Fibro Warrior – Lauren Gaskill

Photo by Amanda Gahler www.aphotographer.me

This week I’m interviewing Lauren Gaskill of  Minneapolis, Minnesota. She was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia on May 7, 2015. But, she’s been dealing with a whole lot longer than that. She’s been living with chronic daily migraines, hyper-mobility, and Fibromyalgia for at least 3 years.

Tell us a bit about yourself.
I am married to the love of my life and high school sweetheart, Alex. We met before Fibro. During the day I work as a content strategist for Spyder Trap, but on nights and weekends I am the inspirational writer/food blogger behind MakingLifeSweet.com. In my spare time I enjoy swimming, biking and yoga (when my body allows me to do these things), cooking, baking, singing, reading, watching movies and exploring.

What lead up to your diagnosis?
Three years ago, I began to suffer from almost daily headaches and full body pain. There would be days in college where I would just lay in bed instead of going to classes because it hurt too much to even think about getting out of bed. Sometimes the pain is still like that; It can be all-consuming.

At first, I had MRIs and a bunch of blood tests done, but everything came back normal so my doctor put me on Amitriptyline. This didn’t help very much but I didn’t know what else to do at the time so I took the pills hoping everything would go away. It didn’t. In 2015, after an 8-month period of daily headaches, random injuries, digestive issues, sleep problems and excruciating head, neck, back, shoulder and foot pain, I decided to finally get checked out again. First by a Neurologist who hinted at Fibro, then by a rheumatologist who officially diagnosed me with Fibromyalgia and Hypermobility Syndrome.

What was your life like before Fibromyalgia?
Before Fibromyalgia, I was a competitive swimmer for 10 years. I had been to state championships. I had trained like a weight-lifting beast. Things are much different now. I’ve always had hyper-mobility, but it seems to be maximized by my Fibromyalgia. I injure more frequently than ever before. Even a regular swim in the pool can result in a strained ligament and having to take two (or more) weeks off of exercise to heal. It’s been really hard adjusting to this new normal of listening to my body and not pushing my limits. Some people can push their limits. I’ve learned that if I want to prevent injury, I cannot. This is hard because I have a competitive nature and a history of doing things fast.

How did your family initially handle your illness?
Aside from praying for me, which I really appreciate and need, most of my family members really didn’t know how to respond. They can’t relate to being in pain all the time. They don’t understand why I would cry every day over something that, to them, is invisible. Everyone tells me “You’re too young for this,” and “Oh I’m so sorry,” but no one can relate. That has also been very hard. Luckily in the grand scheme of things everyone has been supportive and encouraging though, especially my husband.

What do you feel is the most challenging aspect of Fibro?
You never know what you are going to wake up with or develop during the course of a day. Fibro is so unpredictable. You can make plans to do things but sometimes, the Fibro forces you to do something else. It takes an incredible patient and flexible person to manage Fibro.

What (if anything) have you found/ done that has improved your symptoms?
My official diagnosis just happened recently, but I am already taking steps to improving my symptoms including:

• Being gentle and kind to myself
• Praying constantly
• Going gluten and dairy free
• Taking supplements
• Talking to others about what I am going through
• Doing things that I enjoy every day
• Lowering my stress levels as much as humanly possible

How open are you with friends & family about your illness & symptoms?
As open as a book that is being read. If you want to know something, I am more than happy to talk about it.

Do you blog about your illness? If so, what inspired you to do so?
I do! I’ve been blogging for the last three years. My blog is separated into two parts: Inspiring Living and Inspired Kitchen. The intent of both aspects of the website is to inspire others to live happy, healthy, redeemed lives. This includes helping others rise above and overcome illness.

What is the best advice you’ve received about Fibromyalgia?
Take everything one day at a time, listen to your body and keep a journal of the different treatments that you try so that you can figure out a plan that works best for you.

What is it that inspires you to keep going, despite your illness?
My faith is the reason I am still here and hopeful. I truly believe that even if God doesn’t heal me, he will give me the strength to fight this for the rest of my life. He loves me and will never forsake me.

What is one thing you’ve learned about yourself since your diagnosis?
People have told me from a very young age that I am a strong person. But I always just laughed at them when they told me that because in my head I’d be thinking, “If you only knew how many times I cry at night, you’d realize just how weak I am.” Now I’m starting to think differently about that. I don’t see grief and sadness as a weakness. And I finally see that I am one tough cookie, and I should give myself more credit. I am fighting a daunting battle each and every day.

What is the most important piece of advice you would give to someone newly diagnosed with Fibro (or even still seeking a diagnosis)?
Don’t think it as being the end to something. Think of this as a new beginning; a chance to make new friends; a chance to grow closer to God and more in tune with your body and spirit. The sun will shine again and you WILL get though this. Just don’t give up.

Now that you’ve gotten to know a bit about Lauren’s Fibro story, please take a moment and visit her blog:  Making Life Sweet. You can also find her on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram.

If you enjoyed Lauren’s story be sure to visit her blog and let her know, or leave a comment here. If you’d like to share your own Fibro Warrior story please contact me.