My blogging GOALs:

Written in conjuction of World Cup 2006 and Darren's group blogging efforts.

Preface: In contrast to other bloggers who could post a picture of themselves on their blog and openly share their profile as a sign of honestly and sincerity in the way they blog, I have to keep my identity a secret.

I keep this blog a secret. None of my family members know that I have such a blog. This allows be to express my feelings and thoughts honestly.

I come from a society where the prejudice against fibromyalgia in my work circles, my friends and even my own family members do not allow me to “come clean” about it. If I ever need to go back to work, and lead a “normal” life again, my identity can’t be revealed. It is through hiding this identity that I can write honestly, openly, and sometimes angrily about my fibromyalgia and my life.

Here are the reasons; why I blog!

1. Honestly, I just need some breathing space, to air my private thoughts and emotions. My fibromyalgia has affected my whole family so badly, and crumbled their “pillar of strength” ie Me. I still need to appear strong!

2. I want others to know that there is still life after fibromyalgia! I hope that by honestly sharing my experience, it helps people who are newly diagnosed, or still left in the limbo by their physicians. The diagnosis can be very devastating, and knowing that there are other people who can life a happy meaningful life despite fibromyalgia gives you strength!

3. I also hope to get these messages out to the world:

FIBROMYALGIA is REAL!!! (Doctors and health care professionals take note!) Here am I, one of your own kind being struck by it. Stop being sceptical, and start listening to your patients! If you don’t know much about it, it is OK! You would help a lot by being supportive.

With time, it is possible to learn new ways to cope and function as a normal person again. We just need time to learn how to, and your love and support to find strength to carry on!

Enable us, by understanding our condition and give us some rooms to utilise some strategies we learn! Many fibromyalgia sufferers are hard workers (in fact some think that the A types get it!). We will try our best if given a chance. After a period of adjusting this new fibromyalgia status, we are able to work, and function normally.

4. I want to archive and share my experience and information that I have about fibromyalgia with others. When you have fibromyalgia, you won’t have the energy to research. So it is important to share! When I visit message boards, I sometimes feel incensed about the stuff that other fibromites have been told (perhaps by people who have a vested interest on something else?).

5. I hope that I can earn some pennies from the advertisements in this blog. When I started blogging and saw a few cents coming through the adverts, I was SOOOOO happy. I was so happy, as I thought “Hey, this is literally a penny for my thoughts”. You might wonder what was so special about it. Well, it was special, as I was jobless, with school fees and heaps of medical fees to pay. That HOPE sustained me through the first two months, after which my passion to blog just for blogging’s sake has taken over.

6. One day when I emerge at the other side of the tunnel, it will be a story of my victory against fibromyalgia. Although this is an uphill battle, but I hope that one day I could say “It is not easy having fibro, it is tough, but I have emerged from it stronger than ever. BTW, I kept a blog, and you can read all about it, an honest account of my life with fibromyalgia”. Nice thought, huh? It is important to have hope.

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Blogging goals;coping strategies; chronic pain; fibromyalgia; chronic fatigue; Practical tips;