Dear Purple Butterflies, 
If you’re anything like me, you’re probably sick of going to doctors’ appointments, blood tests, taking medications, etc. As much as I hate to say it, for those with chronic illnesses, it just comes with the territory.  I have recently found a brand-new rheumatologist to help me with my Fibro symptoms. My appointment won’t be till September. Until then, I am doing lots of internet homework to prepare for said visit. For instance, I believe I have found an actual name for my twitches and spasms that I get daily. I am anxious to see if my new doctor agrees with any of the information that I found. 
 
I am currently being treated by my Pain Management doctor for my arthritis in my neck and right arm pain. I have been given medication, at home physical therapy, and two rounds of neck injections. Let me tell you that I trust my Pain Management doctor completely. Still I’m thinking that I need a second opinion. Which is where the new Rheumatologist would come in. This is where I got the idea for a new blog. I could share all my tips and tricks that I’ve learned about finding the best doctor. As my adventure continues, I will update this blog.  This list is a mixture of my own recommendation and ideas I found from www.creakyjoints.org.

1. Google: Best doctors in my city: 

 I am not shy about sharing this idea with anyone who needs a new physician for whatever reason. All you need to do is fill in the type of doctor you need, i.e., Fibromyalgia. You typically find a list of doctors available. For example, if they are within the DFW area to show they are excellent doctors they get put in the D Magazine. It is a yearly magazine. 

   2.   Research: 
Now that you’ve found a doctor what seems awesome, do a little research on his or her  background. Go to their actual medical website and look around. Look at his or her reviews. Call around to your doctors and ask if they have heard of the doctor you’re thinking of seeing. Get their opinion. 
 
     3.    Insurances: 
Sometimes our insurances don’t want to cooperate with the doctors we want to see. I have been there many times.  In times like these it makes you want to pull your hair out, right?  Before you do that, try taking a few days off from your search. Then look to see who you can go to that your insurance company will accept! If you don’t have insurance, make sure to tell the doctors office. It has been my experience here within the States that you can receive a discount on your bill. This may or may not apply to other countries. Please ask before assuming they will give you a discount! 
 
Some of the advice from 9 Signs You’re Seeing the Right Rheumatologist (and 5 Signs You Might Need a New One) includes: 

• Competence: 

“Seems obvious, but your doctor must know what the heck they’re doing. Adds Barbara Mendez: “My rheumatologist is very knowledgeable and uses her common sense along with her book-smarts.” 

​If you’ve been following me for a while, you know all about my botched plantar fasciitis surgery. I made the mistake of not getting a second opinion. I was sure fooled into thinking that doctor knew what he was doing. I have moved on with my life always reminding myself to never let that happen again. 

• Comfort level:

“This is perhaps the most important criterion, notes Ashira D. Blazer, MD, instructor of medicine in the division of rheumatology at NYU Langone Medical Center in New York City. I talk to my RA doctor, Dr. Feldman, about everything — arthritis pain, of course, but also diarrhea, menopause, disgusting nose bleeds, and being transgender. Nothing about my health or life is sacred or off-limits because everything is relevant. “You have to feel comfortable with your doctor,” Dr. Blazer explains. “You must feel safe talking about what’s bothering you and if you’re comfortable taking your medication. You must trust your doctor to come up with a therapeutic plan to help you feel better.” Admittedly, not everyone has a big pool of rheumatologists to dip into, especially patients in less populated areas. Many must travel hours just to find a doctor in a 100-mile radius. But if you have the luxury of choice, be picky. This is your health, your life, and your future at stake. “Make sure you have a good relationship with your doctor,” insists Dr. Blazer. “If you don’t have that comfort level, perhaps keep looking around."

​My first instinct is to look for someone who is the same sex as I am. Most of the time I find it’s easier to talk to a lady doctor about what I am going though, than a man. It’s not that my male doctors don’t listen. I feel more comfortable talking to another female about my time of the month, than I would to a man.

