When you receive a fibromyalgia diagnosis, it’s natural to wonder if things will ever get better. With the lack of fibro education in medical schools, many of us received our diagnosis alongside a statement that we “just have to learn to live with it”. With such a bleak prognosis, the road ahead becomes much more difficult than it needs to be.

The good news is, we can all feel better. A fulfilling life with fibromyalgia is possible, and recognizing that makes a significant difference. Far from the doom and gloom statements many of us have encountered, there's so much you can learn and do to improve your fibromyalgia symptoms. Even if you think you’ve tried it all, there’s always something else to try.

Today, Tami is joined by fibromyalgia educators and advocates, Dr. Ginevra Liptan and Sharon Waldrop. Dr. Ginevra and Sharon recently launched The Fibro Show on YouTube as part of their mission to spread awareness and empower people living with fibromyalgia. They’re sharing their fibro journeys and sharing resources you can access to improve your life with fibromyalgia.

In this conversation, Dr. Ginevra, Sharon, and Tami discuss Dr. Ginevra’s progress since her last time as a guest, her decision to create a YouTube show, Sharon's fibromyalgia journey and the challenges she faced at a young age, her decision to form the Fibromyalgia Association and how it has evolved, the difficulties she faced in finding adequate support after her diagnosis, the important recognition that a fulfilling life is possible despite her fibromyalgia diagnosis, Dr. Ginevra and Sharon’s mission for The Fibro Show, how the Fibromyalgia Association expanded into a national community with international reach, the need for support groups to focus on education and actionable solutions, plans for the upcoming Fibromyalgia Awareness Day Conference, what you can expect to experience at the virtual conference, actionable strategies for self-care, why sponsors are critical, the advantages of virtual events for accessibility and comfort for people with fibro, what it’s been like creating a YouTube show for fibromyalgia education, upcoming interviews and the format of the new YouTube show, why collaboration is crucial to enhance awareness and support in the fibromyalgia community, funding issues for fibromyalgia initiatives and the need for financial support, educating healthcare providers about fibromyalgia, Tami’s experience speaking to medical students about pain and fibromyalgia awareness, the lack of fibro education in the medical school curriculum, Dr. Ginevra’s plans for the next stage of her career, making space for new experiences and personal growth, Sharon’s upcoming plans and her focus on menopause coaching, the overlap between menopause and fibromyalgia symptoms in women, upcoming Fibromyalgia Awareness Day events in the US and Europe, and more.

If you have ever felt alone in your fibromyalgia or frustrated at the lack of awareness and resources, this episode is for you.

Note: This episode is not meant to be medical advice. Every person and every situation is unique. The information you learn in this episode should be shared and discussed with your own healthcare providers.

To learn more about the resources mentioned in this episode, visit the show notes.

For daily doses of hope, inspiration, and practical advice, join Tami on Facebook or Instagram.

Need a good book to read? Download Tami's books for free.

Ready to take back control of your life and health? Schedule a complimentary consultation with a Certified Fibromyalgia Coach®.

“Waiting until you feel better to start working on your health is like waiting until you're in shape to start exercising.”

Have you ever wanted your life or your health to change, but at the same time, you weren't ready to change? Whether it feels like it’s going to be too hard, that you need to prepare more first, or you’re just not ready to give up something you enjoy, oftentimes our brain tries to protect us by putting up this resistance.

Tami has been there - and she’s still there in some areas of her life! In today’s episode, Tami is sharing her struggles with making necessary changes in her life and her strategies for creating a fibro life you love. She’s talking about struggling with the desire to change while feeling resistance, the pivotal moment when Tami realized that waiting to feel better actually holds back your health, the flawed logic behind feeling "not that sick" or "too sick" to start making changes, starting with small steps and being willing to make mistakes, the necessity of actively engaging in health improvement, how our natural resistance to change protects us, understanding your Fibromyalgia Wellness Style℠, the conflict between wanting change and the reluctance to put in the necessary work, the stages of change model, moving through the stages of pre-contemplation, contemplation, preparation, and action, creating sustainable changes that you can maintain over time, the potential for relapse and common triggers, why we prefer to coach our clients for a full calendar year, Tami’s experience with relapse and lessons learned, the difference between taking action and maintaining changes, aiming for continuous improvements in your health and well-being, starting before you’re ready, immediate actions you can take, strategies for starting when you don’t feel ready, recognizing feelings and habits before making changes, recognizing that building new habits takes practice and patience, how a Certified Fibromyalgia Coach® can help, and more.

