WHO AM I?
In am a 50 + year old mother of 2 adult children and have been trying to manage chronic disease(s) since first being diagnosed with Fibromyalgia in my mid 20’s. It started with an overwhelming fatigue that I could not sleep my way out of!! 2 small children to raise and not a bit of energy in my 20 something bones. 30+ years later I have to admit that I am just too darn stubborn to give in to the myriad problems that keep piling onto this worn out prematurely aged body. Is it overwhelming? Some days it sure is hard to maintain a sense of equilibrium… but I have learned to cope with and ‘appreciate’ where/ how I am NOW, because experience has shown me that the next ‘symptom’ or disease process can be just around the corner.
WELCOME TO MY WORLD!
The Fibromyalgia is joined by Osteoarthritis (neck, spine, feet, pretty much every joint), osteopenia (almost 2 ½” shorter than I used to be), kidney stones, and exacerbated by early surgically induced menopause in my 30’s due to severe endometriosis. My Fibromyalgia manifests itself with chronic fatigue, joint pain, Irritable Bowel, brain fog, constant low grade anxiety and sleep disturbances. I now have an early warning system for my fibro.. when I start to flare I break out in psoriasis! Lower back pain from L5-S1 disc injury in my 20’s after a car accident resulting in disc surgery and with residual arthritis in the lower back and sciatica.
I’d like to say I bear my health challenges stoically all the time, but that would be a lie. I try to always be positive because I determined early on that I would work to manage my illness and not let the illness dictate MY existence. I can’t change these problems but I can/will manage them. This has not always been an easy thing to do but after more than 30 years of being in a constant battle with my own body I have realized I will not win all of the battles but this is a war that requires a persistent and consistent effort to overcome that daily crap that seems to pop up unannounced in some weird karmic campaign to remind me of the fragility of the human body!
WHY A BLOG? WHY NOW?
My children are grown now and I am a proud Grannie Annie to 3 (soon to be 4) adorable grandchildren. I live alone in the Toronto Ontario area with my 2 dogs (Sheila & Misty) and my 2 cats (Alistair & Amy).
I am a nurse and work full-time in Long Term Care but I am looking at early retirement due to my health issues. I am blogging as a therapy in order to work through the health/life issues that are now threatening to deprive me of what’s left of my quality of life, my ability to work in my chosen profession, stifling my ability to fulfil my travel bucket list and to maintain my sanity and positivity through this part of my life’s journey.
Just take that first step into a new world …
We are not alone and I look forward to hearing from others as I embark on this journey!
I am the Fibro Vagabond…
The Fibro Vagabond 