This is the THIRD year that Lumigrate has been in existence and participating in 'Fibromyalgia Awareness Day', which is a long-standing event started in the UK back in the late 1990s. Florence Nightingale's birthday is used as the date every year because she is believed to have spent the last 30 years of her life very affected and limited by chronic fatigue syndrome/fibromyalgia syndrome. I've included something about that in the Forums, Fibromyalgia section, Awareness forum, if you'd like to read about that and go to a website which has good information about the history.
Our first year happened to coincide with the first year there was a facebook 'event' about the day, and it was a super active day with the chat -- it was inspiring and allowed many people on facebook to find out about Lumigrate and me, and vice versa. I started the Your Story about Your Fibromyalgia forum as a result, something which accumulated a lot of really nice stories by surprisingly accepting and knowledgeable women who were managing with FMS.
Last year I suggested a collaborative event with Deirdre Rawlings, as our podcasting studio wasn't completed yet, and she interviewed the two MDs who were, at that time, part of Lumigrate.com's content provider 'resource pool'. In the year since, 5,000 people have accessed it through Lumigrate, which is very good to see that people's awareness was growing.
But that made me think about if they were just becoming more 'aware' or if they were really learning! In the year since, I've seen people who I knew were following Lumigrate discovering things about fibromyalgia which were part of the content of Lumigrate from day 1! It's wonderful to have more people aware of fibromyalgia, but if those people don't know what it 'is' (and 'is not') then it's really not getting us anywhere overall!
There are MANY more resources now to learn from, one of which is the newly released e-book by Deirdre Rawlings, where she and 11 other experts about FMS have submitted a section from their perspective. (See Forums, Fibromyalgia section, and the forum about Deirdre Rawlings to find information and a link to read more/purchase .. it's very good and a valuable resource, as we hope all the leads are on Lumigrate.com.)
Another is the Beat Sugar Addiction Now! bestseller by Jacob Teitelbaum, MD (author of From Fatigued to Fantastic), a book that our 'education partner' ITC Pharmacy sells as part of their education to their patients/ customers. So that book as well as a book about doing hormone replacement in a subtle way (which they are contributing), will be included in the book bag/giveaway that you can read more about by following the link below. 
I believe the book about sugar, which has a section about fibromyalgia that is simple and wonderful, should be purchased by anyone who eats food and is struggling with any kind of medical or energy condition, so I am purchasing the books as MY gift to the winning bags. You can find it at all the usual places AND at ITC Pharmacy (they have an online store, it's very easy and they ship right away, you'll have it ASAP AND can ask them about supplements as well and maybe get your health better while reducing costs. My supplements through them are high quality -- for more about THAT, see the Forums, Nutrition section, Supplementation forum.
In the mean time, locally, I have started the LumiGRATE Groove of the Grand Valley, which is intended to attract/select providers who are competent related to knowing what FMS 'is' and who have adapted what they are doing with clients/patients/ "consumers" to be appropriate for people with fibromyalgia. What I found is that each provider, just like each person I interact with who has fibromyalgia, has their own place where they are with knowing about fibromyalgia. One of the members is Analii Cunningham, who has helped me a great deal related to chronic pain through her subtle and interesting movement techniques, and she likes to have projects that are 'creative' related to her previous profession in the clothing/bag manufacturing realm.
So this year for FMS Awareness, I wanted to bring Lumigrate back to it's original roots, which is to have a mix of providers and consumers who are knowledgeable and capable with writing contribute what THEY think about the subject -- see each other 'in the stream' and then have something lasting on Lumigrate for people to read in the future -- to become more aware AND more knowledgeable. I'm getting together three gift bags which are custom for Lumigrate to be given to a local provider, a national provider and a person somewhere locally or across the country (or world) who submits something to 'the stream about awareness AND KNOWLEDGE'. I'll do the drawing the week after, on the 19th, in order to allow everyone time after the 'big day' to submit something.