• They communicate with your other doctors:

"Inflammatory arthritis can cause or be associated with a host of ancillary issues — eye problems to anxiety and depression to other autoimmune diseases. So, it’s essential that your rheumatologist be in contact with all of your doctors, especially your primary care physician. “Your primary should be looped in,” Dr. Blazer says, “because they’re responsible for your holistic care. They should be aware of what’s going on. Continuity of care is essential.” Debra DeWitt’s rheumatologist keeps track of the tests her other doctors order and “she discusses those results with me, too. She lays out options, then helps me decide what to do.” Mendez appreciates that by the time she comes in the room, her doctor has already read and gone through all her recent doctor appointments and their notes and lab results/tests. It’s not like Evelyn Wood speed reading right in front of her (that’s a joke for Gen-Xers).”
 
On a personal level, this is especially important for me because my physicians aren’t always in the same hospital network. 

• They will squeeze you in:

“If you’ve been in the military, you know it can take eons to get an appointment at a veteran’s hospital and there’s not much you can do about it. But for the rest of us, it’s totally unacceptable to wait months for an appointment, especially if you’re in excruciating pain. A good rheumatologist’s office will find time for you. Vanessa Gonzalez couldn’t get an appointment with her doctor for two months and resorted to popping a lot of ibuprofen, which could be dangerous to her kidneys. “The receptionist told me there were no openings,” she laments. “If I didn’t at least take ibuprofen, I wouldn’t be able to go to work anymore, let alone get up to make myself something to eat. I was so irritated with my doc.”

I know I am not alone when I say that being able to see my doctor as soon as I can is definitely a plus! When offices can do this for me, it not only shows me how much they care but, it reassures me I am not just a faceless number, 
 
It goes without saying, I hope I will be with this new doctor for a long time. Once I find a good one, I hang on with a vice grip. I’d love to know of your experiences. Do you know of any ideas that I failed to mention? Let me know in the comments below. Please continue to stay safe purple butterflies! Thank you for taking the time to read my blog today! If you’re enjoying my blogs, why not subscribe to my website? My blogs will go straight to your email. It’s free to sign up! Tell your friends! Tell your friends to tell their friends!
 
Be well!
~ Rachel

Dear Purple Butterflies, 

I have been a Star Wars fan ever since I was very young. Immediately I was intrigued with the force, and I wanted to be Princess Leia for a couple of reasons, one of them being so I could marry Han Solo. If you’re like me, and have been paying attention, you know the Obi-Wan Kenobi series comes out this Friday on Disney Plus. I have been anticipating this show for a long time now. It’s very exciting! Did you know that it’s the forty-fifth anniversary of the fourth installment, A New Hope? To celebrate both things, I have come up with a list combining Fibro and Star Wars. Without further ado, here is what I came up with for my list!
 
