Spring has sprung, and we have already had some rather warm days, a lovely time to get out to the garden.

Speaking from experience, it can be very difficult to maintain a garden when you have fibromyalgia. Two years ago, I had a beautiful garden, but then the inevitable happened and I became too unwell to continue the upkeep.

Sufferers of Fibromyalgia need to try and find ways of taking their minds off their pain. Although this can be both productive as well as very rewarding, it can also lead to frustration and disappointment (both for yourself and others) when you are too ill to do anything. Severe sufferers often become bed bound and cannot even find relief watching the television or listening to music. As with any illness everybody’s journey differs, and it can take some time figuring out what works best for you. Some find great value in massage, whereas some have allodynia, and the slightest touch can be unbearable. Fibromyalgia is a great dictator, controlling and deciding what you can and cannot do at any given moment.

One thing that we can all agree on is that attending our meetings has a very warming therapeutical effect that can last throughout the day. Our September, yes September already, meeting is on Wednesday 20 at the Grafton District Services Club at 10am in the dining room. Our group is always welcoming, and we would love to see any of you that have, or care for someone that has fibromyalgia, so please come along and enjoy the morning with us.

For more information, please contact Coleen Flynn on 0432 079 465 or Deborah O’Driscoll on 0434 031 295.

Deborah O’Driscoll