Laughing About Fibromyalgia & Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

I’ve found humour is absolutely essential to surviving chronic illness. I’ve taken to laughing myself into hysterics whenever my brain fog causes me to do something ridiculous – even when nobody else is around! Sure, I still have to clean up the broken glass (or spilled food, or take the keys back out of the refridgerator etc etc etc) but at least I got a laugh out of it!

The only way to retain a modicum of sanity with FMS is through humor. If we take our disease and our woes too seriously, they’ll win!

Oh yes!My humor leaves only for brief moments when I cry because the pain is so bad,but then the endorphins kick in after I’ve had a good cry,so that’s not so bad,huh?
Also,amongst us fellow fibro sufferers,I refer to it as the “f” word because that’s truely where it belongs.

Oh, this is the best blog post to date!!!

What is life no matter a diagnosis without laughter???

Love it!!

You might have Chronic Fatigue Syndrome if you have to check the clock to see if it is AM or PM when you wake up!!!

Or “if you see the clock and still don’t know whether it’s AM or PM”

Based on my personal experiende:

You might have CFS/FM if you start to wonder who sleeps more, you or the dog!

You might have CFS/FM if you are always too tired to go to sleep!

You might have CFS/FM if you realize your “morning” Cafe L’Orange is just not realizing you poured your orange juice into your coffee mug!

Thank you! After 23 years of dealing with FMS, it is wonderful to share some laughter with others who know what I am going through.

Here is my favorite saying:

Of all the things I’ve lost, I miss my mind the most.

Sometimes I just HAVE to laugh because It’s NOT often that you hear a ” normal ” person say ” I’m just not feeling WELL ENOUGH to even make it to the Drs. Office ! ”

I’ve had many of those times! It gets to the point where you JUST HAVE to laugh, or you’d be in tears ALL of the time !!

Brownie – I use that statement ALL THE TIME! Of all the things I miss, I miss my mind the most – it’s a perfect fit.
Laughter and a sense of humor are paramount in dealing with CFS/FM/ME,etc. I use the wrong words in my sentences all the time but my 18 yr old daughter will sometimes call me on it. I’ll say the silliest things, and then she gives me that look…….like WHAT Mom???? I know I must have said something that doesn’t make sense. She will tell me what I said and then we just LAUGH! And I’m so happy that she can laugh with me – she gets it!

THe best laugh i have had for ages .
you really need to laugh at yourself or you would cry.
I have a mobilityscooter and i have two stickers on there

Cobble stones give me thrills

caution-i can go from o-bolshie crip in 2.5 seconds …..bye for know ang

When seeing a new care provider for the first time, I was describing my skin sensitivity by saying that even accidentally brushing against the cedar tree outside my house caused welts on my forearm. But, fibro queen that i am i said ‘foreskin’ instead. Even this seasoned professional was puzzled as to how a 43 year old woman could become symtomatic on her foreskin.

Madalyn, that had me in stitches laughing! Very funny. Still grinning.

Thanks all for the laughs. Both my husband and I words we want to use so we use “words” that are totally unrelated to the English language (or any other language for that matter). Then we laugh while we try to guess the right ones!! LOL.

We’ve also called the doctor to say we are to sick to come in !!

I identify the most with Adrienne’s joke:

“You know you’ve got chronic fatigue syndrome when you wake up in the morning to get ready for your nap.” )

Thank you all……to funny. Yeah love the, when I wake up I need a nap. Nice to know I’m not alone….

im dealing with the guy i love and his CFS it sucks and it makes me cry im not sure how to help

Reading these “funnies” have been the best thing that happened to me today.

Sometimes I start laughing at almost nothing; I am sure those around me wonder if I’ve flipped.

PLEASE keep sending the “funnies” my way. Thanks. kal

LOVE IT!! Someone understands! I used to say “See this little finger, it’s the only thing on me that doesn’t hurt”…Then the FMS spread to my hands! My trademark saying, “If I had a brain, I’d be dangerous!” Thanks for the great jokes for those of us that totally get it!

