If I have the courage to confess my vulnerability, to share my struggle with a hard to diagnose, difficult to treat, invisible illness ravaging lives, can my words help others in pain?
Three decades ago, my chiropractor in Switzerland, suspected my back problems were due to more than injuries. He surmised that I had fibromyalgia (FM) a musculoskeletal disorder that causes chronic over-all body pain. He recommended seeing a rheumatologist.
Unfortunately, most people suffering from FM either go undiagnosed for years or are misdiagnosed. On May 12, 1992, Fibromyalgia Awareness Day started to bring attention to this misunderstood disease and commemorate Florence Nightingale, the founder of modern nursing, who also suffered from fibromyalgia.
FM can include fatigue, anxiety, migraines, irritable bowel syndrome, skin sensitivity, stiffness and autonomic 
system dysfunction. It impacts the muscles, and can lead to pain numbness, tingling, twitching, restless legs and osteoarthritis. FM also often includes other co-infections and immune system dysfunction, which is why it is paired with CFS.
With FM, the stress response, an automatic brain reflex, is on autopilot. The brain sends out fight or flight signals with widespread effects. It’s as if one’s body is locked in a state of hyper vigilance, like a smoke alarm going off forever without a fire.
The problem lies with the amplification of pain and sensory processing in the central nervous system. Part of the brain goes haywire in glial cells.
“Most doctors don’t believe FM exists,” my Swiss rheumatologist told me, when he confirmed my FM diagnosis in 1996. “You are lucky that I do. Fortunately, you are protected by your profession. As a physical education teacher, you move all day. Movement is the best treatment for FM.”
At the time of my diagnosis, skepticism reigned within the medical community and general public. I suffered in silence and charged forward, 
determined to raise a family, teach and coach kids to never give up.
No matter how hard I try to manage pain, FM waxed and waned. Every flare up sent me spiraling in despair.
I remain locked in a state of hyper vigilance and heightened anxiety. FM deregulates sleep causing insomnia. With my body’s inability to enter the deep sleep stage, my muscles and brain never go into a restorative state, which results in muscle tenderness/pain/inflammation.
Specialists know that FM disrupts hormones, burns out adrenal glands, increases chronic pain and affects the sympathetic nervous system, but they still don’t know how to diagnose or treat it.
The clinical signs are nonspecific and overlap with other diseases. Ironically, researchers found eerie similarities between FM and long COVID, which helps legitimize FM. Research on long-haul COVID, which has similar effects, may offer hope.
Experts also know that fibromyalgia tends to run in families. My paternal grandma suffered from it back in the early days when FM was known as rheumatism or fibrocystic. My sister also has fibromyalgia.
Due to a lack of research and the difficulty in identifying causes of the illness, many practitioners still do not believe that the disease exists.
Believe me it’s real. As an iron-willed McKinzie descendant, resiliency is my middle name. As a former pro athlete, who has overcome many debilitating injuries, I am as tough as they come. Yet, the pain of FM can knock me to my knees.
Though the cause is unknown, there is a genetic predisposition. FM often manifests after a car accident, (check) or illness like Lyme disease (check 2) and the physical or emotional trauma after the loss of a loved one, parent or child (check 3).
There is no known cure, but thankfully fibromyalgia is not a death sentence like some forms of cancer and other illnesses.
My health is compromised, but I am still here fighting!
Many treatments fall short. Sleep aids to regulate sleep dysfunction, myofascial massage, exercise, diet, yoga, relaxation and breathing techniques can help.
I am not a trained heath practitioner. I cannot offer medical advice, but as a fellow human being,
I can share insight on how to cope.
I can validate that your pain is real.
I can remind you that you are not alone.
I can you cheer you on from my mountaintop!
Though fewer people are flying abroad this summer, visitors are welcome everywhere in the UK and Europe. For travelers, who dare to hop the Big Pond, easyJet airlines offer low cost flights to most anywhere from the UK or Switzerland.
What you economize on your ticket, you pay for in wear and tear on your body. Taller, bigger build bodies beware! Space is limited. Seats do not recline. This no frills airline offers minimal comfort and service in order to maintain bottom line costs.
Boarding from the tarmac, like the old days, can be chaotic.
Natives living in the French Savoie region or in the Swiss Alps will argue ’til the cows come home over who first invented raclette, but everyone who tries this traditional cheese/potato dish agrees it’s great. Raclette is thought to be at least 400 years old and remains popular today.
On every visit home to Switzerland, my adult kids request raclette. Instead of the traditional equipment meant for the half cheese, we use an electric grill with individual serving trays and raclette cut into portions. Since moving to the mountains, we decided to try the authentic dish.
The interior of the restaurant is a bit kitsch, but charming with its spotted cow upholstered chairs, long wooden tables, a wall-sized hearth and local decor. Cow bells hang from wooden beams, antique skis stick out of giant milk jugs and ski posters from the 40’s decorate the walls.
Our waitress brought us a half a wheel of cheese melting on the authentic raclette machine. Gerald tilted the wheel and scraped the top layer of cheese onto our plate of unpeeled potatoes. Raclette comes from the French word "racler," which means to scrape.
The “all you can eat” meal costs 31CH ($35) per person, which for a Swiss tourist town, is not unreasonably expensive. Traditionally, raclette is served with white wine, but our Frenchman ordered a Scramble Noir, a sublime red blend of five different grape varieties. Red or white wine, whatever, the French and Swiss agree never drink water with raclette. It will make your stomach bloat in indigestion!
Whenever anyone visits us in Switzerland, we share this convivial meal and create memories for guests to take home.
Today, March 8, 2025, is International Women’s Day! Coincidentally, the United Nations began celebrating International Women’s Day as part of the International Women’s Year in 1975. That same year the Title IX (June 23,1972) Amendment stipulated full compliance with the law.
This year's team with their tough defense and fighting spirit were reminiscent of SHS’s 70s and 80s teams like that 1977 state championship team, which included Coach McKinzie and Coach Smith, a dad/daughter, brother/sister combo, the 2025 team was also a family affair uniting sisters, coaches, dads, daughters and their families.
Today, in the Caitlin Clark and Paige Bueckers era, we celebrate the popularity and media exposure of women’s basketball. We love watching the NCAA’s March Madness, the Unrivaled 3-on-3 inaugural season and the W. We appreciate the opportunities awaiting our daughters, not only in basketball, but in so many other arenas.
Today women succeed, not only on the playing fields, but in education, business, medicine and other professions where we were never allowed before.
Yeah! I made it. Another birthday. Another year.
While Americans fear for our future during this time of national turmoil, the 
A Title IX pioneer, I had to move abroad for the right to play basketball. A half century later, I saw the SHS live game transmission on my laptop. With tears in my eyes, I watched as coaches, players, and fans rose to sing our national anthem in front of our flag.
We never realized how spoiled we were to have access to public recreational centers like Westwood, Duis Center, the YMCA and dozens of parks, Sinnissippi, Kilgore, Platt and a many others we learned to play early on.