My name is Erica Thompson. I am a proud military spouse and mother of three great kids! Being in the military, we have lived in many places - some very hot and some very cold - but we are finally (hopefully) settling down in Converse, Texas, a small town just a hop away from NE San Antonio. I love animals and have a miniature poodle named “Kujo”, African Cichlids and my children have their pets. I also love history, reading, crafts (though I don’t get many done these days) and music.
I have been a chronic pain sufferer for at least 20 years, though when I look back further, I now see the signs that this was coming.
I was diagnosed just over 11 years ago after I had my third child. I had difficult pregnancies with my 2nd and 3rd and that could be the reason for the new symptoms that presented and led me to a doctor for diagnosis.
Prior to all that, I did have IBS, chronic migraines, and unexplained pain, but the connection was never made.
I have been diagnosed with fibromyalgia (FM), chronic myofascial pain (CMP), chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), complicated migraines, anxiety, depression, insomnia, acid reflux or GERD, restless legs syndrome (RLS), etc.
I have spent the last six to seven years aggressively researching and studying every angle of Fibromyalgia and its related conditions & diseases.
Prior to that, I did some research, but didn’t hit it hard until then.
I have shared on my website and any where I can, some of my past experiences and will continue to do so, through my articles and blogs, in hopes of helping others with chronic pain, fatigue & depression. I lived in Bellevue (Omaha), Nebraska for two years and the depression and self-loathing I experienced there was unbearable! I had completely given in to my illness and let it define who I was. I buried myself in my room and became what I feared most - a lump of nothing.
During that time, I also had Serotonin Syndrome, the scariest thing I‘ve ever experienced! Finally, when I got real sick and feeling out of my mind, I got online and found out that I probably had Serotonin Syndrome and saw my doctor the next morning. Sure enough, that was it. I had never even heard of it until then.
I have finally come out of my cave and decided to become proactive in my treatment and try to help others avoid some of the pitfalls I have encountered and be proactive in their own treatments.
Fibromyalgia Help 4 Us (my website) is actually a dream of mine. I want to help other’s who are in pain, depressed and frustrated - just like me. It is an ongoing process and I want FM & other chronic pain sufferers to know that I am right there with them! We will probably be experiencing some of the same things at the same time, and I want to inform them, support them, encourage them and give them “shoulder to cry on”, if that‘s what they need. Sometimes, if we can just vent our frustrations to someone who knows and cares about how your feeling, we can then move on and try to do something about it.
I also needed to find away to supplement our family’s income. I am very proud that we (I say “we” because the wife and children basically sign up, too) serve our country and am very patriotic, but never-the-less, the money is not as good as it should be. We have had many financial difficulties over the years, and I have tried to make money at home in many different ways. My website gives me the opportunity to HELP OTHERS and hopefully, make just enough money that we can live without feeling the financial stress we have felt in the past.
I wish money wasn’t a factor, but in reality, it is. I want people to know though, that I DO CARE and am not out here JUST TRYING TO MAKE A BUCK! I want to HELP anyone I can and will do my best to do so in every way! No one is obligated or expected to purchase any product or service. I want to help regardless of whether or not someone purchases something from my website!
