When Your Worst Is Really Your Best

I always seem to forget how truly amazing I can be. I’m sure you all do the same. It’s so easy to feel the pain and fatigue deep in your bones and lose sight of how strong you really are.

Today was a pretty typical day. Worked last night (pediatric respiratory therapist) and dragged butt all night long. Gave report this morning semi-coherent thanks to a ridiculous amount of caffeine. Had to stay over for an educational inservice on new equipment. Went home and fought to sleep, even though I was exhausted, due to my pain level and running brain. Finally fell asleep, hallelujah!

Got up and then immediately started mommy world. I had to get snacks, go to the potty with the kids, referee arguments, soothe stubbed toes and hurt feelings, teach the fine art of sharing, and work out a “what show will be watch” compromise. Thank god (and my in-laws!) for my Keurig! Even so, I had that bone-deep fatigue that gnaws at you.

Everyone started coming home/to visit/to spend the night and my house went from zoo to Grand Central Station noise level. I can’t handle that as well as I used to. With fibro, I get more overstimulated than a sugared-up three year old at DisneyWorld. My pain increased, fatigue increased, and irritation increased.

Add to that chaos cooking dinner, kid bath time, and the overtired kiddos becoming more and more whiny with each passing second. I was pretty much feeling the same way. Finally got the kids in bed despite much stalling! I was full scale finished. Everything aching, especially my traitor back, and feeling like I hadn’t slept in a week. Misery courtesy of fibro, CFS, a bad back, night shift, and motherhood!

I started to get annoyed at myself for not handling my day well. It wasn’t until my sister-in-law pointed out that I accomplished a whole lot more than I felt like I had. The night at work may have been very long and exhausting, but I accomplished quite a bit and had a full patient assignment. I just got a promotion and have been actually keeping up well! I also made it through report without dozing off mid-sentence. That definitely feels like winning. I picked my daughter up from the sitter across town after working 13 hours and didn’t feel so tired that I was essentially driving impaired. Can I get a woo hoo?

I got a short nap in and then functioned mostly like any other mom in the world would, despite my health issues. I got things accomplished, answered work emails, and snuggled with the tiny humans. Not too shabby! I was tired but still helped build a racetrack and braided my daughter’s hair for bed. We made it through playing in the front yard, allergy medicine for the small ones, and a few temper tantrums.

These are all things that healthy people take for granted and we have to work much harder for. The greatest thing about us is that we are fighters! We’re tough, and make things happen. Some days I struggle to get dressed but I do eventually. We have to think things through to save energy. We work so much harder at things than healthy people do but we just keep going. That is pretty freaking amazing!

To my fellow fibromites, know this. You are incredible! You are brave, you are strong, you are proof that people can do anything. Every single day life for us is difficult but we keep going. That is awesome. You are awesome. We are awesome. Let’s not forget that!

5 Reasons Why Fibro Fighterz Are Badasses

1. We wage a war each day we wake up, fighting an internal battle within ourselves. Sometimes, I like to picture my body fighting back, as if there were a tribe of tiny little army men with their little weapons, *pew* *pew* *pew*. Sometimes I have to aid them in battle with a pain killer, but that’s okay. It gives them time to rest up for the next battle. Positive visualization is a wonderful tool for relieving our pain sometimes. Close your eyes, picture your pain. What does it look like to you? I’ve often visualized my pain as little ninjas with extra-sharp throwing stars. They ricochet off my muscles, and attempt to kick some serious ass. Hey, the point of this exercise is to make yourself smile. Think of your pain as something silly. It might make it hurt a little less, or at least give you a good chuckle or two, and that is worth something! Today, I visualize my pain as a pair of pissed off kittens in rainbow dresses.

Quick! Emergency Kitten Will Always Make You Feel Better!

2. If nothing else, we have learned to multi-task. WELL. Despite our raging pain, we press on every day. If that isn’t BAD-ASS, I don’t know what is.

3. We have quite a large network of friends. Online, offline and in-between. Talk about a huge support system! Our Fibro Friendz are there to help us through our rough times, laugh with us in our good times, a person to share our experiences with, lend their shoulders to cry on and share hugs with us when we need them. They are an extended family, one that will always be close-knit, and one that will always understand each other.

4. We can rock a pair of pajamas like high fashion haute couture. We have perfected the art of the “messy ponytail.” We have a slipper collection that rivals a fashion model’s shoe collection. But the best part about all that? We rock that shit with style.

