Fibro Maggie Blog

  “A flower does not think of competing with the flower next to it, it just blooms” – Zen Shin Comparing ourselves and our circumstances to other people is such an easy thing to do. We see the surface façade of someone and believe them to be happier, healthier, richer, more successful, more beautiful and generally in a better place in life than we are. Most of the time, of course, this isn’t the truth. I’ve been just as guilty as anyone else of this. My perception was distorted by what I felt I was lacking in my own life and being chronically ill. Have you noticed that when something really positive or successful happens in our own lives it seems to empower us and at those times, we don’t see anything lacking when we look at others. So how do we keep that positive energy going? The solution that I have found is to be thankful for everything that I have, no matter how big or small. Sound a bit weak? Well, I started to think about what I have. A roof over my head, food on my table,...

Be Kind to Yourself One of the most difficult things I found when I was going through the first few years of learning to live with chronic illness, was being kind to myself and listening to my body.  The first year after my diagnosis I had physically lost everything. I was no longer able to work, I couldn't drive because of the slipped disc in my back and then I lost the use of my legs ending up in a wheelchair. In my mind I no longer had the ability to be a 'worthwhile' human. Of course I was grieving. I was grieving the loss of what I believed to be my identity. So of course, as I have never liked being told what to do, I rebelled. "You can't stop me I'm invincible, even on four wheels!". Obviously as you can imagine this didn't go down too well with my body and so eventually, I had to accept that my life would never be the same again. Getting out of bed was exhausting. By the time I had managed to wash and get dressed I was in so much pain I needed ...

My Story... Part 1 - The Finding Out Have you ever had one of those days where you search endlessly for that hot cup of tea you made 30 minutes ago, only to find it in the fridge? Well...welcome to brain fog!    In 2014 I was busy multi-tasking jobs. During the week I taught as a performing arts lecturer at a local college and examined for a national board. In the evenings I was a paid director and choreographer for local, and some not so local, amateur dramatics musical shows. At the weekend, as well as the usual preparation and marking, teachers are bound to, I ran my own dance classes.  Now you might be sitting there thinking well that sounds like quite a lot, especially if you are a teacher, director, choreographer or examiner. However, obviously I am a self-professed superhero, I am female, I was born a superhero, all women are! Now before I hear shouts from the menfolk, I did not say men were not. In fact, I know many male superhero's, so be calm, you can have...

Welcome! Hello and welcome to Fibro Maggie! My name is Leni Buick and I have been a 'Fibro fighter' for many years. Through this blog, I hope to build a community of like-minded people, where anyone suffering from chronic pain, fatigue, depression, anxiety or any other similar or associated illnesses and conditions, can come to find information through a positive, supportive and safe experience. I also recognise the need to support and help our loved ones who have suddenly become carers, or those who are trying to be as supportive as possible. Hopefully, the stories and information that is shared can provide insight, comfort and perhaps a little more knowledge.   Through the blog posts, I will share with you my own story and those of others who are fighting chronic illness. I will disseminate as much information as possible about products and treatments that have worked for me. There will be posts from qualified health practitioners covering a wide range of treatments, as...