Kayleigh Thomson: Living with Fibro

My name is Kayleigh, I’m 22 years old and have been diagnosed with Fibromyalgia since I was 20.

I’ve been experiencing pain since I was a child, but it was always put down to growing pains. Then at the age of 12, after my parents pressing for answers, I was diagnosed with Hyper mobility syndrome. So, since that diagnosis every ounce of pain I experienced was put down to that and treated with anti-inflammatory pain killers. It wasn’t until I was around 17/18 the pain was so bad it was becoming bed bound and the pain was lasting longer and longer each time. We were back and forth from A&E, sometimes resulting in stays in hospital until in October 2017 I was that poorly my Mam put her foot down and demanded further tests and a diagnosis. That’s when they came back with Fibro.

For me personally I have widespread pain which can leave me bed bound and cared for by my family sometimes for weeks on end. I can’t walk, or even stand up unaided, I can’t wash myself, make myself food or dress myself.   I get migraines, bloating, numb limbs, sensitivity to light and touch as well as so much more. It’s awful and sends me to a really dark place sometimes, I’m so lucky I have my amazing family to pull me out of that.

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Case Study Requests

You may have seen a previous case study on our site or social media. Positive and informative case studies can help others that are struggling. True accounts can help people identify with others, and these studies can raise awareness as well. All of these case studies come from people with the condition and start by telling others about your journey. These can featured in media articles or used in our campaigns. 

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Steph's case study
	"You don’t necessarily look unwell, in fact even on your worst days you may still look ‘normal’ to some people. You can still smile, use your phone and go to the bathroom unaided, but you might be pumped full of pain medication and surviving on 45 minutes sleep." Click to read Steph's experience of fibromyalgia
Chris's case study
	"I can honestly say that every day I am in pain, sometimes its bearable, other days it’s totally unbearable." Click to read Chris's experience of fibromyalgia
Katrina's case study
	"Fibromyalgia had taken so much away from me physically and mentally and I was constantly asking myself “why me?”. I would cry every day and night that this is what my life had become, I was sick of missing so much school, being sent to different hospitals, the pills, the therapies, the blood tests and all the treatments." Click to read Katrina's experience of fibromyalgia
Ian's case study
	"At its worst, I never left the house. Hardly left my makeshift bedroom in the lounge as I couldn't get up the stairs. 2 sticks and wheelchair to get around the house." Click to read Ian's experience of fibromyalgia

Dan Bradshaw: Why I am fundraising for FMA UK

My mum first became ill with fibromyalgia about 11 years ago. We didn’t know what it was, it wasn’t diagnosed until a couple of years later as she had other health issues that doctors believed what could be causing her pain, exhaustion and complete lack of energy. As a nurse who was regularly on her feet, the condition stopped her from working as there were some days where she had no energy to even get out of bed. However, through persistence  and determination over the past decade she has managed to get back to work and even do some regular gentle exercise

Me and my mum used to run regularly together, however it is too uncomfortable for her now as she suffers from hip pain if she’s on her feet too long. I’m running the Brighton marathon this year to help raise awareness about fibromyalgia as there are so many people who have never heard of the condition, let alone know what symptoms include and how it can affect people’s daily lives. Whilst my mum has improved dramatically, she still suffers from hypersensitivity, joint and muscle aches (particularly in the shoulders and hips) and profound fatigue. As she used to be extremely active this can be frustrating as there are days she wants to go out and exercise but her body won’t allow it

Fibromyalgia is draining both physically and mentally for all people that suffer with the condition and by running a marathon this year I hope I can raise money and awareness that will hopefully lead to more effective treatment and understanding

Dan Bradshaw: Why I am fundraising for FMA UK

My mum first became ill with fibromyalgia about 11 years ago. We didn’t know what it was, it wasn’t diagnosed until a couple of years later as she had other health issues that doctors believed what could be causing her pain, exhaustion and complete lack of energy. As a nurse who was regularly on her feet, the condition stopped her from working as there were some days where she had no energy to even get out of bed. However, through persistence  and determination over the past decade she has managed to get back to work and even do some regular gentle exercise

Me and my mum used to run regularly together, however it is too uncomfortable for her now as she suffers from hip pain if she’s on her feet too long. I’m running the Brighton marathon this year to help raise awareness about fibromyalgia as there are so many people who have never heard of the condition, let alone know what symptoms include and how it can affect people’s daily lives. Whilst my mum has improved dramatically, she still suffers from hypersensitivity, joint and muscle aches (particularly in the shoulders and hips) and profound fatigue. As she used to be extremely active this can be frustrating as there are days she wants to go out and exercise but her body won’t allow it

Fibromyalgia is draining both physically and mentally for all people that suffer with the condition and by running a marathon this year I hope I can raise money and awareness that will hopefully lead to more effective treatment and understanding

Danny Williams becomes an FMA UK ambassador

We’re delighted to announce that Danny Williams is now an official ambassador for FMA UK.

A look back at awareness week 2019

Awareness week has ended, and we’ve now got the chance to look back on what was a busy week for the charity.

This year, we used our social media platforms to post a lot of content to increase awareness of both fibromyalgia and the charity. We collected several case studies from people, and had posted photos of them highlighting our BecomeFibroAware campaign. These were generally well received and we’d like to thank Emily, Kayleigh, Stephen and Chloe for taking part in this. Emily, also submitted her own video which highlighted her experience of fibromyalgia and provided an in-depth description of the condition to try and make more people aware of it.

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