Fibromyalgia Podcast

“You need to make room for yourself.” - Lauren Vazzano If you’re struggling with fibromyalgia and juggling the responsibilities of motherhood, you’re not alone. The good news is that you can feel better with the right strategies and support. Making yourself a priority and improving your health is the best way to support your family and help them to be in good health and good spirits. Focusing on yourself can feel much easier said than done when you're in the thick of things, and that’s where a coach can make a huge difference. You don’t need to go on this journey alone. Today’s guest, Lauren Vazzano, joins Tami to talk about how she was able to drastically improve her fibromyalgia symptoms as a stay-at-home mom with two young children. Diagnosed in the fall of 2020, Lauren's story is a testament to resilience and the power of being proactive about your health. In this conversation, Lauren and Tami discuss Lauren’s fibromyalgia diagnosis timeline, how she was affected by the pandemic, the difficulties of homes

Welcome to episode 03 of our special Be a Coach Series. In this series, I answer questions about our Certified Fibromyalgia Advisor® class and what it takes to be a Certified Fibromyalgia Coach®. In episode one of the series, I explained what a Certified Fibromyalgia Advisor® is and what a Certified Fibromyalgia Coach® is. Episode two of the series was all about who makes a good coach and who is better suited to be an advisor. I also covered what you need and don’t need to become a Certified Fibromyalgia Coach®. In this episode, we’re taking a deeper look at why someone would want to become a Certified Fibromyalgia Coach®, why the world needs fibro coaches, and why you should consider becoming one.           Note: This episode is not meant to be medical advice. Every person and every situation is unique. The information you learn in this episode should be shared and discussed with your own healthcare providers. Don't like waiting? Register now to have the complete 'Be A Coach' series, along with several bonus

“Give yourself some grace and just know that you've done this for a reason, and it will make your life better.” - Deb Thompson   Many times, people with fibromyalgia put off surgeries that they need to have because they're worried about the inevitable fibro flare that's coming. When we have surgery, chances are that it’s going to cause a fibro flare. The good news is that while our pain may initially get worse, it then gets much better.   The key to getting through this is planning and owning what you need. No matter how close someone is to you or how much they know you, it’s always your job to understand and communicate your needs. When you have the right tools, it’s much easier to put that possible fibro flare into perspective and do what’s best for your health.   Today, Tami is joined by Certified Fibromyalgia Coach® Deb Thompson to discuss practical tips for anyone with fibromyalgia who is facing a major medical procedure. Deb has recently had her third major surgery in eight years, and she’s sharing what

Welcome to episode 02 of our special Be a Coach Series. In this series, I answer questions about our Certified Fibromyalgia Advisor® class and what it takes to be a Certified Fibromyalgia Coach®. I cover all the basics… the who, what, when, where, why, and even the how. Don’t understand what a Certified Fibromyalgia Coach® or Adviser is? No problem. Just pop on over to episode one of the series because that is exactly what we covered in that episode. In this episode, I’m covering the who. Who makes a good coach? Who makes a good Certified Fibromyalgia Coach®? Who makes a good Certified Fibromyalgia Advisor®? And, how do you know which one you might be? I also cover what I look for in the applications I accept into the training program and what you need and don’t need to join us a become a Certified Fibromyalgia Coach® or Advisor yourself.         Note: This episode is not meant to be medical advice. Every person and every situation is unique. The information you learn in this episode should be shared and disc

In the US, approximately 1 in 13 women and 1 in 20 men are diagnosed with fibromyalgia. To put those numbers in perspective, breast cancer affects 1 in 8 women, cervical cancer affects 1 in 13 women, and colon cancer affects 1 in 25 women and 1 in 23 men. Yet, even though the prevalence of fibromyalgia is in a similar range, screening for these cancers has become mainstream, and fibromyalgia remains on the sidelines of medical training. As patients, we have to be more proactive than ever and be as knowledgeable as possible to make good decisions about our care. In many cases, we know more than our doctors, who - despite being compassionate - just don’t know how to help you. Unfortunately, it’s just the way the system is set up. This is the reason Tami created the International Fibromyalgia Coaching Institute. A Certified Fibromyalgia Advisor® or Certified Fibromyalgia Coach® can help fill this care gap by educating, encouraging, and supporting people with fibromyalgia. In today’s ninth installment of our Stor

