Who Holds Your Power?

Each of us, as human beings, were created with a flexible mind that is willing to grow and change as circumstances dictate. Our willingness to adapt has been the key to our survival, as a species and a society. But like most other earthly relationships, power struggles quickly emerge, hierarchy is created, and the need to control slips firmly in place. With umpteen thousands of years of this under the collective belt of the human race we now look around to find an unfair world in horrible disarray. One lacking humanity and compassion, often void of any depth of purpose or meaning. As Fibromyalgia patients we can find ourselves on the losing side of this equation all too easily. Many still don't believe our pain is real, doctors included. We are forced to beg and plead and cry and religiously document symptom after symptom, as we travel around seeking a doctor to give us some of that much needed compassion accompanied with a dash of relief from their prescription pad. Family and friends can grow resentful and impatient, irritated and overburdened with the sheer gravity of responsibility they must pick up now that extremely competent you is not functioning. Or able do nearly as much as you used to, are no longer as much fun or simply can't keep up.

And the less we are believed the more our power is stolen. A snatch there from Mr. New Rheumatologist that is dismissive and brisk during a 15 minuet new patient appointment. A snip here from an exhausted husband snapping at your slightest gesture of need at the end of a long day of work. A bit given easily to a friend lecturing you that her friend has Fibro and does ________ and is just fine and you should too! Slowly it is chipped and cracked and eroded until a mild rainstorm turns into the torrential flood that sweeps whatever bits and pieces of power that are left out to sea, knocking you flat on your ass. For any Fibromyalgia patient knows how horribly stress and apathy affect our well being.

But do we realize how much power we really hold over our own lives? How it takes a lot of hard work and determination, but you can get it back? For power is not a state of physical being, it is a state of mind. Through the fog and haze Fibromyalgia blankets you with, it is possible to stop giving it away to the power snatchers and hold onto your precious cargo with all your might. Slowly but surely, little by little, Fibromyalgia patients are standing up and telling the world to bugger off. Get lost, go play in traffic, take a long walk off a short pier! Refusing treatment from doctors refusing to treat your Fibro, dropping the peripheral relationships that cause stress and bring you down, not support you and lift you up. Not allowing anyone else to define how you experience your life and your pain. And that is precisely what we need to do. Each emotional encounter, breakdown, tragedy or just plain good old fashioned trial and tribulation comes with it a call. A charge to look at who exactly holds your power in any given situation, and if it is not you, take it back.

 

Thanks for joining,

Leah

Who Holds Your Power?

"I feel awful. I have anxiety and am bored and stressed out and have so much to do I do not even know where to start. I am melancholy and complacent and restless and down. Depressed. Indifferent. I am so sick of so much emotion. So much up and down. One moment it is this...the next moment it is that. This person has a problem, then that one over there has a bigger one... I am sick of drama and feeling and anxiousness and the never ending up and down of it all. I would rather feel nothing than this constant flux."

I wrote that yesterday afternoon, when I was kinda coming undone. The NY Giants lost their game in the most ridiculous fashion I have ever seen and my husband was pouting and storming around, all in a tizzy. He finally calmed down enough to ask me how I was doing and my answer was to read the above statement to him. He agreed he felt the exact same way. I said fine, then let's do something about this because we have too much goodness in our lives and are wasting it on indulging our whims like little children with no self control. We have been through a lot these last 5 years (since I got sick) and are road weary, exhausted, spent and on the verge...and no one (who has not been there) really understands. It is so frustrating to call up a good friend or close family member and when you honestly tell them you are not doing well they say with shock and surprise "OH NO, WHAT'S WRONG?". Oh it just makes you wanna hit 'em, eh? I HAVE FIBROMYALGIA, that's what is wrong! The most menial and basic tasks are monumental to me! I cannot live in the pain I am in, with the limitations I have, and the foggy cloud over my brain, and have a good quality life! That's what's wrong!

That is the precise reason why The Fibromyalgia Fun House and this blog have become so important to me. I have an entire community of friends that understand! Intimate, first hand knowledge of how hard life is with Fibro and whatever other myriad of illnesses we all seem to have. And with our Purple Pain Code it makes it all that much easier! With one word I can communicate to you all how I am feeling and you get it. No pathetic attempts at explaining, no struggling to put words to feelings others cannot possibly comprehend as they skate along with their healthy little lives. I am grateful to you all, my readers, my friends. You have given me so much. But we are heading into a particularly hard week, one where a frenzy of things need to be done. Many of us will doubtlessly gather together with family and the struggle normal activity is to us will become apparent to them. And many will put in their wonderful 2 cents of ignorance about how YOU can fix it or it is not real or you are faking or being dramatic or whatever other wonderful judgment will be passed. So we are going to spend the first few days of this week arming ourselves up to change the reality of this experience.

1. Honestly assess EVERYTHING you have to get done between now and Thursday night. Make a list, starting with the most important and ending with the least. Do your best, pace yourself, but if you follow this the worst that will happen is little and insignificant things will not get done, and that is not that big of a deal.

2. Start practicing and preparing how you are going to respond to inquiries, judgments and jabs about your health. Stand strong in the collective power of your community, The Fibromyalgia Crusade, and come up with ways to keep your power and put the doubt back on the doubter! We will be working on this all week...

3. Remember this is your holiday too and try and have fun.

What my husband and I decided at the end of our conversation yesterday was that we are going to stop burying ourselves in the "should's" of life. When something comes to mind that we need to do but are not, we have 2 options. We can either do it or forget about it. We are not allowed to turn it into an anxiety producing experience that sucks our energy and turns our mood sour. Now wish us luck... Blessings to you all, happy holidays and stay connected, because by Friday we are going to unleash a POWERFUL group of Fibrates on the world that are going to enjoy their holiday!

Thanks for joining,

Leah