During the summer, the writers of The Unchargeables website were looking for additional writers. After getting details of it, I accepted the offer and began writing for this popular chronic illness website. Shortly after joining an amazing team of writers, I submitted my story for Chargie of the Day. It wasn’t too long before my chargie story was selected and ran on their Facebook page. I decided to share my story here on Being Fibro Mom.
What is The Unchargeables?
The Unchargeables is a popular online community for those living with chronic illness, chronic pain, and mental illness. It was founded by one woman, Natalie, and is maintained by a group of people. The group writes and edits articles published on the website, maintains the online shop, updates various social media outlets, runs the Facebook support group, and more.
Chargie of the Day Submissions
The team at The Unchargeables is looking for submissions for Chargie of the Day. To submit your chargie story for Chargie of the Day, send a photo along with your story to the admin at The Unchargeables.
My Chargie Story
My chargie story starts the day I found myself on the floor of my bedroom, crying uncontrollably, and yelling “what’s wrong with me?!” I had little recollection of how I had gotten there, and much less what triggered it. What I do recall is earlier that day I was experiencing pain (much like every day for the last six years up to that point), and screaming at my husband about something I don’t remember. Tim, my husband, later told me I had gotten mad and was throwing objects in his direction then stormed upstairs to which he heard more screaming and throwing (read his story here). When it became quiet, he creeped up to our room to check on me and that is how he found me – crying and asking what was wrong with me.
Six Years of Pain
You see, up to that day I had been living in anguish – chronic pain, anxiety, depression, stomach pains, fatigue, headaches and other symptoms. And despite living with these issues each and every day, I pushed through as though I was a ‘normal’ healthy person. Sure, I cried myself to sleep each night, but it was more from thinking I was weak and couldn’t handle being a mom than it was from the pain.
When all these symptoms first appeared, I was a first time mom serving in the US Navy. I’ve never had a lot of health issues, so when I told my primary care physician, he said it was because I was a new mom and that all new moms had these issues. When the symptoms didn’t subside, I went to see a new physician to which I was told to “suck it up” and it would get better. But it didn’t.
I lived with all those symptoms, undiagnosed for SIX YEARS. Of course, I didn’t know I was suffering from chronic pain, anxiety, depression, and fibromyalgia. It wasn’t until I reached my breaking point that day of my story’s climax where I was at the edge of a mental breakdown. I realized something was definitely wrong with me despite what numerous physicians had told me. This definitely was NOT normal.
Finding the Path of Healing
The next week I was diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder, fibromyalgia, and depression, and I began my path to healing. It was a day of mixed emotions. It was a relief of finding out something was wrong, and also sadness of something was wrong. A team of pain management providers were assigned to me and I started to heal.
Not too long later I tried finding other parents living with fibromyalgia. I wanted to know if they were suffering the way I was. Just making it through each day was taking all of my energy; how could I take care of myself and my family? How were other parents doing it? After finding a lack of sufficient resources on this subject, I decided to become a resource. That was when Being Fibro Mom was born.
Being Fibro Mom
Being Fibro Mom is all about thriving the family life with fibromyalgia and chronic pain, not merely surviving it. It’s about seeing that life is more than a diagnosis and being the best mom you can be with what you have at that moment. You have fibromyalgia; fibromyalgia doesn’t have you.
Since then I’ve written many articles about fibro parenting (parenting while living with fibromyalgia), chronic illness, mental illness, fibromyalgia, and more for various sources. I’m an advocate for the fibromyalgia community, a monthly writer for The Fibromyalgia Magazine, Families & Fibromyalgia program director for the International Support Fibromyalgia Magazine, run a fibro parenting Facebook group, and host a weekly fibromyalgia show called Fibro Live on Facebook.
Even though I’m healing, I’m still sick. I still have bad days. I still cry from the pain. I still have guilt. I still have anxiety attacks. I still have episodes of depression. However, I am still me and I have a place in this world. And I’m going to fill that place with power, love, understanding, compassion, and perseverance.
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