A year ago, I woke up exhausted and in pain, so much so that I had to call work to tell them I would not be coming in. The next day, I did not feel better so I went to see a walk-in doctor and had blood tests done. I never went back to work.

I have decided to start this blog to address those issues that are most on my mind right now, mainly my struggles with chronic illness. After many consultations with doctors, I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia (FMS) and chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). Two illnesses that are still highly controversial in the medical field, and which many people still disbelieve and put off as a mental illness like hypochondria.

My main goal for this blog is to track and share what I learn from this program and what I have learnt from the research I have done so far. I will also share my experiences of what I went through up until I was diagnosed. Another for this blog is to let others know that they are not alone, and also to hopefully inform and educate others about what living with this highly unpredictable illnesses is like. FMS are very real and painful chronic illnesses and not "just in the sufferer's head."

 This morning I started a Chronic Pain Self-Management program at the Constance-Lethbridge Rehabilitation Center. On Day 1 we talked about what is Chronic Pain and postural hygiene. Having done my own research by reading, I already knew most of the information presented in the theory part of the morning, which I will discuss in the next post. For me, I learned a lot of new things from the session on posture. A lot of energy and pain can be spared by wearing the proper footwear, keep a tall stance and performing the correct movements when using a chair or getting up from the floor.

The message I want to leave off with today is, as the physiotherapist said this morning, our bodies are machines just like cars and so we must treat them as well, if not better than our cars.