FM when you leave a paperback book in freezer and hubby asks if this is a HOT novel I was reading. Better remember where your book is haha

The best thing to do when you have FM/CF is laugh or you will cry! I love to laugh & you all made do that! Wonderful just wonderful. Thank’s Kathe

Someone wrote this somewhere (sorry I’d give credit but can’t remember who or where I read it)…When someone asks you how you are doing say “FINE” which stands for frustrated, irritated, non-functional, & everything hurts!

You know when you have Fibro when you put in a call for a support group, and the administer forgets to call you back, not once but twice… and when she does, she forgets why she called!

When my rheumatologist was testing me for the tender points I kicked him in the crotch. x]

I like to call that bad positioning, or bad foresight.

The best part – I didn’t even realize I did it until my mother told me in the car on the way home.

Maybe that’s why he was never quite polite with me after the initial meeting…?

thanks for FINE & the F word–love the jokes
isn’t it great to find people who “get it”

When my kids would get rowdy or silly, and even now that they are grown, I will look at them very seriously and say, “When I find my brain You are in BIG trouble Mister!!” or “Sister!” for my daughter. LOL My son’s friends have even volunteered to look for it! “Is it bigger than a breadbox?” “Where’d you last see it?” They are such goofballs!!

I was diagnosed 25 years ago, and when year after year, nobody still didn’t know nothin’ ’bout this infernal disorder, I always said that the scientists who choose to research fibromyalgia have to do their work in the tool shed out behind the house, because they don’t get enough research funds for a real lab!

The sad thing is that all jokes are true. I guess that’s what makes them so funny. You know you have FMS when you and the dog have a sleep off and you win!

I also remember going to a psychologist for support and comfort years ago.. She informed me that she had an issue with time management…five hours later (as I was waiting to see her!) My husband was ready to call the police!! Needless to say, I didn’t go back!

LOL!!!! So funny! Nice to know you’re not alone. You know you have IT (I’m not feeling well, so I can’t say its name) when you go to bed at 11 pm, wake up at 3 am, and have your morning cup of coffee!

I had a great one, but I forgot it by the time I got to the comment form. %}

Oh yes, I remembered it: When new people (who don’t really want to know) ask me how I am, I say “I’m just as great as yesterday.” I said this to an elderly hospital escort on a test day and she made a big deal out of it, saying “you really mean that, don’t you?” I thought she was on board, but they she just went on and on about how most people are so negative and need to be as positive as I am. LOL

Here’s another one for you. I wrote a little song about fibro fog using a “fibro frog” as the mascot. It’s just better with the cute photo. See it at my blog:
http://xsarenkax.blogspot.com/2009/06/my-new-mascot-fibro-frog.html

Keep smiling!

Omgosh, I love your song! I always get songs stuck in my head, this one is going to be there for a few days…..lol Can’t wait to share it with my family. Thanks.

This is great. Until last year my favorite fibro joke was “Do you know why there isn’t a fibro support day? Because none of us can remember when it is!” But now we have a day, so I hope someone reminds me when it is.

Fibro funnies….
One day at the doctor’s office – my first visit – doctor came into the waiting room – called my name -I said “here”. He said “come with me” I said “not if you are going to hurt me”. He laughed and so did everyone in the room. This is a real event.
I then introduced him to my cane named “nova”….. that always makes people laugh.
I also named my walker “Clint” – for you younin’ he was a cowboy actor.
I have a long list of “funnies” that I’ve compiled while hospitalized for 14 days. I read them when I need a laugh. One of these days I’m going to write a book with all of those “funnies”.
I also have a notebook filled with jokes, cartoons and things I’ve saved over the years that made me laugh. One day when I needed a laugh I was looking through said notebook and came across a torn piece of paper – looked on both sidees for the joke and realized there was no joke – nothing made sense of what was written. I laughed so hard tears came to my eyes thinking “how dumb” to save that piece of paper. The next time I looked at the notebook – there it was again – I laughed even harder thinking I had thrown it out. I keep it just as a reminder……… oh I can’t remember what for ..
Oh yes, to laugh.

