About Me

Life with chronic disease is hard; to live with, to describe, to manage and to fight. I have 7 chronic disease diagnoses, 3 years ago I was on the floor and beaten down by this fact.

Today? Well, today I’m in more pain than I’ve ever been and on more medications than I’ve ever been. However I am also a stronger, better person than I’ve ever been. I still have my days when it’s all too much and I feel like bowing out. These are fewer and further apart now but they happen.

It’s hard to understand the change, growth and maturity that has come across me in the last 6 years since this all began. I am more compassionate, empathetic and human than I was before.  As you can see below, when I started this blog I had been diagnosed with Fibromylagia hence the Fibrofella moniker.

I wanted to identify with the heroic superhero we all need to be, when we haven’t enough spoons to get through the day. If you don’t know how valuable spoons are to the chronically ill, read this please:       https://butyoudontlooksick.com/articles/written-by-christine/the-spoon-theory/ 

“Call me Fibrofella. I’m in my late twenties and I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia (fibro) a year ago. The various symptoms I have encountered began about 18 months ago. I’ve always searched for a story to tell and now I have one, my own.

Using this blog as a therapeutic tool, I will share my feelings honestly and openly. If along the way I help you with your symptoms of fibro or I can help you understand what someone with fibro is going through, what a bonus that will be.

Dealing with fibro and its effects can be a real rollercoaster of emotions but give me a hand and we’ll get through it together. I need your help as much as I will help you.”

22 thoughts on “About Me”

  1. Hi,

    I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia in Jan this year (2012). I am in my mid thirties and have had the symptoms around the same time as being diagnosed with Osteoarthritis in August 2011. Your blog tells such as story and I am experiencing the same physical and also emotional symptoms as you so you are not alone.

    I know that the stats state that because you are a man you are more of a rarity! However I can say the same at being diagnosed with Osteoarthritis at the age of 34, “oh you are very young to have it”. Yes I know I am, but it is not just an old person’s disease, a part of growing older. Yes older people have it but don’t rule it out that people under 50 can’t have the condition.

    These things are very much ruled by misconceptions and this is what we have get out there, and this is what your blog is doing.

    Note I saw your posts on FB from the Arthritis Ireland site so they are getting your message out there.

    Reply

    • thanks a million for all the work your doing to raise awareness and i love your chronic comic posts. not too comfortable revealing too much information (not really sure exactly why) so we’ll go with fibrofella, 28 years old from ireland. keep up your great work and your posts about your exercise classes are really informative and great to read

      Reply

  4. Hey ,

    Heard re your web from one of the lads on thurs. it’s great to see you helping others. Keep up the good work and we hope to see you back soon man.

    Reply

    • cheers garry, really appreciate you taking the time to take a look at the blog and give me a bit of support. i do miss the banter in the pub a lot and i’m sure i’ll be back at some point

      Reply

  7. Hi!

    I am starting a directory of Bloggers who educate, support, enlighten, inform, inspire and motivate people about and with Fibromyalgia.

    I would really like to include you and your blog.

    Please have a look at the information for Bloggers on my site: http://fibromodem.wordpress.com/fck-directory/for-bloggers/; and, if you would like to be included, please follow the directions and then email me at fibromodem@hotmail.com.

    I hope you choose to be part of this new project.

    Regards,
    Fibromodem

    Reply

    • hi there, i’m going to take a look at your site now and try to sign myself up, thanks for all your hard work raising awareness and getting support and understanding for all of us with fibro, thank you

      Reply

  8. Hi,

    I am a 25 year old girl from england who has suffered fibromyalgia symptoms for the past 2 years. In march of this year I started on Dr Amand’s Guaifenesin Protocol – already some of my symptoms are already easing. This protocol aims to completely reverse the illness. Please please order ‘What your doctor may not tell you about fibromyalgia’ off of Amazon now. I refuse to sit back and let this illness just get worse and worse whilst not understanding the cause. This book will explain an awful lot. There is also a support group filled with many stories of people overcoming this dratted illness – just type ‘uk-fms-guai’ into google and it’s the top hit.

    Reply

    • Hi there,
      Thanks for sharing your experiences and how this treatment has worked for you. I’ve learnt over the years of fibro symptoms not to rule anything out without investigating it and seeing if it may suit me. So I’ll certainly take a look at the book and see if it’s for me.

      Reply

  9. Hello, Could I ask you a Q? How do you coupe with seeing the doctors all the time? Goin in with all the symptoms, ones you just can’t explain. Do you go in for the bad ones? I get so nervous that they think I am just crazy by now lol! … Your post r great btw.. you write very well. 🙂

    Reply

    • Hi there,
      It’s very difficult to continue to see doctor after doctor for each individual symptom of my fibromyalgia but they were usually so bad I had no choice. The fear of not being listened to or believed by the doctors was there for me and everyone I’ve spoken to with fibro. I think you’ve given me my post for this week too, so thanks for that 🙂 A blog about doctors, appointments, preparation and symptoms is called for. Thanks for your kind words about the blog too, I’m always chuffed to hear from others who are reading my pieces

      Reply

      • THANK YOU.. for the reply. XD It would be pure awesomeness for a post of that subject!! I can’t wait to read it. I will check back 😉 I don’t know anyone else with this.. so I am trying to be more sponge like and learn more. My mother who lives in the U.S actually found your site for me. I currently live in Australia. See… your world wide 🙂 Thought you should know that.. Do you know of a good place to talk to ppl and learn more about this? my email is hulet2407@yahoo.com

  10. Hey
    How are you doing?
    I’m a final med student and your blog is helping me to understand fibromyalgia.
    Do you mind me asking if you have found any improvement with any of the treatments?
    Many Thanks

    Reply

    • I don’t mind any questions at all, I have to be honest with the medication side of t treating fibromyalgia I’ve only had success with one, which is amitriptyline. I’ve taken it since the beginning, at night and it has reduced my twitches and sensitivities to allow get to sleep better. It is not a panacea and I know it doesn’t work for everyone but so far so good for me.

      Other than that good self mgt, education and awareness of triggers if the best I can to keep things in check. I’m still liable to flare for all that though 😂

      Reply

  11. Hi there Peter
    Could you please tell me as you cover the Leinster Cricket Leagues if a match is postponed can it be refixed like 2 of the Hills matches so far and the matches in Divisions 2,3 and 4 aswell.

    I wasn’t aware of your health issues until I found this site how has this period been for you did you have to isolate from others apart from your immediate family and if so was it hard. I don’t have any health issues but refuse to go outside only my own back garden for air. Keep safe Peter during these uncertain times and to your family aswell

    Yours sincerely
    Keith Montague
    Clogherhead
    Co Louth
    Republic of Ireland

    Reply

    • Hi Keith,
      I’m really sorry for the delay in replying to your message here, unfortunately I don’t log-on to this blog too often anymore.

      I honestly don’t know what the situation is for rearranging fixtures. I’m not sure if there is space this season to allow for refixes.

      Thanks for your concern regarding my health. I did isolate early on in the pandemic. As the research began to emerge that my specific circumstances have me in the risk category but not the high risk, I have been able to, very carefully, go outside and get back to some day-to-day activities.

      There are still lots of unanswered questions so we continue to take things one day at a time.

      Thanks again for your message and continue to do whatever you feel is right to protect your own health if you can.

      Take care,

      Peter

      Reply

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