You probably know that Lady Gaga has Fibromyalgia – but what about actress Olivia Munn, Dancing With The Stars judge Carrie Ann Inaba, or the late Sinead O’Connor?
These women – and others – and men too – have dealt with Fibromyalgia.
And they’ve got some things to say about it that I thought you’d appreciate.
They may be celebs, but there’s plenty of plurality amongst us Fibro folk.
We speak the same chronic pain language, regardless of zip code or tax bracket.
(I do acknowledge that they probably have way better access to funds and healthcare that you and I don’t get.)
So if you’re looking for a little comfort and understanding from someone else who knows what you’re going through, keep your heating pad on and your fingers scrolling up.
Which celebrities have Fibromyalgia?
You might be intrigued to discover these famous people suffer(ed) from Fibromyalgia:
- Morgan Freeman
- Carrie Ann Inaba
- Rosie Hamlin
- Janeane Garofalo
- Jo Guest
- Kyle Richards
- Sinead O’Connor
- Olivia Munn
- Michael James Hastings
- Lady Gaga
- Lena Dunham
Lady Gaga is pretty outspoken about her experience, so most of us know about her.
But I had to Google a few other people. I was also surprised to discover that Olivia Munn and Carrie Ann Inaba have Fibro!
Quotes About Fibromyalgia from famous people
Perhaps the most famous quote about Fibromyalgia comes from Morgan Freeman:
“I only get one life, and I will not let Fibromyalgia take the joy from living it.”
Sure, sure. That’s good advice.
But below are quotes by famous people with Fibromyalgia that go beyond the “better,” too – because that takes a hell of a lot of pain and experience to get there.
And you might not be there yet.
I’ve broken up these quotes into these categories:
- quotes about fibromyalgia and people’s perceptions
- quotes about fibro pain and suffering
- quotes about how fibromylagia changes your life
- quotes about looking on the bright side with fibromyalgia
So without further ado, enjoy…
Quotes about Fibromyalgia and people’s perceptions
“I appear to be totally able-bodied but it’s complex, and I am just trying to do everything required to maintain a life of joy and service…this is Fibromyalgia.” – Lena Dunham
“If someone says, ‘Come on, just be happy,’ I’m like, ‘You fucking be happy.'” – Lady Gaga
“I look healthy and I am really healthy—all things considered, but then I have these incredible sharp pains, like today [the hairstylist] was doing my hair and he barely touched me, but I thought he burnt me with a curling iron because my body is in a fibromyalgia flare.” – Carrie Ann Inaba
“At first I could fake it, and people didn’t know I was sick.” – Rosie Hamlin
“It sounds so silly, but people who have these like invisible illnesses—whether it’s rheumatoid arthritis or a gastrointestinal thing—I feel so much shame when I go through these things, because I want to be what people see. And people see a healthy person, from the outside.” – Carrie Ann Inaba
“I’m sorry if I don’t answer your text or email, or it I can’t show up the way someone else would.” – Lena Dunham
Quotes about Fibromyalgia pain and suffering
“Your pain, whatever shape it takes, is yours and so it is real” -Lena Dunham
“I never knew there could be pain so intense and ongoing.” – Rosie Hamlin
“There are a lot of things that I do to help myself feel better but you cannot cave into it.” – Kyle Richards
“I just couldn’t get it in my head that you could hurt so badly in one area, and then three or four hours later hurt someplace else. That’s what made me really think I was losing my mind.” – Rosie Hamlin
“It’s little understood and so even though I have a lot of knowledge and support, it’s hard to shake the feeling I am crazy. But I’m not (at least not this way!) and you’re not.” – Lena Dunham
“I believe you when you say you hurt. I have learned time and time again how important it is to believe.” – Lena Dunham
“It felt like every cell in my neck was singing. My ankles and wrists were weak and my fingers didn’t do their assigned job.” -Lena Dunham
“I spent six months to a year of pacing that night, and just crying because of the extreme burning. The burning was so bad that I put my arm in the freezer, and I’d do that for 15, 20 minutes.” – Rosie Hamlin
“I felt I was having a neurological problem, and I was afraid.” – Rosie Hamlin
“The concentration was equally as bad. I was afraid to talk to anybody on the phone. I couldn’t carry a coherent conversation a lot of the time, and that made me emotionally frustrated, to know what I was trying to say but the thoughts and words got lost between my brain and my mouth.” – Rosie Hamlin
‘When you come out of hospital and you’re told everything’s normal, you should be happy, but I don’t want to be told everything’s normal — I just want to be told what’s wrong with me.” – Jo Guest
“The pain that I experienced is worse than breaking a leg or childbirth.” – Rosie Hamlin
Quotes about how Fibromyalgia changes your life
“I was always a fun-loving party girl, then all of a sudden I was too ill and in too much pain to even leave the house.” – Jo Guest