Thanks for all the funny comments, it’s great to laugh.
You know you have FM when you get in your car and turn to give your hubby hell because he’s not starting the car and leaving only to find out your all alone and remember you drove yourself there. You get out of your car scanning the neighborhood to see if anyone saw you do this and get in the drivers side and drive away killing yourself laughing.

Madalyn, I laughed so much I think I need another nap!! LOL I’m always getting my words mixed up into the strangest concoctions!!! Lucky my family have a sense of humour or they’d think I was demented, oh wait, I am!!

when I turned 50, I was able to make my own appts for the Breast Screening Clinic at our local hospital…I was told to go in where the ambulances park…nobody said the old entrance…or did I forget that? Anyway, the day came for the appt & I was going into the ambulance entrance…the ambulance attendant..about 30+ stopped me to ask where I was going…not supposed to use these doors he said…I very calmly said, “I am going to the Breast Cleaning Clinic”…then walked in the doors & pretended I didn’t just say that!

Keep smiling!

You know you have fibro fog when you try to turn your computer on with the TV remote, and the TV on with your cell phone!

Laugh, and the world laughs with you, cry, and you are pretending to understand something, again …

I always arrive at the Dr. early, so I can catch my breath … but, often, it is the wrong day.

I used to be amused by falling asleep while drinking an espresso …

I used to think I was funny, now, I guess …

Your days start out with pain, confusion, and clumsiness. I call the clumsiness “pill spills” because I often drop the pillbottle numerous times..adn always when it’s full.

It takes you 3 times to get out of the house, many more to accomplish a task, and you so wish you couldn’t remember your formerly healthy life.

And, hey, fractured ribs are not any fun at all…the docs keep saying “we know it’s painful, but you can’t take any more than 2 pills a day…yadda yadda”.

If they had fibromyalgia and all the related illnesses and ailments, they’d be crying in a heartbeat.

Oh, and the worst…because you seemingly look more or less healthy, strangers tell you that you must be so strong and healthy. GRRR.

And yes, a sense of humor is essential to survival. That, and good dr’s and good friends.

The jokes were a delight! Laughter is the best medicine.

If I am going to keep on forgetting things, I just wish I could pick the things I would like to forget!

I find that humor is the only thing that gets me through the day…it is bad though when I forget my friends names when I have to introduce them to other people ..or just when I have to address them……so I just don’t say their names…some people know of my problem and we just laugh…I hope all of us will learn to laugh about this burden we have to live with… Laugh and Take ONE day at a time.. Elaine

One of my favorite sayings is, “If I had half a brain, I’d have one.” I cannot count the times I showed up at appointments late or *very* early. Usually it happens when a routine is broken up…like when my usual hair appointment at 9AM is changed to 10:30. I just cannot adjust my mind to realize the time change. yet I look in my calendar and there it is in ink…10:30.

Really enjoyed this blog–after Chrismas collapse, I needed the laugh! Thought I’d share my latest blooper. I came home from running holiday errands, exhausted and starved. I put a soup bowl on the counter, the dog dish next to it so I could feed the dog, and then poured my lentil soup into the dog’s dish! I figure I was ahead, since I hadn’t put the dog’s food into my bowl!

Merry Christmas to all
DonnaK

Linda, I had a broken rib which the doctor swore was just a pulled muscle because he kept poking at it and I was able to “tolerate” it… I kept telling him, NO it’s broken… he’s like, Can’t be… Sure enough after hardly being able to breathe he had me have it x-rayed to confirm it was indeed broken. When you have fibro, you’re in such horrible constant pain it’s like having broken bones every single day! Doctors just don’t get it…

You know you have fibro when you wonder why your remote doesn’t work only to realize it’s the cordless phone in your hand.

