LaTonya Wiggin's "Shoes to Make a Difference"

LaTonya Wiggins and I share space together in cyber world and what I saw in her was a woman with a bright smile and big heart. To look at Tonya you would never guess that she's been fighting Fibromyalgia for 14 years now.

Fibromyalgia is a condition that causes the body to experience extreme chronic fatigue and body pains that are similar to arthritis BUT instead of affecting the joints, Fibromyalgia affects the muscles and ligaments. Recently I caught up with Tonya to ask her about life after Fibromyalgia.

AC: Hi Tonya! Thanks so much for allowing me to find out more about your challenges with Fibromyalgia. I understand you found out about your condition 14 years ago. What were some of the symptoms that you had specifically?

LW: Hi Karen, the symptoms will vary from person to person but the majority of us will have at least 4 symptoms or more. The symptoms that I am still dealing with are many but to name a few of the major ones it would be Chronic pain throughout the day, horrible fatigue, neuropathy, which is a burning sensations on your skin, stomach problems, and one that affects most all of us with Fibromyalgia experience not achieving a deep restful sleep and that creates more pain.

AC: Were you relieved when you could put a name with what you were experiencing?

LW: I was very relieved to finally have a name to a condition that was basically not that visible to other's around me. Even when I told them how I was feeling, in the back of my mind I was wandering if they really believed me.

AC: What type of work did you do prior to being diagnosed with Fibromyalgia?

LW: At the time I was a data entry clerk but was planning on returning to college in the fall. The condition came on me about three months before I was to enroll.

AC: I understand you have your own business now through eBay called "Shoes to Make a Difference". Tell us a little bit about how you got started and what your business is about.