Fibromyalgia is commonly described as wide spread body pain, this pain can range from mild, moderate to severe at any given moment. There is also much more to it! It can mimick many illnesses/diseases and often people are waiting years for diagnosis. Literally poked and prodded, treat as Guinea pigs with antidepressants and pain killers that often don't work and can cause other unwanted side effects and harm long term. Being told it is all in your head, not taken seriously and not believed. 

Can you imagine dealing with any or ALL of the following daily -  constant pain that moves around your body, constant headaches, chronic fatigue, fibro fog (memory loss, confusion), irritable bowel/ bladder, dizziness, clumsiness, balance issues. numbness, tingling, strange sensations, muscle spasms/ weakness, back pain, frozen shoulders, sciatica, tennis/golfers elbow, hip pain, knee pain, leg pain, foot pain, restless legs, sleep problems, itchy/dry skin, chronic depression, chronic anxiety, regular mirganes of various types, sore dry eyes, blurred vision, tinnitus, nausea, sensitive to noise, sensitive to light, very sensitive to any stress, doing too much can cause flares where all symptoms become extremely debilitating and can last days/weeks/ months at a time. Trouble regulating body temperature,  experience muscle, joint and nerve pain daily. It hurts to shower and do normal daily duties. If people with fibromyalgia are (fit to work) then why are we getting let go from jobs because of our illness? Finding a job that is suitable and does not trigger flares is very difficult to start with then add on the daily symptoms of pain and fatigue.

Fibromyalgia is a REAL disability that has changed many lives and is very restricting. Fibromyalgia is declared a disability in the US but not in the UK and we want it fully recognised as a disability in the UK. The financial help from PIP will mean people can more likely afford the treatments that help them to function that are not available on the NHS.

Stop sufferers being pressured into working full time to breaking point where they are making themselves soo ill they have to give up work completely.

Give recognition to a rather misunderstood condition that is often dismissed as 'it's all in your head' when the pain is real. Help to recognise more reaserch needs to be done, currently there is no cure for Fibromyalgia. Apologies to fellow fibro sufferers if I missed anything you feel significant that I have not mentioned. We all have different degrees in symptoms as fibro progresses so it's hard to list what is most relevant for 1 person to another and sure I have missed some off here. Thank you for your time and hope for recognition and understanding.