Julie Ryan's Excellent Fibro Warrior Interview

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“Ms. Ramos you have Fibromyalgia”.​

Some highlights from this good, down to earth interview


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What lead up to your diagnosis (symptoms, dr visits, etc)?

I started waking up to burning pain in my torso, nausea, constant headaches, memory issues and severe back pain. I went into see my primary care doctor who did a full “work up”. I also started doing my own research on the internet. As the pain intensified, my mornings became more difficult. I remember the day I explained to my Doctor that I felt like a 35 year old living in the body of a 100 year old. He was scribbling notes and stopped to ask me if I ever heard of Fibromyalgia. I explained to him that I had been conducting research on my own and that the research kept pointing me in that direction. He then stood up, walked over to the examining table, put one hand on my shoulder and told me “Ms. Ramos you have Fibromyalgia”.

I still get emotional when I think back to that day.

What (if anything) have you found/ done that has improved your symptoms?
It was a complete overhaul for me:

• Speaking openly with my doctor and taking a patient-centered approach to managing my health.
• Changing my diet-No processed foods and limiting red meat
• Incorporating organic products- Sugar, milk and eggs
• Holistic approaches-Meditation, gentle yoga, and massages to help manage stress and muscle pain.
• Asking for help and learning to say no- This was difficult and changed some prior relationships.

What is the best advice you’ve received about Fibromyalgia?

The best advice given to me came from my sister-in-law who is a Registered Nurse living with Multiple Sclerosis. She told me early on to begin a daily journal and document everything from what I eat to how I feel on a daily basis. This helped me immensely in identifying triggers.

What was the worst advice that you followed?

To visit a doctor every time I had a new symptom. There was a time that I was on 8-9 prescription medications and was getting worse not better.

Check out the entire interview here: http://countingmyspoons.com/2015/10...com/2015/10/fibro-warrior-mildred-fibrocares/

What is the best advice you’ve received about Fibromyalgia?
The best advice given to me came from my sister-in-law who is a Registered Nurse living with Multiple Sclerosis. She told me early on to begin a daily journal and document everything from what I eat to how I feel on a daily basis. This helped me immensely in identifying triggers.

What was the worst advice that you followed?
To visit a doctor every time I had a new symptom. There was a time that I was on 8-9 prescription medications and was getting worse not better.