“I was in the best shape of my life at 30, working out, running races and eating well. I joked to a friend I was going to fall apart at 31. The summer after I turned 31 it started when I injured my arms.

They both had a burning sensation from the elbows to the tips of my fingers. They would sometimes feel numb and get pins and needles. I wore wrist splints 24 hrs a day and took 4 aleeve a day and there was no relief. I couldn’t pick up and carry Elias, or anything for that matter. I would sit on the couch and cry with my arms laid out on pillows.

I couldn’t clean my house or brush my teeth without pain. As time went on the burning subsided but the pain stayed. Some days worse than others and I would always pay after doing chores or any project. I was terrified I had permanent nerve damage.

I kept running. It was the only exercise I could do that didn’t hurt my arms. My hip pain started with my second half marathon training at 34. It would ache starting about mile 3 and continue through the run. I stopped doing other leg exercises thinking maybe that was the cause. I ran that whole race with my left hip aching and soon after stopped running altogether.

Other problems popped up and I just got worse. I felt like my body was broken. I’ve spent the last 5 years feeling physically broken. When I started the guaifenesin protocol in June we took a bike ride and my hips ached and burned so bad I could barely walk when we got home. It is true when they say you will get worse before you get better!

But I’ve ridden my bike again the last two weeks and while my hips still have pain it has significantly lessened! Every time I ride my bike now I think about that bike ride in June and how bad it hurt and I remind myself that every day I’m closer to feeling better and that I’m not broken! Changing that mentally is proving to be the hardest part, but little by little as my body responds and I see improvement in my fibromyalgia symptoms including the non pain ones it gets a little easier. I’ve still got a ways to go and each day brings different reversal symptoms and pains but I’m so thankful for the progress I have seen!”

~Above written on October 3 2017

~Below written on February 17 2018

“This is what PROGRESS looks like! Making a lunch date at the beginning of the week without the fear of whether or not you will have to cancel because you might wake up feeling crappy that day 🙌🏼

I’ve had to say no to so many things and people over the last few years but especially since starting the guaifenesin protocol. More and more days with better energy are starting to string together and that’s given me the confidence to make plans and socialize again. Even better, I FEEL like making plans and socializing!

It might not seem like much to someone without fibromyalgia but it’s a huge deal to me and reassures me I’m on the right track 🙏🏼 I’m so thankful for friends who have loved, encouraged and prayed for me during the last few years. I’m thankful for friends who have been patient when I kept saying no but still continued to ask in case that one time I might actually feel up to it. I’m thankful for friends who have let me share my struggles and have rejoiced along with me as we’ve watched how the Lord has and continues to work in my life through this illness. He has truly blessed me through sweet relationships and each one has played a big part in not only this fibromyalgia journey but my life and I’m left better because of them “

~Erin Woods

For more information on Fibromyalgia and the Guaifenesin Protocol, check out the linked words throughout this post or the tags under this post 🙂