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Laura’s Fight Like A Girl Story (Fibromyalgia and Rheumatoid Arthritis)

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May
24
2013
Laura's Story (Fibro and RA)LR

My Name is Laura Kelly-Pifer and I have fibromyalgia and rheumatoid arthritis. I was diagnosed over 8 years ago and it’s been quite a journey. In the beginning, I experienced mild pain. Then over the course of the last few years, my pain increased. There were times that it would take 2 – 3 hours to get out of bed, and every time I took a step, it felt like I was walking on glass. My life was miserable. I was tired of being put on multiple medications and feeling like a zombie. Friends began to recognize for once that I was sick. I decided to try and regain control by changing the way I did things. I had been exercising and eating fairly healthy, but it was hit or miss. I began researching specific foods to eat, modified my workouts, and began a routine that worked for me. By December of 2011 I was completely off ALL of my medication. It was truly a miracle!! To date, I’ve only had one flare this year and it was mild. I recognized it coming on and took action by listening to … [Read more...]

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Valerie’s Fight Like a Girl Story (Thyroid Cancer and Fibromylagia)

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May
24
2013
Thyroid Cancer

My name is Valerie Serrano and I am 26 years old (for only 11 more days). I am currently battling Thyroid cancer, fibromyalgia, Hoshitmotos Thyroid Disease, along with some other health problems. My mom passed away 4 1/2 years ago from small blue cell carcinoma, and my dad had melanoma. Coming from a family with two parents that had cancer, my reaction to learning that I had cancer was still complete shock to myself and my husband. I can’t lie, my body is tired from all of the pain and medications that I am on. However, I am fighting like a girl. I’ll start radiation next month and under go many other tests. Last month, I had surgery to remove my entire thyroid and some lymph nodes. My doctors thought that they got all of the cancer, but now I’m being told that they didn't get all of it. That was another blow to the heart. If it weren't for my hubby, family and friends, I honestly don’t think I would have survived through all of this. What keeps me going strong is … [Read more...]

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Mary Ann’s Fight Like a Girl Story (Fibromyalgia)

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May
22
2013
MaryAnn-Byrne's Story (Fibro) LR

I will be 50 this year. I am a single mom and work full-time as a school counselor. I have had arthritis in my knees since I was a very little girl, although it was never diagnosed as such. I have had surgery on both knees and on my right wrist. Over the years I have been diagnosed with osteo-arthritis, bursitis, hypothyroidism and carpel tunnel syndrome. My all over pain has been going on since my teen years, but no one ever believed me. I began having severe hip and lower back pain while I was pregnant, but my husband at the time was very abusive and refused to listen to me. He always just told me I was crazy and a hypochondriac. In 2009, after suffering for most of my life, I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia. I have symptoms of RA and Lupus as well, but have not been diagnosed with either. My fingers are perpetually swollen and black and blue. I am never without pain in my hips and lower back. I started using a cane, on my bad days this summer. I take medication for both the … [Read more...]

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Christine’s Fight Like a Girl Story (Fibromyalgia)

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May
17
2013
Christie's Story (Fibromyalgia) LR

I tell ya, it seems like I can’t catch a break! I’m 25, and I was just diagnosed with Fibromyalgia. I saw it coming. My sister and my mother were diagnosed with it several years ago, and I had all the same symptoms. I can’t remember not feeling the pain. It’s been this way for years. But like everyone else: I have good days and bad days. On my bad days, I can’t even stand, my legs will fall from under me. But I’m active. I play softball, I swim, I go to the gym. But I still constantly feel that ache. I describe it like sleeping on the "wrong side of the bed" but only worse. I wish that was it. Recently, I was also diagnosed with a gluten and dairy intolerance. I also suffer from migraines, asthma and seasonal allergies. On the top of it (this is the other big ticket item), I’m on about 10 medications for bipolar disorder. It prevents me from working. It’s so hard to keep up a ”normal” life when you’re crying from pain and sadness. So few … [Read more...]

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Jennifer’s Fight Like A Girl Story (Fibromyalgia)

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May
13
2013
Jennifer's Story (Fibromyalgia)LR

What dreams are made of… It was the summer of 2008, when the tapestry of my life unraveled. It was like someone found a single loose thread to take hold of; pulling slowly at first, the thread begins to reveal how it was holding the picture together. With the excitement of discovery and wonder, an increase in purpose to take what was and watch it disappear. My father’s illness with epilepsy had put him in the hospital. He was a very pride-filled man and this disease was taking that pride and stomping all over it, leaving him battered and broken; embarrassed. Pride was replaced by shame. The weeks that followed, I never gave a second thought to jumping in and taking the challenges faced with trying to help dad see what his life might look like and how he was going to get there. September 11th, shortly after being discharged, I received a call from the police letting me know that my dad had tried to end his life. October 10th, immediately after discharging himself from … [Read more...]

