About

Hi, everyone, and welcome to my blog! My name is Amanda, and I was finally diagnosed with fibromyalgia in January 2011.  I’ve had sporadic symptoms since I was a teenager and possibly most of my life, so it has been a life-long struggle. I decided to start this blog as a way to share my journey to a freer, healthier life, while offering a place for my fellow fibro suffers to support one another and share their own survival tips.

As I contemplated titles for this blog, 'Fibro and Fancy Free' leaped into my mind. Everyone familiar with fibromyalgia knows that this medical condition can be absolutely excruciating and debilitating. So how could my mind associate ‘fancy free’ with fibromyalgia? I know a lot of ‘f’ words that would more readily describe this daily struggle with my own body. Many of them are pretty negative:

Do some of these sound words like your own struggle?

After some careful reflection, though, I have realized that I want and NEED to reach a point in my life where my condition no longer defines who I am as an individual. ‘Fibro and Fancy Free’ represents who I want to be and where I want to go with my life.

• Do I want to live in denial and pretend fibromyalgia is a pleasant walk in the park? No, of course not!

• Have I convinced myself that it’s not real or only in my head? Oh, it’s real alright! In fact, it reminds me of its presence all of the time.

• Am I convinced that it is going to just vanish? Absolutely not! Part of me longs for the day I’ll be fibro free, but the rational side of me realizes that with a 2 ½-year flare up and years of symptoms, it may never clear up.

Yes, I’ve accepted the fact that I may be stuck with fibromyalgia for the rest of my life. Still, I have not given up. I will continue to fight the good fight and strive for a healthier, happier tomorrow. I know the journey won’t be easy. In fact, I’m expecting many obstacles and setbacks along the way.. But I hope you will join me so we can travel this difficult road together!