5.  No matter what, we NEVER GIVE UP THE FIGHT. And that, my friends, is something to be real proud of.

Thalasso-WHAT?

Thalassotherapy shown to benefit Fibromyalgia patients.

This is something that I am happy to see! There are a really good amount of studies going around concerning Fibromyalgia and treatments that help ease the pain. Compared to years past, it’s a marked improvement, to say the least! I even keep a specific Google Alert set up to e-mail me when any news article with the word “Fibromyalgia” pops up, so I can keep on top of the latest news, research and studies going on with it. This morning, when I checked my e-mail, an article about Thalassotherapy for Fibromyalgia came up!

Thalasso-What-Now? I’ll admit, that I have never heard of Thalassotherapy until today, either. So, I threw myself into researching it, as I typically do when something says it’s going to help my pain and fatigue. Thalassotherapy is a type of alternative therapy, also considered a form of hydrotherapy, that involves soaking oneself in the ocean, seawater, or using sea products (typically algae or seaweed) on oneself. The theory is that when the water is absorbed through the body, the minerals that are found to naturally occur in seawater (which often include zinc and magnesium) will help to combat mineral deficiencies and enhance one’s health.

Research on Thalassotherapy is quite limited. However, the few that have been done have shown that Fibromyalgia patients who engage in Thalassotherapy have experienced improvements in both their physical and mental health. There is also a bit of evidence that shows that this therapy may even boost a Fibromyalgia patient’s emotional health as well.

Hey, even before we knew there was a word for it, I think we all kind of knew that a good soak in the ocean would do the mind, body and soul a world of good. Mother nature is capable of helping us in our healing, if we only let her.

Hello Doctor: A Better Way To Access Your Medical Records!

By now, everyone here who reads our blog knows that we love to feature our favorite websites and apps that would be helpful to our readers. There are some pretty powerful tools out there to help us on our path to wellness, I’ll be the first to admit that. But there is one thing that I have seen a great lack of: services to let us access our medical records. I mean, yes, we can of course carry around a folder or a binder with our records in them, but that can get to be rather tiresome at some point. Wouldn’t it be pretty awesome if we could keep our medical records on our phone and be able to access them at the simple touch of a button? Sounds good, eh? It’s finally possible to do just that! Hello Doctor™ makes it insanely easy to keep track of your records, right in the palm of your hand. Born out of the need for a better way to keep track of everything from test results, doctors you’ve seen, hospital visits, bloodwork and more, it is set to be a game-changer in the healthcare industry.

Hello, Doctor!

This story begins with a woman named Maayan Cohen. Her boyfriend at the time was plagued by violent headaches, which usually bothered him during the evening hours, until one morning he had woken up with a terrible headache. Maayan decided it was time to take him to be evaluated by the emergency room. Coming as a shock to all, he was diagnosed with a brain tumor, and would need immediate surgery. Thus began a battle against his cancer for the next two years. As the journey progressed, Maayan realized that
many of the doctors that her boyfriend saw would only give them both about ten minutes to talk about his condition, their concerns, and of course, trying to locate any of the recent test results from her boyfriend’s medical records, which she toted around in a huge binder. Realizing that sifting through this binder wasted more time than anything, she set out to find a better way for patients to access their medical records, and even keep them in their pocket, 24/7.

Maayan Cohen, HelloDoctor’s CEO

The Happy Ending(s)

Maayan’s story has not one, but two happy endings. The first is that her boyfriend pulled through and beat his cancer, and is in permanent remission. The two still remain great friends and talk often. The second happy ending is Hello Doctor. The frustration that she experienced during her boyfriend’s brush with cancer had inspired her to quit her job and develop the Hello Doctor application, which is set to help millions of people all across the globe have instant access to their medical records at the touch of a button, with bank-level security, so your records are totally safe. Today, their team currently consists of six people, all who have had similar personal experiences with illness and the inefficiency of today’s medical record systems.

Organize your medical records in SmartLists, by record type! Access your records in two quick taps!

Would Hello Doctor Help Me?

Personally, I think this application is amazing. As a Fibromyalgia patient who experiences terrible brain fog and cognitive impairment most of the time, I’m lucky if I can remember to grab my purse before I run out the door, let alone make sure I have all the proper medical documents and test results with me before I go to a doctors appointment. I’m also loving the clean and streamlined design of the application itself, no muss, no fuss and easy navigation so you won’t get confused using the application. You are even able to share all of your medical records with physicians e-mailing, faxing, or posting.

