Fibromyalgia Awareness Week

We are back, finally, and with another cause that is worthy of attention and love. Many of our friends, family, and even some of our own are affected daily because of the effects of Fibromyalgia, so since today is 'Fibromyalgia Awareness Day,' we thought it would be better to make it a whole week!

What is Fibromyalgia?

Fibromyalgia (pronounced fy-bro-my-al-ja) is widespread pain in the muscles, ligaments and tendons. The most common sites of pain include the neck, back, shoulders, pelvic girdle, and hands, but any body part can be affected. Fibromyalgia is not contagious, nor is it directly life-threatening. The degree of the symptoms can vary greatly from day to day, with periods of flares or remission.

Some statistics:
It is seen in about 3% to 6% of the American population (seven to ten million Americans).
It affects approximately 900,000 Canadians (about 2% to 6% of the population).
Women are at least four times more likely than men to develop fibromyalgia.
It is most commonly diagnosed in individuals between the ages of 20 and 50, though it can begin to be noticed during childhood.

The symptoms include:
Stiffness, especially in the morning, and pain in muscles and joints all over the body.
Trouble sleeping at night and a feeling of being very tired all the time.
Numbness in muscles and joints.
Poor memory and concentration.
Sometimes include depression, tension and migraine headaches, and pain in the jaw.
There are many other symptoms not limited to the nerves and muscles, including skin irritation, irritable bowels, etc.

This disease can affect every aspect of a person's life. While neither degenerative nor fatal, the chronic pain associated with fibromyalgia is pervasive and persistent. It can severely restrict social activity and recreation, and as many as 30% of those diagnosed with fibromyalgia are unable to maintain full-time employment. Like others with disabilities, individuals with fibromyalgia often need accommodations to fully participate in their education or remain active in their careers.

Sources: Wikipedia: Fibromyalgia ; Arthritis.ca ; Rheumatology.org; FMaware.org

Fibromyalgia on deviantART

There are many people on deviantART who are affected by Fibromyalgia either by having it or supporting a friend or family member. We want to show how Fibro really affects the people who have it, so everyday, starting Tuesday, we will be having a different interview from a deviant who has Fibromyalgia and the complications and issues that go along with it (or in some cases what caused it!)

Keep your eyes peeled for interviews from:
`opioid
`mom-the-bomb
~katzypotter
`Mollinda
~Ginpu
~CallsTheDogHamburger!

They were willing to share some of their stories and experiences with us, so we hope that you read the articles and gain some insight to what life with Fibromyalgia is like.

Fibro Awareness Week Activities

We will be holding a number of different events to increase awareness and knowledge of the disease, but none of them will be successful without your participation!



My ____ has Fibro Story Selections

We would like to compile stories from people whose family or friends have Fibromyalgia. Do you know some one who has it? How have you supported them? How have their inspired you? Have you learned anything through their strenght? If you have fibro, we welcome your stories as well!

Send your stories to ~PotterShareCares via note with the title "Fibro Story." There is no length requirement or maximum. Deadline is Sunday, 11:00pm EST



I Know Fibro Photo Collage

Write a neat slogan on piece of paper, be CREATIVE! If you can't come up with any slogans, you can use, "Gentle hugs for Fibromites"_{by `mom-the-bomb} or "I know fibro" to show your awareness of the disease. If you have Fibro, write something that illustrates your strength against it and its affects, or you can even write how you feel-- just show how it affects you.

Snap a few shots, of yourself holding it up! Submit it to your DeviantART page!

Then send it to ~PotterShareCares titled "I Know Fibro" Deadline is Sunday, 11:00pm EST



Make a Promise

Make a promise at [link] !
For every promise you make, they'll donate a dollar to one of four organizations!  

Print out your promise! Snap a few shots of yourself and your promise!

Upload it! Then Send it into ~PotterShareCares titled " Promise" Deadline is Sunday, 11:00pm EST

We'll be using these photos to make a collage! Community quilts to show our support for the Fibromites!



Awareness Through Artwork (+ raffle)

You can support Fibromyalgia Awareness by creating a piece of artwork about it/relating to it and submitting it to deviantART! Send us a link to your work to upload it to our account!

Every person who submits a piece of artwork will be entered into a raffle for a deviantART T-shirt

You can have up to two entries into the raffle, but you can submit as many pieces of artwork as you want!

For every piece of artwork created, ~PotterShareCares will donate 10 cents to a Fibromyalgia foundation!

Deadline is Sunday, 11:00pm EST

Other ways you can help out!

You can donate to either [link] and/or [link] (There is no donation minimum, even though it may seem like it.)

(If you donate 5$ or more, send us a confirmation number or any valid proof of donation and we will list you on our page and you can be entered into a seperate raffle for a deviantART T-Shirt, Deadline is Sunday, 11:00pm EST)


Change your avatar! Make your own to show support, or use the one we've made for the week! (if you have one you don't mind sharing, send us a note and we'll post it here!) If you change your avatar, let us know by dropping us a note so we can credit you for your support on our page!




Use a stamp!
:thumb84780198:

Remember! Fibro colors are purple and/or cranberry!

Thank you in advance for your participation and for spreading the awareness!

_{Thank you to ~iamsostupid, ~kimurii, ~ShimmerStar for your contributions to this article!}