The Balancing Act of Fibromyalgia
Living with fibromyalgia can be an ongoing battle for many of us as we try to live productive lives in spite of our pain and fatigue. We walk a fine line each day, trying to do things and also trying to pace ourselves so we don't end up in a major flare. We can become so wrapped up in fibromyalgia that it becomes the main focus of our lives.
When we begin to call it "My Fibromyalgia", we've actually allowed our condition to have power over us. Yet, on the other hand, those who don't live with chronic pain and fatigue, have no idea of what we go through each day. Just getting out of bed in the morning can be a major struggle at times, and even the simple activities of daily living can wear us out when we are in a major flare. This can lead to feeling worthless and depressed about our future.
Being told by well-meaning friends and family members of how to live our lives can be frustrating at times. We have to learn to listen to our own bodies, and know what actually helps us and what doesn't. Even people without fibromyalgia have days when they don't want to do certain things, and it makes it more difficult for us since we have to figure out whether we can't do something or whether we just don't want to do it.
There are specific things that I really can't do or shouldn't do, but I have to carefully look at the things that I'm capable of doing and decide whether I can't do them on a particular day because I'm in too much pain, am greatly fatigued, or just don't want to spend time doing something that isn't what I really want to do. I also have to force myself to keep up with an exercise program, and some days I have to tell myself that I'll feel better if I get outside for a walk or make the effort to attend a low impact aerobic class.
Blaming all memory loss on fibromyalgia is a good excuse for us, but whether are minds are fogged due to fibromyalgia, too much stress, or too many things on our minds is difficult to figure out. If we can honestly look at ourselves and know that we aren't under a great deal of stress and don't have a great deal on our minds, and we still forget things, then we can say that we are in a fog.
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