Supported Back Pain Self-Management – Made Simple
Forming part of the 2021 Global Year About Back Pain Webinar Series Date: 18 March 2021 Time: 04:00 EDT/08:00 GMT/21:00 NZDT/19:00 AEDT Length: 90 minutes Supported Back [...]
Advocacy – Video Style
I’m off and running for 2021. Considering I was about to dump advocacy all together, I am pleasantly surprised by the idea to up my [...]
Welcome to My Sanctuary Space
Chronic pain management is tough! And it's also different for each person who lives with and manages it. I wouldn't be much of an advocate if I didn't welcome you inside my sanctuary space and show you a teeny glimpse of how I approach daily life – especially when I've promised to bring you video content and interviews about pain management and chronic pain research with other fabulous people. So here I am, live to you from my sanctuary space, from a room that is my everything space otherwise known as, an artist's studio. I present a little of my management wisdom and creativity, the how and why I came to be in the space and what is going on with all those dolls in the background! This video is Membership material so therefore only visible to you if you have a current membership for pudendalnerve.com.au
Presentation: An Approach to Chronic Non-Cancer Pain
In November this year, I was invited to present my pain experience to a group of 40 GP's. The topic was: An Approach to Chronic Non-Cancer Pain and the workshop was facilitated by Dr Paul Grinzi for Murray City Country Coast GP Training. Where does one start when asked to present to 40 pain interested GP's in 20 minutes? There's a great emoji to illustrate the look on my face when I ponder this question. You can well imagine. As an 'expert' in my 'field' 20 minutes to describe 13 years of living with chronic pain of which 4.5 years were spent lost in a forest is still a tough gig. However, this was a presentation to medical professionals. And they know everything, right? .... I've decided to make this video a paid resource. All proceeds go towards funding this website and PainTrain – My Health Summary. What do I talk about in my video? — O:43 My story — 2:50 Investigating pain, research & treatment — 4:26 Diagnosis — 5:55 Advocacy — 7:45 The experience of pain — 8:27 Medication — 9:35 Characteristics of Pain — 10:55 Planning life with chronic pain — 12:09 Pain management — 13:50 PainTrain
Good Riddance 2020… And Thank you
Aaahh, chronic pain! You bittersweet, endless orb of confusion! And this is why I say ‘good riddance and thank you’ to 2020 – the year of CV-19. From my very comfortable position [...]
Dr Susie Gronski: She’s A Brilliant Resource For Males With Pelvic Pain
And ladies can also benefit as well! I’m signed up to Dr Susie’s news – highly recommend you do so also as she is a wealth of information. Although Dr Susie specialises [...]
A PainTrain Post CV-19 Update
Watch and listen to my PainTrain Post CV-19 update. I missed my health summary. I didn't feel right not having my own history. Sure I have health files all over the placed (physically, digitally, with many professionals, x-rays galore) but PainTrain is a bit of a rock for me. It's my safekeeping. After not having PainTrain for months, what I most kept thinking about was 'what if I have to go to an appointment and meet a new healthcare professional?'.
Workers And Families To Have Their Say On Safety
Any effort to help injured workers and rectify the workers' compensation system is going to meet me with a very stern look of doubt on my face. It's also going to take a great deal of change for me to believe that any Governing body is keen to take action and that they will be able to follow through. It's going to take a great deal of change and support and sadly it won't make up for the trauma and loss suffered in the past. Is it possible that a Government group can swing all the bad it's done (and doing) and transform into a truly supportive system? Can Victorian workers and employers feel confident that if in the case of a work accident, a system that supports injured workers and employers will exist? And where possible will this system be able to find a way to return workers to some form of work? To me, it seems that to land another man on the moon is going to be far more possible.
Just Another Freaky Boat Ride
In what's becoming a life trek in the aim of defining my ongoing pain issue, there's a pattern I'm beginning to see. Most often when I read educational material and it feels like it's beginning to gell with my experience, I feel a suction begins to the words. I'm drawn into the paragraphs of the researcher/s and excitement kicks in. 'I'm going to find the definition, this person is speaking my language!' It gets wilder and wilder – think Willy Wonka's crazy boat ride (below, but hold on to your pelvis!) and the findings and resources amount to great support material. I begin to believe – 'this is IT!' But Like Willy Wonka's crazy boat ride, somewhere along the way it gets freaky, the definition starts to go off my track and as I keep reading I'm feeling that I'm coming unstuck.
Forwards, Backwards or Somewhere In Between
I've gotten up on my feet only to find myself back down again a few thousand times in the past 13 years. I use my personal chronic health issue to try and understand the management of COVID-19. As mentioned in a few COVID-19 related blogs, there are similarities with chronic illness in the way the virus attacks a human. Qualities like its invisibility, the way it can affect life, the way it has affected livelihoods and the ongoing power over humans are all mountains I've had to get over. And over... and over. And will have to continue to get over.