Coping with Fibromyalgia at SuiteU
By Tamara Peters
updated on 06/20/2007 at 11:06AM
Contributor(s): Steve
Published on: August 12, 2003
article reprinted from Suite101.com
If you've ever wondered what the Coping with Fibromyalgia Course at SuiteU was all about - now's your chance to find out through an interview with the course instructor Carol Wallace, Ph.D.
Please tell the readers about yourself, and how you came to teach the Coping with Fibromyalgia Course at SuiteU - also, how are you able to manage your Suite duties, cope with fibromyalgia, and everything else that you do?
Actually, I was asked to write this course - and part of the reason for that is the wonderful group of fibromites who now live at the Fibro Friends topic.
The SuiteU management was aware of the group and its interaction and how helpful it was. But at the time, there was no active fibro topic and so no really evident perfect teacher for the course. But since I am an editor, although for gardening, and since I have fibro - I must have seemed like the logical choice.
I think someone noticed that I had done several articles on ergonomic tools and aids for people who are aging and/or have disabilities.
Anyway, they were on a tight deadline and just knew all the others participating in the Fibro Friends would be able to help. And if you look through the course, you can see what a huge help everyone was, contributing tips and advice and personal experiences that make anyone reading them know that they are not as alone or weird as some people seem to think we are.
I guess I manage my Suite duties by not having a life. ;-) Let's see - I'm a senior managing editor at the Suite - and a member of the Academic Advisory Board for SuiteU - but SuiteU is my chief responsibility as SME - so I have two titles basically for one job.
Then I write my Virtually Gardening topic - but that, too, has become a lot like dropping in on old friends. And I'm teaching two stenciling courses - but that is for fun.
I think the key is that for most things I have learned to pace myself. If I get tired, I stop for a bit. The cats are always at my feet wanting something, as they force me to take frequent breaks. And since my other main job is as a freelance writer that's simply more computer time with the same cats to keep me moving.
How did the Coping with Fibromyalgia Course come about? I think I answered that above. Except that it began it 2001 as a sort of beta test for SuiteU in general. I think it was about the third time the actual class ran that I suddenly had to leave town for a funeral - and that's where the team effort aspect of the course paid off, because I was able to get you to step right in and take over for me until my return.
What does the course have to offer students seeking information about fibromyalgia?
I hope first and foremost that they get a sense of not being alone and invisible - that they realize that there are people out there who understand what they are going through and have had the same experiences.
But I also hope they learn about finding a good doctor - one who is fibro-friendly, and all the many different ways that we have all devised for coping with both the practical, physical aspects of fibro and the emotional parts.
I also try to emphasize that it is important not to blame every new ache and pain on the fibro as it very well could be something else that is more treatable.
Also there is information on the disability claims process that is quite helpful.
The slogan I ended up using for the course is "Having it doesn't mean taking it lying down!" And that is because the key thing I hoped to communicate is that attitude is everything. If you can manage to have a positive outlook then you can still have a happy and fulfilling life and accomplish more than you may have believed possible.
Please explain the difference between the Quick Course and the Interactive Course. A quick course is one that you read at your own pace - you get access to all 8 lessons at once and read through them. You do not have access to the instructor to ask questions, nor do you get to interact with other people who may be taking the course at the same time.
The interactive course gives you access to both myself and other students, so everyone can compare experiences and share their own hints and tips, as well as asking questions. So many of us have fibro but with differing symptoms and experiences that often a student can do a better job of answering certain questions than I can. It's a lot like having a month long support group.
Who should take this course and why?
Anyone who has fibro, or anyone who thinks they may have it - plus their relatives and friends who really want to try to get a handle on what we are going through.
I've had several spouses and friends take the class. The irony in one case was a woman who took it so she could understand a friend of hers better - and in the process of learning about the different symptoms realized that she had it herself. She'd blamed her own feelings on aging and being lazy.
What makes this course unique compared to other Internet courses, or information available on the web?
I think its personal insights - the stories told by so many of our group about their experiences, their ways of coping - add something to this course that I haven't seen anywhere else.
I've learned that simple realization - that there are others out there speaking in words that seem so familiar to a fibro patient - learning that there is a place to go where people instinctively understand what you feel like, may be the single, most valuable thing many of us seek.
And I think this course pays more attention to attitude - to being positive - than most, which tend to concentrate on the physical symptoms, and if they deal with the "mind" aspects usually focus on the "fog" - but not your life outlook.
What is the most important aspect of this course that you hope students will come away with?
Knowing that they are not disabled just because they have a syndrome that will qualify you for disability. That by concentrating on what you CAN do you can accomplish a lot.
What kind of coping skills can students expect to learn from the course?
Lots! All kinds of ways to compensate for that short term memory problem, ways of dealing with housework and the job, even the holiday chaos - really practical advice.
Also how to cope with things like our faulty thermostats that are too hot or too cold at inappropriate times - the best ways to dress and make up the bed, and all of those practical things.
But also to cope with the residue of emotional issues that we have - the guilt, the anger at not being able to do everything we once did - the feeling like we have somehow let family and friends down. That lingering feeling that we still have to do it all the way we once did. Even small things like what to say when someone asks how you are. Things that never seemed like a big deal before fibro.
What would you say to prospective students, who might be intimidated by taking a SuiteU course, to allay their fears?
Well, first of all, if you are really timid, you don't have to speak up at all.
Just read the lessons and discussions and see what everyone else has to say. You'll learn a lot that way.
But if you have questions you've hesitated to ask the people you know, here is a great chance to ask in front of people you may never see again, but who all are in the same boat as you - so you know you'll get good answers.
If you think about it - this is really a course that was created by a group of very supportive friends - even though none of us have actually met face to face. There couldn't be a calmer, friendlier environment for learning more about fibro.
And you'll be doing it in private. Only other class members will see your questions, and if you use an alias not even they will know your name.
But - I taught at University level for over 20 years and never once embarrassed a student in public. (I once had a student do an imitation of me trying hard to deal with I know all too well that there are no stupid questions - and even if someone asks one that may seem silly, chances are good that 90% of the class is glad you asked.)
Anything you would like to add that wasn't covered by the other questions?
The BONUS!! If you take the course and enjoy interacting with class mates and me then you don't have to end that experience on the day class ends. Instead you can come over to Fibromyalgia Friends and meet even more like minds and continue to interact and grow.
I'd like to thank Carol for taking time out of her busy schedule to give everyone a more indepth look at the wonderful world of SuiteU - and the Coping with Fibromyalgia Course.
Tamara Peters works with Suite101.com in the following capacities:
Managing Editor: Medicine and Diseases
Contributing Editor: Fibromyalgia Friends
Associate Editor: Coping with Fibromyalgia-I&II CpE
Article originally printed at http://www.suite101.com/article.cfm/Fibro_Friends/102726
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