You can't wait until you're well before you start to work on your health. You just have to start.

Note: This episode is not meant to be medical advice. Every person and every situation is unique. The information you learn in this episode should be shared and discussed with your own healthcare providers.

To learn more about the resources mentioned in this episode, visit the show notes.

For daily doses of hope, inspiration, and practical advice, join Tami on Facebook or Instagram.

Need a good book to read? Download Tami's books for free.

Ready to take back control of your life and health? Schedule a complimentary consultation with a Certified Fibromyalgia Coach®.

“When my fibromyalgia was at its worst, keeping my hair and body clean was the hardest task I had.”

Struggling with personal hygiene is not something we like to talk about. The stigma and embarrassment that can come with not being able to keep yourself clean makes it difficult to admit, much less to feel comfortable asking anyone about it. That leaves many of us feeling isolated in our experience despite the fact that it’s a common concern.

The truth is, for those of us with fibromyalgia, even the simplest daily tasks can become significant challenges. For Tami, when her fibro was at its worst, there were weeks when she was just too exhausted and in too much pain to even think about getting in the shower or washing her hair. Over time, she’s since figured out some tips and tricks that she’s here to share with you.

In today’s episode, Tami is talking about seven specific tips to keep yourself clean when you have fibromyalgia, and things like taking a shower feel too hard. She discusses the embarrassment and stigma around not struggling to maintain cleanliness, the relationship between fibromyalgia, depression, and personal hygiene, how to figure out a realistic schedule for bathing and washing your hair, washing hair and body on different days to conserve energy, focusing your efforts on cleaning the parts that need it most, hacks to save you time while staying clean, strategies for planning hygiene tasks while conserving your energy, why she highly recommends incorporating mobility aids, asking for assistance with personal care tasks, the benefits of understanding your Fibromyalgia Wellness Style℠, and more.

Note: This episode is not meant to be medical advice. Every person and every situation is unique. The information you learn in this episode should be shared and discussed with your own healthcare providers.

To learn more about the resources mentioned in this episode, visit the show notes.

For daily doses of hope, inspiration, and practical advice, join Tami on Facebook or Instagram.

Need a good book to read? Download Tami's books for free.

Ready to take back control of your life and health? Schedule a complimentary consultation with a Certified Fibromyalgia Coach®.

It’s okay to push yourself.

When we’re thinking about life with fibromyalgia, balance is very important. But balance is something that happens in the big picture. It’s not about every moment being in perfect alignment, it’s about the ebb and flow together balancing out to meet your needs.

Life comes in seasons - there are times when we need to push ourselves and there are experiences that are flare-worthy. The most critical element of living well with fibromyalgia is having the strategies in place to maintain the balance as we go through these seasons.

In today’s episode, Tami is sharing a peek behind the curtains of her life and how she makes decisions on when to push versus rest and how she plans her recovery. She discusses the effectiveness of coaching versus cognitive behavioral therapy for managing fibromyalgia, the need to plan for recovery after periods of pushing, Tami’s recent experience with hosting the fibromyalgia wellness summit, distinguishing between temporary stress and chronic stress, how Tami approaching recovery planning, choosing the right recovery environment, recognizing individual recovery needs based on personal experiences and stressors, preparing for comfort when traveling to new places, Tami’s tips for meal planning and packing for recovery, modifying new environments for better comfort and relaxation, why you need to prioritize your needs and self-care, the benefits of creating packing lists and task lists for trips, recognizing the need for recovery after travel, why you might need different strategies for physical and mental recovery, the need for both activity and rest, getting honest about what you need, and more.

