I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia in 2012. Almost overnight, I went from being active to living with widespread pain, overwhelming fatigue, and a multitude of symptoms that affected nearly every part of my waking life. At my worst, I was mostly bedridden and had to temporarily leave my job. Every day felt like having the flu multiplied by 100.  I was scared, isolated, and confused. I didn’t understand what was happening to my body, and in many ways, I felt betrayed by it.

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In 2018, I was also diagnosed with the autoimmune disease Sjögren’s, adding another layer of complexity to my journey. But somewhere along the way, my fear began to turn into determination. I started researching and decided that I would leave no stone unturned in finding ways to help ease my symptoms and improve my quality of life.  My philosophy became simple: If I could find something that helped me feel even 5% better, and then add another tool that gave me another 5%, perhaps all of those small improvements could add up to helping me live better with fibromyalgia.

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So I began building my wellness toolkit.  Over time, I discovered different approaches, resources, lifestyle practices, and supportive tools that helped me create a regimen for living better with fibromyalgia. There was no single answer or magic solution—it was about discovering what worked for me and continuing to add helpful tools along the way.

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Years later, my journey became even more personal when all three of my daughters developed fibromyalgia and other autoimmune conditions. We became a family of women navigating chronic pain and autoimmune illness together—learning, researching, sharing what helped, and adding new tools to our individual wellness toolkits.

 

Those experiences inspired me to create Fibromyalgia & Friends Wellness Circle.Our community brings together people living with fibromyalgia and other chronic pain conditions so that we can collaborate in finding ways to live better.

 

Because no one should have to navigate chronic pain feeling scared, isolated, or alone.

 

You are seen. You are supported. And together, we keep adding tools to the toolbox.