Fibromyalgia Podcast®

"If it's in you, it's for you." - Katy Suik With fibromyalgia, we can't do things the way we used to. That can trigger a loss of purpose and identity. "Who am I when I can't do this? Can I still contribute?" While we tend to think of our purpose as a single thing that will make our lives perfect, the reality is much more expansive. Purpose is not external to you. It's about tuning into yourself an...

Welcome to episode 03 of our special Be a Coach Series. In this series, I answer questions about our Certified Fibromyalgia Advisor® class and what it takes to be a Certified Fibromyalgia Coach®. In episode one of the series, I explained what a Certified Fibromyalgia Advisor® is and what a Certified Fibromyalgia Coach® is. Episode two of the series was all about who makes a good coach and who is b...

Treating your thyroid is a critical piece of managing fibromyalgia. It's so crucial that Tami dedicates a whole week of the Certified Fibromyalgia Advisor® training program to teaching about thyroid. It's also an issue that's near and dear to Tami's heart because it's a significant part of her story. After years of classic thyroid symptoms being dismissed because her labs were "normal," Tami was f...

Welcome to episode 02 of our special Be a Coach Series. In this series, I answer questions about our Certified Fibromyalgia Advisor® class and what it takes to be a Certified Fibromyalgia Coach®. I cover all the basics… the who, what, when, where, why, and even the how. Don't understand what a Certified Fibromyalgia Coach® or Adviser is? No problem. Just pop on over to episode one of the series be...

One out of five children in the US suffers chronic pain. From the prick of a vaccine to stomach pain, headaches, and chronic pain conditions like fibromyalgia, children's pain is being undertreated. Today Tami is joined by Dr. Anna Wilson and Rachel Rabkin Peachman to discuss the research on pediatric pain and simple ways you can help children manage their pain. Anna and Rachel are the authors of...

As a master Certified Fibromyalgia Coach®, author, and fibro podcaster, the questions I'm asked more than any others are: How do I get better? How do I improve my Fibromyalgia so I can get back to living the life I want to live? While those sound like simple questions, they do not have simple answers. We all have similar symptoms, what helps  you  feel better may not be the thing that helps  me  f...

When we hear stories we can relate to, it brings hope that healing is possible for us. In the sixth installment of our Stories of Hope and Healing, Tami shares the stories of three recent graduates of the Certified Fibromyalgia Advisor® program. During the program, these women improved their fibromyalgia symptoms by an average of 51% in only three months. That's right in line with the improvement...

So much healing happens when you talk to somebody who truly understands you. One of the more common questions Tami receives is a variation of "Can you actually help me?" Sometimes this comes up because you're worried that you're too sick; sometimes, it's the opposite. Maybe you've tried so many things that you're afraid to get your hopes up and try something new. At the core, all these questions c...

I need to take a break from the podcast this week to practice good self-care, so I don't have a new episode for you today. I'll have a new episode for you on January 17th. In the meantime, feel free to check out any of the previous episodes to hold you over until then.   For daily doses of hope, inspiration, and practical advice, join Tami on Facebook or Instagram . Need a good book to read? Downl...

When you're healthy, you can be more you and bring your special magic to the world. Over twenty years ago, when today's guest Ann Garner was diagnosed, we were in what Tami describes as the dark ages of fibromyalgia. There were no FDA-approved medications, and it was even more challenging to find a doctor who knew enough about the condition to help. As a result, Ann had very few resources to help...

Kids are curious, and they'll ask anything and everything about what's different about you. Today Tami is sharing a fabulous resource that will help you explain fibromyalgia to the little ones in your life. After leaving an office job of twenty years, Melissa started a new career working with young children. While working with little kids, they inevitably noticed the signs of her pain and would ke...

Around one-third of fibromyalgia patients also have Sjögren's Syndrome, yet most don't know about it. Sjögren's Syndrome is an autoimmune condition that affects the moisture-producing cells in your body. Today Tami is excited to share her conversation with Brenda Faverio, a graduate of the first Fibromyalgia Coach training class and one of the first Certified Fibromyalgia Coaches®. As someone with...

