Fibromyalgia is a disorder that is known in part to widespread pain. The condition is difficult to diagnose. A doctor must rule out other symptoms such as multiple sclerosis and thyroid issues. Symptoms often include pain all over the body, cognitive disorders, chronic fatigue, migraines, anxiety, blurred vision, and other joint issues. Risk factors can include being female, psychological or emotional distress, and environmental surroundings.

Two years ago I went through a lot of psychological and emotional stress. Following that, I started getting more anxiety attacks than normal and I was always tired. As the years went on, I started noticing more symptoms. Over the past summer, I started getting migraines and feeling light headed. I had pain at the base of my skull that constantly bothered me. I was terrified and finally told my parents about it. I went to the doctor and got x-rays and blood tests. Everything came back negative. Finally, I got an MRI. The MRI came back with nothing except an incidental notice. I was worried about that but I wanted to be sure we knew what it was. Finally, two weeks ago, my doctor called me. I was told that I have fibromyalgia. I knew what it was and I had done the research on it. However, I knew this was going to change my life.

I am 19 years old and a college student. Fibromyalgia gives me migraines, dizzy spells, cognitive disfunction (sometimes), joint pain, muscle pain, sensory issues, blurred vision (rarely, but it occurs), chronic fatigue, and extreme anxiety. As you can imagine, this directly effects my life. Sometimes I say words wrong or I get ahead of myself and speak too soon. I get dehyrated a lot easier than most people and get dizzy easily. My body constantly hurts and I am always tired. I can't get out of bed some days because fatigue overcomes me. It is also common for me to have low blood pressure due to fibromyalgia. I also have acid reflux, and fibromyalgia can emphasize that.

I am struggling with this. I have only told a few people and I feel like some people think it is a "fake" disease. just because you cannot see it does not mean it is not there. It is a disorder of the body and mind that can effect your life. However, I am determine to beat it. I do not care if I cannot fully treat it, I can adjust my lifestyle to make it easier for me. Adjusting my lifestyle is going to be hard for me. I have never been one to like change and this is no exception. I want to overcome the struggles that come with this. I will not let fibromyalgia take over my life.

If you know someone that suffers from Fibromyalgia, I am looking to create an awareness group! You can follow my https://twitter.com/LivieHickeytwitter and tag #fightfibro to get on my awareness campaign!