Even before you got sick, you knew that your health was your responsibility. After all, who else will ensure that you exercise, eat right, and go to the doctor for your regular appointments? Now that you have fibromyalgia, those stay-healthy efforts have intensified. On top of exercising regularly, eating well, and going to the doctor's, you may now attend a support group. You may be practicing tai chi to ease your pain and meditating to keep stress at bay. You may even be taking small naps every afternoon to make sure you conserve your energy.

One of the most important things you can do is to take responsibility for your condition. Taking responsibility means assuming control of your health and well-being to the best of your ability. It means doing everything within your power to ensure that you are as healthy as you can be. It means making a commitment to yourself to do what you can to avoid flare-ups and manage your symptoms. For your efforts, you will be rewarded with a greater sense of control and competence over your condition.

Of course, there will be times when this is difficult to do. Severe bouts of fatigue and pain can sabotage your best intentions, and you may become frustrated and annoyed by your seeming inability to positively impact your health. Getting through these difficult periods will test your fortitude, but they are unfortunately a part of the illness. The ability to endure and persevere during these times is also an essential part of staying well. So what does it mean to take responsibility for your health as you learn to live with fibromyalgia? Here is a summary of what you need to do.

Get Educated

As someone living with fibromyalgia, you should learn as much as you can about your condition. The fact you're reading this book and have gotten this far is a great indication of your commitment to becoming more knowledgeable about fibromyalgia. At the same time, you should also continue to stay on top of current research and trends.

Knowing about fibromyalgia will help you recognize the signs and symptoms of fibro and to also distinguish those that are not a result of FMS. It will enable you to speak intelligently about fibromyalgia with family members, health-care professionals, and employers. It will help you ask the right questions when it comes to getting the best care.

Most importantly, your knowledge about fibromyalgia will help you take care of yourself. You'll know which drugs to avoid, which exercises to do with caution, and when to call the doctor about a change in your condition. Making the effort to learn about FMS will also benefit those around you, who will come to develop a better understanding of your needs.

Join Your Medical Team

In Chapter 4, we discussed the importance of assembling a good medical team. Now that you have put together a solid team, you need to work with them to make sure you get the appropriate care you need. That means making regular appointments, staying alert to your symptoms, taking your medications as prescribed, and keeping good records of your doctor visits, symptoms, and treatments.

Effective fibromyalgia treatment depends in large part on what you tell your doctor. That's why it's so important for you to keep track of what is happening with your health. So before any visit with a physician, jot down any symptoms, side effects, or concerns. Write down questions about treatments, supplements, or therapies you may hear about. Make a list of all treatments that you have tried, what the dosages were, and why you're no longer on them. Keep a complete list of the medications and supplements you're currently taking, too. Bring your notes to the doctor so you remember everything that needs to be discussed.

Finally, follow your doctor's advice and recommendations. It's frustrating for a physician to offer advice and then find that the patient has chosen to ignore it. If you don't want to do something a doctor recommends, say so, and try to find alternatives. But be open minded. Remember: No treatment can possibly help you if you don't try it. The idea is to work alongside your medical team to come up with ways of coping with your symptoms.

Exercise Regularly

If there's one therapy that everyone agrees can help, it's exercise. Regular physical activity can boost your energy, improve your sleep, enhance your function, and make you less stiff. It can also relieve stress and anxiety. Overall, it can improve your quality of life.

You may wonder how you can possibly exercise when you feel as if you're going to collapse just walking to the mailbox? It's frustrating when your body isn't able to perform the way it once did. But exercise for people with fibromyalgia does not mean what you might think it does. We're not advising that you train for a marathon, bike fifteen miles, or swim fifty laps, even if you could do that in the past. In reality, exercise for people with fibromyalgia might mean gentle stretching, a short walk, or water aerobics in a warm pool.

The key is to find out what exercises work for you and to commit to doing them on a regular basis. That might involve working with a physical therapist or a trainer who specializes in fibromyalgia to pin down the exact workout for you. It might also involve a great deal of trial and error before you find the activity that works best. Whatever you do, don't give up. Exercise is important on many levels. With patience and perseverance, you can find an activity that will work to your advantage.