People with fibromyalgia are significantly more likely to experience a sleep disorder. On top of that, some particular issues tend to happen when it comes to sleep and fibromyalgia. Last week Tami and her friend, sleep expert Sovann Pen, talked about the importance of sleep for your healing journey and how you can get better sleep. In today's special episode, Tami dives deeper into the specifics o...

Unrefreshing sleep is one of the hallmarks of fibromyalgia, and it's hard to face the day when you wake up feeling depleted. With Fibromyalgia, we find three significant sleep issues that we must address: struggle with getting to sleep, problems with staying asleep, and calming the overactive fight or flight so we can get restful sleep. Sleep is essential for having the mental and emotional energy...

As an eternal optimist, Tami likes to keep this podcast positive, often focusing on ways you can feel better with fibromyalgia. But you can't talk about fibromyalgia without exploring the darker side of things, like the grief many of us experience. Grief affects all of us physically, emotionally, and energetically. Fibromyalgia can often seem like an endless taking away of things, from living in a...

If you're struggling right now with working with fibromyalgia or other chronic illnesses, there is hope. Whether you're an employer or an employee, today's interview will be fabulous for you. Tami is thrilled to share this interview with Certified Fibromyalgia Coach® Julie Hamilton about her new book, Chronic Illness at Work. One of the most important things about this book is that it not only hel...

After our last Ask the Coach episode, where Tami covered the three FDA-approved medications for fibromyalgia, we received many follow-up questions from listeners. Questions like: What's the difference between being addicted and being physically dependent? How can you safely come off your medication? When is it time to reduce or discontinue certain medications? In today's episode, Tami is excited t...

Many of the symptoms people blame on fibromyalgia are actually due to coexisting conditions. Too many people go too long with the wrong diagnosis, taking inappropriate medications, and following unnecessary protocols because their provider didn't identify the correct cause. This topic came up a lot in the last cohort of Certified Fibromyalgia Advisor® training. As we went through the program, the...

"I'd like to try Lyrica, but I worry about if I ever had to come off. Should I try it?" For today's Ask The Coach episode, I'm answering this question sent in by Sarah in the UK. When treating fibromyalgia, we have to attack it from two sides. The first is addressing the fibromyalgia itself and the amplification of pain signals; the second is treating the pain that your fibromyalgia amplifies. In...

So often with fibromyalgia, we're given negative news: there's no cure, your life has changed, and the list continues. Once again, we're on a mission to break that trend and show you that there are still adventures for you. Tami is excited to be joined by Melissa Swanson to share the recent epic hiking adventure that, not too long ago, neither of them would have thought possible. Melissa and Tami...

There's so much hope that comes from hearing the healing stories of other people on the fibromyalgia journey. Often, that's where we first recognize that a better future is possible for us. Today in our fifth installment of Stories of Hope and Healing, we're sharing the inspiring stories of four recent graduates of the Certified Fibromyalgia Advisor® program. During these conversations, you'll hea...

Don't blame everything on your fibromyalgia. Your pain, fatigue, sleep issues, and brain fog might not be from your fibromyalgia. We need to dig deeper. Tami encountered this topic a lot in the last few months of the Certified Fibromyalgia Advisor® training program. We're not saying you don't have fibromyalgia - what we mean is, sometimes symptoms can be caused by something else in addition to or...

Everyone can get better. Even in remission, Tami feels that there is always something we can do to feel better on our fibromyalgia journey. And because we have to focus on taking care of ourselves, in many ways, we can get to a place where we feel better than the average person. Tami is excited to share this interview with Certified Fibromyalgia Coach®, Julie Schiffman, where she shares her story...

To get better, we have to change. Maybe you're trying to make healthier food choices or exercise more. Maybe you've realized you need to be firmer with your boundaries in certain relationships. Whichever area of your life it might be, the closer you get to the edge of your comfort zone, the more uncomfortable it's likely to be. That's where self-sabotage or Upper Limiting comes into play. The conc...

Many people with fibromyalgia also deal with a lot of anxiety. With your nervous system stuck in fight-or-flight mode, you have a diminished capacity that can put you closer to the panic threshold. What that looks like in day-to-day life is that you might find yourself often pushed over the edge by something objectively small. To help you learn more about managing anxiety and panic attacks, Tami i...