Educating and empowering survivors is my goal! My name is Haullie Free-Volker, I am the founder of 'Voices of Fibromyalgia' and 'The Fibro Show' (Internet Radio), two motivational platforms for educating and empowering survivors of fibromyalgia and chronic pain to live more positive focused lives with the use of affirmation, art therapy, topics, and opening the lines of communication for anyone with questions via our facebook community. I have had fibromyalgia since 1998, however I was only recently diagnosed in 2010, a year after giving birth to my Son who is my only child. I believe child birth triggered my fibromyalgia to become worse over time, and I have been struggling to reclaim my body ever since, but the journey is tough. I know how hard it can be to live with this syndrome. We are making progress so we can find ways of feeling better physically and emotionally. I also look to others for ideas on what works for them, try them out and see if those same things help to improve my own health and wellness.
My pain started about 14 years ago with terrible headaches. Over the years it progressed to stabbing sensations throughout my body and head, pins and needles, Nausea, Fatigue, Insomnia, IBS, Restless Legs, Muscle Cramping & Pulling, Nerve pain, Fibro fog (brain fog), knee pain, joint pain and back pain. Most of the back pain and the numbing and shocking sensations happened after I gave birth. The rest I had been dealing with as it progressed over the years. I've been in the Doctor's office or the hospital so many times and on so many different medications I'd given up counting. I began the facebook community 'Voices of Fibromyalgia' as a way to help myself retain valuable information that I felt was necessary to get me to the next step in my emotional recovery. With troubles concentrating over the years, I thought if I could just find 30 people to talk to as a group maybe I wouldn't feel so all alone. It then quickly turned into a place where I was able to express creativity with a drive to really show the world what I thought about the condition. Graphic art became another way to express what words cannot.
I can't promise you I know all of the medical terminology behind why Fibromyalgia is real, but what I can promise you is that it is REAL. My mission, is to unlock your potential as well as my own. I see us all as dandelions, spreading seeds of hope no matter who we are, we matter. Will power means everything to me but for 3 years I suffered in an extremely dark place. I hadn't picked up a paint brush, I hadn't sang my songs, didn't do much graphic art, didn't want to talk on the phone, I lost interest in other causes and became a shell of myself. It was hard to give up the woman who I was, to focus on a new woman who on some days couldn't even get out of bed without feeling broken.
Yet, I found many who inspired me through facebook such as Diane Dike, Ph.D. Her plight is one of strength and determination, she does not allow her illness to define her and no longer should we because there really is "only one of us" as she would say. I think if I had any dream, it would be to try to follow in the footsteps of those who stand without standing, hear without hearing and touch the hearts of many without even having to be in the same room.
Every story is unique and every story deserves to be heard. So I would just like to thank Diane and the rest of the team for lighting the torch that guides the way for others to live more empowered and fulfilling lives despite their illness.
Thank you for your the continued support of fellow survivors. I wouldn't have the strength to be the Mother and wife that I need to be without you. There are still plenty of bad days where I don't even want to get out of bed; but I know at least now...there is hope to hold on to, and I can enjoy a little bit of life again despite the pain. I've learned to embrace the good and try to smile from time to time...not because I feel it's a mask to hide the pain but because I choose not to let pain steal every moment of my life. I don't feel the need to be sorry anymore. I don't think anyone should feel sorry for something beyond their control no matter what their disability. You're a survivor... you're awesome, and that's all there is to it.
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