World Wide Spread Pain

As some of you know, I'm in the process of finalizing a new book that will hopefully hit the market by the end of this year, or very early next.  The book is a spin off of this blog and discusses topics about the disease, hope to cope, and also offers my tips, tricks, and rather strong opinions of big business and the healthy people of society.  I even get into politics with this book, a subject that I try to never discuss here.  It's been fun to write because I really got a chance to let my hair down with this one, so I hope all of you will like it.

I'm getting most of my material from recent news articles found on the web.  Some of the stories are interesting, some of them are a repeat of what we fibromites already know, and some of them are just too shocking to even believe.  I found one article so shocking, that I just have to make it the topic for today.  The numbers in this survey are really big.  This topic will appear in the book, but I feel it needs to be here in the blog too.

Health care is a topic that is very close to my heart.  I believe that everyone on this planet deserves to feel their own kind of fabulous.  To me, it's a God-given right.  Here in the US, we are called the land of the free, and I would have agreed with that statement up until recently.  You see, I feel we are free to pay what big business deems as a fair price, and I include the health care industry in this statement.  I feel this way because I've spent a considerable amount of money on my health, so much so, that my family and I had to postpone our dreams of owning a home, just so I could focus on feeling better.  Now, I did say postpone because I feel that one day we will be able to accomplish this dream, but I had really hoped that dream would come sooner.  We are going on almost 10 years of postponement and it's really getting to the point of ridiculous.  Life should not cost that much.

I know I'm not the only one who feels this way and I'm not the only one who has these kinds of problems.  I hear it all the time from family, friends, and co-workers.  I also know that each and everyone of you are facing the same struggles here in the US, Canada, Greece, and all the other countries out there that read Fibro and Fabulous on a regular basis.  Sometimes we all may feel like we are alone in this world when we are trapped in our own finances, but we really are not.  In fact, did you know that there are 40 million of us around the world that feel this way?  Yep, that number is right-- 40 million people world wide are now known to have Fibromyalgia and each and everyone of those fibromites has had some kind of financial difficulty with this beast.  That's an awful lot of us on the books.  Now let's think about this in an even bigger term since so many of us go misdiagnosed for sometimes years, if those misdiagnosed people were to get onto the books, statistically speaking, how many people world wide suffer?  Probably a lot more than 40 million.

This study is from India and I wanted to share it because it has some surprising facts.  This article goes into great length about the fact that it is extremely difficult for those of us with Fibro to maintain a regular, traditional job.  On average of the countries reported, 1 in 5 patients missed anywhere from 2 to 5 days of work in the past year due to Fibromyalgia.  Those are alarming numbers because if these patients are missing work, they can't afford to get the right care, and so starts the vicious cycle.  Health care needs to be there for everyone and every nation, it's just that simple.  The article appears in it's entirety here...

http://www.thaipr.net/nc/readnews.aspx?newsid=7180CC18011F5D2DC85BD5BC458CC31B

Stay fabulous!

Love and friendship,

Kimberley

Sleep Deeply, Live Longer

This is most definitely one of the better articles I've read for sleep advice. I thought I'd share it because I have actually tried this technique and it works beautifully. For the past two months, I've woken up about 2 minutes before my alarm goes off-- every day--even weekends! This is something I haven't done in years!

Stay fabulous!
Love and friendship,

Kimberley
Sleep Deeply, Live Longer

Fibromyalgia and the Workplace

I came across a rather interesting article today while perusing the net.  It was an article about working with a chronic condition.  I was intrigued by what this writer had to say because I'm always willing to hear new tips and tricks.  It never hurts to listen to others because it just might work for you-- you know?

For those that have read my book The Fibro Hand, get ready to hear me repeat myself.  For those that haven't, I had to leave a career that I had for 18 years due to my Fibromyalgia.  My career was in retail management and I worked for a very old and well known company.  In fact, about 1 out of every 2 of you that read this blog probably purchased an appliance from this well known company.  I worked for Sears. 

Most of my career was in the Home Improvement and Home Appliance departments, although, I worked almost every other department in between for 12 years.  I liked my job because I really enjoyed helping people.  Some would even keep me smiling all day, and of course, some would not.  But the ones that treated me like a person, rather than a sales girl, always stood out to me.

When I left, I felt like I was letting them down.  I also felt like I was letting myself, my family, and the company down.  But I just didn't have the strength to give my 110% anymore.  This girl in this article, God bless her, has found a way to beat the system...

http://www.articlesnatch.com/Article/Employed-With-An-Invisible-Illness/795020

I'm glad she can find a way take a few winks at her computer.  That can truly help, but for me, that was not an option since I was always in the public eye.