As a master Certified Fibromyalgia Coach®, author, and fibro podcaster, the questions I’m asked more than any others are: How do I get better? How do I improve my Fibromyalgia so I can get back to living the life I want to live? While those sound like simple questions, they do not have simple answers. We all have similar symptoms, what helps you feel better may not be the thing that helps me feel better. We all have to find our own magic formula for what makes us feel best. I know from personal experience just how overwhelming it can be to find that formula on your own. That’s why I created a training program in 2015 that would teach people just like you how to improve their own Fibromyalgia, and how to help others do the same. In this first episode of a special series where I’ll be answering a lot of questions I get about our Certified Fibromyalgia Advisor® class and about becoming a Certified Fibromyalgia Coach®, I want to start super basic. We’re going over what a Certified Fibromyalgia Coach® is, how that

“I’m having trouble finding my team, as you call it. I often feel so alone in this. How can I best find a doctor to suit my needs?” Choosing your healthcare team is a highly personal process that requires you to really understand your specific wants and needs. There are so many options, and, let's face it, there aren’t a whole lot of good doctors out there. When building your health team, remember you won’t find one doctor who can do everything for you. You need a team of people, from a sleep doctor to a chiropractor to a primary care doctor and more in between. Once you have a team in place, there are still several reasons you may need to go back to the drawing board and find a new provider. Whether you’ve moved further away, you’re experiencing new symptoms or a new diagnosis, or you simply feel like you’re no longer in good hands with your provider, there are certain things that signal that you should move on. You should never settle for fine. In today’s installment of Ask the Coach, Tami shares some of th

Today, Tami has another bonus episode for you! Tami was recently interviewed by Meghan DeVito for the Kingdom Employee podcast. Once again, she’s sharing this conversation with you as a peek behind the curtain into an area of her life you normally don’t see. In this conversation, Tami shares more about her spirituality and how her Christian beliefs impact her life, her business, and her work with clients. Meghan and Tami discuss the role the faith and spirituality has to help people cope with chronic pain. Tami also shares some strategies for effectively communicating, delegating tasks, setting boundaries, and adapting lifestyles to help you manage your fibromyalgia symptoms. If you’ve ever wondered about Tami’s beliefs and how they influence the type of work she does and how she built her business, this is a great episode for you to check out.         Note: This episode is not meant to be medical advice. Every person and every situation is unique. The information you learn in this episode should be shared an

In 2009 - two years after her diagnosis - Tami started working with a coach and making positive changes in her life. At the same time that she saw her fibromyalgia begin to improve, she started noticing beautiful cherry blossom trees everywhere. They weren’t new, but her awareness of them was. Knowing that they frequently appear in Japanese and Chinese art, she looked up their symbolism, and what she found resonated deeply with her and her fibromyalgia experience. In Japanese and Chinese art, cherry blossoms symbolize feminine beauty. They represent delicateness, strength, and power. With their fleeting beauty, cherry blossoms highlight the transience of life and the fact that no matter where you are and what you’re going through, this too shall pass. In today’s episode, Tami shares why she chose cherry blossoms in her logo, book covers, and more and uses them to represent the journey with fibromyalgia. She discusses how working with a health coach helped her fibromyalgia to start to improve, the moment cherr

In this special bonus episode, Tami is sharing a side of things you normally don’t see. Today, we’re going behind the scenes of her business to share an interview she did with Cassie Parks from build. grow. profit. Cassie’s podcast is all about how people built and grew their businesses to the point of profitability. If you have ever been curious about how Tami went from being a patient struggling with fibromyalgia to becoming a successful fibromyalgia coach and eventually founding the International Fibromyalgia Coaching Institute, this episode is for you. It’s also for you if you are wondering about becoming a coach yourself or about how it’s possible to build a business while also finding ways to improve your fibromyalgia symptoms. If you’ve ever thought you couldn’t build a business because of your fibromyalgia, please listen to this interview. If you enjoy this episode, please check out Cassie Parks’ podcast, build. grow. profit.         Note: This episode is not meant to be medical advice. Every person a

