Helping Hands

We have a guest blogger today, Allure Van Sanz. Allure writes erotic and romance novels, novellas, and short stories. She’s with us today for a personal reason. A sufferer of fibromyalgia, she is very active in the American Fibromyalgia Syndrome Association. Realizing that there are many organizations that authors promote, she has developed MAP, the May Awareness Project, where she provides a platform for her fellow authors to tell you about the charities that are near and dear to them. Please see her blog at http://allurevansanz.blogspot.com 

She has an awesome schedule planned. Many of the authors will be doing contests and give-aways. Everyone has their own reason for supporting a specific charity. Some have been touched themselves, some watch as close friends or family suffer, still others just feel a need to help. Here is Allure’s story in her own words.

What cause do you champion?

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I remember my first migraine headache. I was around seven years old, give or take a year, and I thought for sure I was dying. I couldn't move, I couldn't eat, and I definitely couldn't sleep. I wanted Bumblebee, my stuffed bear with the big yellow ears, and I couldn't reach him. Thus started the years and years of secret pain. I couldn't remember a day of something not aching or hurting. I just assumed all humans were like this, and I was a complainer. LOL

Growing up, my stomach hurt all the time, whenever I ate anything, whenever I had plans--it felt like I would never be able to go anywhere without having to plan for the worse and prepare to come home. I had tests done, and they found nothing. Just nerves and anxiety due to a broken home, they'd said. Okay.

When I reached my later teens, I did a little better, but started to feel out of sorts. I still had pain all the time, and had upped that pain to muscle spasms at night with weird head twinges that would startle me awake. "Caffeine" my doctor said, "you're having an adverse reaction." Okay.

I moved out of state to be with my boyfriend, giving up all I'd known. After a few months, I felt like I was dying one night. I had an out of body experience while not dead or dying. LOL Weirdest thing ever. I still had pain and my stomach issues were back. "Panic attacks and IBS. Your anxiety makes you feel like you're in pain. Take these anti-depressants." When I couldn't feel any emotion (including stimulation of any kind) I couldn't handle the meds. They tried all kinds and eventually, I just talked myself through the panic attacks and anxiety. For years I had a really tough time, but struggled through. 

Then childbirth. My already out of whack body crashed. I had month long migraines, severe pain throughout my body and the medications for the migraines made me suicidal.

After about 3-4 years of struggling through, I was eventually given a diagnosis of Fibromyalgia. A lot of doctors still don't like that diagnosis. So every time I get a new doctor or go to a specialist, the first thing they do is retest. I'm with my third neurologist. LOL One of my doctors retests me every six months for lupus. Another tests me every year for diabetes (as I had gestational diabetes while pregnant)...and every year I get another MRI or x-ray, etc. I started to research everything to understand what was going on. I became involved in the Fibro community, learning not just about Fibro, but a lot of other conditions. There are so many people out there suffering, living an alternative lifestyle to what many others consider normal. I wanted to DO something. I wanted to take what was going on with me, and turn it into something positive.

May 12th is Fibromyalgia Awareness day, but to bring attention to only my condition seems self-serving, so this year I've begun MAP, May Awareness Project, and with the help of my friends and fellow authors, we are highlighting, not just Fibromyalgia for Awareness, but many other conditions that affect our minds and bodies.

From May 6th-31st my blog at http://allurevansanz.blogspot.com will highlight several great causes, and donating authors will be running contests for swag and free books for those who stop by and leave a comment. I do this because it feels right, and the donating authors have joined me because they're beautiful people, full of giving. Let's give a little of who we are in time, or money, to some very great causes.

And it starts with me. One lucky commenter will win their pick of my Noble Romance releases. Thank you for reading my story.

All my best to you and yours,

Allure Van Sanz