Hello Doctor is proving to be an extremely valuable tool to patients everywhere. There has even been quite a buzz in the media about it, with the likes of ABC News, Fast Company, The Mayo Clinic’s Cancer Blog, Forbes and TechCrunch all reporting on this new and vitally needed healthcare tool. It even won the prestigious 2013 DEMO award in Silicon Valley.

I think that it’s high time that we spend a lot more of our time taking care of ourselves, nourishing our bodies and feeding our spirits, and less time on the never-ending drab and dull paperwork.

I think it’s time for Hello Doctor™.

 

Click Here To Download The Hello Doctor App!

Bendi’s Magnetic Jewelry – Pretty AND Powerful Pain Relief!

As a Fibromyalgia patient for the past ten years or so, I’ll admit that to many people trying to “sell” me a cure for my Fibromyalgia, I’ve become jaded. It’s a natural reaction, and I think that many Fibromyalgia sufferers are the exact same way. I mean, I’ve heard stories where people have actually taken the bait that these companies are dangling in front of us. It’s sad. We all want so badly to feel at least a little bit better. To me, it’s heartbreaking and terribly cruel for companies to try and make a fast buck off of the chronically ill. But I digress.

We all know that as of this day, this moment, there is no cure for Fibromyalgia yet. Perhaps somewhere in the future, but it will take time. The best thing that we can do is learn to manage our symptoms, find what works for relieving our pain, even temporarily. Of course, I haven’t found any miraculous product that has taken my pain away, or ridden me of my fatigue. I would be lying if I said that. I’m still the same old hurt-y and pain-y Jenn. But like I mentioned above, I am attempting to learn to control my symptoms, so my life doesn’t feel so incredibly out of my control when a flare decides to peek it’s ugly head in.

Along with Fibromyalgia, I have Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, among a whole host of other chronic illnesses as well, but that’s a whole other blog post. Because my profession is writing, my wrists are often achy, with the rest of my arm and my fingers becoming numb after awhile. It is not a pleasant feeling. I have to get up and shake my arm around spastically to try and get some of the feeling back into it. I’ve tried pain creams, I have tried wearing the wrist braces that my doctor suggested that I sleep in. Those were terribly uncomfortable and scratchy, so scratchy. I still try to wear them at times when it gets really bad. I know that eventually, I have to go see a doctor for it, but with my step-dad in the midst of getting his cancer treatments, there is seldom time for much else as of lately.

I’ve heard some good things about magnetic jewelry. I’ll be honest though, like I said, I’ve become jaded, so at first I was quite skeptical as to the supposed benefits of these bracelets. But, I’m willing to try almost anything once. So, I actually was really excited to pick out two bracelets, one for each wrist. Bendi’s Magnetic Jewelry offers a bunch of amazing styles of magnetic jewelry, really anything to suit anyone’s tastes! Ultimately, here is the first one I chose:

and then this one….

I squealed myself silly when they arrived in the mail. They are so pretty! The even have Fibromyalgia awareness bracelets! They also offer anklets, earrings, necklaces and more! But anyway, each bracelet can be custom sized so it’s totally unique to you, and the best part is, their jewelry is totally affordable. When I slipped them on, I’ll admit that I did so with some skepticism. After an hour or so I hadn’t felt any different. I couldn’t pinpoint a big change, but I also didn’t expect these to take away the pain entirely. But I did start to notice little tiny changes, especially when I was typing. When my arm would normally go numb with the carpal tunnel, I noticed that it wouldn’t any longer. Where my hands would often swell because the pain was so bad, they no longer did.

The changes were subtle, but they definitely were there. I was rather pleased. I wear them everywhere I go, but especially when I am working on the computer. Nothing helps like these bracelets.

Seriously Go Check Out Bendi’s Magnetic Jewelry!

New Biotech Company On Verge of Finding A Cure?

New Biotech Company Possibly Found Cause AND Cure For Fibromyalgia? Photo via StockFreeImages

Over a decade of medical research has yielded some promising results in terms of finding something to finally ease our pain and suffering with Fibromyalgia. Dr. William “Skip” Pridgen has been researching Fibromyalgia for the past 15 years while simultaneously working in this full-time surgical practice, Tuscaloosa Surgical Associates PC. Through his research, he has developed a new drug and a treatment that may one day actually provide a cure for Fibromyalgia! His research has also led him to create Innovative Med Concepts, which is a biotech company that one day hopes to bring forth the medical discoveries to the marketplace.

