Fibromyalgia
Probably since my early teens I have fought with pain. However I was only diagnosed with Fibromyalgia in my early twenties. If you want to know more, please see my Living with Fibromyalgia post. Otherwise please see my latest Fibromyalgia Blog Posts below.
Thank you for reading! And feel free to get in touch via my Twitter or Facebook page if you want to talk about anything in these posts.
Fibromyalgia Posts
![The Fibromyalgia Used-To-Do Guy, Part 1 FibroJedi - the Fibromyalgia Used-to-Do Guy, Part 1](https://fibrojedi.me.uk/shocemsy/2021/07/the-fibromyalgia-used-to-do-guy-500x261.jpg)
Having had Fibromyalgia for probably over twenty-five years now, like many people without a chronic illness, life has changed many times over. But there are "normal" life changes, like going to univer...
Read More →
![Idiopathic Epilepsy and Fibromyalgia - Illnesses, Gotta Catch 'Em All! Idiopathic Epilepsy and Fibromyalgia - Illnesses, gotta catch 'em all!](https://fibrojedi.me.uk/shocemsy/2021/03/idiopathic-epilepsy-and-fibromyalgia-500x261.jpg)
Many of you are aware of my reduced social media and blogging activity, since I posted about being spread too thinly. While a portion of that was attributable to higher Fibromyalgia symptoms, a maj...
Read More →
![Drawing Despite Chronic Pain - My Colourful Journey Drawing in Chronic Pain - My Colourful Journey](https://fibrojedi.me.uk/shocemsy/2020/08/drawing-in-chronic-pain-my-colourful-journey-500x261.jpg)
With chronic pain, you have to find your coping mechanisms, the things that speed up time or make it a little less distressing. As many know, gaming is one way that I usually achieve both of those aim...
Read More →
![The Sickness Conundrum The Sickness Conundrum - a SWTOR FanFiction Episode by Fibro Jedi](https://fibrojedi.me.uk/shocemsy/2020/07/the-sickness-conundrum-swtor-fanfiction-500x261.jpg)
Comm terminals beeped quietly but persistently, the occasional astromech whirred through doing their daily tasks and the allies of the Alliance held their usual conversations and exchanged intellig...
Read More →
![I Don't Have Three Hands I Don't Have Three Hands - What I am Keeping and What I'm Dropping](https://fibrojedi.me.uk/shocemsy/2020/07/i-dont-have-three-hands-500x261.jpg)
A few days ago, I had three drinks I needed to carry up to my office. I took one drink in each hand and told my three-year-old daughter I would be popping down for the last one. Her response to mos...
Read More →
![Fibromyalgia Poem: Where My Dreams Went to Die Fibromyalgia Poem: Where My Dreams Went to Die](https://fibrojedi.me.uk/shocemsy/2020/06/fibromyalgia-poem-where-my-dreams-went-to-die-500x261.jpg)
As many of you are aware, things have been really tough recently. It's like almost all the major life events that are applicable to my circumstances have happened. Apart from moving house, but even th...
Read More →
![It's Okay to Not Be Okay - an Update from FJ Its Okay to Not Be Okay - Why Im taking a Month Off](https://fibrojedi.me.uk/shocemsy/2020/06/its-okay-to-not-be-okay-500x261.jpg)
It's okay to not be okay is a phrase that has long been part of how chronically-ill people relate to each other. However, it's only been in the last year or so that it has gained prominance. Even the...
Read More →
![The Gaming Buffs and Debuffs of Fibromyalgia The Gaming Buffs and Debuffs of Fibromyalgia](https://fibrojedi.me.uk/shocemsy/2020/02/gaming-buffs-and-debuffs-of-fibromyalgia-500x261.jpg)
Sometimes trying to explain Fibromyalgia, my chronic pain condition, can be really difficult. The main problem is it's not just one thing, but a body-wide malfunction that causes goodness knows how m...
