It’s as if our spines are made up of Fibromyalgia and to ignore it means to deny us that core and allow us to fall over, crumble, and not sit up tall with pride and self-respect.

Although this reads like a tribute to a missed cat, the reason I wrote it was to illustrate how important unconditional companionship can be to those of us with a chronic illness. Married or single, living with one’s parents, college roommates, or alone, there will be times when being alone for days at a time will happen. Family members and friends can get burnt out having to comfort us, but truly loved pets will not. My husband was so wise to point out that cats are the best companions for us because often taking a dog for a walk isn’t an option. Cats are much more self sufficient and can handle a little less attention while riding out a flare. Just remember to pay them back for how much of themselves they give by loving them, not overfeeding them, and having them visit a veterinarian regularly.