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Saturday, January 29, 2011

Cures or Hype?

I have watched videos and read testimonials on different blogs and sites for the past couple of days. I watched the trailer for a documentary that is to be released soon dealing with food and chronic diseases. Everyone, it seems, is jumping on the bandwagon of "curing" diabetes, fibromyalgia, hypertension and a myriad of other diseases so common in our society today. I have to wonder, what exactly is the motivation? Is it money, fame, or a sincere desire to help?

A few sites tout their system or treatment as revolutionary and the cure for fibromyalgia and CFS. One that I viewed tonight dealt with electrical impulses. The doctor in the video stated that you would have to be screened and then it would be decided if you were a candidate for treatment.

A new documentary "Forks over Knives", the trailer I spoke of previously, looked at the western diet as the cause of all our chronic illnesses. This appeared to advocate a vegan diet and called for the exclusion of all animal products in the layman's diet.

Another website called attention to vitamin D and the miracle of adding "their" particular supplements to the diet. I have personally tried this approach with no reduction in symptoms noted over a 3 month period. I did have the bloodwork done and was diagnosed with a low level of the vitamin and took the doctor recommended dosage.

Of course, there is the virus factor that has been bandied about too. This one remains interesting to me but does not appear to be attracting the interest of a majority of researchers.

The most plausible research to date seems to be the CNS link to trauma and the onset of CFS/fibromyalgia. No cure has been suggested but I believe more will be said about this topic in the future.

Okay, that all being said, what do all these sites claim? Cures: supplemental vitamin D, certain herbal supplements, vegan diet, electrical stimulation of the brain, chiropractic, magnets and so forth. I have tried a few of these and with little noted results. My chiropractor has been of the most benefit with heat packs, manipulation and electric stimulation directly to the muscles, however, this is symptom management, not a cure.

I believe that as chronic pain sufferers, we want to believe these claims. We want to believe the hype. We want to try the products or services in the hope that, just maybe, our pain will be gone. That we can rejoin the normal world. A day, week, month or lifetime of no more unrelenting pain. I fear that we are often throwing our money, faith and even health down a rabbit hole. If it sounds too good to be true, then it probably is not a good idea. I am not against new ideas but I hate the idea of someone capitalizing on my pain, as if my suffering was something to be played with, to be trampled into the dirt for a profit. I am confident that the research currently being done will shed light on this condition, but until that happens let common sense be your guide. Find a good doctor and stay with him. Find something that works, even if it is as old school as my trusty heating pad. In addition, don't ignore the role of faith and prayer in dealing with the daily pain and fatigue.

Until a cure is found, buyer beware my friends! God bless.

Friday, January 28, 2011

Whine, whine, whine

Tonight I just have to whine. Whine! I am so tired of fibro pain today. The unrelenting pain in my shoulders, the knee pain, the electrical shock like pains in my left foot, this just plain bites! How will I deal with this? Well, after a little while, I will down some muscle relaxer, a vicodin or two and take a hot shower to hopefully allow for some relaxation and tension relief. I will try and lose myself in TV, maybe get my IPOD out for some relaxing Christian music or pray. But . . .

It is Friday night. I long to do something different. A change to the routine, the routine that my body in it's state of pain craves. Not so long ago my husband and I always went out with friends, to dinner and sometimes for a drink. I can not remember the last time we did something like this. Right now, my hubby is at work, getting some paperwork done, knowing that I am in pain and trying to rest. He is a wonderful man, so considerate and loving. He gets the fibro world that I am trapped in.

Fibro world is not like Disney World. There is no fun involved, however it feels like I have been standing for hours in line waiting for my turn on a ride. Fibro world means pain, pain, pain with fatigue and some sprinkling of other conditions and variations of types of pain. What would I name a ride if I could? The twist and pull. That pretty much sums up my neck and shoulders tonight.

I want to leave fibro world. For 15 years I have been a resident, living with a myriad of symptoms, visiting a plethora of doctors and downing hundreds of pills. Not only is fibro world not a fun place to visit, it is very expensive! You take people with you at the start but it is quite common to lose friends and family along the way. That hurts the most.

I am going now to take the meds, stand in the shower under the hot spray and pray for relief. How are you feeling tonight? I pray you are not a visitor to fibro world.

