I wanted to start this introduction at the beginning, but I wasn't sure which beginning. The beginning of my life-1969, the beginning of my life when Fibromyalgia took over-1989, the beginning of my life after being diagnosed with Fibromyalgia-1999 or the beginning of my life after taking my life back from Fibromyalgia-2000.

As I think back, I realize Fibromyalgia has always been a part of my life, right from the very beginning. I exhibited symptoms from a very early age, all dismissed by Drs. as "something else". Muscle pains dismissed as "growing pains", sleep problems dismissed as being an "undisciplined child", fatigue dismissed as being "lazy", cognitive problems being dismissed as "unmotivated" The list goes on....

There is no escaping the fact that I was born with Fibromyalgia, especially considering that it has now run right through my family. Looking back, I realize that even my Grandmother exhibited tell-tale signs of Fibromyalgia, long before it was even spoken of in the medical community. Again, "dismissed" as "something else". What about the 10 years of my life that I lived in fear wondering "what's wrong with me?”, when all of the Drs. "dismissed" all of my symptoms as "something else", yet again.

I guess I could be angry that all of that "dismissing" could have prevented me from being prepared when my own daughter developed Fibromyalgia, but I'm not angry, because I was prepared. I showed all those dismissers, when I figured out "on my own" all about Fibromyalgia. I learned what Fibromyalgia IS and what Fibromyalgia ISN'T. It IS real and it ISN'T all in my head. That really helped when right around the same time I was "diagnosed" my mother developed it as well. We were all prepared. I NOW realize I was meant to have Fibromyalgia all along, to make sure no one else is “dismissed”, it just took a while to figure it out.

Follow me on my journey from the foggy days of despair into the sunlit rays of hopefulness...