Take the time to think about what you need to feel your best and don’t be afraid to stand up and ask for that.

Note: This episode is not meant to be medical advice. Every person and every situation is unique. The information you learn in this episode should be shared and discussed with your own healthcare providers.

To learn more about the resources mentioned in this episode, visit the show notes.

For daily doses of hope, inspiration, and practical advice, join Tami on Facebook or Instagram.

Need a good book to read? Download Tami's books for free.

Ready to take back control of your life and health? Schedule a complimentary consultation with a Certified Fibromyalgia Coach®.

If we’re open to it, fibromyalgia can be a path to self-discovery and personal growth. It teaches us about ourselves and how to let go of perfectionism and unrealistic expectations. It highlights the value of embracing small victories. It reminds us that rest is an intentional practice, not a passive activity.

Over time, our bodies change, and we have to adapt. Life doesn’t always go the way we expect it to, and the best thing we can do is to create systems that support us in our lives and that allow us the flexibility to adjust when we need to.

Becoming a Certified Fibromyalgia Advisor® or Certified Fibromyalgia Coach® can help with this by educating, encouraging, and supporting you in your journey with fibromyalgia. As people with fibromyalgia ourselves, we can give you real tips and tricks from our own lives and things that have helped us with our fibromyalgia.

Today, in the tenth installment of our Stories of Hope and Healing, Tami shares inspiring excerpts from our January 2025 event. You’ll hear from three graduates about their stories and how they’ve been able to improve their fibromyalgia symptoms. On average, our graduates improve their symptoms by about 50% during the program, and in this group, their symptoms were improved by a staggering 63%. All of these graduates ended with a revised fibromyalgia impact questionnaire score of 26 or less, which is very close to what some would consider to be remission.

In this episode you’ll hear about Clara’s recognition that self-care means more than fine-tuning nutrition and exercise, insights from working with two different coaches and how each helped her in different ways, how Clara’s Book of Me helped her to better understand her body, why Clara decided to become a Certified Fibromyalgia Coach® to help other women veterans, the main factors that contributed to her 84% improvement in symptoms, Kim’s perspective on the gift of feeling better and the joy of helping others through coaching, why Kim decided to become a Certified Fibromyalgia Coach® despite having multiple other coaching certifications, the unique hands-on experience and the rounded curriculum of the program, avoiding burnout while managing fibromyalgia and maintaining a sustainable approach, adapting to life's changes, how a life crisis impacted Kim’s symptoms, lessons learned from a recent fibro flare, celebrating your progress and day-to-day accomplishments, the various strategies that contributed to Kim’s significantly improved fibromyalgia symptoms, how Kim has helped clients overcome insomnia and manage sleep apnea, why she loves working with women with strong personalities, encouragement for you to seek support and guidance in your fibromyalgia journey, Viktoriia’s decision to join the Certified Fibromyalgia Coach® program, understanding the importance of self-compassion, adapting your life to your fibromyalgia reality, lessons that fibromyalgia teaches us, essential elements in Viktoriia's recovery journey, the importance of flexibility and adaptability in managing stress and fibromyalgia symptoms, how coaching helped Viktoriia on her journey, the value of community and support among fibromyalgia patients, differentiating coaching from therapy, focusing on proactive management of fibromyalgia rather than coping strategies, the lack of resources for non-English speakers and the importance of bridging this gap in fibromyalgia support, and more.

Note: This episode is not meant to be medical advice. Every person and every situation is unique. The information you learn in this episode should be shared and discussed with your own healthcare providers.

To learn more about the resources mentioned in this episode, visit the show notes.

For daily doses of hope, inspiration, and practical advice, join Tami on Facebook or Instagram.

Need a good book to read? Download Tami's books for free.

Ready to take back control of your life and health? Schedule a complimentary consultation with a Certified Fibromyalgia Coach®.

Fibromyalgia is an amplifier: any type of pain we experience, fibromyalgia cranks it up a notch. At the same time, we know that it’s crucial to treat pain early. Once we experience an injury or some trigger of acute pain, it’s important to address it as soon as possible to reduce the risk of it becoming a chronic issue.

