Welcome to the world of the The Frizzy Fibro! My name is Caitlin (Cate for short) and I created this blog to document my journey as I navigate the professional world as a young adult living with an invisible illness. This page is going to be a lot of things: a place to share, a place to vent, and, most importantly, a place to be vulnerable about what it means to face the challenges of being a 20-something with an unseen condition.
My motivation to share my story and experience as a young professional and contender with invisible illness as a result of some well-intended advice that I received following my diagnosis. It was recommended to me that I refrain from talking about my condition, as people would likely not understand/believe me and as a result look upon me as a “complainer”. Or that perhaps if they did comprehend what I was going through, that it would lead to me being thought less of, or rather thought capable of less. While I understood that this person was looking out for, I knew that it was that kind of damaging dialogue that would lead others in my position (perhaps those less confident or in a worse physical condition) to hide their pain. In 2018, where Americans spend on average 47-50 hours a week at work, I was not prepared to hide a part of who I was for the majority of my time. What I am going through is a huge part of who I am and I feel I have a responsibility as someone who is able to face the backlash, to put a face to the name fibromyalgia. I want to do my part to tear through the ignorance and mysticism that surrounds afflictions that can alter the course of someone’s life with no trace left for the naked eye.
So to start, the name “The Frizzy Fibro” comes from my current state of being – navigating both fibromyalgia and a full head of red curly hair. I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia in July 2018 and have been working to improve my condition ever since. Since my fibro diagnosis, I have done a ton of reading on the topic and have begun implementing and experimenting with what has brought other patients’ success. I look forward to sharing what has worked and what hasn’t, as well as receiving recommendations from you all as well!
