Hello I’m Colleen Black-Brown

About 6 years ago I was bedridden with Fibromyalgia. It was so painful to walk that I used crutches. The Rheumatologist I had put me on so much medication that my hair began to fall out. I was afraid to comb my hair because I had lost so much that you could see my scalp.  In the process I gained over 50 pounds. Half of the time my husband had to led me around because I was so doped up from excessive medication that I didn’t know where I was. Finally my husband said, “I can’t take this anymore”.

          So being an exercise physiologist he said, “okay, I’m going to work with you.” When I started I could not even walk 1/4^th of the way around the block. Little by little day-by-day he worked with me and then I could walk all the way around the block.

Until finally, a year and a half later I had just come in from a 4-mile run crying, saying, “thank you God for my health I have such a better quality of life now then I did before.” Exercise has given me a much better quality of life now compared to before. Now I want to help other people with FM to have a better quality of life and this is why I’m here today.

          Exercise has not cured me, but it has masked the pain and I’m able to manage my fibromyalgia without medication. Exercise definitely helped me to break that endless cycle of no sleep, chronic fatigue, no sleep, chronic fatigue. Before I was literally exhausted and now I feel like I’m bouncing off the walls.

I am here to tell you that there is hope for you. I had reached a point in my life when I was so depressed I cried everyday just thinking of being stuck in this endless cycle of no sleep, chronic fatigue, no sleep. Just thinking about waking up in the morning and feeling like an 18-wheeler Mac truck had ran over me every night was more than I could bear. Then came more tiredness, more exhaustion, and the tension headaches. Having a perfectionistic personality made it extremely difficult to deal with these issues especially when I couldn’t remember why I had just walked into the room and what I was going to do there. I felt so out of control.

If these are some of the same symptoms you have or are coping with there is hope and health again, with a little hard work and effort you can break that endless cycle.

Exercise has dramatically changed my life!

Before exercising I gained over 50 pounds from the stress, medication and severe carbohydrate cravings associated with FM.

Exercise has helped keep my weight under control and has helped stabilize those uncontrollable sugar cravings. It has helped mask my pain, increased my energy levels, reduced my headaches and has helped me get quality sleep.  An added plus for me is that I now remember why I entered the room and just what it is I went there for.  

You may be thinking the same thoughts I did when I heard the word “exercise”.

The first time my husband said, “lets exercise”. I thought I’m exhausted just getting out bed and brushing my teeth and you want me to exercise! I can hardly function during the day, were am I possibly going to get some energy from?

But once exercising on a regular basis I quickly found out the many benefits it can provide for Fibros. The investment I made in my health was well worth the effort.

In the book, “Reversing FM” it states that, “exercise may increase the healing endorphins in the immune system, enhance the production of T cells, stimulate the secretion of serotonin and growth hormone and increase oxygen and blood flow to the muscle.”

Several scientific studies have been conducted exploring the effects of exercise training and especially aerobic exercise on the symptoms associated with Fibromyalgia. Many of the leading authorities in Fibromyalgia research; such as Bennett, Clark, Yunus, Goldenberg, and Russell strongly recommend aerobic exercise as thee key component of any intervention program to relieve symptomatic effects of fibromyalgia.

In fact, an overwhelming number of scientific studies have shown that exercise is one of the best things you can do for Fibromyalgia.

It is difficult for FM patients to get started on an exercise program because of the pain and fatigue experienced at first. However those who do exercise, experience worthwhile improvement and are reluctant to give it up. Including myself.

When my husband would walk into the bedroom early in the mornings and say, “come on let’s run today”, I would roll over in bed moaning thinking I can’t imagine getting up let alone running. But with just a little encouragement I was able to invest in my health.

I noticed those days when I hurt all over and felt lousy that if I did get up and run, I felt so much better. When I exercised I was able to think clearer, had fewer headaches, could sleep better at night, had less fatigue, felt less stressed out and was all around healthier.

Even though you are hurting it is essential to exercise. Normally pain is an indication that you need to stop exercising. But in the case of fibromyalgia it is the motivation you need to begin exercising.

To enjoy and benefit from exercise start slowly and progressively.

Although the muscle pain and fatigue of FM can interfere, refraining from physical activity can lead to a downward spiral of FM symptoms. Dr. Robert Bennett, MD, has pointed out that FM patients cannot afford NOT to exercise.

Think of exercise as an investment in yourself. And enjoy the journey as you make small steps to accomplishing your dreams.