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Page thirteen - Living with Fibromyalgia: What Helps MeTaking the self-help follow-up courses and participatingin the alumni group - I participate in two groups offered tograduates of the CFIDS & Fibromyalgia Self-Help class: followup courses and an alumni group. The follow up courses focuson helping people reach short-term goals. Despite knowingwhat I need to do to manage fibromyalgia, putting it intopractice is not always easy. The follow up courses have beenone of the best opportunities for putting knowledge intopractice through making weekly targets. Even when I don’tmeet my targets, I learn more about myself and what I cando to manage this condition. The alumni group provides anopportunity for on going support plus discussion of topicsrelated to living with chronic illness. We all continue to learnfrom each other through our responses. We also can keep upwith one another through the monthly “check-ins” with ourresponses.Making a NOT TO DO list - I pick up up this wonderful ideafor me from the program’s site! It helped to know what thingsI consciously wanted to avoid.Over all, my quality of life has improved dramatically usingthe strategies I’ve described. I rate myself currently at 90on the CFS & Fibromyalgia Rating Scale. I am not back to“normal,” but I’ve learned that that is OK. I don’t want to beas driven as I was before getting fibromyalgia. I have a clearerunderstanding now of my boundaries and I do well as longas I stay inside them. It took some time, but I finally learnedthat I have to respect and honour my body, and listen to themessages it gives me. The messages are to slow down, tolearn to “be” and not just “do,” and to focus on what is reallyimportant.[Editor’s Note: Kathy Gamble, a fibromyalgia patientfrom Florida and graduate of the CFIDS/FibromyalgiaSelf-Help course, works full-time as a nurse.] To order telephone 01202 259155Self-Help Course for CFS/ME & FibromyalgiaLearn practical skills for managing your illness and share supportwith fellow patients in a low-cost six-week self-management course,conducted via emailThe class explains how to manage your symptoms, and discusses pacing,stress management, relationships, emotions and loss.Offered by US charity CFIDS & Fibromyalgia Self-Help Program, which hasconducted several hundred groups since 1998.For more information and to register, see: http://www.cfidsselfhelp.org/The Fibromyalgia Magazine. Year 12 Issue 6 April 2012. www.ukfibromyalgia.com