So, for those of you that are not so lucky, I'll offer a few tips that worked for me.  I used to try and really get to know my boss by seeing what he really looked for in performance.  In other words, if he picked on the fact that the handbag department looked awfully messy, or my back walls and front end merchandise was picked through, I'd only focus on those areas and I'd leave the rest for another day. 

Now, me being in management helped out greatly, of course, because I could ask my associates for help.  But, even if you aren't in management, this little bit of advice may work.  Turn their constructive criticism into a positive spin on your day.  Work only on what they say needs to be done-- not what you know has to be done.  I'm sure that their list is shorter anyway-- they usually don't know the job as well as you do.

Ask a co-worker for help if you need to.  I used to ask a lot of people for help when I couldn't lift things due to my illness, and I'm not ashamed to admit it.  I had to lift some pretty heavy things pre-Fibro, like washers, dryers, and air conditioners, but you never caught me trying to lift those things post- Fibro.  I had to be able to function and lifting things like that would have cost me my mobility-- not an option.

Now, I'm not saying this will work every time.  There were times that my boss would get moody with me and pull one of those, "Well it's not going to move itself." routines.  In those cases I'd move it while gently reminding him that I'd be incapacitated for the next day.  Whether or not that was the case, I still made it look like it was.  Yes, I used his guilt to my advantage, and no, I'm not ashamed to admit it.  Why?  Because if I didn't stick to my guns, I'd be faced with him thinking that I could move mountains anytime HE wanted me too and that's simply not possible.

I eventually had to leave, though.  The stress was getting too great for me.  I'd come home dazed and confused.  This was not an option since I had a little one at home (at the time), a Mom with Alzheimer's that I care for, and Grandparents (one with post-polio and one with Alzheimeir's) that I care for too.  Oh yeah, and did I mention the hubby?  Quitting, or how I like to put it, retiring, was hard at first, but one door closes, and there's always another that's wide open, waiting for you to walk through.

I'm content because I have two great jobs right now.  They are so great that I really can't call them jobs-- I love them too much.  I'm actually happier now, than I was way back when, in retail.  It probably has a lot to do with the fact that I'm my own boss now, I don't have to make a quota unless I want to, and I work the hours I can, not the ones that someone wants me to work.

Not everyone can say that-- I know.  It takes a special kind of person to be able to have enough tenacity to be self employed, but I think we Fibromites have that special gift because of all the obstacles we face.  I love to write, it's one of my greatest loves and I love to talk with and help people one on one.  I sell legal and identity theft protection service plans (my day job), and that suffices my latter passion.

I have Fibromyalgia to thank for allowing me to find my passions.  Loosing my career may have seemed like the end of the world, at first, but it wasn't... and it doesn't have to be for you either!  Find your own niche in the world and try it on for size, it just might make you feel fabulous!


Stay fabulous!
Love and friendship,

Kimberley

Colony Collapse: Are Potent Pesticides Killing Honeybees?

I'm not a fan of any kind of bug. I don't like them, but I take exception to the honey bee and butterflies. They are not pests.

It's devastating to think that the chemicals people are using to kill one pesky bug is killing off another that is vital to our society. The honey bee pollinates our crops-- we need him.

What's worse is that some people honestly think they are not doing harm to the human population when they use "new and improved" chemicals. They tend to think that the formula is the same as it always was and that is so far from the truth.

Big business is killing us off bit by bit in the name of the almighty dollar. They are making products cheaper by using synthetic chemicals in place of the real thing. That would be fine if the chemical wasn't harmful, but chemicals are harmful.

I am a huge fan of doing things the old fashioned way. Chemicals are just making our lives worse. They are making us a sick society with Rheumatic diseases. It's time we all find a way to get back to the basics.



Colony Collapse: Are Potent Pesticides Killing Honeybees?

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An Interview With Author KimberleyLB

I received an invitation for an interview from a website last night.  A lot of the questions had me thinking and it was great to put my thinking cap on for a bit.  I had such a blast doing it.  Many of the questions asked had to do with all of you, my readers, and I thought that you all might be interested in seeing the interview.

I also discuss a new book that will be available in print form and ebook.  The book is based on this very blog and will be formatted as such.  You will see my trademark Stay Fabulous ending in each post.  I have added my favorite posts to the book, as well as, a ton of new stuff.  The book will have a lot of surprises in it and you can read more about it in the interview.  A link to the interview will be placed at the bottom of this post.

WhoHub


Stay fabulous!
Love and friendship,

Kimberley