Welcome!

 Is it absurd? Is it inane? No, it’s Fibroman!

Been wanting to do this for about two years now but haven’t had the physical or mental wherewithal to do so. But then, that’s fibromyalgia for you. I had the vision, for want of a better word, for The Adventures of Fibroman in 2023 and even created the logo way back then. Of course, I had to go and lie in a darkened room for two hours afterwards but that’s by the by. Let’s just say, I’m finally at a place where I can begin.

So, who exactly is this mysterious Fibroman.

Well, it’s me, Alan Stevenson, writer, novelist and true FMS sufferer.

Sorry if you were expecting this to be a thrilling new superhero series but the truth is the only superpower I possess is the ability to write intriguing prose and pithy dialogue. I’ve managed to write seven novels since 2019, I honestly don’t know how because there have been huge gaps of weeks, months and even years between writing bouts, but what annoys me the most is that the pre-FMS me would have produced double that amount by now. Possibly even more.

You see, I used to be a superbly fit, strong and healthy kind of guy, before my health turned all to shite.

I contracted FMS in early 2004, shortly after the SARS virus had done its level best to terminate my life. It did try, seriously, it really did. I copped both pericarditis and myocarditis plus encephalitis, which, as you may imagine, was quite a lot for my body and brain to deal with. But I lived to tell the tale and here I am some 22 years later with FMS and Depressive Anxiety Disorder as constant reminders of the time I nearly kicked the bucket.

That’s rather a short biography, I know but my energy isn’t great and sometimes I just need to cut to the chase.

So, yeah, I want to write a blog about my ongoing battle with this shitty condition we all know and hate in the hope that I may encourage others and also receive some encouragement in return. I don’t know how often I will post as I do have other writing commitments and, as I’ve already mentioned, only limited amounts of energy. Factor in the chronic muscle pain and you begin to see that maybe once a week will be the most I can manage. I’ll do my very best to do 500 words at the least to make it worth your while reading and I promise I won’t skimp on quality, unless the brain fog has it’s wicked way, in which case it’s probably best if I don’t even switch the computer on at all.

I’ll introduce myself more as I go along but for now I just need to tell you that I spend about 40% of my waking day attached to my trusty TENS machine and the rest of my day either trying to write or moaning that I just can’t summon up the will.

I do live in an unimaginably beautiful part of England with my equally unimaginably beautiful wife – scouser by birth, Irish by the grace of God. I have a great family and some fabulous friends and neighbours so I have a pretty good support system and my local GP is literally a stone’s throw away. I haven’t tried to prove this by throwing any stones at the building as I couldn’t afford to pay for all the broken windows and besides, I don’t have the arm strength to hurl a small rock that distance. Just trust me on this one.

So it just leaves me to say welcome to - THE ADVENTURES OF FIBROMAN!

See you soon x