Read More →
![What's a Day With Fibromyalgia Like? What's a Day With Fibromyalgia Like?](https://fibrojedi.me.uk/shocemsy/2019/09/whats-a-day-with-fibromyalgia-like-500x261.jpg)
From time-to-time people send me encouraging Tweets saying that I do a lot despite fighting Fibromyalgia. Although I do share about how bad my pain levels are, I really try to make sure it's only a sm...
Read More →
![Depression and Fibromyalgia: Caring for Your Mental Health Through Pain Coping with Depression and Fibromyalgia symptoms together](https://fibrojedi.me.uk/shocemsy/2019/06/coping-with-depression-and-fibromyalgia-500x261.jpg)
It has been a long time since I blogged about living with depression. However my recent book review of I Had a Black Dog prompted me to do a long-overdue update. Depression is one of those conditions...
Read More →
![I Had a Black Dog (Called Depression) - Book Review I had a Black Dog, Depression Book Review, by Matthew Johnstone](https://fibrojedi.me.uk/shocemsy/2019/06/i-had-a-black-dog-depression-book-review-matthew-johnstone-500x261.jpg)
.gallery{margin-bottom:10px}As someone who suffers from depression as a by product of living with Fibromyalgia, I don't read books about depression. I mostly find them, well, depressing. Even book...
Read More →
![When Social Media is a Force for Good Social Media is a force for good! A story about a lost wedding ring.](https://fibrojedi.me.uk/shocemsy/2019/04/social-media-is-a-force-for-good-500x261.jpg)
Social Media often hits the news for all the wrong reasons - and we do need to address those. But I'm not giving the negatives any airtime here, because I want to celebrate when Social Media is a forc...
Read More →
![Symptoms of Fibromyalgia - My 14 Effects of Living with Chronic Illness List of my top 14 Symptoms of Fibromyalgia](https://fibrojedi.me.uk/shocemsy/2019/02/list-of-14-symptoms-of-fibromyalgia-chronic-pain-500x261.jpg)
It has been some time since I wrote about Fibromyalgia and Chronic Pain. Now, thanks to planning and input from Patrons, I hope to get back into semi-regularly writing about Chronic Pain. I have had,...
Read More →
![Fibromyalgia and Streaming Games Fibromyalgia and Streaming Games - 5 Challenges and 5 Encouragements](https://fibrojedi.me.uk/shocemsy/2018/11/fibromyalgia-streaming-games-challenges-encouragements-500x261.jpg)
I have been running my rather haphazard Twitch Channel for over a year now. I started by wondering if I could even "do" this streaming thing.I made the mistake of looking at successful streamers'...
Read More →
![CBD Oil for Fibromyalgia Hemp CBD for Fibromyalgia - Review of Oils, Tinctures and Capsules and effect on Fibro symptoms](https://fibrojedi.me.uk/shocemsy/2018/08/hemp-cbd-oils-for-fibromyalgia-product-review-500x261.jpg)
CBD Oil for Fibromyalgia and other conditions is a fairly recent appearance on the landscape of self-treatment.. They can also be quite expensive, so when a company offered me some free samples of the...
Read More →
![You Behind the Illness - Who Am I Underneath the Fibromyalgia? You Behind the Illness - Who is Fibro Jedi behind all that pain?](https://fibrojedi.me.uk/shocemsy/2018/05/you-behind-the-illness-fibro-jedi-500x261.jpg)
This "You behind the illness" post lets you get to know me better behind the pain, depression & anxiety >>...
Read More →
![Fibro My Arth Review - Fibromyalgia and Comedy? Heck Yes! Fibro My-Arth Review: Carina Macleod Comedy about Fibromyalgia](https://fibrojedi.me.uk/shocemsy/2018/04/fibro-my-arth-review-carina-mcleod-comedy-500x261.jpg)
In classic FJ style, I am attempting to write this post not long after having seen Carina Macleod's stand-up comedy act Fibro My Arth, about her life with Fibromyalgia. The reason it's classic FJ styl...
Read More →
![FlareDown Review - Helpful and Free Chronic Illness Tracking App Flaredown Review - a Free Chronic Illness Tracking App](https://fibrojedi.me.uk/shocemsy/2018/03/flaredown-review-chronic-illness-tracking-app-500x261.jpg)
For years I had been meaning to either create a spreadsheet or write my own basic applications (I'm a former web software programmer) to track the symptoms ofmy Fibromyalgia. Doing so could help me to...
