Here we go....!

Hello World!

This is my very first blog entry - ever! I have decided to start a blog to share with others out there who are doing their darndest to live a full and active life despite a Fibromyalgia diagnosis. I plan to share those tips, recipes, tools, activities, etc. as well as those adventures I experience along the way.

Just a little bit about me...I am 30 years old and was "officially" diagnosed with Fibromyalgia in December 2009. I was one of the "lucky" ones - I was diagnosed by the second doctor I saw about my symptoms. I currently take gabapentin, to help with sleep, but have gone to natural options to manage other symptoms. After reading over and over about how a gluten-free diet worked for some other people, I decided it was worth a try...and to my delight, it makes a world of difference! Since going gluten-free it's like day and night...my fatigue and all over muscle pain are greatly reduced - and let me tell you...I definitely know when I accidentally eat something that has gluten in it! Of course, a gluten-free diet would mean nothing if I wasn't able to also manage my stress levels.

Being able to manage my symptoms naturally makes all the difference in my life, I am married (with no kids yet) and work a full-time job, plus have a part-time home business. With all of this my life can at times become quite crazy, chaotic and stressful. With the help of my loving husband and our faith I have been able to keep my life "in check" or at least the things that come up in perspective to reduce stress. As most of you who have Fibromyalgia know, stress can cause a fibro flare up fast!

I have read a lot of articles, FB posts, etc. from people who have struggled with Fibromyalgia in all aspects of their lives, not just the symptoms, but also with their loved ones, friends, co-workers, doctors, etc. and my heart goes out to every single one of them. I have been blessed with a very understanding and helpful husband, family and friends who have educated themselves so they can understand why it is I might not be able to do something I had previously "committed" myself to, co-workers who are amazingly helpful, caring and who have also gone out to learn more about Fibromyalgia and have actually found natural supplements that have been helpful along my journey. I don't tell you this to make anyone feel bad - only to show that there are people out there who understand, and are willing to educate themselves so they can begin to understand what we go through day in and day out.

I hope to be able to share with everyone out there some of the recipe's I find, new information as I discover/find it and life in general (beware...I love taking pictures and cooking - so you're likely to see that in future posts). Thank you for taking the time to read and follow my posts - please feel free to comment with interesting tips, ideas, etc. that you may have found/discovered that helps you LIVE a full and active life despite Fibromyalgia!