18 months ago, my counsellor from MIND asked how I felt about setting up a support group for people with Fibromyalgia as there were many clients there who were finding it difficult to find the support that they needed.

Living only a 25 minute chair distance from the MIND centre, which is at 19 Norfolk Street Sunderland, and with having no luck at finding a group close enough for me to get to I decided ‘well, yeah! okay, go on then’ 🙂

‘I will meet new people and hopefully make some fibro friends too.’

Prior to that I stumbled across a community forum for people with fibromyalgia to go and find support and advice about anything Fibro. I was terrified of jumping into posts not knowing the forum/community etiquette and for being in unfamiliar territory especially not being a Facebook user. The forum is ran on behalf of a charity FibroAction who fundraises to raise awareness of the illness and to help promote healthy research into the condition to the members.

It wasn’t long before I became a full-time fixture and part of the fittings and now help as a Volunteer Administrator and spend my time helping to educate other members about Fibromyalgia and I also help to raise awareness of Fibromyalgia and other chronic illness and invisible illnesses. 🙂

After 20 yrs of living in chronic pain and not knowing why, being told that it was because I was depressed and needed counselling and then turning my back on the NHS for a few years because being told ‘keep taking the painkillers’ wasn’t enough…

… I now have a good support network around me and spend my time sharing my knowledge and experience with others just like me 🙂

FibroFlutters was born on International Fibromyalgia Awareness Day May 12th 2014 and we have just celebrated our first birthday  🙂