Thursday, January 27, 2011

Not tonight

Fibro and knee pain win again. No post tonight. :o(

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Prayer Meeting

Last night I attended a prayer meeting without moving from my chair. It was a live remote broadcast from Gospel for Asia headquarters in Texas. There was singing, a message and about 5 presentations on different areas of specific prayer requests. I noticed a diverse mix of people; male and female, children and teens, seniors and 30 somethings.

I did not know exactly what to expect going into the broadcast. I did expect prayer, a message and singing. What I did not expect were the presentations. Ah the presentations. That is where everything changed.

A teenager shared about her mission trip to the streets of a metro area in India. She told of a small street boy, about age 5, who followed her group from place to place. As the presentation continued the young lady became increasingly tearful and had to stop at times to compose herself. She had a picture of the boy and shared it with the audience. What I saw was a beautiful little lad with jet black hair and haunting eyes. Closing her presentation she said she would never forget that little boy and would forever wonder what would become of him. I fear for this little one.

Another presenter was a 20 something young woman. She was modestly dressed with a lace head cover. This presenter shared details regarding dowry killings in India. Apparently there are in-laws and/or groom becomes dissatisfied with the amount of the dowry paid by the bride's family. If the demands for the extra money and/or other compensations are not met the bride's new family may express their displeasure in a horrible way. The new bride is led into the kitchen, doused with kerosene and a lit match is flicked toward her. She burns to death as her new groom watches. The police are told it was a cooking accident. Whew. I could hardly breathe as I listened to the tearful words from such a young person. She went on to tell the story of a poor widow whose 4 daughters committed suicide together rather than burden their mother with the problem of 4 dowries. Wow. I tried to put myself into that world but I could not. In my most horrid dream I could not imagine this scenario. The presentation wound up by telling the audience that yes there are laws against this practice of dowry killings. I still could not get my brain around the stories I had heard.

After the prayer meeting I had the feeling that I had been to another world, another age, another time. The unfortunate thing was that I had not. These things were happening. These things are happening. Horrid things, sad things. Our world is a fallen one, ruled by the devil himself. There are beautiful things too but they can be outweighed by stories like this. I did not feel helpless however. I felt at peace, a peace only my connection with God through prayer could bring. Do you believe in God? Is Jesus your Lord and Savior? If not, and you would like more info and my personal testimony, you can email me at donnakorzun@yahoo.com. I would love to talk with you and answer any questions you may have. God bless.

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Shredding, sorting and green thoughts.

Today I am knee deep in shredding. Some of the shredding is mine, some I inherited from my mother. My mom moved in with my sister in August and is on hospice. My job is to shred her unneeded personal papers and be the keeper of family photos. But, today it is all about the shredding, sorting, shredding, resting (because of the fibromyalgia) sorting and shredding.

I do the shredding and sorting because I care about the earth and all the people living in it. It would be so easy to just stuff all the papers in a trash bag and dump it all in my trash can, but I plug along with my task. Hopefully I will not overheat my shredder like I did the last time I had a mega session of shredding.

Yesterday I did more recycling. I had a rare burst of energy and got all my cardboard together along with my plastics. Into the designated yellow bag went the plastics. Luckily my company allows me to mix everything together which is heaven and so convenient.

My husband is even more rabid than me. Both of us remember the first Earth Day. It was our belief at the time that our generation was going to do the right thing, to change federal and state energy policies and step up with more self-sustaining behaviors as a society. As I look around and read articles I can only wonder, what happened to those idealistic dreams? Where are all the people who carried signs and pledged to care for God's green earth? I am not sure. I think a few are still trying to change things but there are not enough. What can we do?

We can do a few things easily:
1. Do business with companies that follow green practices.
2. Recycle as much as possible.
3. Try and buy products that can be recycled and have the least packaging.
4. Use cloth bags for shopping. A product called Tote Buddy will help.
5. Plan your driving.
6. Turn down the thermostat.
7. Research clubs or groups in your area that encourage green ideas.

Anyone can do these few things, if desired. Hopefully someday we will wake up to the fact that we are selling our souls to other countries who will someday hold us hostage over the energy and we use and abuse. I fear that this may happen sooner than later. I can only do my small part, but one part combined with others becomes a movement and a movement becomes change. A change for the better. A change for our future. A change forever. That is my prayer for our nation and our environment.

Monday, January 24, 2011

I am so cold!

