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You are here: Home / Archives for Coping

Coping with Fibromyalgia and Chronic Illness

Inspiration and thoughts on how to improve coping skills when dealing with Fibromyalgia, chronic pain, fatigue, and invisible illness.

When You Hit Rock Bottom You Have Two Choices

Last Updated: June 8, 2014

The good thing about rock bottom is you have two options. You can lie in the filth you created and quit. That was never an option for me. The other: there is only one way out, and that is up! - cdmitchell, the stories behind the stories. This quote struck home for me. I've been there - at rock … [Read more...]

4 Comments Filed Under: Coping, Extra Spoons Tagged With: chronic illness, chronic pain, depression, hope, invisible illness

11 Things You Should Never Say to Someone With Fibromyalgia

Last Updated: June 6, 2014

Things You Should Never Say to Someone Who Has Fibromyalgia Someone you know and love has Fibromyalgia or suffers from some sort of chronic pain. And, at some point you've said something to them that hurt their feelings and made them feel worse. You had no idea you did it. It's unlikely that … [Read more...]

20 Comments Filed Under: Coping, Extra Spoons, Fibro and Marriage, Fibromyalgia, friendship, relationships Tagged With: chronic illness, communication

Customer Service and Communication: Part 2

Last Updated: June 3, 2014

Customer Service and Communication Last week I wrote about  the doctor that regularly has the two-hour wait and how she'd told me to call for test results, only for me to do so and have her staff tell me I had to come in to have the results read to me. After I made the appointment to come in … [Read more...]

4 Comments Filed Under: Coping, My Life, Treatment Tagged With: communication, dealing with doctors, doctors, thyroid

Admitting You Need Help is a Sign of Bravery

Last Updated: June 1, 2014

We are all fighting battles that no one knows anything about

"We are truly all fighting battles no one knows anything about." Everyone is fighting an invisible battle. It may not be illness, mental, or physical. It may just be the demons left-over from a rough child-hood. It may be any number of things, but we are all dealing with something. This post from … [Read more...]

Leave a Comment Filed Under: Close to My Heart, Coping, Fibro and Marriage, inspiration, relationships Tagged With: chronic illness, depression, sunday inspiration, support

Fibromyalgia and Sex: The Unspoken Reality

Last Updated: May 30, 2014

Fibromyalgia and sex (the unspoken reality) - Image of couple in bed - Counting My Spoons

Fibromyalgia and Sex the unspoken reality Sex. It's not a dirty word, yet it's a topic that we seem to want to avoid, instead of deal with. We ignore it and try to pretend that the giant purple elephant is not in the room. When I talk to friends with Fibromyalgia, the topic of sex rarely comes up, … [Read more...]

54 Comments Filed Under: Close to My Heart, Coping, Fibro and Marriage, relationships, Symptoms, Treatment Tagged With: communication, sex

Book Review: In Sickness As in Health

Last Updated: May 23, 2014

I don't know about you, but Fibro, and chronic illness in general, has had an impact on my marriage. Recently, I downloaded and read In Sickness as in Health: Helping Couples Cope with the Complexities of Illness. I've read Barbara Kivowitz blog of the same name, and after enjoying a wealth of … [Read more...]

6 Comments Filed Under: Coping, Fibro and Marriage, inspiration, relationships Tagged With: book review, books, chronic illness, communication

Fibromyalgia: The Little Engine That Should

Last Updated: April 20, 2014

Fibromyalgia: The Little Engine that SHOULD

How much time do you spend thinking about things you feel you should be doing? I bet you are sitting there reading this right now thinking about all the things you should be doing today, running yourself into quite the little guilt trip. I've been there more often than I can count. And, I'm not … [Read more...]

3 Comments Filed Under: Coping, Extra Spoons, Fibromyalgia, inspiration Tagged With: guilt, pacing

The ONE Thing That Should Be on Your TODO List Daily

Last Updated: November 18, 2013

via Flickr"What do I need to do today to love myself?" I read this a while back and it struck me. So often we allow ourselves to get overwhelmed with all that we think we have to do. The dishes are piled up, the carpet hasn't been vacuumed in a month, perhaps you have kids that need your … [Read more...]

Leave a Comment Filed Under: Coping, Extra Spoons Tagged With: pacing, self-compassion

11 Things Those With Chronic Illness Need to Do

Last Updated: October 28, 2013

11 Things Those With Chronic Illness Need to Do 1 . Say No- "Just Say No", it's more than a slogan. Unfortunately, it's an ability that many of us simply don't seem to have. One issue that many of us with Fibro have is that we've said yes to everything our whole life. We are all a bunch of Ado … [Read more...]

14 Comments Filed Under: Coping, Extra Spoons, Fibromyalgia, inspiration, Tips and Tricks Tagged With: acceptance, asking for help, chronic illness, communication

Do You Believe You Can Feel Better?

Last Updated: October 19, 2013

The belief that you can make change or perform a behavior has everything to do with whether or not you will actually do it. It doesn't matter how much you know that it's important to exercise or to change your diet, or that you know that doing those things will likely make you feel better in some … [Read more...]

2 Comments Filed Under: Coping, Extra Spoons, Fibromyalgia, inspiration

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About Julie

Spoonie. Fibro Warrior. E-health advocate.

Julie Ryan was diagnosed with fibromyalgia in 2010 and endometriosis in 2012. She's lived with chronic migraine most of her life. In 2019 she was diagnosed with inter-cranial hypertension.

Julie has a degree in Psychology, and works as a freelance writer and marketer. Freelance work allows her to work when she can and not be tied to a desk or a schedule. Julie believes in living an inspired life despite chronic illness.

"I have chronic illness, it doesn't have me."

More about Julie

Blog title inspired by The Spoon Theory, by Christine Miserandino, an excellent explanation of what it's like to live with invisible illness. Read More…

Disclaimer:

I am not a doctor. I do not claim to be a doctor. I do not play a doctor on TV or the internet. I simply share my experiences and what has worked for me. We are all different and before you try any new treatment, exercise, supplement, etc you should talk with your doctor (the real one, not the one on TV).

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