I am constantly amazed by how the internet can pull people together.

Introducing Lindsey

While developing a cluster of WEGO Health pages devoted to fibromyalgia and chronic pain, I stumbled onto the excellent Living with Fibromyalgia blog. Within a 24-hour period, I introduced myself to Lindsey, the author, via email, asked for her expert opinion on some of the pages that I'm building, worked out a co-publishing arrangement with her as a Featured Community Member, and introduced her to our community director, Adrienne. Earlier today, Adrienne ushered in Lindsey as the newest member of the WEGO Health Opinion Leader community!

Lindsey and I had been in an email flurry all day, each note we zoomed back and forth more excited than the next. Normally, I think that I'm pretty good at staying on top of my email, but Lindsey was faster: she shoots them back at a lightning pace -- way faster than my chubby fingers could bang out responses.

But then again, she'd have to be a pretty organized person to stay on top of all of her projects. She updates her blog, which is heavily devoted to the newest in fibromyalgia research (complete with references to the original scientific articles -- a bonus for a science geek like me), several times a day. She's also chair of a new advocacy group called FibroAction (web site coming soon), which she hopes will fill the need for solid, trustworthy fibromyalgia advocacy resources in the United Kingdom.

A quick glance at Lindsey's profile on the WEGO Health Community, and you can see that she's also been active working with the PolkaDotGals Calendar Campaign raising funds for fibromyalgia awareness charities. She donates a hefty portion of the proceeds from many of the pieces of homemade jewelry she sells at LinzOriginals. As if that didn't keep her busy enough, she stays active in local campaigns for fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome services in her home, Berkshire.

Health Advocacy, 2.0

Lindsey clearly is invested in fibromyalgia, but her interest in health advocacy doesn't stop there. She has also served as a group moderator on the boards at But You Don't Look Sick, a website devoted to chronic illness, and Help For IBS, a portal for digestive health resources. For a gal with health conditions normally characterized by fatigue and chronic pain, she sure can run rings most of us with her boundless energy.

With over 100 billion active websites available to date, it can be difficult to find reliable health information. Lindsey and other health advocates like her are working hard to make sure that quality health-related resources are available to the people who need them. I'm proud to be working along with her as a co-collaborator at WEGO Health, and I'm sure that she'll have lots to share with us!