I am in pain every day, every hour, every minute, and every second. I haven’t had a pain free moment in 9 years. The current prevailing literature says that’s because I’m just being emotional about my illness, or that I’m not meditating enough, or that I just want to be in pain. But despite what…Continue reading What is chronic pain and why is the definition changing?
Category: Invisible Illness
Finding strength when you live with chronic pain
I had a moment of peace the other day. It came at an odd time, certainly not when I would have expected it. I was riding my bike on the way home from picking my son up at school. I do this everyday because there are no sidewalks for him to ride on,and it’s not…Continue reading Finding strength when you live with chronic pain
You know you have a chronic illness when
Having a chronic illness isn’t easy. It comes with forgetfulness, fatigue, pain, social consequences, crazy amounts of doctor appointments, depression and anxiety, and big life changes. Not everyone experiences all of these things, but there are certain hallmarks that everyone with a chronic illness experiences even though they may have a variety of illnesses. So…Continue reading You know you have a chronic illness when
5 reasons parenting with chronic illness is a good thing
Parenting with chronic illness is hard, but overall it can still be a good thing. I originally started this blog because I felt that none of the advice about having a chronic illness applied to parents. (I mean pacing is a great idea, but good luck with that when you have children). People who know…Continue reading 5 reasons parenting with chronic illness is a good thing
I am Fibromyalgia: What it’s like when Fibromyalgia takes over your body
I know I snuck up on you without your knowing so now that you’re stuck with me I thought I’d introduce myself. Hi, I’m fibromyalgia I’m invisible No one can see me, no one else can feel me, only you can feel my strength and power. I take your energy from you, I cause your…Continue reading I am Fibromyalgia: What it’s like when Fibromyalgia takes over your body
6 ways spoon theory is important in the struggle with chronic illness
One tool people use to explain life with chronic illness is called The Spoon Theory. The Spoon Theory basically says that a person with a chronic illness only has so many spoons available to them, and the number changes from day to day. Once you use a spoon, it’s gone and there’s nothing you can…Continue reading 6 ways spoon theory is important in the struggle with chronic illness
Absolutely no one with chronic pain medicates to zero pain
No one with chronic pain medicates to zero pain, despite what doctors and internet trolls believe. Despite this being a myth, the common view is that the opioid epidemic was caused by pain patients demanding that they never be in pain ever, and so they medicated themselves into painless zombies. This is absolutely ridiculous, and…Continue reading Absolutely no one with chronic pain medicates to zero pain
The truth about chronic pain, depression, and suicide
A conversation on my Facebook page about the side effects of living with long term chronic pain reminded me that I needed to address this topic. I’ve avoided it because I don’t like getting too personal or emotional on my blog, and talking about depression and suicide gets really emotional. However, the more discussion I…Continue reading The truth about chronic pain, depression, and suicide
The shocking truth about life with untreated chronic pain
Pain takes over everything and untreated chronic pain can derail your whole life. Without treatment, pain takes over your body, and then it takes over your mind. It makes it so you can’t process information. It makes it so you can’t think. It makes it so you can’t remember because all you can remember is…Continue reading The shocking truth about life with untreated chronic pain
How to let go of control when you live with chronic pain
When you’re diagnosed with a chronic illness/chronic pain your life changes instantly and it’s not always easy to go with the flow. You want to hold onto things that were part of your healthy life, but your body just won’t cooperate. So here’s a few things that I’ve had to let go because of chronic…Continue reading How to let go of control when you live with chronic pain