I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia back in the early 90s. I can't remember exactly which year because it was years ago. I'm almost 58 years old. Fibromyalgia is a bathroom sink full of symptoms with no cure.

Most degreed knowledgeable people have come to a consensus fibromyalgia may have something to do with a dysfunctional immune system, I agree. Over the years and trying all sorts of pharmaceutical medicines I found a way to live with a host of painful symptoms. Fibro may be hard to live with but those nasty medicines I took were deadly if combined with other prescriptions. Most doctors don't have a clue regarding interactions of drugs with each other and how people react differently to the same drug. I had to learn that the hard way. I walked away from my doctors and their medicines back in the late 90s and haven't looked back. I haven't been to a doctors office since then.

Weight has always been an issue with me. When I removed sugar, flour, and processed foods something amazing happened. I lost weight! I had cut back on sugar and flour over the years or even dropped them all together for years at a time. But I always picked up the habit again, my inflammation and weight would increase. Usually during the holidays I would fall into my old eating habits again. When I started my pre-menopause symptoms all my health issues were amplified along with a host of new ones, like hot flashes!

The pain of getting old and coupled with my chronic illness, I bit the bullet and dropped sugar and flour all together almost 3 years ago. I also walk 4 miles a day, eat organic food, drink purified water, introduced intermittent fasting, avoid coffee (except on Saturdays). I have spent years letting go of old conditioning and learning how to handle stress correctly, this discipline has helped me stay on a strict diet compared to modern lifestyle, which is a food fest 24/7. Life can be painful, but how one reacts to that pain can make the pain unbearable.

I feel better than I did in my early 30s! My message to those who are reading is don't give up! Use your pain, what ever it may be as a guide. I found if I stopped reacting to my physical and mental symptoms as enemies and explored their behavior as they manifested I found answers to how to heal my pain. It takes a certain mental discipline to do this, vipassana meditation gave me the tools to make friends with my condition and eventually my illness became my guide back to a healthy life. I'm not talking about happy and peaceful life, those mind states come and go along with unhappiness and disfunction. A disciplined mind can make it's way through the flux of life and I think is the most important tool in my toolbox!

Fibromyalgia is a disorder characterized by widespread musculoskeletal pain accompanied by fatigue, sleep, memory and mood issues. Researchers believe that fibromyalgia amplifies painful sensations by affecting the way your brain processes pain signals.

Symptoms sometimes begin after a physical trauma, surgery, infection or significant psychological stress. In other cases, symptoms gradually accumulate over time with no single triggering event.

Women are more likely to develop fibromyalgia than are men. Many people who have fibromyalgia also have tension headaches, temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorders, irritable bowel syndrome, anxiety and depression.

While there is no cure for fibromyalgia, a variety of medications can help control symptoms. Exercise, relaxation and stress-reduction measures also may help.