While there are currently various drugs on the market to treat the symptoms of Fibromyalgia, there is no definitive cure for the illness itself. Pridgen, along with Carol Duffy, who holds a doctorate in virology as well as being an assistant professor of biological sciences at the University of Alabama, have together developed a drug that both believe will cure the problem. So far, two trial phases to test their new drug and treatment have yielded some incredibly promising results. Both researchers hope to soon move on to the final phase of the testing, but that’s a process that could take several years. However, if the results from the trial phase prove to be successful, the United States Food and Drug                      Administration could approve the drug for widespread use in humans.

Pridgen says “We feel we are on the right track and feel this is a real game changer, it is the tip of the iceberg. What we are discovering will accomplish so much more.” Duffy and Pridgen have thus far completed the first two test phases which must be completed in order for the new drug to come to market. In the first phase, the drug was tested on lab animals, whereas phase two had involved limited tests on Fibromyalgia patients, half of which were given the drug, and the other of the half were given a placebo. Those phase two results are now coming in. Pridgen comments “We got 90% of the results back and they are very positive. In the next couple of weeks we will see all the data.”

Thus far, Pridgen has raised about $5 million dollars for the tests, but additional funding will be needed for phase three testing. Pridgen is looking to various funding sources, which may include partnering with another biotech company or seeking financial backing from investors. The third phase of testing will take approximately 2-3 years to complete and will start with a thorough toxicology study to make certain that the higher doses of the drug will be safe for the Fibromyalgia patients taking it. If the toxicology study results satisfy the FDA, they would give the OK to start testing.

Pridgen first got started with his Fibromyalgia research while he was attempting to help his patients that were dealing with pain from irritable bowel syndrome. He had first discussed the problem with his mother, who is a biotechnologist at St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee.  As the two continued to talk about the subject, they began to theorize that Fibromyalgia may be caused by a herpes virus that weakens one’s immune system. That was when Pridgen began extensively researching Fibromyalgia. Pridgen also states that he didn’t get serious about it until he had accompanied his daughter on a medical mission to the country of  Honduras. Pridgen’s daughter is fluent in Spanish, and she served as his translator in treating his patients. He learned that many of them were suffering extreme pain bought on by Fibromyalgia.

Pridgen says that seeing the suffering first hand of those Honduran patients drove him to devote more of his time to researching the condition. It also had meant working two jobs, medical researcher and surgeon. Pridgen admits that working both jobs made life with his family and office personnel tough at times. Pridgen also adds that many people think that the development of any new drug or medical treatment often occurs in a pharmaceutical company, but that it indeed has been happening lately in smaller start-up biotech companies like Innovative Med Concepts.

Pridgen says “The ultimate goal if the drug succeeds will be to get people suffering the pain caused by Fibromyalgia back into the workforce and back to where they can enjoy life.”

Music Reduces Pain In Fibromyalgia Patients

New research shows that music can help to reduce pain in Fibromyalgia patients.

Ah, music. There probably isn’t a better feeling then snuggling into your pajamas, turning up your MP3 player and blasting your favorite song. It can be incredibly uplifting, and have almost an ethereal quality to it. There was never any doubt in my mind that music is one of the tools that has helped me to cope with my pain on a personal level. There’s a bit of a mantra that I like to live by when my pain is really bad, “When the headphones are on, the world is off.” 

Music As A Painkiller?

New research indicates that music can actually reduce the pain of Fibromyalgia and even increase our mobility. Researchers studied 22 Fibromyalgia patients, who were passively exposed to two different auditory conditions. The first auditory condition was self-chosen, soothing and pleasant music. The second auditory condition was a “control” auditory condition, being pink noise. The patients were then asked to rate their pain and perform a “timed-up & go task (TUG for short)” The TUG exercise was performed in order to measure their functional mobility after each respective auditory condition. By listening to the relaxing and pleasant music, the subject’s pain was greatly reduced, and their functional mobility increased as well. 

Is Music An Analgesic?

Granted, every person is different, and what works for some may not work for others. Perhaps you’re not really a music person. I’ve always spoken about the importance of distraction. What is your “thing?” A hobby that you like to do? I truly believe that it’s all about re-focusing our minds and putting that energy into something else.
But perhaps more research will be done into this! I am curious to see what else could come of it. It’s just nice to know that Fibromyalgia is being studied and researched! 