I am so cold. Colder than cold. I hate to leave the house in the winter. The cold makes my muscles cramp as I shiver. The cramping and tightening translate into pain. I run the car heat on full blast and put the seat heater on high. This relieves some of the pain, however, those of us with fibromyalgia know that once the pain sets in there will be a long haul to relief.

I was not always this way. As a child my mother could not get me in the house in the winter. I played with my brothers, built snow forts and followed animal tracks in the snow. I watched the squirrels and birds feed from the food and seeds we left for them. Watching the snow fall around me, I would stick out my tongue and try to catch a snowflake. We made snow ice cream. When time came to finally satisfy my mother and come into the house, she often had home-made hot chocolate. Yum! I can't remember my fingers turning blue . . . . .

As I grew older I would often ride my horse out into the snowy fields of our 80 acre farm. Stormy loved the snow and we would be out for hours trudging in the brush, crossing icy streams and trotting down the dirt road by the farm I did not have fancy fleece, just my denims, a sweatshirt with another jacket and plain old work gloves. Yet I was not cold . . . . .

Fast forward to adulthood. I am now a mom of multiple children. I always took them outside to build snowmen, forts and a few lobs of snowball that always drew giggles. My dog Buster, while not the smartest animal alive, loved the snow and ran around playfully anytime the children or I were outside. I don't remember shivering so hard. . . .

Move along to age 40. Coming down the stairs. Slipping and falling. Pain for days despite pain pills, rest and heat. Days and months go by with new symptoms, more pain and the addition of daily fatigue. Forward to the present day. Now I find I am cold. I dress in layers with fleece, scarves, hats, heavy socks and thick mittens. I can't stand outside or I shiver to the point of pain. Pain that racks my body. My finger and toenails turn blue. They burn with a pain that feels like fire. I do not go outside unless I have to. I am afraid of the pain. . . .

Today I am watching the snow. I am so tired that I had to cancel my physical therapy appointment. I can not get warm. I feel like I am trapped inside the house, held prisoner by the cold and frigid weather. I am watching the snow. It drifts down slowly to the ground. So beautiful yet so painful. I dream about the days when I was outside laughing and playing in the snow and thumbed my nose at old man winter. I smile as I think about it all but now it is only a distant memory. No more snowballs, snowmen or icicles on my nose. I just watch from the other side of the glass with a hot chocolate cupped in my cold fingers. I sip slowly from the steamy concoction and try to stay warm. That is what I will do until old man winter leaves and the green of spring allows me outside again.

Friday, January 21, 2011

Thoughts on sacrifice

Recently I have felt convicted about my lifestyle, not that I am driving a Lexus or dining on shrimp cocktails, but still convicted. I am disabled by my chronic health conditions. I receive disability and my husband has a job with above the national average pay. We have good insurance coverage and a retirement plan. I checked on the internet and we are considered in the top 25% of Americans in income. All I could think was, are you kidding me? This only convicted me more. To that end I started thinking about others, people without jobs, people living in poverty, in other countries and in slavery working in substandard factories in the Third World. Now, I was convicted even more. . . . .

Now, what to do about my feelings of conviction. The word sacrifice came to me. Sacrifice. Wikipedia states that sacrifice,used figuratively, is in the general meaning "to give up something valuable for a higher purpose". What can that mean to me in my life, with the weight of conviction that I was feeling?

After thought, I have decided to "sacrifice" in my life. Here are a few things I have come up with:

1. Increase my giving to the Salvation Army. This organization helps people in disasters all over the world and locally in my county.

2. Increase my giving to Gospel for Asia. This organization trains native missionaries to take the Gospel of Jesus Christ to Asia.

3. Make sure that I am meeting my giving for my local home church.

4. Purge much of my MANY extras to donate to a local thrift store run by a local church to benefit former drug users (women) to reunite with their families.

5. Buy less.

6. Put myself on a restricted budget for a specified amount of time to really learn to live with less (to be blogged on later).

7. Read up on life in the Third World countries.

8. Read more on simple living, making do with less, etc.

9. Read my Bible and really take to heart God's Word to us regarding the poor.

This is where I am going to start. I will be writing on this subject more as it is very dear to me. Please leave any thoughts on this subject as I begin my quest to be less of me and more of them. Be blessed.

Thursday, January 20, 2011

Too tired

Too tired and hurting to post. See you tomorrow.