Read More →
![What is a Pain Management Programme? How Can It Help Fibromyalgia Sufferers? What is a Pain Management Programme and How Can It help Fibromyalgia sufferers?](https://fibrojedi.me.uk/shocemsy/2017/10/what-is-pain-management-programme-fibromyalgia-500x261.jpg)
In late 2017 I was put in a waiting list to take part in a Pain Management Programme. This service, aside from the others provided by the Pain Management Clinic, was recommended to try to look at the...
Read More →
![Fibromyalgia - Where Do You Go When There's Nowhere to Go? Fibromyalgia: Where do you go when there's nowhere to go?](https://fibrojedi.me.uk/shocemsy/2017/09/where-do-you-go-fibromyalgia-500x261.jpg)
The warning signs were already there really - when my doctor said "I have no more advice for you", I thought it was a lack of training, or awareness. A General Practictioner by definition can't be a s...
Read More →
![Living With Fibromyalgia as a Fighter, Father and Force User Living with Fibromyalgia - What My Day Looks Like](https://fibrojedi.me.uk/shocemsy/2017/07/living-with-fibromyalgia-for-a-day-500x261.jpg)
Fighting Fibromyalgia is a daily battle and one that often feels like being on the losing side. Here is my day in the life of a Fibromyalgia Fighter - taking one day recently and walking you through w...
Read More →
![Fibromyalgia: The Reason My SWTOR Content Has Slowed Down Fibromyalgia: The Reason my SWTOR Content Has Slowed Down](https://fibrojedi.me.uk/shocemsy/2017/06/fibromyalgia-swtor-content-slowed-500x261.jpg)
It has been some time since I produced any meaningful content about Star Wars: The Old Republic. Aside from my usual approach of "don't blog unless you have something to say" principle, there are othe...
Read More →
![My State of Fibromyalgia, Gaming, the Universe and Everything Fibromyalgia and Gaming update from FibroJedi](https://fibrojedi.me.uk/shocemsy/2017/05/fibromyalgia-gaming-update-500x261.jpg)
To anyone who follows me on Twitter will know that a lot has been going on in my life, especially since the birth of our daughter last year. Things haven't been easy on many levels - the doctor is sti...
Read More →
![What is Pain and What Are Key Pain Management Strategies? What is Pain? What is Chronic Pain Management?](https://fibrojedi.me.uk/shocemsy/2016/12/what-is-pain-management-500x262.jpg)
It's been a while since I've had something new to add to the blog about Fibromyalgia or Chronic Pain. I don't write "for the sake of it". However, recently I had an introductory session with my local...
Read More →
![Working With Fibromyalgia - An Update Working with Fibromyalgia - an Update](https://fibrojedi.me.uk/shocemsy/2016/11/working-with-fibromyalgia-500x262.jpg)
It has been a long time since I wrote my original post, on balancing a job with Fibromyalgia. Since that time much has changed, both in my general life, but also in a decline in my health. Instead of...
Read More →
![Accepting My Limitations With Chronic Illness Accepting my Limitations with Fibromyalgia](https://fibrojedi.me.uk/shocemsy/2016/11/accepting-my-limitations-500x262.jpg)
I had an odd experience the other night. It was the first night that our baby girl was home from hospital. The wisdom of the medical profession in sending her home on that day was, let's say, question...
Read More →
![Resetting My Body - Coming Off Fibromyalgia Medication Coming off Fibromyalgia Medication - Resetting my Body](https://fibrojedi.me.uk/shocemsy/2016/10/coming-off-fibromyalgia-medication-500x262.jpg)
"You look ill." Words I never thought I would hear out of a medical professional's mouth when referring to someone with an Invisible Illness. It offered something I had all but given up - hope. I was...
