Living Daily with Chronic Invisible Illness

Fibromyalgia and Clothing

In the past 2 weeks, my family has celebrated 4 birthdays. One of them was mine. Having 10 children, one expects the majority who lives close by to be a part of the festivities...One would be right! I had a parade of my grown children and grands filter through for breakfasts, lunches and dinners over… Continue reading Fibromyalgia and Clothing

Living Daily with Chronic Invisible Illness

Do Loved Ones Understand our Chronic Pain?

We have a Chronic Pain Disorder; Now let's talk about whether the loved ones around us can understand what we deal with daily. We try not to vocalize our pains or we sound like a hypochondriac.  We try not to over-do it, but then we look lazy. When we do things we shouldn't, we are told… Continue reading Do Loved Ones Understand our Chronic Pain?

Living Daily with Chronic Invisible Illness

A Possible Daily Scenario of a Fibromyalgia Sufferer

What a typical day looks like for a Fibromyalgia sufferer...   *6am- wakes up stiff with joints feeling like they are on fire... every.single.joint. *Struggles with brushing teeth and showering, head may have that "far-off" hazy feeling of a pending "Fibro-type" migraine- (only a fellow Fibro sufferer knows what that means). *The left shoulder may… Continue reading A Possible Daily Scenario of a Fibromyalgia Sufferer

Living Daily with Chronic Invisible Illness

Perimenopause and Migraines

Are you perimenopausal? Do you suffer from Fibromyalgia, Lupus or another arthritic condition?    If so, you may have noticed your pain levels have increased during your cycle. Perhaps you have more severe migraines, more intense pain, etc.  People with Fibromyalgia get a different type of migraine than the usual kind. These migraines don't just… Continue reading Perimenopause and Migraines

Living Daily with Chronic Invisible Illness

Ringing Ears and Fibromyalgia

Ringing in the ear affects many people who suffer from Fibromyalgia. The ringing usually affects one ear and make that ear feel full or heavy. The ringing may be intermittent or constant. It may occur a few times a month or several times a week. It may even precede a Fibro flare!! For the past… Continue reading Ringing Ears and Fibromyalgia

Living Daily with Chronic Invisible Illness

Drawing a Line

This website has been sorely neglected for a host of reasons...and I apologize for that. The sabbatical I had to take was mostly in part to my husband, who was diagnosed with blood cancer and underwent a bone marrow transplant in the fall of 2021.   Having to deal with my Fibromyalgia and the constant trips… Continue reading Drawing a Line

Living Daily with Chronic Invisible Illness

Myelofibrosis and Fibromyalgia

Dealing with Fibromyalgia and taking care of your spouse who has Myelofibrosis can be complicated, but taking things one day at a time; one moment at a time, is the best approach.  Seven years ago my husband was diagnosed with MDS-Myelodysplastic Syndrome. Four years into that, a bone marrow biopsy changed the diagnosis to include MF-Myelofibrosis.… Continue reading Myelofibrosis and Fibromyalgia

Living Daily with Chronic Invisible Illness

Still Alive

I pretty much shelved this blog due to all the Covid19 goings-on. The drama online was enough to keep me from the internet. Nothing has been positive and all seems to be gloom and doom, political and demeaning. So here I sit, many wondering if I am still alive and kicking... Alive, yes. Kicking...well, if… Continue reading Still Alive

Living Daily with Chronic Invisible Illness

Advice You Dont Want About Fibromyalgia

Don't you hate it when people who don't know how you really feel offer you advice on how to feel better? Or worse, they tell you everything they think you are doing wrong and how they think you should fix it...then you would not hurt so bad physically? If you suffer from any type of… Continue reading Advice You Dont Want About Fibromyalgia

Living Daily with Chronic Invisible Illness

Handling Life with Fibromyalgia

I am a sufferer of Fibromyalgia...I have had a pretty crazy winter so far and this blog was not something I could keep up with. Let me backtrack... I am a mother of ten children, wife to a wonderful husband of almost thirty years. Last fall, my last two sons at home joined the United… Continue reading Handling Life with Fibromyalgia

Fibromyalgia Pain, Living Daily with Fibromyalgia

Just a Blog About Fibro

Today I am just writing a blog about living with Fibromyalgia.  What does that mean?  It means that I am just a normal person whose life has ups and down same as anyone. Sad days, happy days. Emotional days and steady days. I am just your average Jolene who has a life she is trying… Continue reading Just a Blog About Fibro

Living Daily with Chronic Invisible Illness, Living Daily with Fibromyalgia, Plantar Fasciitis and Bursitis

I try to keep my blog topics on the lighter side of pain...which is somewhat of a challenge since pain is my daily companion. Take today. I am dealing with the pains from the past 72 hours of non-stop preparing for a double going away party for our two sons who have joined the United… Continue reading

Living Daily with Chronic Invisible Illness, Plantar Fasciitis and Bursitis

Plantar Fasciitis and Bursitis

A while back I made a post about Plantar Fasciitis and Bursitis. While I suffer from Fibromyalgia, which causes a host of debilitating pains, Plantar Fasciitis and Burstis is now among the list. In fact, the heel pain I experience has now become my constant companion.  Almost two months ago I had cortisone injections in… Continue reading Plantar Fasciitis and Bursitis