6 ways Star Wars has helped us with Fibromyalgia

1. Meditation – Within the Star Wars universe, it is known that the Jedi Masters meditate. When Luke Skywalker asks Master Jedi, Yoda about his friend’s fate. Yoda tells him that it is “difficult to see; always in motion the future is.” “Mindfulness meditation may provide an effective complementary treatment approach for fibromyalgia patients, especially when combined with other reliable techniques (exercise; cognitive behavioral therapy). However, characterizing the specific analgesic mechanisms supporting mindfulness meditation is a critical step to fostering the clinical validity of this technique. Identification of the specific analgesic mechanisms supporting mindfulness-based pain relief could be utilized to better design behavioral interventions to specifically target fibromyalgia-related outcomes.”{Mindfulness Meditation for Fibromyalgia: Mechanistic and Clinical Considerations} When you stop and think about it, that is a very wise statement that can be applied to anything. We don’t know what the future of Fibromyalgia will hold. We know that we live within an age of technology, so common sense would say things can only go up from here. I choose to believe that I will see changes of improvement for patient care within the illness. I have meditated a few times. Mainly my preferred way meditating is going out in nature and praying.  
2. Strong leaders – There are many strong leaders throughout the Star Wars universe. During the movies, the characters have support systems to lean on each other. They can’t do everything on their own. The important thing to take away with this segment is don’t be swayed to the dark side. Remember who your true friends are. They are the people who will always be there, no matter what. If you encounter people that don’t believe you when there is talk about your condition. Forget them! You don’t need them. They may stop inviting you to parties. It’ll be okay. Trust me, I’ve been there. They may even stop talking to you all together. You are stronger than you know. Your true friends will always outnumber your false friends. Before you know it, you will be each other’s strong leaders. 
3.  Another way to look at things - During A New Hope, Han Solo doubts that the force even exists. “Han Solo: [laughs] Hokey religions and ancient weapons are no match for a good blaster at your side, kid.Luke Skywalker: You don't believe in the Force, do you? Han Solo: Kid, I've flown from one side of this galaxy to the other. I've seen a lot of strange stuff, but I've never seen anything to make me believe there's one all-powerful Force controlling everything. There's no mystical energy field that controls my destiny. It's all a lot of simple tricks and nonsense.”{View Quote ... Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope ... Movie Quotes Database  } Later in the movie, he is convinced that it is all real. Although you never hear him say it in the original trilogy, you do hear him talk about it in seventh episode, The Force Awakens. "It's true. All of it. The dark side. The Jedi. They're real".{The most famous Han Solo quotes from Star Wars }.When I tell others about my Neurostimulation back surgery, I get a lot of interesting reactions. I must admit, when I first heard about it, I was a little skeptical too. Would this tiny thing help replace a major medication that I’d be used to taking? It’s the unknown that scares us. It was easier than I thought. I was given a trial before I even had the surgery. Now that it’s all over, I am so glad I had the surgery! This is coming from me, someone who used to be terrified of surgery! You can find the link for the blog about my surgery at the bottom of this article.
4.  Don’t judge a book by its cover   - Whether you’re talking about Ewoks on Endor, Luke (being teased about his height as a storm trooper), or R2-D2 we’ve learned to not judge them by appearances. They’ve proven that they’re a force to be reckoned with. I know for a fact my fellow Fibro purple butterflies can relate to this. Our invisible illness leaves us vulnerable for hurtful comments. As hard as it will be, try your best to ignore the comments. If you do not respond, the person spouting off the hurtfulness will stand out more. This is important because you want others to see what they are really like. 
5.  Small things – Just like all well written movies, Star Wars has a rhythm. Things start out fine, something goes wrong and then most of the time they are fixable towards the end of the show. The same can be true everyday with patients dealing with a chronic illness. Wait, what? Hold on, I will explain. Every single day I wake up, I never know how my body is going to be for the rest of the day. I might rise hurting, but that doesn’t mean it will last. So, in that case I can go and do a bit of exercising. I am trying to move more so I am not so stiff. I realize that I have my limitations. Hence, the small things count. I may not be able to leave the house today, but I did a load of laundry. Tomorrow depending on how things go, I might be able to go to the zoo. Little things that add up make a big difference in the end. I would rather do a few things a day, than a lot one day and not be able to move for a week because of it. Don’t be afraid to ask for help around the house! If you live by yourself, do one room at a time. I have a plan where I take a room a month (excluding the kitchen and bathroom of course). 
6.  Be brave - My last, but not least tip for you, is to be brave. I already know you are. It is so hard to be in world where we hurt nonstop. In my opinion I have so many friends that remind me of the rebellion. We are all standing up to the doctors and saying we refuse to take “I don’t know” for an answer. We’re tired of not being heard by the powers that be. This year, I signed up to the Fibro Summit to show my support. I also had a fundraiser on my birthday and raised a decent amount of money. If you contributed to it, thank you so much once again! It means so much! 

 
I hope ya’ll enjoyed my Star Wars themed Fibromyalgia blog and it helped you think of things in a fun way. Did you think of anything from the trilogy that could also be applied to Fibro? I’d love to know your thoughts! As always, please continue to stay safe purple butterflies! Thank you for taking the time to read my blog today! If you’re enjoying my blogs, why not subscribe to my website? My blogs will go straight to your email. It’s free to sign up! Tell your friends! Tell your friends to tell their friends!
 
Be well!
 
~ Rachel

Dear Purple Butterflies, 
 
This is an updated post from an article that I wrote to spread NATIONAL FIBROMYALGIA AWARENESS DAY information a year ago. I liked it so much that, I am reposting it with revisions from other articles I posted for the occasion. Every May 12th, I look forward to showing my support for Fibromyalgia. Participants world-wide on this day will be raising awareness for this chronic and disguised condition by hosting multiple events. Fibromyalgia Awareness Day has been around since 1998. It all came to be when Lynne Matallanax and Karen Lee Richards (the founders of the National Fibromyalgia Association), sent packets of information to national support groups inquiring help to approach U.S political leaders for this invisible illness. Lynne was finally able to get The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors to recognize May 12th as Fibromyalgia Awareness Day! Not long after, roughly twenty-five other jurisdictions across the country followed suit. What’s so cool about this story is that this year, National Fibromyalgia Day just celebrated it’s twenty-fourth anniversary! Another article you might find helpful is Mystery of Fibro History, posted from last year as well.  
 
