My New Friend, Freddie
I’ve never had much success with inflatables. However, Freddie is a little different – he’s got structure and he’s not so wobbly. If you’ve sat on one of those donut blow ups, you would have noticed [...]
Travel tips for Liz
Traveling isn’t an easy task, even for those with full capacity and no health issues. So when ‘Liz’ contacted me for tips, I thought I could reply here so that you all get to read them. Remember, these are MY [...]
Chugging Around the Globe
I’ve met some exceptional people online who have helped educate me about chronic pain and helped with my pain management. I don’t hesitate to write and connect with people but only if I have a question that I haven’t been [...]
Resources for Treating Chronic Pain by the Pain Specialists Australia (PSA) …MY pain team!
Forgive my bossiness but this post comes from a desperate experience that I lived for 4.5 years. That’s a long time for someone with increasing chronic pain levels and not much hope. I felt isolated and alone in a very [...]
A new DVD resource, Healing the Pain ‘Down There’: A Guide for Females with Persistent Genital and Sexual Pain
There have been many times during my years of chronic pain where I wondered, ‘Why didn’t I know that?’. Usually, the information is quite basic and I feel as though I’ve been deprived by never knowing something so crucial and [...]
Committment, sacrifice and granting myself the right permissions
Last week, I attended my last acupuncture appointment and for the first time in over seven years, am therapist free. Hang on, I have to just repeat that: I am therapist free Did I ever think this day would come? Of course I did and I believe that's why I am here. I have had my moments, but what I didn't realise through all that heat and whilst pacing like a snail, was that each flare up and pain episode was actually not an indication that pain was here to stay, but rather that it was actually beginning to leave. Although just a difference of minutes initially, eventually I felt the flare ups spreading further apart. And with recognising that change and NOT increasing my capacity past a snail's shell weight, I began to make progress.
My ‘Fatty’ tail aint fat afterall!
Closure really is something. Feeling like a niggling concern is finally put to rest can be so satisfying, it brings me such calm. Slowly, my pelvic chronic pain niggles are finding their place and providing me with the peace my body and mind needs so I can let go, move on and most of all feel my injury is clearly understood. I had another session with the wonderful Raffaele who continues to treat me fortnightly. I was ready to call the next nerve block last week but after yesterday I'm hopeful again and thinking I was in some kind of a flare. I can't expect (but I will!) that with my effective management flare ups will cease to happen. As I test my capacity and lift my full litres of milk occasionally, walk the dog and go out more often, I've got to expect at some point the body is going to say, 'hang on love, you're lifting too much milk!'
Take a seat… if you can!
With Pudendal Neuralgia, or any other pelvic chronic pain issue, it can be impossible to sit pain free (let alone get away without a flare up). Of course, I'm no pro when it comes to seating, but I've learned a lot from my own experience and from listening to the 'ouch' in my pelvis. The seating I needed, was most often hand-made! (Have a look at the one my gorgeous father in law made, it's the stool with adjustable foot rest!) Although I've worn out, thrown out, tried and tested so many more seating aids, I'm showing the ones that have lasted or worked for a while. These are the ones I often resort to.
Dragon Dictate
Talk to your phone and your computer responds with commands (comma), better still, it types for you (exclamation mark exclamation mark)!!
How do I do it?
Absolutely nothing great about having to live by these rules but it certainly saves me alot of extra pain, I have more up time and, above all, I decided this is just temporary. I'll do what it takes to get by most comfortably (if I can dare to use such a word for a chronic pain site!): •I understand that everything I do counts, even a sneeze (ok they count alot!) so I make sure I pick and choose what I do •I learned and practice the word pace •I'm more selfish •I say "I can't" and recently I've even stopped apologising because "I can't"! •I let go of obligation (actually I need to work on that one) •Keep any visit short, close, soft (not too many parties unless you can walk away) •I email my WorkSafe case manager to eliminate hearing all unnecessary hogwash •I have a daybed and made a 'dayspace' no where near a television or my bedroom •I have a dog, he's one of my biggest aids