I’ve really struggled this past year with accepting myself for who I am.  I’ve listened to the wrong voices in my head, telling me that I’ve failed as a mom, wife, employee, cheerleader mom, baseball mom…you get the picture.  Not only did I have the voices, but I was always tired and sore, no matter whether I was working out and eating healthy, or whether I was eating pizza while watch Netflix all day.  Every day, I couldn’t keep my eyes open.  Yet every evening, I laid wide awake in bed until after midnight.  I went to several doctors over the last year, but never received a total answer.

A week before Christmas, I went back to get some bloodwork done.  I went back for a follow-up, and my doctor said all my numbers were perfect.  No anemia, no thyroid issues, nothing.  So that left one diagnosis…fibromyalgia.

At first, I was relieved for a diagnosis.  Now I could get better.  Until I started reading about this illness…there is no cure.  There are only things you can do to treat/minimize symptoms. I started the medicine on Christmas afternoon, and I’ve been extremely tired ever since.  Thankfully, I’ve been off work, so I’ve taken a nap every day.  Last night, I was asleep by 9:30.  I know…I’m totally lame.  But I watched a video today that I’m going to begin implementing in my life to see if it helps me as much as it helped the lady in the video.  I wanted to post it here, but of course I couldn’t find it once I decided what I wanted to write about.  (Oops).  She said she began to count backwards from 5, and imagine herself as a rocketship blasting off as she got out of bed.  She stopped pressing snooze.  Instead of slowly easing herself in/talking herself into beginning the day, she began to attack her day.

So I’ve done my research over break, and I’ve learned that plenty of sleep and a healthy diet helps curb many symptoms (earth shattering, I know.)  Research shows that exercise is important, but low impact is the smartest way to minimize the soreness you might feel.  Also, fibromyalgia flares up with stress, and yoga helps manage the stress in one’s life.

So my New Year’s Resolution is this: I REFUSE TO BE A VICTIM!  I’m going to count down and blast off each morning.  I have my healthy food lined up (thanks to an AMAZING husband who grocery shopped in the cold weather while I worked out at home!)  I purchased Piyo by Beachbody.  I want to lose a little weight while also building muscle, which will help with the lack of energy.  The low impact will help keep my soreness in check.  I’ve given up alcohol, which can greatly affect energy, but also increases my risk of liver disease while on my new medicine.  I also bought myself some essential oils that help promote restful sleep, and alertness throughout the day.  I am determined to make 2018 my best year yet.  My husband, my kids, and heck, I deserve it too!  I know God will be with me on my rough days, along with my family.  But I also know that by changing my perspective, I can make it so that I have many more good days than rough ones.

Did any of you get some unexpected news this year?  How did you handle it?  If anyone out there has any recommendations about managing fibromyalgia, I’d love all the advice I can get.  Please signup on my Facebook page, and be sure to leave a comment!!

Happy New Year to all of you!!  I wish you all the best in 2018!