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My name is Eleanor Smith and on the 10th March 2014 I woke up unable to feel my legs and excruciating pain all over my body. I spent the next month in bed or having various tests and consultant appointments, I finally saw a rheumatologist on the 25th April and was diagnosed with a simple "pain point test". My diagnosis? Fibromyalgia.

Fibromyalgia, also called fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS), is a long-term condition that causes pain all over the body. As well as widespread pain, people with fibromyalgia may also have: increased sensitivity to pain, chronic fatigue, muscle spasms and stiffness, insomnia, cognitive impairment (known as "fibro-fog"), migraines, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) as well as many other symptoms. Some or all of these symptoms may be present in a sufferer and can be worsened by physical and emotional stress and environmental factors. This illness is usually  diagnosed in a person's 30s or 40s... however, in cases like myself it can be diagnosed at a younger age. I was 18 when I got my diagnosis however my symptoms date back probably as long ago as age 11 or 12. The "cause" for fibromyalgia is still not completely known however it seems to be brought on in some cases by a trauma or stress such as an operation, bereavement or virus or could be something that people have from birth. So what's the cure?

There is no cure. Many patients treat their illness symptom by symptom however the majority of people spend their days resting and popping various painkillers to make things more manageable. 

Fibromyalgia is an INVISIBLE illness. You can't look at someone and tell they have this incurable and sometimes unbearable illness. The illness has been subject to scrutiny by many medical professionals (many in the US compared to UK) in that they believe it to be a non-existent illness and many doctors trained before 1995 have not been educated about the illness leaving many individuals undiagnosed for what can be years. Even now, I attend appointments with physiotherapists, GPs and pharmacists who do not know or understand the illness.

Awareness is key with this illness, spreading the word can help bring better understanding and maybe prompt further research into treatment and possibly cure for this illness.

I will be climbing Kilimanjaro from the 18th - 28th August 2016.

Now, if you are still reading, I can explain my motives. Why Kilimanjaro? This time last year, I struggled to even walk to the bathroom, let alone go about my daily life... so now I'm getting my pain under control and bouncing back from some of my weakest points, how about I strive to be the strongest I can be? How about I do something worthwhile and for a good cause? Kilimanjaro may not be an easy task, but after my rollercoaster year, I'm willing to give it a go.

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