FighterzNet: Week of 3/18

It’s that time of the week again, Fibro Fighterz! I’m sorry I am a few days off, it’s just been a crazy mess of things at home! You know how that is. Especially with Fibromyalgia, things can get tough. Spring is on it’s way here in New Jersey, I think we have finally seen the last of the snow – I hope I didn’t jinx it by saying that! But, I digress. I’ve found a whole bunch of new websites this week for this edition of FighterzNet, I think you will be very pleased! So take a peek at them and see what you think!

Health Month

We all want to lead healthier lives. That’s just part of human nature. But often times, especially when one is befallen with a chronic illness, it can be rather tough to get ourselves motivated. Even the mentality for change isn’t there. I don’t know about you, but even when I am feeling my worst, I am always up for a good game or two. HealthMonth has taken that idea and turned it into an incredible motivation tool! Their website is centered around a wheel, which you can take for a spin! Think of it as a wheel of fortune of sorts, just for keeping yourself in check! There are many different challenges for the month and there is also a fun community you can join as well for others to help you along in your quest for good health! You can set your own rules, too.

Click Here To Visit Health Month!

Second.MD

If you’ve ever wondered about getting a second opinion when you weren’t satisfied with the answers that your primary care provider gave you, there is a website out there that is the perfect solution for that. As Fibromyalgia patients, it can be tough to essentially hop from doctor to doctor, it is physically taxing on our bodies. Second.MD is the online solution to that problem! With their website you can access top healthcare providers that you can ask any health questions that you want, right from the comfort of your own home.

Click Here To Visit Second.MD

Med ID’s

Even for someone who isn’t living with a chronic illness, it is extremely important to have a medical ID card with you at all times, should a medical emergency arise and you are unable to communicate. It’s imperative to have your medical information on you, but you don’t have to pay for fancy ID cards to do so.  With Med ID’s, you can enter your information and print up a medical ID card from the comfort of your own home. Their website also offers an array of different products that will alert medical professionals that you keep a medical ID card in your wallet. Check out their website and get yourself one!

Click Here To Visit Med ID’s!

PillPack

If there is one thing that I can completely forgetful on, it is my daily medications. Whether or not it is the ever elusive “Fibro Fog,” remains to be seen. But I have tried nearly everything to make sure that I take all of my medicines on time. You know how that can be, sometimes the refills come up at different times in the month, it gets confusing, and we end up forgetting, and ultimately missing some of our medications that are most important in helping us on our path to wellness. Enter the PillPack. I’m kind of really excited about this, it’s a packet put together with all of your current medications! In addition to that, it also lists what time of day you are supposed to take them, exactly what is in the packet, including medication names and dosages, the day of the week and the date. Seriously neat. Personally, I am going to definitely look into this for myself. I’m never going to have to buy another pillbox again, nor will I have to remember refills, either! Huzzah! 

Click Here To Visit Pill Pack

The Pillow Fort Magazine

I will admit that it is not often that there is a magazine that I am interested in reading. But this past week, there is one that caught my attention and aptly held it. Do you remember the pillow forts that we used to build as kids? They were our safe havens, our headquarters, a place we could go to escape. Well, guess what?! The Pillow Fort Magazine has created an incredible magazine for those living with chronic illnesses. Even their slogan is amazing, “Making Chronic Illness Suck Less!” With amazing resources, personal stories, how-tos, lists, and more, you are not going to be disappointed with this magazine!

Click Here To Purchase The Pillow Fort Magazine!

FighterzNet: Helpful Websites For Fibro Fighterz

It has certainly been awhile since we have done another installment of FighterzNet (Formerly Helpful Websites For Fighterz.) Our goal with this series is to help our fellow Fibro Fighting friends navigate the web and find great websites to help them along on their quest for wellness, and sometimes we add a little extra fun websites in here and there for some levity, because that’s an important factor in health and wellness. We are hoping to make this a regular feature and if you know of any websites that you feel would be of any help to your fellow Fibro Fighterz, please don’t hesitate to submit them to us! You can let us know about the websites by e-mailing our administrator directly at JLynnCorter@yahoo.com! So without further ado, here are our top five favorite websites for Fibro Fighterz this week! As always, we have to throw our boring little disclaimer in here, none of the information contained in the links on our blog are the opinions of Fibro Fighterz or it’s affiliate websites, and if you are experiencing a medical emergency, please contact your physician or visit your local hospital immediately. Now onto the fun stuff…

As patients living with chronic conditions, quite a few of us are on medications to manage one or more of our symptoms. As patients, it is important to make educated decisions when it comes to taking new medications. Something I have always done is do my research before I agree to take a new medicine. DrugCite helps make that decision easier by providing you with a wealth of information on any medication you can think of. It will list the most common side effects, any adverse effects reported to the FDA, and they even offer a tool to create a report about you and the medication you take or are looking into taking to bring with you to your doctor to discuss. It’s completely free and very easy to use. I highly recommend checking it out!

