Rebuilding wellness - leaving fibromyalgia behind.

I want to let you in on what has been going on for me health-wise over the past ~6 months. I am a little shy about sharing my latest attempts at achieving wellness, at least until I know that I am achieving positive results. There has been a quiet revolution going on in my life. It all started with Sue Ingebretsons book FibroWHYalgia. 

 

This fantastic book turned on a lightbulb for me. It made me feel empowered to take control of my health and wellbeing, and stop letting fibromyalgia define me. Sue has lived with severe and debilitating fibromyalgia for many years, and like most fibro sufferers endured a long, scary and disheartening road before finally being diagnosed. But she didn't throw in the towel once a diagnosis was made. She decided to take back control and responsibility for her own wellness and embarked on extensive research into the things that promote vibrant health and wellbeing. She also started to eliminate the things she knew were counterproductive to her recovery. After completely overhauling her life Sue now lives a healthy and productive life in which fibromyalgia symptoms play a very tiny part from time to time. I cannot overstate how important this book has been in my life - it has turned my world upside down - in a good way :)

Best of all, Sue's book has been a springboard for me to investigate the things that promote wellness in my own life. I spend countless hours researching health and how to achieve it and keep it. I have always done this because there has not been a day in my life when I have not tackled health issues. Asthma, eczema, hayfever, acne, digestive problems, food allergies, depression and a tendency toward infections and illness in general have all been a part of my life at different times. My quest for answers to better health led me to my combined degree in nursing and health promotion 17 years ago. After finishing that I then went into a naturopathy degree (which I deferred after 18 months and never got back to because I was busy getting married and having my babies). When I was struck down by fibromyalgia 4 1/2 years ago, I had just started a course in Personal Training (unfortunately also abandoned due to my disintegrating health). Informally, I have always had a thirst for health education, devouring books and magazines on nutrition, fitness and natural healing. The bookmarks list on my computer is a testament to my eternal search for wellness.
Sue Ingebretsons book condenses so much research into the things that are essential for rebuiling wellness. For me, having Sue's experience, research and knowledge all condensed into one easy to read book was a godsend. Knowing that she has been in that dark, depressing place called fibromyalgia and was able to climb out of it and turn her life around was all the inspiration I needed to do the same. Recovery is possible! Wellness - long term wellness - is possible! 

If you, or someone you know, suffer from fibromyalgia, another chronic illness, or just poor health in general I urge you to get hold of FibroWHYalgia. Like me, you could find it a turning point in your life. I have had personal email contact with Sue and she is just as warm, caring and friendly as she seems in her book. You can listen to an interview with Sue, in which she shares her story, on her website Rebuilding Wellness. You can also find links to her blog and facebook page there too. She is always coming up with new gems of information and research to educate and inspire.

Of course, as I said, Sue's book was a starting point. My next post will get more specific about the resources I have engaged, the changes I have made and how they are working for me.  Wishing you a healthful weekend :)