I have fibromyalgia; I was diagnosed when I was 20. Fibromyalgia is a chronic disorder and, without going into too much detail, I can describe my experience of it as fits and spurts of pain. I can go long periods of time without having an episode, but when the episodes kick in they can last for weeks or months.
I’m not complaining. I seem to have a mild-garden variety version of fibromyalgia, which is itself a mild-garden variety condition compared to the many worse illnesses one could be afflicted with. I only mention it because it seems to me that having any long-term chronic illness can be compared to living on the edge financially.
My experience of fibromyalgia has been, up until now, like this: I go months where I feel normal and I manage to put it out of my mind. Then one day, boom!, I wake up and my legs ache, or my back hurts, or my eyes are cloudy. At the moment it’s the thumb on my left hand. I don’t know how long this situation is going to last. I can take some prophylactic measures, such as ibuprofen, but that only gives me the impression I’m managing the situation. It doesn’t really help.
My experience of living on the edge financially has been, up until now, like this: I go months where I feel normal and I manage to put it out of my mind. Then one day, boom!, I wake up and get a larger than expected bill from the student loan folks, or the car window breaks, or the kids need to go to the doctor. At the moment it’s trying to figure out how to pay for a new bike for my son: €80. I don’t know how long this situation is going to last. I can take some prophylactic measures, such as selling things on Ebay, but that only gives me the impression I’m managing the situation. It doesn’t really help.
The things that really do make an impact, both immediately and over the long term are life-style changes. It’s logical; if I can’t carry on ‘as-is’ then something has got to give. So I start drinking more water, checking my bank account online every morning, eating more balanced meals, creating a budget, eating at the same time every day, sticking to the afore-mentioned budget, getting light exercise or setting my goals in writing. Help helps as well. It’s hard to go it alone! Whether it be in real-life or online, a support community can be invaluable; that is one of the reasons I started writing Almost Frugal.
Having a chronic condition is not the end of the world, whether it’s medical or living on the edge financially. Some people are more affected than others, true, and we are the only ones who can truly judge to what degree that is. We are also the only ones, however, who can take that crucial first step towards managing that condition, with the goal of living healthy, wealthy lives- in every sense of the term.
{ 7 comments }
Without health there is no wealth as far as I am concerned.
I applaud you on your attitude concerning your fibromyalgia. I don't have it but have met many that do. It is a condition that is hard to diagnose and treat. It is also very misunderstood.
I'm pretty healthy but not so wealthy. I'm on my way though and the key is being consistent with managing both!
Denise's last blog post..on second thought…
It is a good comparison as as someone managing my own health conditions, I agree!
Frugal Trenches’s last blog post..Top 10 ways to cut your grocery bill by half!
Hi Kelly:
My Blog – http://www.unknownfutures.blogspot.com (the blog's title "Future Unknown") is about my journey with a chronic illness that I've had over 20 years. During this time I've had 8 surgeries, a number of hospitalizations, and in excess of $100,000 of out-of-pocket medical expenses. Two years ago I went to Stanford Medical Center and had surgery done by the number one expert in the world. Everyone goes to this guy to learn. This is the guy who writes the text books.
I was optimistic and hopeful. But, last October the pain returned. I did the rounds, saw three doctors and all were in agreement, no more surgery. I've done all there is to be done. There is no cure. The only thing that can be done is long-term pain management. So, now I go to a pain clinic. I call my pain doctor the narcotic drug dealer because he prescribes only one of three things: Fentanyl, methadone or morphine.
This is how I came about to calling myself The Morphine Princess and starting the blog. The morphine has caused significant cognative losses that affect my job performance – so I'm on a medical leave. I'm also no longer able to drive. (If I did drive and were pulled over, the resulting ticket would be a DWI with an automatic one year license suspension – the attorney's fee to keep me out of jail, etc., would be approximately $10,000…. ) I'm in the process of applying for long-term disability – I paid into the system and for coverage – I hope the insurance company honors the contract and agreement. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that my claim will be accepted – I'm living on savings (thank god for an emergency fund) but that won't last forever.
If you ever want to stop by my blog and weigh in with a word or two of encouragement, advice, or "out-of-the-box" solution thinking, it would be awesome.
I too have experienced fibromyalgia and arthritis that at one point seemed to have stemmed from hashimoto's, a thyroid condition. It turns out that my autoimmunity is caused by estrogen imbalance. But it is costing me a bit to pay for my supplements every month although it is much better controlled now! So I'm with you on this. Wishing you all the best. Thank you for talking about your experience.
Kelly Says: @ the MP and The Digerati Life
Thank you for sharing your experiences. Dealing with a chronic condition certainly isn’t the easiest, but talking about it does help.
A bit late, but just wanted to chime in. I have both fibro and the ‘ritis, and it definitely requires regular maintenance to keep it as in check as possible. Sometimes, it’s beyond our control but every little bit that we do when we can mitigates the effects of those occasions when we simply can’t do anything.
Revanche’s last blog post..Down payment progress
My husband has dealt with fibro too. He suffers the worst in his elbows, but their doesn’t seem to be any rhyme or reason as to where or when he gets a flare up. It’s such a mysterious condition!
Michelle’s last blog post..Becoming a Family of Two