About Me

My name is Amy, and I'm the single mom of four grown children. The youngest one, a college freshman as of August 2013 still lives at home. I have two step-granddaughters that I love with all of my heart, and have a grandson due in February 2014. My kids and grandbabies give me the will to push on.

 I have fibromyalgia, COPD, my body is riddled with arthritis, I have bone spurs up and down my spine, buldging discs in my neck and back, Tarlov cysts (cysts that encompass the nerve roots) down both sides of my spine, IBS, diabetes, and I suffer from depression secondary to my health problems.  The also believe that I have an auto-immune disease, but they aren't positive which one yet so I'm regularly monitered via blood work.  Right now, it's looking more and more like seronegative RA.

 April 25, 2013 I started trying to lose weight, as my inactivity, lack of wanting to eat, and Fibro and depression meds had me up to a whopping 271 pounds ...maybe more, as I refused to weigh myself very often. As to date (September 30, 2013) I've lost 39 pounds. It's slow going, but that's ok. I didn't put all of this weight on over night, and I realize it isn't going to come off over night. I'll keep plugging along until I eventually hit my goal.

 I've been blessed to be interviewed several times concerning authoring The Fibro Frog, and the one thing that others always say to me, is that I don't "sugar-coat" things. I don't, and I never will. Sure, all of us fighting a chronic illness, especially a chronic pain illness, needs that cheerleader type quality from time to time to motivate us, and I'll lend any support I can to whomever needs it, but that isn't what I'm (in other word's The Fibro Frog) about. I'm here to advocate for a cure for us. Or at the very least, a concrete universal treatment plan that works. We'll never get to that point without further funding for more research. That comes by educating other's who do not understand what we go through on a day to day basis. People have to learn and realize the literal hell that we go through just to survive. If they don't, then there will never be enough pressure and insistence on both private and governmental research funding.

Another plus to me keeping it real, is that all of YOU will see that you aren't alone. I'm here to share my good days and my bad days with all of you, and I'm so blessed to have you all along on this journey through life with me. Remind yourself daily, that you are not alone. There are people going through what YOU are going through. We all understand. If you know of any families or groups that could use some "real" facts on living with a chronic illness, please refer them to the seminar page on my blog. I'd love nothing more than to get out there and educate and advocate. If you know of a business that could use a movitational seminar for their workers, please send them my way. My seminar can build understanding, acceptance, and help with job retention and productivity. Most of all, remember that this blog isn't just MY blog, it's OUR blog. Please feel free to leave a comment or suggestion any time. Use the "contact me" page to send me a private message. For support in an interactive environment, find The Fibro Frog on facebook at:  The Fibro Frog.