If you’re curious and would like to know more about FMS, the following snippet is from the National Fibromyalgia Awareness Day - May 12, 2022 article. “Fibromyalgia is a musculoskeletal disorder that causes chronic pain all over the body. Other symptoms also include fatigue, anxiety, migraines, irritable bowel syndrome, skin sensitivity, insomnia, numbness, stiffness, etc. People suffering from fibromyalgia either go undiagnosed for years or are misdiagnosed. Due to a lack of research and the difficulty in identifying the factors that cause the illness, many also believe that the disease is psychological and not real. Moreover, there is no permanent cure to relieve the sufferer.”
According to The Mayo Clinic, “Fibromyalgia pain is not the same in everyone with this disorder. Some people may have extreme skin sensitivity to gentle pressure. Some may have tender finger joints without redness or swelling. Others may have significant tenderness of the muscles of the upper back and neck.” Have you ever wondered what is the latest news between Fibromyalgia and the autoimmune system? To read my blog about this, click Mindful Monday#61: Do you know Fibro?  
 
What will you be doing to help raise Fibromyalgia Awareness this year? Most of you might be familiar with this site: Fibromyalgiapatienteducation.info. This is a great reference to have if you’re wanting information. Or maybe you’re having trouble thinking of ideas on what to do for May 12.  For my birthday this year (May 8th) I will choose to support Fibromyalgia research. I’ll have a link to the charity on Facebook. 
 
Hopefully my blog has given you some inspiration for May 12th. Remember this butterflies, you don’t have to scream to be heard, and even the smallest star can be seen from across the universe. I’ll leave you this week with this awesome quote: “You may encounter many defeats, but you must not be defeated. In fact, it may be necessary to encounter the defeats, so you can know who you are, what you can rise from, how you can still come out of it.” – Maya Angelou. 
 
I pray that everyone is staying safe. Thank you for taking the time to read my blog today! If you’re enjoying my blogs, why not subscribe to my website? My blogs will go straight to your email. It’s free to sign up! Tell your friends! Tell your friends to tell their friends!
 
Till next time!
Rachel
 
 

 
 
 

Dear Purple Butterflies, 
 
During the month of April, there are two wonderful awareness days that we all can relate to. One is the Stress Awareness Month that takes place throughout the entire month of April. Personally, I have never met anyone who hasn’t had their own experiences with stress. Why do we need to observe this day? 

• It’s very important that we stop and pay attention to what’s going on inside our bodies. 
• No one is immune to it.
• Try your very best to get a decent night’s sleep.
• The most common disorder is insomnia!

 
With all these suggestions, I can’t help but think about my fellow warriors, myself included, who battle insomnia. The idea of getting a decent night’s sleep can be almost laughable. The truth is, it’s not a joke. I don’t have to tell you that having insomnia can make the following day miserable. I would love to tell you that I sleep soundly every single night. I would be lying to you if I did. Here is a helpful website that has a listing of resources to help with stress and suicide: American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. 
 
To combat the stress awareness month, is an annual, fun event which is  National Wear Your PJ's To Work Day. In case you were wondering, this day is on April 16th. Since I am my own boss and work from home, every day is national wear you pj’s to workday. Most days I do not get out of my pj’s unless I must. Obviously, it was created to enjoy yourself and have fun. Taking a step back, to breathe and having a comfortable workday can be so beneficial to all of us. So why not this year, take advantage and try spreading awareness about this day? 
 
