These Boots Were Made for Walking (FCSA 2018)

Hi everyone! If you’ve been around for a hot second, you will remember that last year, I was blessed enough to participate in the annual Caterpillar Walk for Fibromyalgia research and awareness, hosted by the wonderful Fibromyalgia Care Society of America (FCSA).

The FCSA was founded in 2015, with the intent of turning the tables on how Fibromyalgia care is perceived by society. They offer a wide range of services, namely Empowerment groups, FibroCares, and Centers of Excellence.

Empowerment groups are just what the name implies, however it goes beyond the typical group therapy sessions. Groups are each led by a trained cognitive behavioral therapy facilitator. According to the Beck Institute for Cognitive Behavior Therapy, CBT is an approach aimed at changing the negative way we think, and in turn, returning the power to the patient. This is something I firmly believe in, and try to apply (on a smaller scale) to my own life. The empowerment group led by the FCSA are 60 minute sessions, where the facilitator works with each patient to make sure they achieve the session’s goals and objectives.

Many, if not all of us, know first-hand the detrimental financial and emotional effects Fibromyalgia. Whether it is missing work/school, not being able to work at all, or simply feeling drowned by the various financial obligations attached to Fibromyalgia. This is where the FCSA comes in with FibroCares. Through this initiative, they offer a host of needed support services: respite care, employment support, emergency financial support, individualized support through a hotline, and more.

Lastly, Centers of Excellence(CoE), something that as a finance major, I pride myself on knowing and learning more about. The model of Centers of Excellence in healthcare institutions can seem pedantic, even for those of us who have spent hours becoming the “specialists” of our own illnesses. The goal is to offer care plans that come from a place with a concentrated focus on the specific illness. The most popular example of this can be seen in our own retail giant, Walmart. In 2012, they developed a CoE program for employees with back pain. After seeing the success in the health of their employees, they expanded the program to include total joint replacements, cancer care, weight loss, and more. I’m actually planning a whole separate post on CoE in health care, so I’ll digress. The planned CoE for the FCSA will include nutritionists, holistic care management, physical therapy, mental health support and additional services, regardless of the patient’s insurance status. This will be a remarkable feat for an otherwise doubted illness.

The Caterpillar Walk will be on May 5th, 2018 (a Saturday), at Pier 62 in Manhattan. I am honored to have been asked to join the FCSA as a planning-committee member. There will also be walks in New Jersey, Orlando, and the virtual iWalk for those who can’t be with us physically. The actual “walk” portion is very short, and there are tons of family-friendly activities planned! I’ll hopefully be joined by my family, and friends. To join my team or donate, just click on any word of this sentence, and it should take you straight there! I can’t wait to see all the beautiful faces!

As always, thank you for being you.

Soft Hugs,

Ci