“I have Fibromyalgia. That’s one thing I don’t really talk about usually. I talk about it right now because it’s been really bad lately so it’s been more of a focus. It comes and goes in my life. The last time it was really bad was about a year and a half ago otherwise I just normally deal with it on a day to day basis and I’m use to it. Sometimes it gets very bad and right now it’s been very bad.” – Kyle Richards
“I had no idea I was chronically dissatisfied.” – Janeane Garofalo
“At first I thought it was just a virus, but it just wouldn’t stop. I was getting up and being sick all morning and having to spend the afternoon in bed.” – Jo Guest
“I’m just not buying that it’s only I’m depressed. Why am I having all these crazy symptoms?” – Kyle Richards
“I’ve always been extremely energetic and very, very busy….it’s taken me a couple of years now to have to deal with Fibromyalgia, and have to re-think my life, re-organize, and realize – just having to realize that I’m so limited now.” – Rosie Hamlin
“You have to reassess what you do, and maybe find another less stressful job”. – Sinead O’Connor
“Sometimes it gets so bad that I can barely function so I’m like ok, I have to figure out a way to physically take care of myself so I do yoga twice a week, I circuit train twice a week and the other days I try to hike not only to keep myself in shape but because of my fibromyalgia I have to do that in order to feel ok.” – Kyle Richard
“For the first year I thought I had a tumor and everyone was ignoring me.” – Rosie Hamlin
“I had to be super thoughtful about what I put into my body. I had to start eating gluten-free, dairy-free and sugar-free — I had to cut out a lot of things that I was used to having every day and things that I really loved.” – Olivia Munn
“When you get something like that it’s a gift, actually, because you have to reassess your life,” – Sinead O’Connor
“It’s embarrassing… sometimes you just can’t get a handle on it, and it’s sort of about self-acceptance.” – Carrie Ann Inaba
“I feel so unattractive and I’ve got this horrible belly. I used to love wearing sexy clothes and short skirts, but I don’t enjoy dressing up any more.” – Jo Guest
“The spark has gone out of life. It’s hard to feel good about yourself or like a sexy woman when you feel so ill.” – Jo Guest
“Then I was talking with someone and she said, ‘You have fibromyalgia. Everything you just said is fibromyalgia.’ So I went to this doctor who specializes in it, and he asked me a lot of questions. All of a sudden I felt like I had an answer and I felt better because it caused so much anxiety.” -Kyle Richards
“I was alone in my place, and I was having all sorts of depression, mainly because I didn’t really know what was wrong with me. I thought maybe it was more than what they said.” – Rosie Hamlin
Quotes about looking on the bright side with Fibromyalgia
“I want to encourage people, because even though I feel shame, I know at the same time I shouldn’t feel shame.” – Carrie Ann Inaba
“I don’t like it, but I have to deal with it.” – Rosie Hamlin
“I can be pretty happy just walking the land.” – Morgan Freeman
“It was like, ‘These are your choices.’ And so I had no choice, I was feeling so bad. I had to really listen to the doctor’s orders and cut all these things out.” -Olivia Munn
“I learned about who I am besides being a sexy dancer chick. And ironically, as I let all that go, I found my way back to feeling vibrant and radiant again.” – Carrie Ann Inaba
“I have learned to accept that some days I am not going to be able to keep up with my schedule or other peoples’ schedules and I just need to rest and ‘lighten up.” – Michael James Hastings
“I have Fibromyalgia pain in this arm, and the only thing that offers any relief is marijuana.” -Morgan Freeman
“It’s purely stress-related, so you have to get out of your life the things that are taking your energy.” – Sinead O’ Connor
“Hope is not instead of pain. Hope is in spite of pain.” – Jon Foreman
“My situation was at a place where it was like, ‘You’re either going to go down a path where you’re going to get multiple autoimmune diseases, or you have to stop now and we can try to get you better.” – Olivia Munn
“Some days are way worse, some days aren’t. But you know what I can do? I can go, ‘Well, my hands work; my arms work; my legs work, even though they are sore; my back works; my brain works; my heart works; I’m taking breaths, my lungs work.’ You can just be grateful for what you can do.” – Lady Gaga
“There is a point to changes like these. I have to move on to other things, to other conceptions of myself.” – Morgan Freeman
“Fibromyalgia is not curable, but it is manageable”. – Sinead O’Connor
“I only get one life, and I will not let Fibromyalgia take the joy from living it.” – Morgan Freeman
Your takeaway
I hope these quotes about Fibromyalgia helps you feel a little less alone and more understood.
I think that’s one of the biggest problems we face when dealing with this chronic illness.
The alone, nobody-understands part.
My favorite quote from this bunch is by Sinead O’Connor:
“When you get something like that it’s a gift, actually, because you have to reassess your life.”
Hoo. That one hits hard.
Which quote here more resonated with you? Are there any celebrities with Fibromyalgia that I’ve missed?
Or if you missed my first post with quotes, you can read it here.
Chime in the comments below.
