National Adult Literacy Database

December 11, 2006

M.J. is a student from Halifax, Nova Scotia, in the Captain William Spry Public Library one to one tutoring program with Coordinator Linda Oakley. Her tutor is Stella Roberston, who recently completed the Nova Scotia Department of Education Tutor & Instructor Training Program.

Story

by M.J.

I started having the symptoms when I was in my thirties. I had headaches and numbness on one side of my face and tightness in my chest and pain in my shoulders. I was diagnosed about eight years ago with Fibromyalgia. Gradually, I started having pain everywhere. The pain was in my neck, elbows ribs, hands, feet and hips.

It helps me when I exercise, when I take my medication and when I avoid alcohol. It also helps me when I sleep and rest. I attended a self management program for Fibromyalgia but it hasn’t helped me much.

Over the past years, Fibromyalgia had several other names including Muscular Rheumatism and Rheumatism Fibrositis. It is very similar to Lupus and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

I am waiting to see an Arthritis specialist and I am hoping that it will help me deal with it better and tell me what foods to eat. Also, I would like to study more about Fibromyalgia and be able to understand how it affects me.

Everyday, I live with pain and it is very hard to cope with it.