|
Learning to Manage Symptoms One Step at a Time
Thursday, July 5, 2007
By: Emily Higgs
Patient Story
I developed fibromyalgia my senior year of high school, two months after captaining our field hockey team to our third straight state championship.
I was competitive in all aspects of my life—until fibromyalgia stopped me in my tracks.
That fall I barely made it to college after a summer feeling like I couldn’t even get out of bed. Yet school helped, since even on my bad days I had to walk the short distances to class; walking turned my pain around. Its benefits were even more evident when I studied abroad two years later in France—I had to walk everywhere...and never felt better!
But as I started to feel better I would often go too far. I was used to pushing my body to the edge, but now that meant days of pain. I worked hard to become aware of my limitations and find ways to work within them.
Eventually I joined an informal field hockey team, which allowed me to compete without overexerting myself. I explored new exercises, taking tai chi and yoga and joining a belly dancing club. I began to find pleasure in activities in which running and competition weren’t paramount.
Now, five years later, I walk every day and even joined a gym. I’ve discovered balance, learning slowly (very slowly) the values of ‘moderation’ and how to focus on what I can do, rather than what I can't.
|
|
more ...
|