With fibromyalgia, balancing acceptance and hope can sometimes feel a little like being stuck between a rock and a hard place. Acceptance isn’t about staying where you are. It’s about embracing the unknown and allowing your body right now while being open to letting her be who she needs to be and become who she needs to become. On the other side, having hope for feeling better means that you believe life will get better, and you’re open to trying different options and seeing what works. Today, Tami is exploring how to balance the here-and-now focus of acceptance and the forward motion of hope. She’s talking about her GPS analogy for understanding the balance between the acceptance of where you are and the hope of feeling better, what it looks like to aim for being accurate about your goals rather than aiming for perfection, making continuous assessments and adjustments on your journey, accepting your current reality, the moment Tami finally accepted where she was and the struggle to get there, the danger of g

Today, I have another bonus episode for you. Back in April, I was interviewed by Adam Devaney for the Loving Our Life’s Work Podcast, and Adam has graciously agreed to let me share that conversation with you. In our conversation, we explore our purpose, authenticity, and the transformative power of self-discovery. I specifically dive into how I came to be doing the work I do today helping you feel better and how that truly is my life’s work. This is a side of my story I don’t discuss very often and I’m excited to share with you. If you enjoy this episode, please check out Adam DeVaney's Loving Our Life's Work Podcast.         Note: This episode is not meant to be medical advice. Every person and every situation is unique. The information you learn in this episode should be shared and discussed with your own healthcare providers. To learn more about the resources mentioned in this episode, visit the show notes. For daily doses of hope, inspiration, and practical advice, join Tami on Facebook or Instagram. Need

Movement is not a way to pay for what you’ve eaten or shrink your body. It’s a way to care for your body and feel how you want to feel in it. If we reframe our thinking, moving away from focusing on what we want our bodies to look like and toward what we want them to do, it becomes easier to treat ourselves with kindness and respect. You can’t control your health just by eating a certain way and exercising. There’s so much more to overall health, and you can’t measure it on your bathroom scale. Instead, by setting goals that are meaningful to your life and experiences, like improving your sleep or increasing your mobility, you can shift focus to where it matters most and will have the biggest positive impact on your life. Today, Tami is joined by size-inclusive fitness specialist Kim Hagle to talk about diet culture and movement as self-care. Kim was also diagnosed with fibromyalgia just six months ago, and her work and fitness routine has had to shift as a result. If you’ve ever felt hesitant to exercise bec

Today, I'm sharing the other half of my conversation with Dr. Andrea Moore. In the previous episode, I interviewed Dr. Andrea about her work. Dr. Andrea has her own chronic pain story, and she now helps those suffering from chronic pain find harmony and safety within their bodies. Today's bonus episode is a replay from her podcast, Unweaving Chronic Pain, where she interviewed me. Dr. Andrea and I explore the interaction between mind and body, especially when chronic pain is persistent. We address common misconceptions and highlight the importance of setting realistic goals that respect our current limitations. The conversation sheds light on the potential of incremental healing and the value of celebrating small victories for sustainable progress in managing fibromyalgia. In this candid discussion, we also cover the various symptoms associated with this condition and the range of solutions that can provide relief. Topics include the role of the subconscious in personal growth, the high incidence of sleep apn

“Sometimes taking care of yourself means not doing all the things.” When you have chronic pain, it’s easy for self-care to become a job where you have to do all of these things, or else you haven't taken care of yourself. But self-care should nourish you and fill your cup; it shouldn’t feel like a burden. Healing requires us to develop a toolbox of techniques that work for our individual needs, and one of the biggest game-changers on the journey to getting better is getting in tune with the right energy for approaching our healing. Today, Tami is joined by Dr. Andrea Moore to explore how self-care can turn into self-sabotage and why focusing too much on eliminating pain can, in fact, amplify it. Dr. Andrea has her own chronic pain story, and she now helps those suffering from chronic pain find harmony and safety within their bodies. If you find yourself constantly chasing new wellness trends or ticking off an endless list of self-care rituals, this episode is for you. In this conversation, Tami and Dr. Andrea

