much and it helps you from feeling alone. Joining a support group can be a lifesaver that can help you get direction in your life. You learn a lot from other people and this keeps you from depending on your family and friends all the time.
Realise that you have limits. Remember even healthy people can’t do everything. Learn to be realistic about what you expect from yourself.
Spend your energy wisely. Some patients talk of using their precious stores of energy like coins from a piggy bank. Carefully conserve every ounce of energy.
Set reasonable goals for yourself. If you are having a bad day, don’t go grocery shopping, have a sandwich instead. You may have to lower your expectations, but then you can be successful in meeting your goals.
Be energy efficient. Sit on a stool in the kitchen, don’t stand. Get a parking sticker for disabled people, hire someone to clean the house, divide your groceries so the canned items can sit in the car for a few days until you have the energy to bring them in.
Schedule rest periods. It is critical you schedule rest before and after activities. You need to learn to listen to your body. Lie down BEFORE it’s screaming.
Set priorities. Make a list of what you must do, would like to do, and what doesn’t matter. When all our living is done in a few hours a day, and with only a small amount of energy, we begin to realise what is really important in life.
Learn to adapt. Maybe you’re too sick to go out to a movie, but you can ask a friend to bring over some Chinese food and to watch a video. People who really love you don’t care if you cook for them, they just like to spend time with a friend.
Be Aware of Yourself! With Fibromyalgia it can be hard to distinguish between feeling tired and feeling depressed. Deliberately choose to do activities you enjoy or read something humorous.
Keep work and home schedules on the same calendar. It’s not a good idea to have a big meeting with your boss and a birthday party for your two year old on the same day.
Have Fun! Keep your social activities. It is crucial to make time for playing. If you have three hours of energy – work two and spend one hour having fun with a friend. Keep the balance in your life.
Keep a journal. You don’t need to write in it every day but it will help you see the patterns. You’ll realise where you’ve come from on the darkest days and can see the progress you’re making towards feeling better again.
Don’t ignore your sexuality. You may have to schedule love-making for when you have some energy. A sexual relationship makes you feel wanted and feel good.
Keep your sense of humour. We deal with enough pain and difficulty on a day to day basis. Choose videos, films or reading materials that are more upbeat.
Remember you still have choices. Exercise your choices. Feelings of being in control help fight any feelings of depression.
Live for Today. Fibromyalgia patients are living with the unknown, and living with the unknown is frightening because it reminds us that we are out of control, so we maximise the known, if you feel good, then enjoy the day. Live in the Now!
This article has been adapted for New Zealand conditions from the "Arthritis News," published in the United Kingdom.
