In 1996 I was diagnosed with Fybromyalgia , chronic fatigue and chronic pain. Most of the time I choose to ignore it and can get by with minimal pain medicine and reduced activities. The one important aspect to keep me in reasonable shape is my weekly exercise in a hot pool run by the Arthritis Society of Canada and when I miss a week I can really feel it. I have now missed six weeks because Mom's been not well. That's not really true, she is well in a medical sense but her mobility has been so poor that I am basically her main caregiver and have worn myself out. I'm also afraid to leave her alone anymore, hence not going to the pool. At some point I'm going to have to continue with my life and hope for the best. Since three days I have felt incredibly sore and stiff and have decided that tomorrow I'm going back to the pool and hope for the best here at home.
Fybromyalgia is one of those disabilities that is invisible, it doesn't show on most people unless you can read the pain in their eyes and most of my friends, who know I suffer from it, generally forget because it doesn't show, hence invisible disability. But you know what, I have it and I'm in a particularly bad place right now where even touching my skin hurts. There isn't one part of my body that doesn't hurt right this minute. I can hardly wait for my better half to get home Thursday from Greece and give me a few days respite, which I know he will do.
So this is my way of explaining to my friends, I know it's probably my turn to host bridge but you know what guys, I just can't do it right now and I appreciate my friend Z doing it again for me. Thanks guys.