New Support Group/Helpline/Awareness raising
 I, myself, have battled for years to find a reason for my problems and finally I have been diagnosed with Fibromyalgia Syndrome and Hypermobility Syndrome. What I have learned to realise is that no one appears to have heard of either and that there is little awareness or support for sufferers particularly in rural areas such as Herefordshire.
There are many groups throughout the UK which are mainly ME/CFS based but have FM sufferers in them as they share similar or overlapping problems but none of them come under the FMA UK umbrella. This is often the case in rural areas.
I feel that there must be many more FM sufferers out there in Herefordshire that would like to link up and move forwards raising awareness and supporting those newly- diagnosed and long-term sufferers.
Whilst many people are saying that ME and FM are very much linked, it is treated as a separate illness in the UK.
FMA UK has an All Parliamentary Group on FM and encouragement by local support groups for MP's to join is important. (There are about 80 MP's joined up). Working together is something that the 100 groups and helplines have been doing to raise awareness etc... for some time and can't be achieved without them.
I am looking for anyone who is willing or able to help with any input whether for a support group or otherwise - ideas appreciated. Please e.mail me if you are interested or have any ideas or if you are an FM sufferer. It would help to know how may sufferers are in our County. |