→ Click Here To Visit DrugCite ←

Sometimes, we all just need a listening ear, someone to talk to and vent our frustrations to. BlahTherapy offers a solution for that. In addition to offering the service of connecting you to a live therapist for a nominal fee, you have the option of connecting with a total stranger to talk to. These people connect to the website as “Listeners,” volunteers to hear others out. It’s their way of paying it forward. The great part is, you don’t even have to sign up as a member to use their website, meaning your identity is totally concealed if you so wish it to be. Their website is super easy to use and navigate. But I do have to say that if you feel that you are truly having trouble, I urge you to contact your local hospital for assistance.

→ Click Here To Visit BlahTherapy ←

The minute that your browser loads the amazing-ness that is EnlightenMed, you will see how incredibly different this website truly is! From their friendly and easy-to-navigate website setup to their mission statement, this website is looking to transform the way that we look at health. I’ve spent many a good hour or two poking around their website just to see what they were about, and I was not disappointed, nor did I ever get bored. It is something that I definitely recommend you check out if you have a little extra time on your hands, their website is truly one in a million!

→ Click Here To Visit EnlightenMed ←

As Fibromyalgia patients, more often than not, we have all experienced Fibro Fog at one point or another. I know that in experiencing that fun fog that often strikes at the worst moments, it can be awful. I have even legitimately left my entire wallet at home when I went to the doctor, which means I’ve left my insurance cards behind. You know how doctors offices and hospitals are, they want to see that dang card every time that you go see them. But what happens when you forget it? What happens then? If it’s a new doctor you’re seeing, and they don’t have your info in their system, then you’re kind of screwed. Until now. With Medlio, they are simplifying healthcare by eliminating the need to carry your insurance cards with you everywhere. Instead, their application allows you to view your healthcare benefits on your phone or tablet, find providers and facilities that accept your insurance, pay your provider any co-pays right through your mobile device and even check in to your appointments right through your device! It’s a really incredible idea, and I can’t wait to see how this new idea evolves in the next couple of years!

→ Click Here To Visit Medl.io ←

This website isn’t so much about health as it is all about providing hope and sharing uplifting and positive tidbits of members. I’ve come to GivesMeHope when I was feeling kinda down and I would read two or three of their hopeful snippets, as I like to call them, and I instantly feel better. They are incredibly sweet stories, and I am including their website in this list because I really feel that it could be a useful tool for Fibro Fighterz to use when they are having a low day. If you’re looking for a quick smile, this website is where you are going to find it.

→  Click Here To Visit GivesMeHope ←

Look for FighterzNet: Helpful Websites For FibroFighterz every Tuesday!

TFFBA: Julie Ryan of Counting My Spoons!

 It’s that time again, folks! We have been scouring the net for those amazing bloggers that go the extra step, enlightening their readers, employing humor to add levity to their life, sharing information and tips, and more! We’ve awarded the Fibro Fighterz Fierce & Fabulous Blogger Award to another recipient! You can find out more about our latest winner below!

Julie Ryan

Counting My Spoons

About Julie:

“I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia in 2010 and have been blogging about this lovely ride ever since, sharing my journey, what I learn, and the stories of others along the way. After a couple of extremely bad years I was able to find some relief for my Fibro symptoms through a massive diet change, giving up gluten, grains, eggs, dairy, and yeast. I also drink a lot of fresh green juice. It’s not a cure but it’s the best treatment I’ve found.”

Through blogging, Julie has been able to reach many readers and helped them learn more about Fibromyalgia and chronic pain through her informative and inspirational posts. Through her blog, Counting My Spoons, she also shares her favorite Fibromyalgia, chronic pain and chronic illness blogs via her featured Fibro Warrior Wednesday, where she interviews a different Fibromyalgia/Chronic pain advocate each week. Julie is also a contributor on the subject of fatigue at Answers.com

Learn More About Julie Here!
Visit Counting My Spoons Here!
“Like” The Counting My Spoons Facebook Page Here! 
Tweet With Julie Here!
Add Julie To Your G + Circle Here!
Check Out Julie’s Answer.com Articles Here!