FAQ

Your questions and comments are always welcome. We love hearing from you!

What is a “fibromite”, and why should it be practical?
A fibromite is a small arthropod which feeds on organic matter and thrives in the typical human home – no, wait, that’s a house dust mite. Never mind. However, a fibromite is a person who suffers from fibromyalgia. Note that there are certain similarities between the two. Ahem.

There is an extraordinary array of resources available to those with fibromyalgia, some of which are very good indeed. But very few websites or books that we’ve seen have dealt with the fundamental problem: how to accomplish what you must with the limited strength and energy you actually have. Hence “practical”: we are working to address that omission and help you make your life easier.

Why does this site emphasize food and kitchens?
Food is fundamental to our lives, both from a nutritional and from a social standpoint. Feeding one another and joining loved ones to eat are central to our human experiences, and many people with fibromyalgia feel a real loss when they can no longer participate fully in these real-world rituals. Focusing on easier techniques for preparing and cooking meals is therefore an important way in which we hope to help others return to these roles and reintegrate themselves into their former lives.

Who is The Practical Fibromite?
You are. That is, if you’re reading this website, then you most likely have fibromyalgia (or care for someone who does), and you’re looking for practical, real-world solutions to help you manage your life better.

But to answer what I think you’re actually asking: on this end, there is one person (hello!) who administers the website (as well as the Facebook page and Twitter feed) and writes all the posts. There is also a loose group of super-awesome folks who help develop content, test recipes, and discuss strategy, but who choose not to be directly identified with this site. All of us have been living with fibromyalgia and/or other chronic pain conditions for varying lengths of time.

Why is your web design so boring and amateurish?
The easy answer: because we’re amateurs (and we’re kinda boring). A very lovely person named J.R. Reed, of J.R. Reed + Associates, has given us important technical advice and support, but neither he nor his company are to blame for our errors. We’ll continue to improve over time.

Another reason that this site may appear boring is that we don’t carry advertising, so our sidebars aren’t jammed with flashing images. In fact, there are very few images on here at all.

But here’s the real scoop. Many folks with fibromyalgia have difficulty viewing complex websites – it’s easy to get distracted by even the most graceful designs, and fibro-distraction can be physically and mentally painful. We no longer intentionally visit sites (regardless of the quality of their content!) that are difficult to read: sites with too many blocks of bright colors (especially flashing images or bright colors against a very dark background) or which print text over wallpaper are the biggest offenders. By contrast, our website is intended to be visually soothing: the cool greys and rich purple relax the eye and mind, letting the viewer explore freely. While we admit that we are a bunch of boring amateurs, we did this on purpose.