Living the Best Life with Fibromyalgia

By Alisha Nurse

Fibromyalgia (fms) is a chronic neurological condition that causes widespread pain, fatigue, insomnia, cognitive impairments, and a host of other symptoms. Many patients are forced to quit their jobs, studies and life dreams due to the impact of symptoms on their lives.
In Living the best life with Fibromyalgia, Alisha Nurse shares what’s worked for her, to enable her to make the best of life with this chronic illness. Alisha continues to work, and function more than many fms patients are able to. In this short narrative, she shares her health regime consisting of long-standing family remedies, and natural sources of pain relief.
An avid blogger whose writing focuses on living with fibromyalgia and depression, Alisha fiercely encourages fms patients to fight for their lives and not give in to this condition.

Living the best life with Fibromyalgia is a must-read for any fms patient who wants to regain control over their life, and win their battle against fibromyalgia.

"Alisha's book is full of great tips, but the best part she saved for last. The last section is just inspiring and actually brought tears to my eyes as I read it" – Julie Ryan, blogger, Counting My Spoons

"Interesting and thought-provoking book; full of ideas, tips, and first-hand knowledge. I loved the recipe section!" - Amy Mullholand, Blogger, The Fibro Frog

“Alisha has written an excellent book that takes us with her on her journey from diagnosis to taking back her life. If you are looking for a positive, easy to read book on living with Fibromyalgia, which includes great advice based on life experiences... this is the one! – Tamiko, blogger, My Foggy Brain

• Language: English
• Publisher: Alisha Nurse
• Release date: Mar 27, 2015
• ISBN: 9780993145179

Alisha Nurse

Alisha Nurse grew up on the Caribbean island of Trinidad. She holds an MA in International Journalism from the University of Westminster, London. Alisha loves exploring culture and ethnic identities having come from a mixed race family.She loves curry, sharing stories and talking to random people on public transportation.Alisha lives with fibromyalgia and clinical depression is keen to raise awareness. She blogs about her experiences at www.theinvisiblef.com

Book preview

Living the best life with Fibromyalgia

Alisha Nurse M.A

Copyright © 2015 by Alisha Nurse

ISBN: 978-0-9931451-6-2

No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without the author's permission. Please do not participate or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author's rights. Thank you for your support of the author's rights.

For Sue Jacobs,

& to my fellow fibromyalgia friends

who are fighting for their lives.

Note to the Reader

This book does not provide medical advice. The suggestions shared in this work reflect what’s worked for the author. Please consult with your doctor before starting any new treatments.

Introduction

"The good life is one inspired by love and guided by knowledge" – Bertrand Russell

In 2010, I was 25 when a rheumatologist diagnosed me with fibromyalgia (fms)[1].

A wave of intense emotion washed over me. Not because I was distraught, it was all down to overwhelming relief. You see, since my childhood I had been subject to endless doctor visits, blood tests and examinations to determine the cause of pain, debilitating exhaustion, lack of sleep and other symptoms that I suffered. It was all to no avail. Scraping through life without an explanation and treatment proved difficult. In childhood I was often absent from school and in adulthood, I had no reason for employers when I was too unwell to work. My social life was non-existent.

Years after my diagnosis, I became far worse before I got any better. It’s been a long road to reaching this point and after receiving much positive feedback from my blog about living with fibromyalgia, I decided to write this handbook highlighting some of the things that have worked for me in my fight against this chronic, misunderstood condition.

Fibro-who?

When I first heard the word, I never believed that I would learn to say it with such ease. Try saying it slowly: fi-bro-my-al-gia.

Fibromyalgia. There.

Fibromyalgia is a neurological condition characterised by widespread musculoskeletal pain accompanied by fatigue, sleep, memory and mood issues.[2] Other symptoms include chronic headaches, depression and anxiety, irritable bowel syndrome, Multiple Chemical Sensitivity Syndrome (sensitivities to noise, bright lights, chemicals, medications or foods), cognitive difficulties (also called fibro fog), allodynia (feeling pain from things that shouldn’t be painful, like tickles or the feel of clothes against one’s skin) and hyperalgesia (extreme sensitivity to pain).

No one knows for certain what causes fibromyalgia, but leading research efforts into this condition suggest that the most common cause is positional cervical cord compression[3], found in 71 percent of fms patients.

In the lead up to my diagnosis, one doctor emphatically told me that I might have fibromyalgia, but be thankful you’re not dying of cancer.

It was particularly painful to hear these words. While doctors say fibromyalgia is not life threatening, in many ways it is. Fibromyalgia might not directly cause death but it leaves so many patients mere shadows of their former selves, robbing their lives of all things good and fulfilling.

I was grateful that I didn’t have a terminal condition. However, many days I was bed bound, immobilised by overwhelming exhaustion and requiring help to lift myself up. Just the act of getting out of bed knocked the wind out of me, and simple tasks like combing my hair or having a shower left me out of breath, needing a break.

I was at university doing my Masters Degree at the time and it was a common thing to find me slumped on desks, fast asleep as I suffered a kind of sleep paralysis, unable to wake myself until my body said