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Stress

Right now my world is just a little stressed. It seems like things are piling up:

1. A life insurance policy due $600.
2. License renewals $189.
3. Youngest son's car in shop estimate is $1500-1800.
4. My car in the shop estimate is $400.
5. My mom's health is slowly deteriorating.
6. My knees are giving out.
7. Physical therapy is not helping my knees.
8. I may need a knee replacement sooner than I had hoped.
9. My foot still has not healed from surgery over a year ago.

I could probably come up with more to add to this list, it would not be too hard. The stress from this is causing my shoulders to tighten, my neck to cramp and my head to ache. It is then I remember a few things.

1. Women in many countries have no rights and are virtual slaves.
2. Children in some countries are sold as sex slaves.
3. Millions of people have no access to clean water.
4. Many have no access to medical care.
5. Millions will never hear of the love of Jesus Christ.
6. Dalit children in India are trapped in poverty.
7. Millions are dying in Africa of aids with many more orphaned.
8. Children are working in horrid factory conditions for pennies.
9. I have the right to blog.

Remembering all of this makes me pause and think. Am I still stressed? Of course, but now I have some perspective on my situation. Now I can look at the list objectively.

1. I have the money to pay the life insurance policy.
2. The license renewals are not due until late next month.
3. My son's car? Thank God for credit cards!
4. I have enough to pay the bill for my car.
5. I cannot fix my mom's health but I can spend time with her still.
6. My knees are still giving out.
7. PT is not making my knees worse.
8. I will need knee replacements anyway.
9. I can at least walk again.

Is the list the same? Pretty much. However, I just objectively paused to look a second time at the original list. Through the love of Jesus, I am able to remember those less fortunate and that my riches are not here on earth, but in heaven. I was never promised a worry free or stress free life, but I would not trade my life for anything.

What is your stress level right now? Try making a few lists and see if things can be worked out. If you do not know Jesus, would you consider trusting Him with your life? I promise you, your life will never be the same. It will only become really living.

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Enemy of the budget part 2.

I blogged a few days ago about stocking up on items but not taking care of the inventory i.e. rotating stock, checking expiration dates etc. Now I want to carry that idea a bit further.

The medicine cabinet. Lurking inside are medicines, toothpastes,OTC items plus others. If we are not careful, this can be another area where we can loose a considerable amount of money by not checking dates. Prescription medicines have use by dates, OTC meds have expiration dates and other items have dates including contact lens cleaners and solutions, some toothpastes, make-up (not always on package but is considered 6 months from date of purchase) and other select products. It is important to check these items monthly to ensure that the products and medications you have on hand have full potency for when they are needed. Also, to avoid overbuying products you cannot use within the stated expiration date.

To avoid throwing away expensive drugstore and others products it may be a good idea to do the following:

1. A listing of products that carry expiration codes
2. An inventory of products to discourage overbuying of short dated products
3. Familiarize yourself with expiration dates and where they are on pkgs.

When going over that Walgreens, Riteaid, or CVS ad don't forget to check your list or personally look over the medicine cabinet/cupboard for what you already have on hand. Does anyone really need to have on hand 4 boxes of Tylenol, multiple containers of older medications and 5 canisters of 500 multiple vitamins?

What is in your medicine cabinet????

Monday, January 17, 2011

I want to but I can't.

That is the story of me, me with fibromyalgia. The title of this blog just says it all. It happens often, on the worst days imaginable in my mind. I miss church, outings with friends, concerts, dates with my husband, birthday parties and antique/flea markets. These are all things I used to do. I used to go out more. I used to not have pain. I used to have energy. I used to . . . . .

A prime example of missing out was yesterday. I awoke with the worst fatigue I have had for a long time. I was exhausted, in pain and ached all over. Fogginess griped my brain. I sat in front of the TV and zoned. I did not make it to church where I would have seen friends and praised the Lord. I ate lunch, not really interested, but ate anyway. About 2:30 p.m. my cell phone rang. I picked up the phone and looked at the caller ID. My sister was calling. I answered to hear my sister say "where are you?". I was confused. Where was I supposed to be? Then, in the foggy state my brain was in came the thought of my two nieces birthday party. Oh, again I am missing out. I could hear the laughter of my twin nephews on the other end of the phone. A wave of sadness came over me. I choked it back and explained to Dana that I was ill and had just forgotten to call. I felt terrible and, well, guilty. Guilty for being sick, for not taking better care of myself, for not trying hard enough. It was not a pleasant moment.

