title: 'A constant struggle': successful strategies of women in work despite fibromyalgia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study aimed to explore, and obtain increased knowledge of, the strategies used by working women with fibromyalgia regarding control of pain, fatigue and other symptoms.
  
  
  METHODS
  Qualitative methods with an emergent design were used. The informants were women with fibromyalgia who had participated in rehabilitation 6-8 years earlier, and were still in work. Diaries, focus groups and individual interviews were used for data collection. Content analysis and grounded theory were used for the analyses.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A model with three categories emerged. The core category 'constant struggle' contains eight sub-categories: enjoying life, taking care of oneself, positive thinking, setting limits, using pain as a guide, creative solutions, learning/being knowledgeable and 'walking a tightrope'. The category 'grieving process' was a prerequisite for managing the struggle and the category 'social support' contained what facilitated the struggle.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The informants fought a constant struggle against the symptoms and the consequences of their fibromyalgia. Their strategies were action-oriented and evinced a positive spirit. To have grieved and accepted their situation was a prerequisite for managing, and support from the family was a help in the struggle.
authors.affiliation: Division of Rehabilitation Medicine, Department of Public Health Sciences, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden. monika.lofgren@ki.se
authors.forename: Monika
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Löfgren
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ekholm
authors.forename: Ann
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ohman
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005260:Female; D005356:Fibromyalgia / Q000523:psychology* / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008960:Models, Psychological; D010146:Pain / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation; D011788:Quality of Life; D018582:Sick Leave; D012944:Social Support; D014931:Women, Working / Q000523:psychology*; D014937:Work