So, a year ago, I made a decision that changed my life. I decided to step down from teaching and focus on my health. I don’t even think I made the decision, it was more like it was made for me. I can honestly say I am still learning and moving forward. I researched all-natural supplements and learned as much as I could. I talked to friends about doctor choices, but was not satisfied with what doctors had to say. I just knew in my gut they were wrong. I can’t explain it, but I knew that they were treating me symptom by symptom and not looking at everything that had happened to me in the last 3 years.
I looked at my diet, and started removing foods. I looked at my life and started removing other triggers. Stress. School. Being around sick kids. Being around negative people. Being around people in general. I peeled back as many layers as I could to find out what was causing the problems. I thought I had it figured out, and I did. But it had to get worse, much worse, before it could get better. By the time January rolled around I think I had been wrapped in a cocoon of blankets for 3 months. I was in deep pain, and it hurt to my very bones. My stomach that had previously been a volcanic mess, was finally starting to settle because I ate very little for a while until I figured out what I could tolerate.
It turned out I had Epstein-Barr virus in my system that had most likely triggered Fibromyalgia. The sad thing is, you can have every trigger point there is and it still takes 3 years for someone to say this is what you have. I met a wonderful lady through my new business opportunity, and she began helping me. Most likely the first step to helping me was believing in me. I can honestly say when she walked over to me the first time, I thought she was one of “them”. Someone who thought they could help me, but sadly, didn’t listen to me. I am extremely thankful this was not the case.
So I sit here tonight, full from my Mother’s Day meal, a tiny bit pinker than I should be because of soccer today and the beach yesterday, and I realize that if you are reading this, on National Fibromyalgia Day, please be aware that the pain is very real. I have spent the last 3 years cringing whenever someone touched me, went to pat my arm, or worse yet, pat my back. I have avoided people like the plague because I was too tired to explain yet one more thing to them. ONE MORE THING. But tonight, I have hope. So if you are sitting there in pain, know that I believe you. And that’s enough to start with. Knowing you are not alone. So I dared to go out on a limb and offer advice not only through this blog but to all who ask me on my new business page. I am not a doctor…I am one person with a story. Your journey might look different than mine, as it should. Be don’t stop if you aren’t there yet. You’ll get there.
I close with a quote from my other page…the tab explains it up top on this blog.