Here are my ideas on how to observe it: 

• Pick out your most comfortable pair of pajamas. 
• Maybe treat yourself to new set of pajamas just for the event. 
• Remember to bring your slippers!
• Have a theme for your day. 
• Make a pot of tea, coffee, or your favorite drink to enjoy 
• Jazz up your work area by bringing a cuddly toy or your favorite blanket. 
• Bring some snacks
• Maybe make a special meeting, where all of you play a board game. It could be a team building exercise. 
• Have a white elephant gift exchange where the theme is bedtime related. If you’re doing this in an office environment, remember to set a budget and you might want to keep the gifts PG rated. 
• On this day, create a space at work, where everyone of you can meditate or relax for bit. Or go old school and select a time where everyone puts their heads on a desk for an old fashion nap time. 
• No matter what, remember the essence of this event is to make your day memorable and less stressful. So, whatever you’d like to do, within reason, go ahead and to help spread awareness for this day. If necessary, make sure you get your supervisors permission first. 

 
 I realize some of these ideas may not work for every job. At least I hope I have given you some thoughts to work with.  Now that you know more about these two awareness days, I hope you join me in adding them to my personal calendar. As I end my blog, I’ll save the best for last. While perusing through another website, I came upon Madalyn Worley | Mental Health America of Greater Dallas. World Sleep Day was last month on March 18th. Even though this observance day is technically over with, I carry its message with me all throughout the year. I have always been proud to be a Texan. After we moved back from Florida, I was reminded how lucky we were to be in a state of well-educated and caring professionals. As someone who battles stress, they have my support more now than ever! 

If you are not able to do one of the activities or challenges, spread the world by posting about it on social media! I will be making that my goal! As always, I’d love to hear your stories in the comments below! Please continue to stay safe purple butterflies! Thank you for taking the time to read my blog today! If you’re enjoying my blogs, why not subscribe to my website? My blogs will go straight to your email. It’s free to sign up! Tell your friends! Tell your friends to tell their friends!Be well!
~ Rachel

Hey there purple butterflies! 
 
Do your feet dance to a different beat? Can you properly take care of your toes? Are you wearing the proper shoes? The topic of the day is shoes. Can you imagine having chronic pain but not having any shoes? A lot of times we take the simple things we own for granted. In addition to my Fibro, I suffer from plantar fasciitis in both of my feet. 
 
What is National Shoe the World Day?  

In the United States, on March 15th, it’s National Shoe the World Day. “According to various principles, clothes come under the list of five things required to exist. But in a world where poverty and homelessness are one of the biggest problems having proper dresses seems like a far-fetched dream to some. Humans all over the world live in a world that would sound impossible or unimaginable to us. From walking barefoot on hard, warm rocks to walking barefoot in jungles, all of this leaves people in considerable pain, not to mention the health risk that it follows. Walking without covering your feet can lead to a lifetime of problems, including injury, cuts, infections, parasites, etc.

​Therefore, in these interests, a person with the name of Donald Zsemonadi and a company based in Fontana, California United Indigenous People, inspired National Shoe the World Day in March of 2014. However, the Registrar at National Day Calendar declared the observance to be March 15th, annually.” (National Shoe the World Day). I like to support causes to pay it forward. Just like I would love for another person to support Fibromyalgia awareness. 
                                             
My story:
I started having foot problems when I worked at Walt Disney World and ignored them. I stood all day long. On top of that, I would go into the parks to play before my shift, after, and especially on my days off. This meant I was doing an incredible amount of walking. I was losing weight like crazy, but it wasn’t doing wonders for my feet. I recall that I did try to soak my feet, as well as take Advil to help eliminate the pain. When I wasn’t getting any better, I went to find a Podiatrist. Only to find out a couple of years later that the doctor I had chosen was not a good practicing doctor. In fact, I blame myself because I did not do the proper research beforehand. I was just in so much pain, and I wanted it to stop. Now after permanent damage in my left foot from a botched surgery, the medical boards are coming out and saying surgery isn’t the best way to help plantar fasciitis pain. I was very angry for a long time. As they say, if I’d had known now what I knew then I would have made a lot of changes. Once again, it’s being able to blog about my experience that enables me to move on. Years ago, I couldn’t do that. I hope that someone reading my story can learn from my mistakes. 
 
