Here are tips on how to survive school when you suffer from FMS or any other chronically painful illness. I did survive and am alive to tell the tale. I did not know these tips, when I was in high school, so what I did instead, was
skip school quite a bit in order to sleep. This is actually effective, if you can manage the good grades at the same time, which I could because I am somewhat smart-ish.

TIP 1: Depression: Get rid of it. You don’t need it. It is important that any depression you have is effectively treated, otherwise you may find you are too tired to bother attending classes, eat or get out of bed. Which is essentially how I spent my freshman year, and I would not recommend it- totally not good for the grades. Pain sucks, so depression is a risk for us all. There are many options to manage this from cognitive therapy to medication. Get help if you need it.
TIP 2: Sleep: Now this is a tricky one because with FMS it is likely you have one or more sleeping disorders. And so it is not likely you are sleeping well, which leads to sleep deprivation, more pain and cotton wood head. The solution to this is far more difficult. The first thing to consider is your sleep habits; trust me they will not help you get to sleep, but they are good to maintain in order to establish a routine with little distractions. Secondly, there are herbal supplements, which are worth a try, such as; chamomile, hops and Valerian root. The next step would be some medication to assist with sleep; these vary from Trazodone which is a sedative and anti-depressant, to over the counter sleep aids and medical sleep aids. Getting enough sleep is a constant battle and it is best you discuss your sleeping disorder type and how to manage it with your doctor. There is always the risk if the professor is insanely boring or speaks in a low monotone that you will cat nap in class, but if you do this,
wear sun glasses and don’t snore.
TIP 3: Eating: I found in order to help with the brain fog during class, I would bring small snacks to eat throughout the day. I suppose it balances the blood sugar or something. What it does do is help with the more intense concentration problems: you know the ones where you look right at someone, they are speaking, and yet you have not understood a word they have said. I recommend granola bars and such, but maybe if you go with popcorn you can pretend you are watching a movie rather than your professor, and if he is boring you can boo and bombard him with it.
TIP 4: Fibro Fog: If you have successfully managed to handle tip 1 though 3, your fibro fog will be lessened, yet not defeated. So, when you can’t be rid of something you must work with it. I used to be the type of student that only needed to read the texts and would ace any essay- not so much anymore. I learned the art of note taking. First notes taken in class were just a quick sprawl, then later I would compile them into more structure. Looking at the notes later will help you remember the whole and the actual act of note taking helps you remember what you have written. It is a necessary skill, since sometimes you will not get much from a lecture and you need something to fall back on later. So more concentration on scribbling general notes and less effort spent on trying to figure out what the professor is actually saying.
TIP 5: Studying: I never had developed study habits, so this was a bit of a challenge. It is also a note taking adventure. Start by reading the text and highlighting important points as you go; the highlighting actually
helps you focus as you read. Then go through again, write some notes and then study the notes. As you might have noticed it will take a little more time to study or do research for a paper and unfortunately that is the
way it goes. The best way to study also involves taking many short breaks; walk around a bit, have a snack and then get back to it. If you find the Fibro fog is beginning to dull your mind, it is best to take a break and return to a different subject. And remember FMS causing the brain to stutter and spit out words you did not want or in the wrong order, so never underestimate the power of a second draft and editing.
TIP 6: Inform your teacher or professor that you have FMS. If he/she is aware before time, then if you miss class because of a flare up, notes of those lectures can be provided to you. You might also be able to get
extensions for some papers and if you are having problems you can still consult the teacher. Sometimes if you have a full class load, you may have to drop a class for the semester to decrease that work load.
And those tips were how I made it through my BA and MA. Along with avoiding alcohol and not working while I was in school, I would also recommend not learning a new language. Fibro fog and learning a new language is
surprisingly hard. I still have no clue what my French professor was talking about. Also I am a firm believer in power napping. So like everything else with FMS, take it slow and steady and you will win the race.
Article written by Nikki Albert, © 2007 butyoudontlooksick.com
Bio: I am a thirty year old Canadian suffering from FMS, chronic migraines
and asthma. Which makes me a whole ball of fun. My favorite hobbies are
reading and creative writing.