Fibromyalgia: You May Have FM, But the Disorder Doesn't Have YOU! by Keith Sereduck

Fibromyalgia (FM) can be crippling. Exhausting. For an illness that is thought of as "invisible," its effects can be seen on the faces of any of the millions of men and women who suffer from and battle it every day. But is suffering really necessary? Is anything gained from it? Or is it merely a way of telling the disease that it is in control?

My journey with FM began when I was 12. After a two-month battle with Kawasaki's disease, I was left with pain that defied description, moved constantly and left no trace that it was ever there. This being the mid-80’s, no one was going to guess that a 12-year-old boy had an (at the time) unnamed illness. No, I was crazy – plain and simple.

Thirty-four years later, I still battle the same pain, tiredness, sleep issues, stiffness, muscles spasms, etc. Though my diagnosis came only a year ago for strictly selfish reasons, I had known for years that my personal demon's name was fibromyalgia. All those years, I had one thing going for me: I never stopped and never gave up. Lived every day like I was normal. Never let pain define me. Fought. Stayed upbeat. Learned to defeat my demon daily. It can be done.

Stay positive. Believe. Learn what works. Fight. We can do it together.

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