In the first few months of this year, I was struggling with something that I didn’t want to speak about. A few years ago I broke my spine and in theory, it should have healed in 6 weeks and been a lot better within a few months. Then it didn’t… I had physiotherapy, acupuncture, had a routine by the rehab team, spinal injections the lot. It didn’t get better.

Test after test showed nothing, I was exhausted and in pain which was taking over my entire body. I was told that the spine wasn’t the cause but why did it hurt so much? I was absolutely miserable. Then I watched the Lady Gaga documentary Five Foot Two and it changed everything. It all clicked into place, I had Fibromyalgia.

The NHS website describes Fibromyalgia as:

Fibromyalgia, also called fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS), is a long-term condition that causes pain all over the body.

As well as widespread pain, people with fibromyalgia may also have:

• increased sensitivity to pain
• fatigue (extreme tiredness)
• muscle stiffness
• difficulty sleeping
• problems with mental processes (known as “fibro-fog”) – such as problems with memory and concentration
• headaches
• irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) – a digestive condition that causes stomach pain and bloating

One of my best friends, Sarah, also has Fibromyalgia, she’d hinted it was something I should look into but I didn’t want to face it. I didn’t want a chronic illness (I know, logic wasn’t working here). Until one day I went to see the kindest doctor I knew and broke down. I told her every ache and pain, the tiredness, the stress. The fact I was hiding from everyone.

It’s not easy to get a diagnosis, there’s not a blood test or a scan. I was referred to a Rheumatologist which had a long wait. I took the day off work for the appointment and went with my Mum. I was an anxious mess, what if he didn’t believe me, but what if he did? It’s a hard set of emotions to explain.

I shouldn’t have worried, my doctor was incredible. We had a long chat and he checked the key points on the body which would lead to a Fibromyalgia diagnosis in combination with other factors.

The thing is, without Lady Gaga (and my friend Sarah) I probably would have had no idea what was going on with my body. More importantly, seeing people who are so successful (Gaga) and kind (Sarah) but still living with this condition gave me hope. Hope that I’d manage all this pain and anxiety, that I could still be a boss babe despite it all.

I’m hoping that in future I’ll be a lot more comfortable to talk about living with Fibromyalgia. It’s taken me a long time to process and feel comfortable about it myself. BUT I am still me, I still achieve what I want to and I still kick ass.

Thank you so much for reading!