Tuesday
Serenity required
to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference.
Living one day at a time;
Enjoying one moment at a time;
Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace;...
Reinhold Niebuhr (1892–1971)
The Serenity Prayer is the common name for a prayer written by the American theologian Reinhold Niebuhr .
This prayer is something I find my self saying in my head, often, when trying to deal with the strange symptoms of fibromyalgia.
Wednesday
Did Frida have Fibro?
At the end of the day, we can endure much more than we think we can.
- Frida KahloFrida Kahlo de Rivera (1907- 1954) was a Mexican artist. She suffered lifelong health problems, many of which derived from a 1925 vehicle accident. There is thinking she might have had Fibromyalgia as some of her self-portraits, depict the emotional effects of her pain.
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Frida Kahlo, Self-Portrait, The Broken Column, 1944. Collection of Dolores Olmedo, Mexico City. Photo courtesy of petrus.agricola |
On September 17, 1925, Kahlo was riding in a bus that collided with a trolley car. She suffered serious injuries as a result of the accident, including a broken spinal column, a broken collarbone, broken ribs, a broken pelvis, eleven fractures in her right leg, a crushed and dislocated right foot, and a dislocated shoulder. Also, an iron handrail pierced her abdomen and her uterus, compromising her reproductive capacity.
The accident left her in a great deal of pain while she spent three months recovering in a full body cast. Although she recovered from her injuries and eventually regained her ability to walk, she had relapses of extreme pain for the remainder of her life. The pain was intense and often left her confined to a hospital or bedridden for months at a time. She had as many as thirty-five operations as a result of the accident, mainly on her back, her right leg, and her right foot. The injuries also prevented Kahlo from having a child because of the medical complications and permanent damage. Though she conceived three times, all her pregnancies had to be terminated. Frida Festival
Can you imagine enduring all of this? I personally think the trauma of her accident and subsequent medical procedures caused the pain she endured but many people, with chronic pain of many kinds, like to use her as their strong mentor because of her bravery in taking her pain and transforming it into paintings. She presented herself as an image of strength and defiance in her public life and she will always be glorified for this.
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Self Portrait Very Ugly 1933 oil on canvas |
After her death and still now even more Frida is seen as a strong symbol of strength and endurance for many minority groups... not just those living with physical chronic pain, like fibromyalgia, but also those living with emotional pain such as loss of all kinds and the grief that it brings. She did not shy away from the pain of her life but embraced it.
I never paint dreams or nightmares. I paint my own reality. Frida Kahlo.
- She contracted the poliomyelitis virus at the age of 6.
- She was bullied as a child for having one leg thinner, weaker and shorter than the other (due to polio).
- In 1925, aged 18, Frida Kahlo was in a tram crash which caused multiple traumas – her spine was injured in several places, her foot and leg broken and her pelvis badly damaged by a piece of the metal handrail and she was confined to bed for 3 months.
- An X-ray examination taken 1 year after the accident revealed a number of displaced vertebrae. She was re-admitted to hospital and for several months wore plaster corsets that considerably restricted her mobility.
- This tram accident prevented Frida from being able to have children and she endured failed pregnancies, numerous miscarriages and at least three therapeutic terminations.
- She underwent more than 30 surgeries on her spinal column in attempts to relieve her back pain.
- She became addicted to pain medications and alcohol.
- From 1934 onwards, several unsuccessful operations on her foot and leg were performed that eventually led to gangrene and amputation of the leg below the knee in 1953.
REFERENCES:
The Diary of Frida Kahlo: An Intimate Self-Portrait by Carlos Fuentes
Frida Kahlo 1907-1954: Pain and Passion by Andrea Kettenmann
The History Show on RTE Radio 1, Sunday 17 April 2011
Smithsonian Magazine
Sunday
WARNING WARNING MAJOR FIBRO FLARE!
She said "From the top of my head to my toes."
I nodded. I knew exactly what she meant.
Today, I’m in the thick of a fibromyalgia flare. And if you’re reading this while navigating your own, I see you. I feel you. I’m writing this through the fog, not to educate or inspire—but simply to name what’s real.
Here’s what my flare looks like today:
Increased pain in most of my joints (yes, increased—not new, just louder)
Calf muscles that feel like they’ve run a marathon I never signed up for
A mild headache, mostly in the temples
Electric sensations in my lower limbs and hands—like static under the skin
A strange lack of taste
Blocked feeling in my ears
Tinnitus that’s louder than usual, like a radio I can’t turn off
Fatigue that feels cellular, not just tiredness
I’m not able to write much more today, so if you’re looking for something to read, feel free to browse through my older posts. You might find something that speaks to where you are right now.
And if you’re flaring too—please know you’re not alone. This isn’t weakness. It’s the body asking for gentleness, for stillness, for grace.
I’ll be back when the storm settles. 💜
ALTERNATIVE TREATMENTS FOR FIBROMYALGIATraditional Chinese Medicine and Fibromyalgia
Ayurvedic Treatment for Fibromyalgia?
Why Omega 3 is so important
Guaifenesin Protocol
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Nutrition-Based Approach to helping relieve symptoms of Fibromyalgia
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Magnesium
Did acupuncture help your fibromyalgia?
THE SCIENCE BEHIND FIBROMYALGIA
Fibromyalgia & Chronic Myofascial Pain Syndrome
Measuring symptoms - new Fibromyalgia Diagnostic Criteria
Accelerated Brain Gray Matter Loss in Fibromyalgia
Groundbreaking study widens treatment options for fibromyalgia
New Approach to Treating Fibromyalgia by Addressing Sleep Problems