Last Updated on October 7, 2022 by melissanreynolds
I could never have imagined nearly a decade ago when I started this blog that I’d soon be able to create a list of my favorite chronic illness resources.
But here we are!
I could make several lists. Long ones.
This is not an exhaustive list. I do not even attempt to stay up to date with all of the wonderful bloggers and podcasters out there. I have to minimise how much brain space I give to chronic illness.
Connecting with blogs, podcasts, YouTube channels and social media accounts we can gain so much knowledge, support and understanding. Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome are just not well understood by most medical professionals we will see. So this information can be the difference between doing better or not.
I’d love to take a moment to say that starting and running a blog/podcast is a massive undertaking. Managing all of the things that go into the background of a blog is a lot on top of chronic symptoms (for those that have them). As a fellow blogger, I know the sheer amount of energy they give to create these resources. Which makes them all the more special.
Support Fibromyalgia
This organisation is run by a team of passionate patient advocates who work tirelessly to provide resources, support and advocacy to our community. Melissa Telwar is a top notch fibromyalgia advocate with a real passion for our community. The interviews and updates on their Facebook page alone is a treasure trove of information. Their conference is coming in November!
The Fibromyalgia Podcast
Tami Stackelhouse is the founder of the International Fibromyalgia Coaching Institute, author of a few books and runs The Fibromyalgia podcast. All of her resources are invaluable. Check out the podcast here – even as someone who has been living with symptoms and researching for as long as I have, I learn something from every episode.
Mind Your Fibromyalgia Podcast
Doctor Olga Pinkston is a doctor who specializes in fibromyalgia! In her introduction to her podcast she says it’s purpose is to, “discuss up-to-date information about fibro, it’s treatment, the biology and psychology of this condition, I cover the pain science education, the complementary and alternative methods available to you now to improve your symptoms”. Check it out here – it’s like a course on fibromyalgia on it’s own.
Bonus – My Work 🙂
If you love learning about fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome then you may want to click around this blog! You could start with the treatments that help me keep my symptoms mild. I also have a pregnancy and fibromyalgia resource page. I’ve been sharing my journey and research for nearly a decade, so there’s a fair amount here!
Doctor Andrea Furlan
Doctor Furlan is a doctor who specialises in pain. Her YouTube channel is a repository of knowledge on everything from supplements, to medicines, to exercises for us. Subscribe here. At the time of writing she has a whopping 434k subscribers!
A Chronic Voice
Sheryl doesn’t write about fibromyalgia, specifically. But she knows chronic health conditions. Her blog and social media channels are a wealth of knowledge, advocacy and support. Her podcast, Sick Lessons, explores life lessons from living with chronic illness, mental illness and disability. Fun fact: I was her second guest!
Butterfly Chats
This is a relatively new podcast from Fibro Flash/Latoya Clark. She shares from the perspective of a very experienced patient. This podcast is engaging and informative. She always designs cool t-shirts and other merch. Check it out today.
My Several Worlds
The tagline for My Several Worlds is Advocating for Chronic Illness Awareness in Asia. Carrie is a tireless advocate (not just for those in Asia) and also a big reader, check out her blog and Facebook page. I love her honesty, she shares the real and the beautiful of life with chronic illness.
Rise Above Epilepsy
Tiffany is simply rocking advocacy for epilepsy. Everything I know about epilepsy, I learnt from her. She’s fun, wonderful and has a lot of information on her site. She is one of the few I have on my favourites tab. This is her Facebook page.
Fed up With Fatigue
Donna shares research round ups every Friday as well as loads of other (well researched) content. She is one of the first fibromyalgia bloggers I found and one I always check when I’m writing about a new topic. You can find her blog here.
These are just nine of the wonderful chronic illness resources that exist. We are so lucky now, compared to just a decade ago. I’d love to do a bigger list one day, would that interest anyone?
Melissa, this was so nice to wake up to. Thank you so much for your kind words and most of all, your friendship! I’m so glad we connected and are able to chat and support each other!