You know you have fibro when you’re looking for your glasses then catch a glimpse of yourself in the mirror only to realize they are on your face!

The f word no longer ends in “uck”… and uck is something you feel every day.

You know your have fibro when you’re friends take bets on whether you’re going to show up at a function or not.

Ahh, I could go on forever…

I think my favorite was when the milk was found in the cereal cabinet and of course you know where the cereal was…

I knew I had found a good doctor for my FMS when she told me this: You have to learn to pace yourself. Pretend that each morning, you are given a bowl of marbles. As you go through the day, everything you do is going to cost you some of your marbles. Doing laundry might cost 6 marbles. Walking around the block might cost 8 marbles. The trick is to get through the day without “losing all your marbles.” (I think writing this cost me only 2 marbles. So far, so good.)

A couple years ago I bought this tank top that gives the “Top reasons you can’t hold a fibromyalgia group convention.” Here’s the link to the t-shirt and the full wording: http://www.cafepress.com/+fibro_group_convention_shirt,261043134

You know you have FMS when leaving the store and going to your vehicle, you wander aimlessly through the parking lot, because you can’t remember where you parked it!!!!

I think I saw an “Alan” in here – so I’m NOT the only man on earth with fibro?
Now THIS is funny. When I first got sick, after doing the doctor-go-round (you know, GP to specialist to specialist to specialist to specialist back to GP) with no results I went to an alternative med clinic, met with the director who told me (rock guitarist, Harley driver, US Power Squadron member): “You’re the first male we’ve seen. Most of our fibro patients are middle-aged ladies whose husbands don’t understand them”.
Was I in the wrong place, or what?
In closing, just thought I’d let you know: according to my doc, fibro is caused by “a lack of spiritual grounding”. Right. As they said on The X Files, The Truth Is Out There.

Great Blog – yes something actually mad me laugh, so I thank you all. I also call it the “F” thing, cause most days I am not laughing.

Oh well done – you did make me smile.
I also have a button that says “I’m going where everyone knows my name – the pharmacy”
So true

I believe in reincarnation, but I certainly hope I’m on my last lifetime, because I sure don’t want to repeat this again! LOL!

Itis so nice to read all of the different coments and know exactly how you feel. A very good friend posted this link to my facebook page and yesterday she asked what meds I take and I did not really want to talk about it but I told her, I could take 10- 750 mg of vicodin and it would not even touch the pain.
She was worried that people that take pain meds gets mean, I told her no people that take pain meds that do not need them or abuse pain meds gets mean. When you take pain meds for pain that is what it does works on the pain receptors. When people take them just to take them and abuse them (addicted to them) the meds goes to their brain and then it does not do what it is design for.

I hope you all feel better and find something special in your life that will make you feel happy and laughter is a good thing but do everything in steps. We all pay for it 10 fold tomorrow. and don’t leave home without your meds.

You know you have FMS/CFS. When you go to the emergency room and they will not see you.

You know you have FMS/CFS when people say you look good and you feel like your being rip apart in side.

You know you have FMS/CFS when you take the strongest sleep meds out there and hope get a good hour sleep.

You know you have FMS/CFS when you would rather be back in Iraq or Afghanistan then to go through this pain.

You know you have FMS/CFS when you have to get a job in the hospital because you have so many doctor appoinments.

You know you have FMS/CFS when you would rather work 20 hours a day then to live with FMS/CFS.

“it only hurts when i move”
“i’m only exhausted when i’m awake.”
————-
also, it sounds elitist but joking is only for us to say. you have to be in the living-with-cfs/ me/ fibro ‘club’ to make these jokes about cfs things…

I mix up my words and say really stupid things. A good day is when I get the day correct. Once I phoned our local council to complain that my rubbish bin had not been emptied – wrong day! I’v doubled up on meds or not taken any.
Sometimes I have trouble knowing left/right when trying to put on a pair of shoes. Is it me or is someone playing tricks??

Glad to find this…needed it today. I had to cut and paste many of your funnies so I would not forget them. Thanks, everybody.

