The 'Agreement' I Make With My Fibromyalgia When I Travel

Here I go again, on a trip to see my sister and brother in the U.K. I am very excited but also know there will be some challenges with my condition along the way.

• What is Fibromyalgia?
• What Are Common Fibromyalgia Symptoms?

I have fibromyalgia and a few things that go with it. This has given me challenges when I have to put pressure on my body that it does not like, but that must not stop me from enjoying life or traveling.

I am not my disease. I have a disease and yes, it is my partner in life, but it does not control my life completely. Instead, we have an agreement. If I overexert myself, I must allow time to regroup. If I know I am going to overexert myself, I must prepare for it with the right nutrition and/or medication so it does not put so much strain on my body.

I will not deny myself the joy of traveling or doing things in life I love, but I will make sure I am prepared for it and allow that time to heal afterward. I believe we must not let our health challenges become dictators in our lives. The mind along with the spirit, heart and soul have just as much say and need to be invited to the party and not ignored.

So say yes to things. Life is for living. Live it, do it without worrying if you should or about the what-ifs. Prepare, listen to your body and with your heart, soul and spirit igniting the joy in you, in my experience you will be surprised at just how much you can do before you have to rest up.

Most importantly, feed the joy and enjoy yourself. I am, even with the pain.