Patient Interview: “A Sense of Togetherness, Love and Unity”

This week’s “Treat Us Right” theme focused a lot on the sentiments and data you share every day to help others learn more about your real-world experiences.  We, at PatientsLikeMe, also like to just check in to see how you’re doing as a person, not just a patient.  Here’s an interview with member “jesus reigns,” a member of our PatientsLikeMe Fibromyalgia Community who was interviewed for last month’s newsletter.   Read on to learn more about what puts a smile on her, her attitude on life, her favorite holiday traditions and more. Enjoy!

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2166 (Amy) What puts a smile on your face?
mama-full (jesus reigns) My children, my church family and the holidays.  Christmas is my favorite holiday, so I get to enjoy all of those things at the same time.  I am very sentimental, so it doesn’t take much for me to get emotional.
2166 (Amy) How would you describe your attitude on life?
mama-full (jesus reigns)
My attitude on life has changed quite a bit since I became ill with fibromyalgia.  I used to think that everything had to be done each day, just so.  I was a master in multi-tasking and could get by on six hours of sleep a night.  I would take on more and more tasks outside of the home, church assignments, school activities and so on.  My day was always full of things to do, and not enough time in which to do them.  I used to feel guilty when I couldn’t fulfill all of my obligations to everyone, and try that much harder to please everyone.

Now, my attitude is that life is meant to be enjoyed, not worked through.  I have learned to delegate tasks around the house to my children, instead of trying to do it all myself.  I cut down on my outside activities drastically, even having to drop out of our choir in church for a while.  I am still learning how to pace myself, and to understand that being ill is not my fault.

In knowing this, I am past feeling guilty about the things I can’t control.  Because God is my priority, my trust and help lie in Him, so I am taking life as it comes, while my faith is in Him.

2166 (Amy) What is your favorite holiday tradition and why?
mama-full (jesus reigns) Christmas is on the top of my list.  My favorite holiday tradition is my family and I going to our candlelight services at midnight at our church on Christmas morning.  We usher in Christmas by singing Christmas songs and lighting candles in a circle around our church, each member holding a candle.  It is our way of putting Christ first for the day, and acknowledging that this is our first priority.  It gives us a sense of togetherness, love and unity.
2166 (Amy) What features of PatientsLikeMe do you use most?
mama-full (jesus reigns) I use the update pages the most.  It is very handy, because I can keep track of my symptoms whenever I want to.  I also like the way that I can use this to print off [my updated history] for my doctor’s appointment.
2166 (Amy) Thanks so much for sharing, jesus reigns!
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