You know you have FM/CFS when your 83 year old mother is worried about YOUR memory.

I’ve been afraid to try Lyrica due to the side effects, I’ve tried Neurontin but it didn’t have an effect on the pain. I also tried Cymbalta. I gained weight and it didn’t ‘ thing for the pain. I’m an RN and was diagnosed in two thousand and have ways books plus the PDR(Docs_use_this_one) to use as reference. I’ve been on several different antidepressants because I’m also diagnosed with chronic depression and is used for fibromyalgia. When you see all these ads on TV you’re blitzed by all the hype of these medications. As you probably all ready know, it’s all a trial after trial basis to see if this is or any other ways is the one for you. I hope you can find some relief of your symptoms if you decide to try Lyrica. I have taken vicodin for pain but the doctor tells me that it is dangerous due to side effects.

Medical-rights.com

You know when you have fibro when you read something like this and copy and paste it on fb and realise you read this before when looking at comments and after reading it thinking um that just sounds like my stickers I have and then realising it’s your post lol that’s me

And when you laugh you feel less pagina…

Love the jokes so funny cus so true!! thanx for spreading some cheer!! Xx

Just what I needed today I am facing knee replacements,non cemented which means not standing on the leg for 6 weeks. My other leg is bad too plus fibro. I won’t have a good leg to stand on! I hope there is understanding about how this will affect my recovery but I will bring a book with most of these jokes to cheer me up & maybe open the eyes of my health care team. Thank you everyone…you have turned my tears into laughter.
My favorite saying that applies to anyone is “As we age it has been said that one loses two things…memory and I forget what else”

what is a URL lol I thought that was funny that I couldn’t remember what that stands for!!!. But, that is all I think is funny today. Some days, like today, it’s so hard to laugh about anything. I hurt so bad today I just can’t muster up a laugh. So on those days I think you have a right to maybe pout or cry. Crying’s good. Tomorrow I’ll laugh.

If you’re like me, you fall – usually in public. This can be embarrassing – for you, too! This is when you know who your friends are. Your friends are usually the ones who look the other way, as if they don’t know you, and the strangers are the ones who show concern for you!

When you fall, you have to show a sense of humor to hold back the tears and reassure onlookers. It’s best to make a witty remark, like, “I didn’t know I could do the splits!” or, “I’ve fallen in some of the nicest places in this city!”

I have named my walking stick “Daisy”. As in woops -a-daisy I fell over

I’m 38 and use a cane off an on. .my Kids like to trade me and call me granny……i told them it was really a secret weapon. …of course they wanted to see how so i popped them with It…..we were all laughing!!!

My kids laugh at me all the time for saying the wrong thing or leaving silly things in the fridge or putting milk in the oven lol, my best laugh was at my 17 yr old daughter thought if stopped at a service station so she could use the cash machine I was in a red car parked behind a blue car and when she came back she was trying to get into the car in front, I was crying with laughter at her when she realised she was trying to get in the wrong car! I keep saying to her now like mother like daughter lol

Here’s a good one. But you might have to be there in order to get the full impact. My husband has had ME/CFS And Fibro for 25 years, and has been 95-99% bedridden the whole time, and obviously cannot drive. So one time when we were on our way to one of his many appointments, and he was looking at the directions as I was trying to figure out which way to turn, I asked him “which way do I turn?” After all, I had to make sure I was in the correct lane, right? So he said “that way.” I said “what way?” A little bit louder he said “That Way.” Again, at a level of loudness to match his, I said “WHAT way?” He then shouts as loud as he can “THAT WAY.” And he’s usually very quiet and soft spoken. So I then said in a loud voice “RIGHT or LEFT?” And he yelled “I DON’T KNOW – just go THAT way!? And I finally had to take my eyes off the road to say which way he was pointing to. (Oh and by the way, this has happened to us quite a few times over these last 25 years of illness).

