Speaker: Melissa Swanson

Episode 159: Official Proclamations for Fibromyalgia Awareness with Melissa Swanson

May 6, 2025

1 in 16 people in the US are affected by fibromyalgia, and 1 in 13 women specifically—that’s about 6.4% of the population. To put these statistics in perspective, breast cancer affects 1 in 8 women, cervical cancer affects 1 in 13 women, and colon cancer affects 1 in 25 women and 1 in 23 men. Despite the similarity in prevalence, fibromyalgia has a long way to go in terms of awareness and medical training when compared to these other conditions.

In our mission to improve this, a critical avenue for increasing awareness has been obtaining official proclamations for states to recognize May as Fibromyalgia Awareness Month and May 12th as Fibromyalgia Awareness Day. Governor’s Proclamations are powerful tools that help advocates validate the struggles faced by fibromyalgia patients and garner support from state officials. This can lead to increased funding for research and better resources for those of us living with fibromyalgia.

Today, Tami is joined by her best friend and fellow advocate, Melissa Swanson. A few years ago, Tami and Melissa decided to bring together their communities, along with several other fibromyalgia organizations, and coordinate the efforts to obtain a Governor’s Proclamation in every state. Their goal is to “color the map purple” for fibromyalgia awareness, and Melissa is the coordinator for this effort.

In this conversation, Melissa and Tami discuss what a Governor’s Proclamation is, how it helps to raise credibility and awareness, the steps involved in requesting a Governor’s Proclamation, the criteria we make sure to cover in Proclamation requests, why May 12th was chosen as Fibromyalgia Awareness Day, working with various fibromyalgia organizations to obtain Proclamations, how Melissa helps individuals with the application process, their progress on the goal ot “color the map purple”, the benefits of coordinating with various groups in obtaining Proclamations, how you can help in your state, how collective efforts strengthen the push for fibromyalgia awareness, reasons for denial of Proclamation requests, the application timeline and how the process varies by state, Melissa’s preparations for the next round of applications, the ongoing need for help regardless of your state’s status, Tami’s experience requesting a Governor’s Proclamation in Oregon, statistics on fibromyalgia’s prevalence among the U.S., why we need your help, upcoming events related to Fibromyalgia Awareness Day, and more.

Every voice matters in the fight for awareness and support for fibromyalgia. Let’s work together to make a difference.

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Episode 98: How To Explain Fibromyalgia To Your Child with Melissa Swanson

December 6, 2022

Kids are curious, and they’ll ask anything and everything about what’s different about you.

Today Tami is sharing a fabulous resource that will help you explain fibromyalgia to the little ones in your life. After leaving an office job of twenty years, Melissa started a new career working with young children. While working with little kids, they inevitably noticed the signs of her pain and would keep asking all these different questions. Recognizing that this wasn’t a unique situation, Melissa was inspired to create something that could help people better explain what they’re going through in a way that kids can understand. From there, her book, Ravyn’s Doll, was born.

In this episode, Melissa and Tami talk about the process from idea to publication of Melissa’s book, Ravyn’s Doll, the story that’s told in the book, the significant impact Melissa saw in her school district, which age group will get the most from reading Ravyn’s Doll, how the book has helped children and family members connect with their loved ones who are struggling with fibromyalgia, ways to introduce the book to kids at different ages, diving deeper into invisible illnesses and symptoms with older kids, supporting resources to help you get started with these discussions, paper doll lessons for younger kids, why it was important to Melissa to create the Spanish edition of Ravyn’s Doll, how you can purchase copies of Ravyn’s Doll, and more.

Ravyn’s Doll has been a fantastic tool for many people in helping their loved ones better understand them. Both Tami and Melissa have heard many stories from friends and clients about the huge difference this book has made. We hope that you will share these resources with the people in your life who have little ones, whether that’s your relatives, your students, or your pediatrician’s office; it’s essential to get these out into the world.

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Episode 89: Adventures Are Still Possible with Melissa Swanson

August 16, 2022

So often with fibromyalgia, we’re given negative news: there’s no cure, your life has changed, and the list continues. Once again, we’re on a mission to break that trend and show you that there are still adventures for you.

Tami is excited to be joined by Melissa Swanson to share the recent epic hiking adventure that, not too long ago, neither of them would have thought possible. Melissa and Tami met about eight years ago at the Leaders Against Pain Scholarship Training in 2014; since then, so much has changed.

In this episode, Melissa and Tami share what their fibromyalgia symptoms were like when they met, what it was like to have their sole focus be on getting through the day, why Melissa needed to wear sunglasses all the time, how Melissa’s bad knee acted as a trigger for a lot of other pain, the anxiety around having surgery and the potential impact it might have on your fibro, Melissa’s amazing recovery following total knee replacement surgery, the significant improvements Melissa experienced after joining the Certified Fibromyalgia Advisor® program, Tami and Melissa’s recent hiking adventure to the middle of nowhere and navigating “steep but manageable trails,” the surprisingly light after-effects of Tami and Melissa’s adventure, what Tami and Melissa did to boost their recovery, Tami and Melissa’s recognition that they are doing better than they realized, the shifts that made the most significant differences on Melissa’s fibro journey, and more.

After their adventure, Tami and Melissa were blown away by what they could actually accomplish now with their fibromyalgia. We hope their story and journey will inspire you.

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Information given on the Fibromyalgia Podcast® should not be considered medical advice, nor is it intended to replace consulting with a qualified physician or other health care provider. The views and opinions expressed by those interviewed on the podcast are those of the guests and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of the Fibromyalgia Podcast® or the International Fibromyalgia Coaching Institute, LLC. Testimonials shown are actual students who have completed one of IFCI’s training programs and are in no way a guarantee of results. Results quoted are either a) the actual results for that individual or b) average results for students who have completed the training. Since each individual and their medical situation is unique, results may vary.

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“Certified Fibromyalgia Coach”, “Certified Fibromyalgia Advisor”, “Fibromyalgia Podcast”, and the IFCI seal are registered trademarks of International Fibromyalgia Coaching Institute, LLC. “Fibromyalgia Wellness Framework”, “Fibromyalgia Wellness Style”, “Fibromyalgia Wellness Summit”, “The Fibro Compass”, “Tami’s Favorite Things”, “Fibro Hierarchy of Needs”, the IFCI tagline, and the Certified Advisor and Certified Coach seals are all service marks of International Fibromyalgia Coaching Institute, LLC.