Read More →
![Why is Colouring Therapy Good for Chronic Illness? Colouring Therapy for Chronic Illness - Benefits and Kindle Apps](https://fibrojedi.me.uk/shocemsy/2016/08/colouring-therapy-chronic-illness-500x262.jpg)
Anyone who follows me on Twitter will know I'm not a blokey-bloke. I don't relax or do things in any manly fashion. Part of it is character-based - I'm a more sensitive kind of person and I suck at an...
Read More →
![Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy for Fibromyalgia - My Diary Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy for Fibromyalgia - My Diary](https://fibrojedi.me.uk/shocemsy/2016/06/hyperbaric-oxygen-therapy-fibromyalgia-500x262.jpg)
After a random referral from a friend who embraces 'alternative therapies', I have begun a new kind of treatment with the aim of alleviating some of the symptoms of my Fibromyalgia. This is called hyp...
Read More →
![Fibro Jedi Younglings - Becoming a Fibromyalgia Father Fibro Jedi Younglings - Becoming a Fibromyalgia Father](https://fibrojedi.me.uk/shocemsy/2016/04/fibro-jedi-youngling-500x262.jpg)
As a lot of my friends on Twitter have been expressing love, concern and care over my health and over that of my wife, I thought it best to let you all know what the heck has been going on with us bot...
Read More →
![Fibro Fog aka Brain Fog - When Thinking is Hard Fibro Fog aka Brain Fog: Causes and Solutions](https://fibrojedi.me.uk/shocemsy/2016/03/fibro-fog-brain-fog-500x262.jpg)
Aside from fighting pain all the time, if that weren’t challenging enough, one of the most frustrating side-effects of Fibromyalgia is so-called Fibro Fog.What is Fibro Fog?Also called Brain F...
Read More →
![Wrist and Hand Pain in Fibromyalgia - 8 Tips to Help You Wrist and hand pain with Fibromyalgia - 8 Tips to Help You](https://fibrojedi.me.uk/shocemsy/2016/02/wrist-hand-pain-fibromyalgia-tips-500x262.jpg)
Now that I'm back into the swing of blogging about specific symptoms of Fibromyalgia, I'm also trying to update old Fibro posts. One of the symptoms that I find hardest to handle is that of wrist and...
Read More →
![Happy New Year? Facing Facts with Fibromyalgia. Happy New Year 2016? Facing Facts with Fibromyalgia](https://fibrojedi.me.uk/shocemsy/2016/01/happy-new-year-2016-500x262.jpg)
I've not been home long after having spent new year with friends. It was nice to finally get time with people we don't see often, but with the amount of pain and the difficulties of life, being wished...
Read More →
![Living with Fibro: What I Lost and Gained Fibromyalgia - What I Lost and Gained](https://fibrojedi.me.uk/shocemsy/2015/12/fibromyalgia-lost-and-found-500x262.jpg)
To those who are hooked in with me on Twitter you'll know that it's been a really hard few months. On the whole my Fibro is getting worse, with particular focus on the joints between my shoulders and...
Read More →
![Fibromyalgia and Gluten Free - What a Farce! Fibromyalgia and Gluten Free Living](https://fibrojedi.me.uk/shocemsy/2015/11/fibromyalgia-gluten-free-500x262.jpg)
In recent months I've been doing a lot of reading into various factors that can exacerbate pain levels in sufferers of Fibromyalgia. This has not been a journey to find a cause or a cure. Quite the op...
Read More →
![When Rest is not Restful Fibromyalgia: When Rest Is Not Restful](https://fibrojedi.me.uk/shocemsy/2015/11/fibromyalgia-and-restlessness-500x262.jpg)
So I am coming to the end of a week of work. I have slept anywhere between 9 and 12 hours each night, depending on how I felt. I have not had to attend to client work all week. Granted both my wife an...
Read More →
![Fibromyalgia and Depression: The Cloak of Sadness Fibromyalgia and Depression - A Cloak of Sadness](https://fibrojedi.me.uk/shocemsy/2015/11/fibromyalgia-and-depression-500x262.jpg)
This time of year is always a hard time for me. The clocks have gone back, which has a more pronounced effect here in the Highlands of Scotland than other parts of the UK. We've just started November...
