Hello to all the Fibro warriors out there, that been dismissed or turned down for disability. I am one of them too. I’m not talking about social security disability. I’m talking about being denied disability from a company that my former employer used. Even with having an attorney appeal the denial, twice, she was told by them that I got denied because people with fibromyalgia can work. I have just taken the first step which would be at the federal level. I’m doing this for myself but I’m also doing this for all of us. We deserve the benefits to help us survive when we cannot work. There’s so much more that I want to say, but I’m going to stop.
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Brilliant, Freedom 
It is true that people with light FM can work, despite their problems, but even there it’d be fairer if employers took even these lesser problems into account more. For people with medium to severe FM, like me, have much more problems. I can only work at most 30-40% due to it, and only because I do a lot about it.
There are several countries, like Israel, that already recognize FM as a disability, this can definitely support your fight - the fact plus their arguments. Let’s pray that we will be done justice:
Here are more details for other countries (as of 2018).
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It’s a tough situation as so many of us are able to continue working and exercising with the help of meds. I think the severity of the syndrome needs to be verified by a specialist who can determine the level of each patient’s needs. I was able to teach for 10 yrs after I was diagnosed, until the age of 65. I just kept fighting on with the help of PT and meds. Best of luck!
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Thank you Mimi3! I now have an ERISA attorney that specializes in these cases. I know he is contacting the “ disability company “ today. For those of you who pray, please pray for success. There is a loophole that may prevent me from taking them to court. It has to do with a law in the state where the corporation is located. If that is the case, maybe I can do something to change that law. The actual trauma this company has caused me is unbelievable. The despair and loss of hope is almost as bad as the fibromyalgia pain. Only this pain comes in the form of tears, anguish, anxiety and fear.
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Go warrior go! I have lighter Fibro and can work, but only because I work from home with a flexible schedule that I get the set myself . If it were not for that I don’t know if I would be capable of working a normal 9-5. People need to know the pain is real, the brain fog is real, the exhaustion is real.
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Quick, small update. My attorney has initiated a conversation with the disability company. But that’s all I know right now.
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I have only just recently started looking into disability simply because I can’t work full time with the fibro on top of my mental health. I do work part-time, but feel like I can barely do that. I haven’t pursued anything because I don’t know where to start. Plus, I feel like I’m dumb to pursue anything (part of me downplaying how I feel). I worry about people judging me for pursuing it (my codependency side lol). It isn’t even about the money for me. It’s because I feel like it keeps me from living what I was called to do. I want to work. I want to move up in my job, do more. But I can’t because I can’t commit the time needed. I can’t do it without deteriorating both my physical and mental health even more. But do others see it that way? It’s frustrating. I appreciate seeing others feeling the need to fight for fibro 
I’m sure we’ve all helped people by telling them they have to care for themselves before they can care for others… Important thing we learn in first aid-courses too. So now we can see that our calling is actually to do exactly that. That is our first and foremost work, to get as healthy as we can, then bit by bit put on a bit of load and see what is possible. As caringly as we would for ourselves, we are our own Good Samaritan, and we need to be, because no person or no One can do anything for us if we don’t. We’ll end up crashed in a mess. It is our calling to help those who need the most help. Which may praps be people who as it may be are vocational “helpers” 
, some may even be stuck in a helper syndrome… 
So helping them find their way out, by getting a balance between helping themselves as well as their Neighbours … Fibro shows us that we need to help ourselves, something we’ve always only pretended to do, like thinking we are helping ourselves by helping others. Maybe we wouldn’t have got fibro if that were reality. There are people who can do it and don’t get fibro. But they’ll all have their own issues, we all do. And feeling pressurized to keep step with them is comparing, an unhealthy way…
I’ve been working probably more than 40h a week on my health since I got fibro (close to 50 pre-fibro). I was on sick leave for 10 months, did a vocational rehab which I had to break off at 40% and the other 60% I have been working on my health (well actually probably more). Mind you, part of this “work” - which I actually call “fibro-work” - is “talking” with others, because while I am helping them with my experiences I am again and again helping myself, because the interaction is action, not stagnation. Doing this is again a new type of work, part of it is medical, part is psychological, but I’m lucky/blessed that these are 2 areas I’ve always had interest in, always done a bit, and wanted to do even more. And on the way I’m apparently also managing to help others, by keeping my spirits up, keeping at it and finding some things that work for me, sharing them, despite the many symptoms & syndromes I’m piling up…
Update on my Fighting for Fibromyalgia. My attorney emailed me to say that I will find out soon what the disability company is going to offer. Basically, I would receive a lump sum versus a monthly check. I’m going to ask him what else I can do to change the laws and policies for other people out there that have been denied disability. I want to fight this atrocity. I want change. We, Fibro Warriors, deserve help. We matter! I’m not finished with this yet!
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Update. My attorney said that the disability company should be making an offer soon. He told me this yesterday. He also told me this a month ago. It’s hard to tell if this is true or not. I don’t have any reason to doubt him. It sure is hard to be patient.
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“soon” is relative… 
- Wishing you patience and power for your self-advocacy, outside and in…