For many of us with fibromyalgia, pain medication is essential not just for those injuries leading to acute pain but also on our highest pain days or when we’re having breakthrough pain during a flare. In those cases, we need to have options for pain management, and it’s encouraging to see these options being expanded.

Today, Tami discusses the recent FDA approval of the non-opioid pain medication Journavx. She explores how it works, potential benefits for people with fibromyalgia, why it’s crucial to treat pain early, potential side effects and medication interactions related to Journavx, Tami’s optimism about ongoing research and the potential benefits for fibromyalgia patients, and more.

Note: This episode is not meant to be medical advice. Every person and every situation is unique. The information you learn in this episode should be shared and discussed with your own healthcare providers.

To learn more about the resources mentioned in this episode, visit the show notes.

For daily doses of hope, inspiration, and practical advice, join Tami on Facebook or Instagram.

Need a good book to read? Download Tami's books for free.

Ready to take back control of your life and health? Schedule a complimentary consultation with a Certified Fibromyalgia Coach®.

Welcome to the final episode of our special Be a Coach series. So far, I’ve answered questions about our Certified Fibromyalgia Advisor® class and what it takes to become a Certified Fibromyalgia Coach®.

Some of the topics covered in the first three parts of this special series were what a Certified Fibromyalgia Advisor® and a Certified Fibromyalgia Coach® is, the difference between the two, who makes a good Certified Fibromyalgia Coach® and who is better suited to be a Certified Fibromyalgia Advisor®, what you need and don’t need to become a Certified Fibromyalgia Advisor® or Certified Fibromyalgia Coach®, why the world needs fibro coaches, and why you should consider becoming one.

In this final installment, I’m digging into the nuts and bolts of how you can become a Certified Fibromyalgia Advisor® or Certified Fibromyalgia Coach®; including the exact steps you need to take.

Note: This episode is not meant to be medical advice. Every person and every situation is unique. The information you learn in this episode should be shared and discussed with your own healthcare providers.

Don't like waiting? Register now to have the complete 'Be A Coach' series, along with several bonus episodes, delivered straight to your favorite podcast app. Use this link to sign up for FREE.

Interested in hearing from our alumni about their journey in our courses? Register to receive our complimentary 'Fibromyalgia Stories of Hope' collection, automatically delivered to your favorite podcast app. Use this link to subscribe.

Join our next Virtual Open House and learn about our specialized training programs. Understand the difference between our Coach and Advisor paths, explore tuition options, and discover our fibro-friendly class structure. Click here to register or watch the replay.

To learn more about the Certified Fibromyalgia Advisor® class, visit the show notes.

For daily doses of hope, inspiration, and practical advice, join Tami on Facebook or Instagram.

Need a good book to read? Download Tami's books for free.

Ready to take back control of your life and health? Schedule a consultation with a Certified Fibromyalgia Coach®.

We're in the middle of the summit, Living Well With Fibromyalgia: Real Patients, Expert Advice, Proven Results, and don't have a podcast episode for you this week.

In case you missed the previous announcement about the summit, it's a unique event that started on January 20th, but it's not too late to join us for free. It features real patients who are thriving with fibromyalgia, sharing their experiences and advice. In this two-week summit, you'll get a head-start on feeling better with condensed content that would normally take us 8-9 months on the Fibromyalgia Podcast® to deliver.

This summit is in a fibro-friendly private podcast format, accessible anywhere, anytime, with only one speaker each day, making it accessible for fibro bodies and minds.

Sign up at FibroWellnessSummit.com to access this exclusive content and connect with a supportive community. Don't miss out on this valuable opportunity for Living Well With Fibromyalgia.

For daily doses of hope, inspiration, and practical advice, join Tami on Facebook or Instagram.

Need a good book to read? Download Tami's books for free.

Ready to take back control of your life and health? Schedule a complimentary consultation with a Certified Fibromyalgia Coach®.