Guest Post from Rosie - A New Me... My Fibro Life

 A New Me.... My Fibro Life.

For many of us we have a pre fibro and post fibro life. Can you remember a date, or did things change over a period of time?

For me it was after I had had a fall, nothing dramatic,  just a slip really, but I hurt my back and 4 years later  I haven't regained my pre-fall life .  In fact through various circumstances, there is no chance of going back so I have to concentrate on this new me.

I didn't take to this new life very well. I fought it as best I could but no matter what I did, fibro always won....... I couldn't get my meds sorted,  so I was in pain and fatigued.  I felt guilty for being a burden on those around me, plus once I realised that I needed to leave work, I felt I was on the scrap heap and spiraled deeper and deeper into a life dominated by pain,  fatigue, fibro fog  &  depression. Duvet days rolled from one to the other, and I became distant from family members as I took to my bed.

Thankfully I had a great GP who suggested I undertake a course of CBT, this was not as a means of curing the fibro but rather as a way of getting me to realise that even with this illness I had lots of opportunities still open to me and that the scrap heap would have to do without me for a while!

One thing she suggested was taking up a hobby, we discussed various things I might do and I half heartedly agreed to try sewing. Friends and family tried hard to stop their smiles/laughter , I was not a natural sewer.

Little by little I started to feel a bit better, I made time to go out with a friend for coffee, just an hour a week but it was our  time, through her I began to try small sewing projects......even she says I didn't seem a natural that first time I sat at the machine.

I eventually enrolled in a  class and emerged a few hours later clutching on to a patchwork pillow......that was it I was hooked .... I had found something I could do & enjoy!

My crooked seams began to get straighter, my colours didn't seem to clash as much and I began to take pride in the finished projects no matter how small.

With each completed project my self esteem grew, through another friend I was introduced to a local needlecraft group, the ladies enjoyed passing on their skills and any fabric or patterns they no longer needed.

My circle of friends increased which was  very important as many of my pre-fibro friends hadn't followed me into this new life, we had little in common and they didn't know how to cope with someone who's illness was hidden and seemingly  erratic in nature.

So here I am two years post diagnosis, the effect of fibro is plain to see........my day begins and ends with a handful of tablets, I can no longer do many of the things others take for granted, I rely on my husband more than I ever thought I would,  I never know from one day to the next how I will feel.

That said there have been positives in this new life, I have discovered a new different circle of friends, some I can meet from week to week , while others are spread out around the globe and we chat in forums in the wee small hours.

I have learnt more about myself and my ability to cope in difficult circumstances plus I have learnt that you are never too old to take up a hobby  and through it meet new people,  gain an interest and learn new skills.

So look around your new life ,is there an opportunity for you to bring something new and positive into it.....go on give it a try.

by Rosie

for #May12BlogBomb