Fibromyalgia and the weather

Fibromyalgia Zombie

Today I am zombified. Is that a word? Well, when you have Fibromyalgia, it should be a word. My definition of zombified is when you wake up and suddenly realize your body and mind don't work. You feel intense pain in all your joints, down your spine...everywhere, kinda like the immediate onset of influenza! Your… Continue reading Fibromyalgia Zombie

Living Daily with Chronic Invisible Illness

Fibromyalgia and Brain Fog

When you have Fibromyalgia and your brain does not cooperate with what you need to get done, it makes getting through the day quite the challenge! This morning I set out to check off my list of " things-to-do-today" as I did them.  However, I had numerous interruptions; ie, the internet man showed up earlier… Continue reading Fibromyalgia and Brain Fog

Living Daily with Chronic Invisible Illness

Loving Someone with Cancer When You Have Fibromyalgia

My husband has cancer of the bone marrow called Myelofibrosis. He has been receiving blood transfusions for over a year. He was receiving them about every 14-16 days until this past winter when his body began requiring them about every 9-12 days; 2 units each time.  As a Fibromyalgia sufferer, I deal with the ups… Continue reading Loving Someone with Cancer When You Have Fibromyalgia

Living Daily with Chronic Invisible Illness

A Beautiful, Spring Fibromyalgia, Self-Afflicted Pain Day!

I awoke to a beautiful, crisp spring morning. The breeze was coming out of the NNE. I poured a cup of decaf coffee (I have a PVC Heart Arrhythmia which means no caffeine). I went outside to sit on my new wooden swing and took in the day! It almost felt like autumn! Here in… Continue reading A Beautiful, Spring Fibromyalgia, Self-Afflicted Pain Day!

Living Daily with Chronic Invisible Illness

Fibromyalgia Pain Waves

My Fibromyalgia pain is always there, hovering, sometimes just on the surface, ready to become a flare at any moment. I have recently had a few weeks where my pain was manageable and getting through the day was not too bad.  About a month ago I had a flare that lasted 6 straight days. It… Continue reading Fibromyalgia Pain Waves

Living Daily with Chronic Invisible Illness

Fibromyalgia and Emotional Stress

The amount of stress a person is under can greatly affect how they feel physically, especially if you suffer from Fibromyalgia. Emotional stress might be hidden beneath a facade of, perhaps, a smile and pleasant countenance, but underneath it is causing damage to your body. Emotional stress eats away at you until you suddenly split… Continue reading Fibromyalgia and Emotional Stress

Living Daily with Chronic Invisible Illness

Living in the Midwest with Fibromyalgia

I suffer from Fibromyalgia. I have multiple days in a row where I seem to have more energy and I also have trouble sleeping. Then, I have found the opposite to be true; days in succession where I am so fatigued I can barely function. Whether I have energy or am fatigued, every single day… Continue reading Living in the Midwest with Fibromyalgia

Living Daily with Chronic Invisible Illness

10 Day Fibromyalgia Flare

I have just been through an awful ten days of pain and a seemingly never-ending flare-up from Fibromyalgia. When a flare starts, it may end in an hour, it may end in a day, but sometimes it goes on for over a week. When you suffer from Fibromyalgia you NEVER KNOW how long a flare… Continue reading 10 Day Fibromyalgia Flare

Living Daily with Chronic Invisible Illness

Fibromyalgia and a Creative Thought

I took a few months sabbatical, not because I wanted to, but because my life was not conducive to stopping to write this blog, let alone stopping for anything else! At the end of October 2018 our 23 year old daughter got engaged. (applause all around!) And then it happened- They desired a January 2019… Continue reading Fibromyalgia and a Creative Thought

Living Daily with Chronic Invisible Illness

What NOT to say when you have Fibromyalgia

I have Fibromyalgia and fight the pains in my body 24/7. It is a seemingly never-ending whirlwind of pain and labeled an invisible illness because those of us who have it look pretty darn good on the outside, but on the inside we are battling those pains through the smiles we have programmed ourselves to… Continue reading What NOT to say when you have Fibromyalgia

Fibromyalgia Family Life

A Quiet Autumn Afternoon in Pain

I have Fibromyalgia. That dread condition where you hurt all over, all the time. Today I find myself behind my computer with the Pride and Prejudice soundtrack playing and my grandson asleep next to me. Life is pretty good! Today I have created Christmas cards online, paid bills and enjoyed lunch with my kiddos. My… Continue reading A Quiet Autumn Afternoon in Pain

Living Daily with Chronic Invisible Illness

When Your Body Locks Up from Pain

Yesterday I had another episode where my entire body locked up for a good 30 minutes from severe pain. Was it the weather? Was it lifting a heavy pot of water to boil pasta? Or was it just the Fibromyalgia doing what it does? I had spent the morning making a lasagna with my daughters,… Continue reading When Your Body Locks Up from Pain