Read More →
![Fibromyalgia - It's Not Your Fault Fibromyalgia or other Chronic Illness? Not Your Fault.](https://fibrojedi.me.uk/shocemsy/2015/10/fibromyalgia-not-your-fault-500x262.jpg)
Image Credit This might seem obvious to some, but I know I very often forget this: Fibromyalgia, or [insert your Chronic Illness here], and all its related traits, behaviours and flaws, is not you...
Read More →
![Face Pain in Fibromyalgia Face Pain and Fibromyalgia](https://fibrojedi.me.uk/shocemsy/2015/10/face-pain-fibromyalgia-500x261.jpg)
This is going to be one of my shortest posts. I really want to reach out to you about your experiences of face pain and fibromyalgia. How I Experience Face PainIt can strike at any time, but is...
Read More →
![Coffee and Fibromyalgia - A Bumpy Relationship Coffee and Fibromyalgia - A Bumpy Relationship](https://fibrojedi.me.uk/shocemsy/2015/10/coffee-and-fibromyalgia-500x262.jpg)
Coffee and Fibromyalgia is an issue that I have to deal with time and time again. I wanted to blog about one of my main weaknesses in dealing with my Fibromyalgia symptoms - that of my coffee addictio...
Read More →
I have just got back after a really busy day. But it wasn't busy in the usual sense. For any that don't know, I run a business - a small web design and marketing agency. So most working days are busy...
Read More →
![Painsomnia - Held Together by Medication Painsomnia and Fibromyalgia - my 4am Ramblings](https://fibrojedi.me.uk/shocemsy/2015/09/painsomnia-fibromyalgia-500x261.jpg)
It's been a hard week - or more accurately it's been several hard weeks. I have definitely noticed an increase in pain, a decrease in cognitive function at work and a much lower energy supply. On top...
Read More →
![Fibromyalgia Interview: @GONZ0HUNTER Fibromyalgia Interview with @GONZ0HUNTER](https://fibrojedi.me.uk/shocemsy/2015/09/fibromyalgia-interview-500x262.jpg)
I was quite humbled when @GONZ0HUNTER, a bloke with Fibro suggested I interview him for my site. It's not something I had thought of doing, but it's always good to share experiences. So here's how the...
Read More →
![The Challenge of Fibromyalgia and Weight Loss Losing Weight with Fibromyalgia](https://fibrojedi.me.uk/shocemsy/2015/09/losing-weight-with-fibromyalgia2-500x261.jpg)
Regaining control of your weight is hard for most people. When trying to do that and fighting a chronic illness, it adds a whole new level of complexity.My Issue with FoodFood has long been my major...
Read More →
Don't get me wrong - I know that people can mitigate their condition or even 'recover' from being under the constant slavery of Fibromyalgia. The main thing I have an issue after over 10 years with Fi...
Read More →
![The Effect of Stress on Fibromyalgia The Effect of Stress on Fibromyalgia Symptoms](https://fibrojedi.me.uk/shocemsy/2015/08/effect-of-stress-on-fibromyalgia-symptoms-500x261.jpg)
Stress, or more broadly speaking, anxiety can be brought about in various ways. Common stress factors for most 'normal' people include work, weddings, deaths, family tensions, finances and deadlines....
Read More →
![Balancing Fibromyalgia With a Job Balancing Fibromyalgia With a Job](https://fibrojedi.me.uk/shocemsy/2015/08/balancing-fibromyalgia-work-job-500x262.jpg)
This post will be updated soonish as I no longer have a 'normal job' due to pain. I'm leaving it here in case it still helps people in its current form!I find myself in the blessed position of being a...
Read More →
![5 Reasons Why I have an Anonymous Twitter Account Why I have an Anonymous Twitter Account](https://fibrojedi.me.uk/shocemsy/2015/08/why-i-have-anonymous-twitter-account-500x262.jpg)
Before I started @FibroJedi I had a 'personal' account that I used from 2010 - that's a long time on Twitter! When Fibromyalgia meant I had to give up 'normal' work I removed that account. Twitter is...
Read More →