Brides with fibromyalgia or chronic illness?

I also ave Crohns. I've only been diagnosed about 18 months though. My sister has been diagnosed for over 10 years. I agree with JSARGE. Hire professionals, and let the professionals do their job. I also agree with Mardi. Diet and exercise leading up to your big day can tremendously help with stress. Not everything suggested will work for you, and I obviously of course recommend speaking to your doctors on ways to manage stress better.

Thanks for posting this. I have SLE and Fibro and already I'm feeling the stress so was looking up to see if anyone has tips. Gentle hugs and here's hoping your wedding goes smoothly!

I was recently diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis. Symptoms started back in October and I was finally diagnosed on February 1, 2016. Whenever I stress about work or the wedding, I get crazy amounts of pain sooo I hired a wedding planner and a day of coordinator. I feel better knowing I'm not alone!

ME-CFS/SEID & JHS/EDS3 so no promises any of this will be helpful but I hope it can be at least somewhat useful to you. Some are more focused on the actual day, some are general advice. Pretty much all are either going to be put into practice for us or are tips I've picked up from the last year-plus of planning.

Personally, I've found my uber organised self losing track of time when a flare kicks in as the days tend to blur together anyway. So I've made sure to utilise various reminders and organisation techniques (phone calendar alarms plus a physical day planner). It's made it tricky to attend meetings alone as I can barely follow what is being said on a bad day and will have likely forgotten the encounter 10 minutes later even on a good day - taking notes or recording the meetings has been great for this if FH is unable to make it.

- Have a back up plan. Even if it's just a quiet corner or a comfy seat away from the noise to take a minute to yourself. Maybe re-fuel (hydrate, medicate and take a second to yourself). Use it if need be, don't push yourself past your limits.

- Test run some discrete pain management techniques. If mindfulness works for you, grand. If not, look into portable TENs machines (pads plus power pack or even ones where it's all on one sticky unit barely bigger than a credit card) for specific pain points. This can be a good extra tool for when a specific point is causing you grief but your otherwise feel ok.

- Pace. Try to do little wedding tasks over the course of the week, rather than doing it in one solid block of time. If possible, ensure you're as comfortable as possible before undertaking a task.

- If you suffer from a fatigue aspect (HUGE issue for me, obvious given one of the names for the condition) then don't beat yourself up if something doesn't get done when you plan to do it. Give yourself space to breathe on "deadlines", perhaps switch tasks around a little depending on how you feel on a certain day.

I have fibromyalsia and psoriasis. Let's just say keeping the stress down is a major thing for me. I work out 5 days a week which helps. I work zero overtime and I started yoga this year. Everything seems to be working thus far.

I found planning a while ahead has also helped. Hopefully it will help reduce any huge amounts of stress later on.

But still nothing like some good ole muscle relaxers every once in a while lol

I have osteoarthritis in my knees and spine, spina bifida occulta, and a slight scoliosis. For me, physical therapy and the occasional painkiller is what did the trick (more so painkillers now, with all the health scares and stress and traveling, I've been really bad keeping up with my PT stretches and back to spending my days in pain...).

Sending virtual hugs and love to everyone who posts on this thread and the OP. <3 Everyone here will have a beautiful wedding (if they haven't already). I've been waiting for a thread like this to be started, sometimes I feel alone/judged because people look at me funny when I avoid a lot of stairs or have to ask for help lifting things (I'm young, I should be perfectly healthy in their eyes).

Hello I got diagnosed with CFIDS now called Chronic Myalgic Encephalomyelitis and Fibro at the age of 15. Rest and focus on your health, all of this vaulted me into getting my MA in Holistic Therapies. For me personally traditional medicine never helped, and it took years for me to get myself stronger but it can happen. Be patient and lean into your support system. <3

W has fibro (most treatments for which are contraindicated if you have a history of migraines, which she does). She dealt by deciding what parts of the wedding she wanted control over and letting me take care of the rest.

I was diagnosed with Fibro last year. The doctor prescribed Cymbalta, but after reading up on it, I decided not to take it. I have changed my diet, I work out regularly, and I try to keep my stress low.

Being VERY organized and starting early helped me. We started planning last June which gave us plenty of time.

There are days when I have flare ups and my have to take a Flexiril just to sleep but I HATE taking medicine so I am trying to tackle this naturally. To echo some PP, staying active seems to help. My doctor did suggest an elimination diet to see if removing gluten and some other things will help.

Aw, Hayley, I have UC too. I'm sorry you joined the club, but glad that you got a diagnosis quickly! It can be frustrating when you don't know what's wrong with you.

