This post is a continuation of my post, 30 Things About My Invisible Illness You May Not Know – Part I.

1. Something I never thought I could do with my illness that I did was: I’ve thought about this question for quite awhile and I can’t think of anything that I’ve ever thought that I couldn’t do because of my fibromyalgia. I know there are things that will cause pain for quite awhile if I do them, but if I really want to do something I find a way to make it happen with as little pain as possible!
2. The commercials about my illness: make me happy they are raising awareness about fibromyalgia, but also irritates me that the pharmaceutical companies insinuate that their medicine works for everyone with fibromyalgia. This gives viewers the false belief that fibromyalgia has a “cure”  - so incorrect!!
3. Something I really miss doing since I was diagnosed is: having a great time with friends, doing whatever, whenever for however long as I want, no plan needed!
4. It was really hard to have to give up:  Tae bo! Back in the day I used to love doing Tae bo for work outs, now I flare for 1-2 weeks if I do it.
5. A new hobby I have taken up since my diagnosis is: truly enjoying and appreciating nature! I always thought flowers were beautiful, but now I am endlessly amazed at how gorgeous and calming waterfalls, lakes, oceans, plants, trees, animals, mountains, sunrises and sunsets are!
6. If I could have one day of feeling normal again I would: sky dive, bungee jump, go on a long hike, ride crazy roller-coasters, have a few cocktails with friends and actually sleep well! That all fits in one day, right?
7. My illness has taught me: who my real friends are. They are the ones who accepted the “new” me, tried to get somewhat of an understanding of what fibromyalgia is and offered their assistance to me when they knew I needed it.
8. Want to know a secret? One thing people say that gets under my skin is: when people tell me (behind my back or to my face) that I must not have fibromyalgia that bad since I manage to do so many things and stay up-beat.
9. But I love it when people: Tell me that I inspire them by staying positive and educated and not letting fibromyalgia drag me down!
10. My favorite motto, scripture, quote that gets me through tough times is: I have many quotes that I love, but one that applies more to living with chronic illness is: ” Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass; it’s about learning to dance in the rain” – unkown. See my quotes page to read more inspirational quotes.
11. When someone is diagnosed I’d like to tell them: to get educated about their condition. The more you understand, the better you will be able to help create a treatment plan that lets you live a fulfilling life!
12. Something that has surprised me about living with an illness is: the amount of people who know, but completely ignore the fact you are living with a chronic illness or simply don’t believe your illness is real.
13. The nicest thing someone did for me when I wasn’t feeling well was: As soon as I read this question I knew it would be something The Helpful Hubby has done for me. I could cry thinking about how blessed I am to have him by my side! During one bad flare-up, while we were only dating, he helped me brush my teeth (the pain was too much for me to do it on my own), went and bought me rolls from my favorite restaurant as well as granola bars (when I felt like I could barely eat) and made sure I had an environment I could sleep well in.
14. I’m involved with Invisible Illness Week because: I want to raise awareness for all invisible illnesses and for what it is like to live with them.
15. The fact that you read this list makes me feel: good! I hope I was able to share some not-so-obvious aspects of living with fibromyalgia

Enjoying nature - one of my pleasures!