A few hours later I was pouring over notes I had taken from a book I am currently reading called "How to be Sick" by Toni Bernhard. In my notes I noticed an activity I could do. It is a turnaround of the statement I never do anything anymore because I am sick. I did the exercise as follows:

I can pace myself because my days are not scheduled
I can manage to take care of my house with some help from my husband.
I still cook for my husband most of the time.
I do get out of the house to do activities like shopping with my sister.
I have time to read, pray and think.
I can spend time in the Word of God.
I can visit on the phone with my daughter and sister.
I can visit my mother on good days.

This list is not exhaustive. The actual list is much longer than I could have imagined. I am going to rewrite it and frame it. I need the reminder on those bad days, which happen more than I would like, but that is what it is, it's fibromyalgia. I highly recommend Toni's book. No, it is not a cure, but it is a tool to use. Fibromyalgia has no cure but I refuse to give in to the depression of being part of the sick community.

What would be on your list?

Saturday, January 15, 2011

An enemy of the budget

I was reminded today about a way to save money I often forget. Waste is an enemy of the ardent budget-minded person. This enemy strikes in the pantry, in the refrigerator, or in the medicine cabinet. It lurks whenever we are not being diligent in our rotation of canned goods or checking use by dates. Now I know we are all busy, but taking a moment now and then to glance around when you open the frig does not take a big chunk out of the day. Here are a few tips:

1. Take the time to look into the frig and make sure that last container of yogurt is visible, the two bottles of ketsup are combined, and the leftovers are rotated.

2. Once a month, go through the medicine cabinet and note the expiration dates. Rotate stock. This is an area where we can be guilty of overbuying and not being able to use it up.

3. In the pantry, be very careful of stock, letting packages get out of sight, not rotating by dates, etc.

These are just a few points that I have shared. Stockpiling is great if we can use it all. We have so much in this country, it is the least we can do to use it wisely including blessing others with some of our surplus. Any thoughts?

Friday, January 14, 2011

Not tonight

Sorry my friends but the fibro monster wins this round. I am going to bed, headache is too much and I am aching everywhere. Will post tomorrow. :o(

Thursday, January 13, 2011

Humor

Today I was reminded how vitally important humor is in life, especially when you are chronically ill and in pain. I spent part of the day with my sister, shopping and having lunch. This was the first excursion since my knee surgery on December 21. Now, my sister is an aggressive driver to say the least. Scary is a better word! Combine that with our usual banter of teasing, coffee at Barnes and Noble and me standing forever while she tried on ten pairs of jeans (!) it was a great afternoon. I laughed more this afternoon than I have in weeks. Then, this evening, on facebook began an exchange on a friend's post. The exchanges became funnier and funnier. At one point I was laughing with tears in my eyes. At that moment I noticed how relaxed and happy I felt. Was I out of pain? No. However, I still a sense of well-being. It was at that moment that I really appreciated my sister and my facebook friends. It is these connections that keep us sane, keep us human, and sometimes keep us from suicide. Now if that sounds extreme, well you have never known the loneliness and pain of chronic illness and pain. I speak the truth here, painfully, but the truth nevertheless. One thing I know, the next time I think about canceling time with my sister, friends, or sisters on facebook, well I will remember this feeling that I am experiencing right now. Will that always work? No. Sometimes the pain and fatigue are too great. But, sometimes it will work and that, well that, will be a little slice of heaven.

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Monday & Tuesday

I love to save money. I enjoy the hunt, the adrenaline rush and the jingling sound of extra coins in my purse. To this end, I peruse the usual money saving venues such as: garage sales, thrift stores, angel food ministries, carry no balance on my credit cards, limited eating out etc. However, I have recently added a new twist to my crusade to payoff our mortgage, Amazon.com! I do not know what started me on this particular quest. Now that I think of it, it was my daughter. She was telling me about the great deal she had scored on diapers. A light came on. What if there were other things on there, things that I use everyday, maybe cheaper than I was currently paying? I jumped on the internet and began to enter different items that I used on a regular basis. What I found was about 1/3 of the things I use are available on Amazon cheaper than I was paying. Items including: green forest toilet paper, a brand of chips my husband adores, organic vitamins, slim fast snack bars and more. I am talking half price in some cases. Why don't you give it a try? Let me know how much money you saved!

