My name is Deidre Matthews. I am 26 years old. I figure skate, go to school full-time, work, coach and try to live a normal life. Unfortunately, I have been sidelined for the past few years with many health complications. 

I have Fibromyalgia (Diagnosed November 2014), Myofascial Pain Syndrome (Diagnosed May 2015), Osteoarthritis (March 2016), Ankylosing Spondylitis (March 2016), Endometriosis (Diagnosed Sept 2011) and an Overactive Bladder (Diagnosed May 2015).

In February 2018, I was in a major car accident. One that totaled my whole car. I was rushed by ambulance to the hospital and released the same day. No tests were ever done. A year later I was suffering from double the pain as normal. My chiropractor (Dr Jason Skolar) sent me for some X-Rays and basically found what damage was done to my spine.

So along with all those illnesses I am now coming back from the Spine Injury (which has caused Non-Epileptic Seizures).

Everyday is a challenge, but after a few months of therapy so far everything is starting to go down the right track.

With these illnesses I am forced to change my way of living in order to live as ‘normal’ as I can, but it is almost impossible to get understanding from family, friends, medical professionals, employers, trainers etc.

This being said, ‘normal’ is not the same of what is expected of me. At times, I cannot workout because of the pain…and sometimes it only starts a few minutes after making an attempt to do so. Other days the pain gets severe enough that I have to miss school. The normal times are usually around my period, when the Endometriosis takes a toll over my body and it hurts too much to uncurl out of a ball.

Though as time goes on, I know I have to be more open in general to everyone. That way the more open I am, the better understanding I hope to get.

For the longest time I tried living with these issues quietly. Mainly because I had no idea what was going on. I had full body pain for years before finding out it was not normal. The year of 2013-2014 I was pushing my body so hard, not knowing the effects that when I knew I had to go skate or workout I would cry in my car for thirty minutes before entering the training facility.

When I got the Fibromyalgia Diagnosis in 2014, I knew my body would never hold up and I would have to make lifestyle changes. It took a few stubborn attempts of living the same way I was before, to realize I needed to find an alternative way of doing things.

I know what it is like to have people not understand what we go through, suffering from these illnesses. But as a spoonie we know we cannot hold it against them. Only people who suffer know what is truly happening. So with this site, I am providing support that is needed to those suffering BUT as well, I want to educate those who are not. I want them to know that we will never get ‘better’, this is a part of who we are, but it is NOT who we are.

My goals for this site are:

1) To give an understanding what I am going through. As an athlete suffering and a daily life.
2) Give an understanding to those who don’t have any issues on what we live with and how they can help/support us.
3) Give an understanding of how injuries can cause some illnesses.
4) Finding a proper diet/recipes for many issues.
5) Inspire Others-Give everyone the support they need.

And for coaches/trainers….training an athlete with issues…. I will also help. However my main focus will be training someone with Fibromyalgia…but a lot of concepts are similar with other issues.