Listen to “One Warrior’s Success Story Battling Fibromyalgia” on Spreaker. In this episode, we explore what it’s like dealing with hard to diagnosis conditions like Fibromyalgia and how to be a strong advocate for your well-being with Fibromyalgia patient advocate, patient-rights leader, and Army veteran Kristal Kent.

With 20 years of social service professional experience, Kristal’s advocacy work focuses on educating the Fibromyalgia community on the illness, and how to best advocate for their healthcare needs. And as a veteran with Fibromyalgia, Kristal also advocates on behalf of military veterans diagnosed with Fibromyalgia. 

After sharing some time with Kristal, I discovered she’s a true transformation catalyst. And in this episode, she will show us ways to transform into being our best, and ways to move past our fears and diagnosis to live our best life including: 

• Ways to move past the voice of fear, 
• Why addressing individual symptoms doesn’t work,
• How to create success at your medical appointments and beyond,
• Why recognizing situational ‘symptoms’ are critical to your well-being  
• Tips and techniques to stop triggers and anxiety in their tracks, plus so much more…

Kristal Kent serves on the WEGO Health Patient Leader Advisory Board and is a board of trustee member for the Fibromyalgia Care Society Of America. Kristal has received numerous awards for her advocacy work, including 2 WEGO Health Awards in 2018. Kristal is the founder of The Fibromyalgia Pain Chronicles and the co-founder of Veteran Voices For Fibromyalgia.  Learn more at https://www.facebook.com/KristalPainChronicles/, and https://www.facebook.com/VeteranVoicesForFibromyalgia/

Share this link with friends: www.UnderstandingAutoimmune/Kristal

INTERIVEW HIGHLIGHTS
After introduction Kristal Kent as someone who has fibromyalgia and one who is doing great work in self-advocacy and patient leadership, Sharon asks Kristal about her fibromyalgia journey and what exactly fibromyalgia is Turning Point which Kristal gives detailed information on the various symptoms of the condition.

0:11:11.7 Kristel now goes into the history of her fibromyalgia and how she had to become her own detective to figure out what was really going on because she was tired of feeling unwell and tired of going to different doctors who had different opinions.

0:19:48.4 She expresses her apprehension that there are millions diagnosed with fibromyalgia but not enough doctors who specialize in it who are up to date on the current research and information about it and not enough doctors who really understand what fibromyalgia is.

0:25:55.7 At this point, Kristel shares tips on how to be your own self-advocate. She says that knowledge is your best weapon. She encourages people to research their medical condition to better understand their illness and become their own expert.
She also emphasized the need to understand your patient rights to seek the services of a specialist, for example, and not just rely on general practitioners.

0:41:52.6 Here, Kristal again repeats the need to be your own expert on your medical condition. She encourages keeping a daily journal and documenting medical records as well.