"FibroWHYalgia", by Sue Ingebretson

I'm hoping that my having written something here about FibroWHYalgia will encourage people to purchase a copy for themselves or people surrounding them who could learn from Sue Ingebretson's amazing book.  I've had my copy since this spring, so I had the opportunity to show it around a lot this summer when on the Front Range, as well as to the professionals and people with an interest in fibromyalgia who I come in contact with when 'home' in western Colorado (and everyone in between, I was all over the state to get two other OTRs writing on Lumigrate). 

I keep all the books which appear on Lumigrate's forum area in my car in a little canvas bag a friend gave me from a fundraiser I helped with so I can easily show them when the opportunities arise. I like to show the books to people because it is such a wonderful component to Lumigrate's concept related to educating medical consumers and providers. Typically people are at least interested and leaf through them with as much time as is allowed, but it's very interesting to watch what people 'do' when they see and handle FibroWHYalgia .... suffice it to say, they are 'taken in by it'.  The cover is designed beautifully, and when they turn the book over their faces sometimes light up when they see Sue's photo!  One of my OT friends even said 'I feel like she's my friend'...  I'd felt that as well but she could be the much less tall identical twin to one of my friends from college. 

There is an impressive list of endorsements and great reviews from other medical professionals and wellness "authorities?" which are very impressive! 

I have read FibroWHYalgia from cover to cover and have read portions of it over and believe it is a book that anyone with any kind of health issue would benefit from reading, because she describes in just the right mix of detail, and in a friendly, easy-to-read-way, what she experienced; how bad it was, the frustrations of medical providers not knowing what to look for and then being validated and revitalized in the parking lot one day by a total stranger in a story I won't spoil by giving away more information on it here, but suffice it to say it brought tears to my eyes and made me root all the more for her in the successes she has had since that day. In that regard, it ended up being a 'page-turner' in a way, and when I find myself going back to reread portions it is because I find it such an overall enjoyable book.

Sue describes doing exactly what I did years ago, which was to sit down with her 'thinking tools' and build a time line and start figuring out what caused what.  And then she used that same 'gumption' to find her way from chronic illness back to our natural state of 'chronic wellness'.  She works references in about her Norwegian heritage, something I share, as my father was adopted by a woman whose parents emigrated from Norway.  As I see us both working diligently, consistently promoting our professional efforts to bring quality, progressive eduction about fibromyalgia to people as much as possible, I can't help but think about the cultural 'old country work ethic' which has both been a blessing and a curse to me, I recognize.  I'll let you find out from FibroWHYalgia how Sue's modified her lifestyle. She has provided a wonderful resource about different treatments and strategies for people to consider pursuing.

Mostly, I'd like to say I cannot more highly recommend FibroWHYalgia!  I literally felt a sense of relief that someone had written 'the book that I was going to after I got Lumigrate to where I had time to devote to writing a book', and then I wondered if I'd be able to have done as beautiful a job with it as Sue did.  Compliments, my fibromyalgia friend! 

Sue provided a very nice summary about the book on Lumigrate which I invited her to place in the Top Picks about Fibromyalgia portion of the Forums. It appears it will have 1,000 reads in about half a year, which is an impressive number for Lumigrate in our 2nd year where we're still keeping this a quiet little website with potent information provided to those who will come in increasing numbers once we're ready to 'open it up'!  I'm providing the link, below, and from there you can follow along to links on Sue's website so as to be most up to date about how to obtain the book should you take the moments to order it.  I highly encourage you to do so.  It currently is available from well-known online ordering businesses and working it's way onto the shelves of health food stores as well.  (This is as Thanksgiving-time 2010, I hope in the near future it is sold in many more locations as I think it would help ever person who had a copy!)

Also, may I suggest you set people up to know how to obtain it as a gift idea, or pass the information to your library and ask them to purchase a couple of copies. Hitting 'Print' of this could be one suggestion.  If you're in a position to purchase a small quantity of them, inquire with Sue about doing so, as I'm interested in a batch to give as gifts to those I want to 'know more about it'!  Again, her strategies are applicable to anyone with any kind of complex health issue, in my opinion, not just fibromyalgia.  ~~ Mardy

To order directly go to www.RebuildingWellness.com [1].  (The book is also at Amazon.com and B&N.com)

Link to the wonderful and popular summary on Lumigrate by Sue of FibroWHYalgia: www.lumigrate.com/forum/fibrowhyalgia-summarized [2]

ALSO (this is NEW to me and VERY COOL!) take a look for yourself using Amazon's great Look Inside feature at www.amazon.com/FibroWHYalgia-Rebuilding-Chronic-Restores-Wellness/dp/0984311807/ref=sr_1_1 [3]

And naturally, your comments posted below will encourage others to read the book and/or encourage people to start following Sue and her continuing work as an activist and educator in the fibromyalgia field. 

Simply put: It is a wonderful gift to all that Sue made the commitment to spending her resources to provide others with this book. It shares an amazing story in a boldly honest way, revealing what it was like to cycle into chronic illness, and how to stop the cycle and put it in reverse and cycle back up into chronic wellness!  I strongly feel FibroWHYalgia can help each person who reads it. I hope you will be one.  ~~ Mardy