Here is a link to what I have posted about this in the Awareness Forum -- But I suggest May 19th become Lumigrate Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Knowledge Day this year. I hope to see many people having had read and those who want to write to so. Registering is a very simple process and we don't share the database with anyone, we actually use it sparingly for our own purposes. You're part of our family here at Lumigrate and we treat y'all as such. "Contact us" if you have any questions. ~~ Mardy
Live and Learn. Learn and Live Better! is my motto. I'm Mardy Ross, and I founded Lumigrate in 2008 after a career as an occupational therapist with a background in health education and environmental research program administration. Today I function as the desk clerk for short questions people have, as well as 'concierge' services offered for those who want a thorough exploration of their health history and direction to resources likely to progress their health according to their goals. Contact Us comes to me, so please do if you have questions or comments. Lumigrate is "Lighting the Path to Health and Well-Being" for increasing numbers of people. Follow us on social networking sites such as: Twitter: http://twitter.com/lumigrate [2] and Facebook. (There is my personal page and several Lumigrate pages. For those interested in "groovy" local education and networking for those uniquely talented LumiGRATE experts located in my own back yard, "LumiGRATE Groove of the Grand Valley" is a Facebook page to join. (Many who have joined are beyond our area but like to see the Groovy information! We not only have FUN, we are learning about other providers we can be referring patients to and 'wearing a groove' to each other's doors -- or websites/home offices!) By covering some of the things we do, including case examples, it reinforces the concepts at Lumigrate.com as well as making YOU feel that you're part of a community. Which you ARE at Lumigrate!
Links:
[1] http://www.lumigrate.com/forum/fibromyalgiacfs-knowledge-day-2011-drawingcontest-what-do-you-knowthink-write-and-win-booksbag
[2] http://twitter.com/lumigrate
[3] http://www.lumigrate.com/blog/fibromyalgiacfs-awareness-day-2011-knowledge-day-may-19th-lumigrate#comment-1207
[4] http://www.lumigrate.com/blog/fibromyalgiacfs-awareness-day-2011-knowledge-day-may-19th-lumigrate#top
[5] http://www.lumigrate.com/user/login?destination=node/764%23comment-form
[6] http://www.lumigrate.com/user/register?destination=node/764%23comment-form
Comments
OR something went wiggy, so I've replaced the link that was there earlier today which was taking people to a dead end with the one above and I'm going to for SURE check that it works. ALWAYS checks your links, I know to do, but maybe I did not (or something went awry since) -- apologies if anyone was frustrated by that! Try again and maybe you'll like what you see and want to write! ~~ Mardy
PS -- Thanks to Analii who called me when she was having difficulties and for making me realize again how much all of us are doing our best to use this technology which for many of us is a reach and stretch for our abilities. That makes me appreciate ALL THE MORE, the effort people put in as I know it adds stress to those who would rather be spending more time doing or teaching yoga and movement therapies yet they realize the way to reach others to help with their efforts is through this amazing tool. So I hope to make Lumigrate the easiest website to work with in the future! There, one of my GOALS out there!
Live and Learn. Learn and Live Better! is my motto. I'm Mardy Ross, and I founded Lumigrate in 2008 after a career as an occupational therapist with a background in health education and environmental research program administration. Today I function as the desk clerk for short questions people have, as well as 'concierge' services offered for those who want a thorough exploration of their health history and direction to resources likely to progress their health according to their goals. Contact Us comes to me, so please do if you have questions or comments. Lumigrate is "Lighting the Path to Health and Well-Being" for increasing numbers of people. Follow us on social networking sites such as: Twitter: http://twitter.com/lumigrate [2] and Facebook. (There is my personal page and several Lumigrate pages. For those interested in "groovy" local education and networking for those uniquely talented LumiGRATE experts located in my own back yard, "LumiGRATE Groove of the Grand Valley" is a Facebook page to join. (Many who have joined are beyond our area but like to see the Groovy information! We not only have FUN, we are learning about other providers we can be referring patients to and 'wearing a groove' to each other's doors -- or websites/home offices!) By covering some of the things we do, including case examples, it reinforces the concepts at Lumigrate.com as well as making YOU feel that you're part of a community. Which you ARE at Lumigrate!