In this special bonus episode, I'm sharing a recent guest appearance I made on the Beyond Diagnosis podcast hosted by Rita De Michele. Beyond Diagnosis helps women over 40 who are not getting the solutions or outcomes they would like to see from traditional medical care. Rita is a Mindset and Empowerment Coach and, in this interview, we actually start at a pretty basic level since she has listeners who might not understand what fibromyalgia is. In the interview, we discuss what fibromyalgia is, what the research is that shows fibromyalgia is real, the first things I did when I started working on improving my symptoms, and some of the things you can do to begin improving your fibromyalgia symptoms, and the mindset shifts that are needed in order to become an empowered patient. If you enjoy this episode, please check out the rest of Rita's podcast here.     Note: This episode is not meant to be medical advice. Every person and every situation is unique. The information you learn in this episode should be shared

“We can help almost anyone feel better because we have so many tools at our disposal.” - Dr. Robin Pfaff Managing fibromyalgia requires a holistic approach that goes beyond physical symptoms and equally addresses emotional, mental, and spiritual health. Our well-being is multidimensional, and each aspect requires attention and care. To explore this approach further, today Tami is joined by Certified Fibromyalgia Coach® Dr. Robin Pfaff. Tami and Robin are talking about her new book, Living Your BEST Life with Fibromyalgia: A Compassionate Approach to Reclaiming Your Heath and Reimagining Your Purpose, which Tami found to be very powerful. Robin’s book is an incredible resource for people living with fibromyalgia. As with all aspects of our health, the most lasting change comes when we dedicate ourselves to participating in the activities, reflections, and exercises shared. By engaging at that level, you can cultivate a deeper understanding of yourself and take meaningful steps towards a fulfilling life despite

In this special bonus episode, I'm sharing a recent guest appearance I made on the Power in Motion Podcast hosted by Kim Hagle. Kim is a Certified Personal Trainer, Non-Diet Nutritionist and Body Image Coach – who’s on a mission to empower women to break free from tortuous exercise, restrictive eating and body shame, so they can free up their time, energy and resources to pursue their life’s purpose. Kim was also recently diagnosed with Fibromyalgia and found her way to me after a disappointing doctor's appointment left her feeling like she needed to do her own research. Kim and I had such a great time during this interview that I not only wanted to share it with you (with her permission, of course), but I also invited her to a guest on this show. So, tuned for that conversation on July 2nd. If you love this interview, you'll love her podcast. So, be sure to check it out!     Note: This episode is not meant to be medical advice. Every person and every situation is unique. The information you learn in this epi

“No matter how small, any type of advocacy you do will have an impact.” - Lily Garner According to the NIH, fibromyalgia affects 1 in 13 women in the US. That means about twice as many women are diagnosed with fibromyalgia as are diagnosed with colon cancer, and while you're not going to die from fibromyalgia, living with fibro pain and fatigue can feel like its own kind of death. Despite this and the fact that this rate is on par with or higher than many other conditions, fibromyalgia research continues to receive less funding than its counterparts. The massive gap in advocacy and awareness means that while every woman knows to get a mammogram each year to screen for breast cancer or annual exams for cervical cancer, most doctors have never been taught how to screen for fibromyalgia or how to treat it. Some educational institutions still teach that fibromyalgia is a psychological disorder. If we want this to change, we need more funding for fibromyalgia research and more people like today’s guests, Ann and L

Have you ever wondered why some people have an easier time managing their fibromyalgia than others? We all have natural strengths and weaknesses and approach life in a unique way. Managing our fibromyalgia is no different. Our personalities play a central role in how we approach life and our fibromyalgia, and research has shown that our personality traits have a direct influence on health outcomes and fibromyalgia symptoms. Empowerment comes from figuring out exactly where your natural strengths and challenges lie so that you can support yourself in a sustainable way that will bring about the best possible outcome for you. To help you on that journey, Tami created the Fibromyalgia Wellness Style℠ Quiz, based on the five-factor model of personality, which measures specific traits from low to high. In this episode, Tami discusses why she created the Fibromyalgia Wellness Style℠ Quiz, the five-factor model of personality, how the “big 5” personality traits affect fibromyalgia management, the two traits most asso