Chronic pain is a waste of life’s precious time, its a huge hold up. But if you have to deal with it then you have to find a way to cope through the awful journey and survive it. Before my precious implant (Professor Teddy I love you!!), I couldn’t move much without pain, everything hurt and it hurt all the time. And yet, my gorgeous friends and family kept telling me ‘but you look so good for someone who’s in pain all day!’ (Uum… thanks??).
When your signals don't function properly you have to come up with new systems to get through the day. This is one I found very useful, it goes something like this: Don't forget to wee!
My creativity has been one of my main coping mechanisms through my chronic pain life. It's the place I go to feel free, release the steam, express my pain, and to get distracted to the point of pain! But it's worth it every time. There isn't a lot I can achieve with my capacity so one drawing, one painting over months, one post on my blog... anything, it's all worth it.
How many definitions for pain signals are out there? It doesn't stop and I have to be really honest here, it all sounds like hogwash for a person who was unstoppable and prior to her injury had the stamina of a bull (as a friend once described me).
It felt like a miracle and took all of about 15 minutes for the phsyiotherapist (at the chronic pelvic pain clinic at the Women's here in Melbourne Australia) to give me her French infused explanation that my pain was most probably coming from my Pudendal Nerve (yes, a name, I had a name!). It took another 15mins for her to put me in on my back (I never lay on my back as it was too painful) and apply a pressure/postural technique that switched my pain off! (Yes, OFF... calm, silence, stillness, roar gone, no spasm, quiet, peace)... unbelievable but this is true.
The most supported I've felt is when I've come across a practitioner who listens and wants to work with me specifically. I mean really take note of what's going on and [...]
I don't like the car... or other transport. I would be a passenger for a quick trip (cushions galore and my experienced husband driving) and wonder what all the pain was [...]
Oh how many times have I had an injection, operation, procedure, great massage, brilliant half an hour and instantly thought I would be back at work in [...]
A few months into my implant and I felt like I was human again... my senses were back and it was incredible!! That thick pain fog was lifted and I could taste, smell, see, concentrate, focus, remember, listen, think, plan, dream, enjoy, laugh, read, oh what bliss!!!!
In my case, the procedure was much less complicated as I didn't need the leads to go through the spinal canal but rather along my sacrum and coccyx. There is a trial period in which the unit sits outside and is 'plugged in' via the leads that, yes, are sticking half out/half in your body. Look I know that might sound gruesome to some but please... we're talking about chronic pain here... it was NOTHING. A cinch... it worked, it's in now and giving me great pain relief.