Monday, January 10, 2011

A passion for green!

As a child of the late 60's and 70's, I have always been interested in all things green and recycled. This has often been hard to deal with as the area I live in has not, in the past, been up to date on recycling.

The county I live in was once know for having more pigs than people. Needless to say, resources are thin here as it is in most of Michigan right now. Imagine my delight and surprise when a local, family owned garbage service decided to go green! An offer came in the mail to have curbside (yea) pickup of all plastics (1-7), cardboard, newspaper, glass and waste paper. Well, I signed up immediately and saved money over the service I was currently using (bonus). That was the happy part.

Having fibromyalgia changes everything in your life. It affects daily living activities, housework, hobbies and more. My passion for saving the planet soon came face-to-face with the realities of my limitations. After the initial set-up of bins (all located in one place) it came clear that this was going to take some serious problem solving if I was going to be successful.

I started by putting a box at the top of the stairs. Any recycling from the upstairs went into this box. My husband brings the box down periodically to deposit into the proper bins. The same is true of the downstairs. A box located in a corner of the kitchen holds the downstairs items until I or my husband empty it. Some of the packaging is tough for me to deal with so that becomes my husband's job too. I also do some research on-line to try and find products that are the most recyclable and have the least packaging.

Luckily, this service allows all items to be dumped into one provided large bag to be put out at the curb. I help my husband with this every Tuesday.

Now I can hear people saying, well she has a husband to help and I have no one. Well that certainly is true but some problem solving can enable most people to either recycle or at least avoid products with excessive packaging.

I am still refining my "greenness" but this, I believe, is an on-going process of defining what is important to me. What is you "green" story?

Sunday, January 9, 2011

Sunday's

Just to let you all know, I do not post on Sundays. I will try and cover issues regarding fibromyalgia related to finances, green-living and other resources. I may also make references to blogs and/or websites I have visited. I will not be selling any e-books, supplements or fibro-related items. I cannot type that long or sit at the computer for hours. I started this blog as a way to share my experience with fibro, my interest in green living and saving money (especially when you do not have any). Look in the next few days for another post. I welcome comments.
Well, here I am writing for the first time. I plan on covering fibro issues and topics on green living, saving money and stories related to my past as they affect my health and fibro status. Here goes!

I have had fibro for at least 15 years that I know of for sure. Oh, there were weird signs prior to that, like the time I could only walk on my toes for 30 minutes after waking up in the morning, but my official dx was 15 years ago. The usual triggers were there for me, such as stress (3 marriages will do that to you) 4 babies (a good stress) little money and poor care of self. However, I believe I overworked to the point that I broke my own body down to the point it could not recover. To this I will elaborate.

When I was in my late 20's, I worked as a route driver with a vending machine company. This job involved lifting 8 pound gallon jugs of syrup in cases of 4, pushing 300 pounds of product up ramps at factories, and driving an old, stick-shift panel truck. In many of those factories, I breathed in countless fumes and often coughed for hours after leaving my job. I worked in a union job so I was not allowed any slack as a woman. The other drivers (all men) also gave me no slack. I was often hit on by fac!tory workers, union reps and my fellow drivers which was not, by the way, a complement. So stress was built into this job for me along with poor air quality, physical stress and caring for my then 3 children as a single parent. If I had known that I would be compromising my health so bad I may have done something different. But then, hindsight is everything, isn't it!

Fast forward a few years now and the wierd, random symptoms of the monster to come appeared. First, the toe walking, later extreme dizziness and vertigo followed by debilitating headaches and fatigue. Then, 15 years ago, after falling down the stairs at home, I could not stay awake. Muscles ached all over and I could barely move. Working became harder and harder. A string of jobs followed due to layoffs and facility closings. Then, 4 years ago, I landed a great gig in my field of Occupational Therapy working with acutely ill patients. At first, the stress was tolerable, but it quickly became tougher and tougher to drag myself in to work. When it became clear that I needed to lose some hours for my health, fate intervened. I fell in my yard, rolled my ankle completely over and fractured a bone in my foot. The fragments of this bone tore through my tendon, shredding it almost beyond repair. Only with the assist of a plastic graft can I walk without a brace. This put me on short term disability where my health continued to decline. Now I am on SSDI and looking at double knee replacements.

Well, this is my story of my fibro experience. What do you think? Did I work myself sick? Was it the environmental exposures? Personal issues?