Rachel recommends:

• Soak your feet for 10 – 15 minutes in warm water. Use a foot scrub to gently massage your feet during this process. 
• Moisturize your feet! I love peppermint lotion because it perks your feet up and smells great! If you don’t like peppermint, a nice calming scent would be lavender. 
• Give yourself a pedicure: Trim your nails to a healthy length. I prefer to keep two different size nail clippers on hand. I have become obsessed with crystal nail files! They last longer and work harder than a regular file. Check on Amazon if you’re not able to find them at the store. When painting your nails, always use a base coat and a topcoat. Try: Sally Hansen Big Peel Off Base Coat and Seche Vite Dry Fast Topcoat. When you want a glitter polish on your toes, paint a thin layer of glue on the nail after the base coat. This should prevent the heartache of scrubbing it off later. Also, I have recently learned that Zoya polish is one of the safest brands to use. 
• A couple of years ago, I found OrthoFeet.com. At first glance, it’s just another shoe store. Nope, it’s even better! They offer shoes for people with conditions for foot pain, arthritis, back pain, etc. Another plus to their shoes is that they don’t wear out as fast! I currently have two tennis shoes and one pair of sandals from this website. 
• FootCareMD.org is another great resource to have in your back pocket. Their site dives deeper into chronic foot conditions. 

One of the ways you can raise awareness for National Shoe the World Day is to donate your old shoes! Another way is to go on social media and start a discussion on how not wearing shoes can lead to injuries or infections. Remember to use the hashtags #souls4shoes or #Nationalshowtheworldday on your social media pages. Let me know if you do or get some shoes! 
 
Please let me know in the comments down below! Just like every week, I’d love to hear back from y’all! Please continue to stay safe purple butterflies! Thank you for taking the time to read my blog today! If you’re enjoying my blogs, why not subscribe to my website? My blogs will go straight to your email. It’s free to sign up! Tell your friends! Tell your friends to tell their friends!

Be well!
​
~ Rachel
#Nationalshoetheworldday2022 #keepingyourfeetsweet #souls4shoes
 
Other References:
https://www.footcaremd.org/conditions-treatments/chronic-conditions
https://www.orthofeet.com

Hey purple butterflies! 
 
We all need love and appreciation to coexist in this upside-down world. Valentine’s Day is celebrated on February 14th which means it’s next Monday! Are the plans with your loved one up in the air due to limited places to go? Maybe you’re flying solo? Either way, this day is the perfect excuse to pamper yourself. Don’t forget, there is always the option of a virtual hang out with friends for the day! My husband and I are both romantics at heart! What’s Valentine’s Day without music? My place to find tunes are on my iTunes Store or Spotify. Whatever your plans are, I hope you fill one of your spoons with love for yourself!
 
22 Heart Beats: 

• At Last - Etta James
• Charlie Puth, Meghan Trainor - Marvin Gaye (Lyric Video) [HD] [HQ
• Endless Love - Lionel Ritchie duet w Diana Ross
• *NSYNC - (God Must Have Spent) A Little More Time On You [Official Video]
• *NSYNC - This I Promise You (Official Music Video)
• K-Ci & JoJo - All My Life (Official Video)
• Ed Sheeran - Perfect Duet (with Beyoncé) [Official Audio]
• The Bangles - Eternal Flame
• Chicago - You're the Inspiration (Official Music Video)
• Unforgettable - Nat 'King' Cole​
• Ben E. King - Stand By Me
• Only You - Yazoo/Yaz - Official 
• Debbie Gibson - Lost In Your Eyes (Official Music Video)
• Kelly Clarkson - A Moment Like This (VIDEO)
• Bruno Mars - Just The Way You Are [Official Video]
• Lonestar - Amazed (Official Music Video)
• Extreme - More Than Words (Official Music Video)
• a-ha - Take On Me (Live From MTV Unplugged)
• Celine Dion & Peabo Bryson - Beauty And The Beast (HQ Official Music Video)
• Mandy Moore, Zachary Levi - I See the Light (From "Tangled"/Sing-Along)
• The Little Mermaid | Kiss the Girl | Lyric Video | Disney Sing Along
• Meghan Trainor - Marry Me (Lyrics / Lyric Video)

I’d love to hear back of what your plans will be this year!! Please continue to stay safe purple butterflies! Thank you for taking the time to read my blog today! If you’re enjoying my blogs, why not subscribe to my website? My blogs will go straight to your email. It’s free to sign up! Tell your friends! Tell your friends to tell their friends!

Till next time! Be well!
~ Rachel
 
#spoonievalentinesday #valentinesday2022 #fibropositivity