Fibromyalgia Support Group

I noticed many, many posts by teachers. Is there something about teaching that factors in to our having Fibro?

If you are a teacher, why not share what grade-level you teach and your teaching area.

I started teaching at the age of 50 after completing an alternative certification program at the university. I am certified to teach Visual Art and Family and Consumer Science from grades 6-12.

My last job was eliminated after being there just one year. Having a hard time finding a job right now. Have to move out of secondary teaching I think. I have a MSED in Workforce Education and Development. Seems it makes me too expensive to hire when there are so many with bachelor degrees.

Love teaching, but Foods and Clothing classes are too stressful for my body. I do want to work with students, but focus on helping them become successful in academics and planning their education and career paths.

I have been substitute teaching for most of the last 2 years and doing some career exploration and development volunteer. I was sick for most of a year and am restarting my job search now that I am on a med that treats my Fibro and Migraines.

Becky

I am an elememtary physical education teacher. I have always been very active with my kids and was able to keep up with them. I was recently diagnosed with fibro in January, but started feeling the symptoms when I started school in Septemeber. I have to say, having Fibro and being a PE teacher is very difficult. Some days I feel fine, but others is torturous to be at work. I am not sure if it will get better or worse over the years. I am curious if there are other teacher out there and how they cope with the fibro.

I am a 7-12 Resource/Special Education teacher. I work full time and am glad that summer break is coming. However summer break aint what is used to be!! I have meetings for the first week of June and Summer School until July 3rd.

Hi there, I'm an English teacher with fibromyalgia. I have not been living stateside for about 5 years. Currently I work in Istanbul, Turkey and have taught grades 3 though 10. I have never been about to keep a job for very long but I can at least trust in year-long contracts until I am at least 50. This is no way to go through life but it's a path I've chosen. Any comments or advice?

I am not sure if you want to count in being a teacher at a church but I work with kids age 0 to 6 year olds. I also am becomming a youth leader. With this pain comming and going it is very difficult. But I go because I know the kids would miss me so much. and I am thankfull I have others there that will cover for me.

Welcome Sandpedro! I have never been a teacher but I have alot of respect for teachers, I know it is a very tough and at times thankless job but I am sure it must be wonderful to see the smiles on the kids faces each day and you must be so proud each time you have taught them something they never knew. I don't have much advice since I have never been in that field I am sorry. We do have some teachers on here though hopefully they will catch this and chime in. All I can say is on your off time try and relax as much as possible, baths, showers, heating pads, pain relievers. Are you currently taking a Fibro med? Most of the meds are trial and error so it takes time to find what works if any of them will. I wish you the best, you are not alone. Keep posting!

Hi I am 35 and I teach math for 7th and 8th grade, I was diagnosed at 32. I have been teaching for six years and it has been very hard. I have now developed arthritis. I have had to take leave and lost my teaching job because of it. I moved my whole family from Missouri to Texas hoping that the weather would make a difference. Nope! Started a new job teaching and got sick again. I am going to try to go back to work against doctors orders. Just found out that I had a stroke not sure when I had the stroke, but found it in the MRI. This fibromyalgia is no joke. Anyway, I love the kids and I cry many nights because I do try to push myself to do what I love, but fibro makes things hard. I have started a low impact exercise plan and I stay away from foods that trigger the fibromyalgia.

Hi there Miss Stacey et al... Never took any meds, but spent lots of money on doctors and chiropractors since I've been 18. Technically no occupation is suitable for people with FMS but teaching gives me the opportunity for the mixture of sitting, standing and moving. But it's painful to read papers, write on the board, enter data, and assemble/organize/maintain curricula-materials-lessons. My mind often goes into a fog while teaching As for rest, I don't sleep well, I don't have options for baths, but I do sleep a lot. And right now I'm not teaching and not getting out of bed till 11-12pm. It's crazy. Only the computer gets me fired up because I am in the middle of nowhere, earth trying to stay connected.

SO...how does FMS affect other illnesses? Is it true that FMS is the root cause of simultaneously formed problems: digestion, stiffness in neck/shoulders/forearms, hands, joint stiffness, arthritis in hands, numbness of hands, blotchy complexion, dizziness/vertigo/memory limitation/concentration problems, pain doing basic tasks, sleeping, bowel irregularity, throat/digestion, ADD, dietary problems (eating too much or too little?

Before I knew I had FMS, I used to smoke during the onset of pain, brain fog, loss of thought, or anger/frustration/depression. I could never figure out why I couldn't think in a linear, continuous fashion. I'd go "BRAIN DEAD" while reading, speaking, well just about anything and it ruined my mood...started to smoke. Been smoking for many years and still catching myself smoking during the same periods thought lapse. Is it just me or does other people do this?

hey and welcome to the family.. do you take anything for sleep? I myself take meletonin its over the counter and natural.. when the doc wanted to put me on a sleep aid I thought he was crazy because all I did was sleep and was tierd all the time actually tired wasnt the word for it exuasted..but it actually helped me some not with the pain so much but with sleeping all the time.. its about the right rehlm sleep..

my feeling is that fibro effects other illnesses or hightens them fibro flaired to life in me(though I had signs before) with a back injury followed by surgeries and nerve damage.. if Im down with my back and dont move around then my muscels go spastic on me..being that fibro effects pain sensors when you alreaady have pain it hightens it.. plus it effects the muscels..if you truly think about how many muscels we have and what all they due then you relise stomach heart eyes bowels extra have no chose but to be effected.. we with fibro must fight through depression rears its ugly head but I would wager being in pain 24/7 and everything that goes with it,it would be a mirical not to have some type of depression..

I smoke wish Id quit, but smoking takes oxogyn from your muscels so it enhances fibro also..when I smoke the most is when Im put on a new pain med,I seem like a chimney,lol