Back to the topic:

When I was first diagnosed 10 years ago, somehow one of the big scary images I had in my mind was that I would have a colostomy bag by the time I got married, and I was convinced that it would be the worst thing ever. But actually, I have been fortunate enough to never have had surgery! So, my wedding planning advice is to not take it for granted whatever IS going for you. The thing with chronic illnesses that flare and go into remission is that (for me at least) when I'm flaring, I ALWAYS say if only I were well I would never take my health for granted! And then.... of course I do. So, be thankful for the health you do have, and treat your body correctly. For me (and my 3 cousins with Crohn's Disease), sleep is soooo important. If I don't sleep enough, my gut hurts so much the next day. So do whatever you can to sleep and eat well. For me it is hard to sleep if I plan too much close to bed, because my mind just keeps planning. If I turn off the computer an hour or so before bed as a cool-down I sleep much better.

Good luck staying healthy!

Gastroparesis. It's gonna be so much fun eating all that fattening food and then paying for it later

I also have Crohn's didn't realize there were so many of us. I was in the hospital for a good portion of January. I had to reschedule 3 different wedding related appointments. My advice is spread out appointments. That being said try to check things off your to do list early in case your illness gets in the way you won't be behind. Hoping all you ladies feel as beautiful as you look on your wedding days!

I have fibromyalgia and my doc prescribed cymbalta. It helps sooo much. Diet makes a difference (I avoid dairy and white flour as much as possible, and try to get lots of fiber and veggies), and so does exercise, particularly with the fatigue. Even though the last thing you might want to do is work out - do it! You'll feel better. I just started yoga and it's amazing. The stretches - wow - does wonders for all the muscle pain. But even walking will help. Stay active for sure. If you can swim, that is good too.

Don't do too much at once, and don't stress out. It will all get done. When I was planning, the WW to-do list was great, but it would stress me out, so I stopped looking at it. Just do what you can and ask for help when you need it.

Best wishes and happy planning!

I have fibromyalgia, im pre-crohns and have some strange auto immune connective tissue disease. I don't have any tips, but have really been stressed lately from everything and my body's punished me on that with some major flares.

I have fibromyalgia, chronic migraines, and it's looking like I have some sort of IBD that has yet to reveal itself entirely. I started planning as early as possible. Starting with over a year ahead of me has allowed me to just pick one or two things at a time to research and decide on. This is how I've tackled the list of stuff to do so far to avoid stressing out. I'm accepting help almost any and everywhere it's offered. And in that same vain, deciding what I TRULY care about versus what I'm willing to "share my vision" just let people go from there. For example, center pieces and other decorative arrangements. I have a theme, some overall "guidelines" but I'm letting the people that offered take it from there. It's just not that critical of a detail to stress myself over. Finding excellent vendors is worth my time and energy. So pick your battles and pace yourself.

I have Sickle Cell Anemia and that comes with severe crisis. I am afraid that the weekend of my wedding I'll have one. And planning a wedding isn't easy. When I want to work on something I get a headache. To prevent crisis I try not to do alot of wedding planning. I drink a lot more water than usual.

I have Ankylosing Spondylitis, Psoriatic Arthritis, Celiac & now most likely Crohns (I am already treating it with my arthritis injections but showing signs & symptoms).

Weddings are stressful and that is a huge target for fibro and other chronic illnesses. I know it's easier said than done, but avoid stress before the big day as much as possible. Take extra time off of work, get lots of rest, do light activity, and eat well. Make sure you drink plenty of water. Avoid taking on huge DIY projects. As much as I love crafts, I didn't do a lot for my wedding. I spray painted a few things...but you really don't want the added pressure that could bring on a flare. Accept help when it come around! If someone offers, let them address envelopes, pick up your dress, or confirm RSVPS! That includes your FH. It's his wedding too! Let him put in some work and call vendors so you don't have overwhelming to-do lists. Don't forget to enjoy the process and remember why you're doing all of this work.

The week of the wedding will be hectic. It always is. A lot of brides get sick or end up in flares. Just be prepared to roll with the punches. Set timers for your medications and meals. Don't do anything that isn't necessary. Stay ahead of the pain and be preventative. On the big day....make sure your MOH or someone close to you has your medications and reminds you to eat! Do not forget to eat and drink plenty of water. I don't drink alcohol, but if you do, be careful with how much and drink water in between. It's fine if you need to kick your shoes off or take breaks. No one will be mad at you.

Overall, it's really just one day. Remember that, take a deep breath, and enjoy!

I have Sjögren's syndrome and fibromyalgia. My only advice is to take it slow. My wedding day is March 2017 and I'm already experiencing flare-ups from stress.