When people ask me how I am at the gym, I tell them: “If I’m here, I’m fine.” how about you? My friend Phil, has a muscular disease and walks with two canes, another pal has Parkinson’s and never fails a yoga class. I’ve been going to this community center for 6 years and it’s helped me regain some strength and flexibility I lost while bedridden for years.

I never would have started exercising without taking Xyrem for sleep. I take two doses a night, and it’s been a life-saver. Exactly, it’s saved my life, well, half of it. Half a life is better than none. Wish we all could get a good night’s sleep. I woke up the first morning after taking Xyrem, and my mind began to work!

I loved this article. Some days it is sure hard to find something to laugh about but I guess we need to look for humor in the little things. Laughter is a good medicine.
thanks for the article.

I always laugh when I think about how sexy (not) I look while doing the Fibro-shuffle or for non-sufferers just walking. You know those days when we walk like there’s a corn cob up our butt and the bottom of our feet feel like rocks are under the skin? After 30 years of this disorder if I didn’t laugh I’d be crying. Laughter is definitely better.

I always have a laugh about forgetting what I’m talking about…… what was I going to say? Oh I don’t know – couldn’t have been that important.

Last week, on one of my few days at work recently, I was driving to a meeting with a colleague following behind in their car, she rang me to ask where we were going?

I’d set off in a fog and was driving to the wrong town – completely wrong direction…. you have to laugh

If you can’t laugh at yourself who can you laugh at?

MOre often than not….after my hubby & I finish watching an hour long cop show or other type suspense thriller he’ll say, “Boy! Wasn’t that good?!!”
Rather than to have to explain I had NO IDEA what I just watched. It never registered in my fogged over brain…. I’ll just answer, “Yea! That WAS a good one!” Kripes. Kill me, now…………………….

How am I doing? mmmm, I still haven’t figured out a good answer to that one… sometimes “I’m here” is what I use.

Rather than fill in medication at doctors’ offices I just hand them the card of medical information I keep in my wallet which has the list of umpteen meds I take. It’s amazing how well I have them trained to just copy my meds off of my card now!

I started my cafepress shop because of friends wanted something with an icon I made about invisible disability… look here… http://www.cafepress.com/katskats/6752275

I’ve just had my fibro upgraded to severe & had CFS added to my diagnosis so lately my wheelchair has been having a lot of flats!!

Thank you, Adrienne. I love your articles. And I am laughing after reading these quips and jokes. Here’s one. *** How do you know your friend doesn’t have CFS? She tells you to walk back and forth on the sidewalk in front of your house, and you will feel better.

Thank you for this one, I do believe my humour has grown in the time since I got fibro. I also have psoriatic and osteo arthritis. Last year I underwent a a bi-lateral tmj replacement as my arthritis destroyed it, unfortuneately I will no longer be able to sing soprano as I dont have the ability to open to the same degree, so I am going to try and sing alto in the choir I have sadly missed since my jaw got too bad. Anyway, humour is one of my favourite silver linings I have found to all this. I will always try and find the positive and do believe it helps me feel better most days. Yes I still have lots of bad days, but I do believe being positive attitude and the chemicals I produce with that, helps me to feel better more often. My fog is constant and not flare related, I believe this is the psoriatic arthritis adding to the fibro fog, but my humour still grows and I couldnt do without it. As far as quotes go, one of my favourites is a line from a ROBBIE WILLIAMS song “I DIDNT LOSE MY MIND, IT WAS MINE TO GIVE AWAY”
hugs to all,
Ali xx

I just glanced at some of these ‘funny’ and started giggling when I realized I run into many of your jokes that, for me, really happen.

Laughter is a required neutrient for the survival of the spiecies Fibrohomo Sortof Sapien. I have written a book of funny stories about my family. It is mostly about funny animals and kids. I will share with anyone who wants a giggle or two. I feel this a sisterhood and we need to give eachother what help we can even if its short funny stories about horses and monkeys.

Let me know if anyone wants to read them. dootndootlebret@gmail.com

Hugs and Giggle on

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