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Stephanie’s Fight Like A Girl Story (Lupus)

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May
10
2013
Stephanie's Story (Lupus)

I suppose my story begins at age 16. I'm now 32 and I’ve been fighting this fight for half my life. I first started getting sick with symptoms like most others; swollen joints, fatigue, and doctors who couldn’t diagnose me. By 17 it was confirmed that I had SLE (systemic lupus erythematosus) and my kidneys were slowly shutting down. I began chemotherapy and a high dose of steroids. At 22, my kidneys shut down completely. With an extra 60lbs of fluid weight on me, I immediately began dialysis and was in congestive heart failure. I was angry at the world and after the first couple of years. I was so tired of fighting and I was ready to give up. At 25, I received what I thought at the time was the greatest gift ever, a kidney transplant. I finally felt like I had been through the worst and it was smooth sailing from there. For a while it was. I ended up getting pregnant at 27, which I had been told would never happen for me, and there was nothing in the world I wanted more. My … [Read more...]

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Karen’s Fight Like a Girl Story (Fibromyalgia)

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Apr
27
2013

I am 31 years old and have had fibromyalgia for most of my life. When the pain first started many years ago, I didn’t understand what was happening. I just knew that I hurt all of the time and I was having muscle spasms. Sometimes the spasms were so bad that I couldn’t walk or I would collapse. Physical activity usually made it worse, though some days I hurt badly even without being active. I let it stop me from doing things I wanted to try because I wanted to avoid the pain. Then in my early teens, I came to the realization that by sitting out to avoid the pain I was letting whatever was causing it to win. That was the turning point for me. Now at 31, I know what I am fighting, and I know that the only way I win is if I don’t let it stop me. I dance, I hike, I fence, and I am learning to play roller derby. None of it is easy for me, but I always give it my best and work as hard as I can. When I start to hurt and feel like giving up, that’s when I push myself the hardest. It … [Read more...]

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Siobhan’s Fight Like a Girl Story (Fibromyalgia, CFS)

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Dec
15
2012
Fibromyalgia / CFS Power Story

I am a silent sufferer of fibromyalgia and CFS. People think I am lazy. When I tell them that I am a sufferer of these disorders, they roll their eyes, let out a chuckle , or just try to appease me by saying "oh, really?" I would like to give these disorders more publicity. I think people think that they are fake. I struggle to get through each day as the fatigue takes over. I am close to tears by 3 pm. I have to still perform the duties of mother and wife. My husband and kids get angry with me because I am always tired. I am fighting like a girl every day to do normal activities. There are probably 2 people in my life who understand and ask me how I am feeling. I need to bring some awareness of the pain and fatigue that I am suffering to all the people in my life. Siobhan Massachusetts Submitted 2-9-12 The informational content of this article is intended to convey a personal experience and, because every person’s experience is unique, should not be relied upon as a … [Read more...]

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Lisa Anne’s Fight Like a Girl Story (Panhypopituitarism, Autism, FM/ME/CFS)

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Jun
09
2012
Lisa Anne’s Story LR

My fight like a girl story begins directly from the womb, but I wouldn’t have to fight seriously until I was 10. I was born with a rare pituitary condition called septo optic dysplasia which caused my pituitary to not be able to keep up with my growing body. I was diagnosed with growth deficiency at the age of four and started growth hormone shots. When I was older, between the ages of eight and 10, I was getting a bit heavy for my short frame and that’s when they diagnosed me with hypothyroidism. Between the ages of 10 and 15, I had some very scary life-and-death experiences with Addison’s disease and adrenal crisis which led to seizures and actually "dying" a few times. When I was older, I started female hormone replacement.  Not for it's regulating my system but more because the medication for Addison’s disease eats bones, and calcium and vitamin D are better absorbed with female hormones.  I did have significant bone loss already. I take massive amounts of meds daily … [Read more...]

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Member Spotlight: Meet Shannon

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Feb
10
2012
FLAGC Member Shannon

Hey there warrior girls!  It's time for our first Member Spotlight of 2012 and--drum roll please--we are proud to shine the light on Shannon from Toronto,Canada, who sends us all sunshine and smiles. Shannon is a proud member of the Fight Like a Girl Club and blogs over at Living with Fibromyalgia.  She can also be found on Twitter as @LdyLarke.   She lives with chronic pain, fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue. Up Close and Personal with Shannon Here is Shannon's take on living life with chronic illnesses: What would the title of your illness story be? It's a long road from undiagnosed to invisible illness. Who were you before you got sick? Who are you now? I was a gregarious, vivacious, physically active, attractive and sports-minded person who enjoyed life and lived life to it's fullest. Now I'm homebound, frequently angry and frustrated, severely overweight due to pain, medications and depression. Sometimes I feel like all the things I enjoyed to do have been taken from … [Read more...]

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