You're Not Alone (Chronic Pain)

Somewhere, there is a person who aches from head to toe, and all they want is for God to rid them of their pain.

There's a girl sitting next to you in class with her head down on their desk. You wonder why she came if she's not even going to pay attention. But what you don't know is that she's had a migraine for 15 straight days, and nothing they've tried can relieve it.

A co-worker that can always be found with a smile on their face has just been diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis. There's now a concrete diagnosis for the suffering they've been feeling. But there's no cure. There may never be a day where she's pain-free, and realizing that is just as hard as facing it.

There's a man that was diagnosed with bone cancer seven year ago. He's suffering from mind-blowing agony from the effects of the cancer and the treatment, but he walks around town, getting exercise, acting like nothing's wrong.

There's 100 million Americans that suffer from chronic pain, according to the American Academy of Pain Medicine. That's not counting the hundreds of millions that suffer with it around the world. They're just like you and me. They try to make every day count, but they don't know how to get through it sometimes. There's not an answer to when it will stop. There's hundreds of doctors' visits, and in some cases, they can help take away the pain. But not always. Many times, it's up to you to learn how to deal with it.

And how do you deal with it? How do others expect you to be happy? You sit quietly and listen to another woman talk about how horrible her cramps are for a couple days out of the month. You don't mention that you have Endometriosis that causes cramping, twisting, and stabbing pain every day of every month of every year.

One day at a time, they say. And it's true. That's the only way you get through it. By embracing each new day and remembering all of the blessings in your life. But it's difficult. The pain affects your relationship with loved ones. It hinders your ability to work, to exercise, to enjoy life's daily moments.

It's hard at times. People don't know what to say. There's no clear-cut sign that you are experiencing pain on your body most times. It's not like you have a cast on your arm or a bandage that points out the condition. You want everyone to treat you like you're normal. But it's not normal to go through what you go through every day. It's hundreds of times harder to make it through a regular day for you than the average person, but would your boss understand if you took off every day that you weren't feeling "good?" He'd have an employee that never showed up because there's barely ever a day that you actually feel good. Yet, you show up anyway.

You're not alone. If there's one thing I accomplish by being in the blogging world, please let it be that I send this message loud and clear. You are not alone. There's others that understand, and sometimes being able to talk to people that have felt the pain that encompasses your body and won't let go is the only thing that helps.

Knowing that you're not the only one is sometimes the only thing that helps. When physicians and other medical workers act like they empathize because they know how it's caused. Yet, they've never felt the agony that you feel. And sadly, with chronic pain, there's no cure. They may be able to help the symptoms, but they can't experience what you feel.

It's not much, but it's a start.

Realize this, as well. You have been dealt these conditions because you are strong. God doesn't give you more than you can handle. You may feel that you've been dealt a bad hand, but you have a story to tell. You influence others by sharing your story and raising awareness. There's a reason for all of this, even if we don't have the answers. But you are tough and tenacious, and you have the potential to change lives. You'll get through this, and one day, there will be answers and hopefully there will be cures. But it will only happen if we fight this together.

This is why I love research. At this point in time, I'm studying the basics of musculoskeletal components and how musculoskeletal pain is caused. But truly, I want to find answers behind how we can cure chronic pain as a whole. There may be millions of disorders and conditions that lead to chronic pain, and it will take a very long time to reach all of the answers that will stop these disorders from leading to pain. But, just maybe, there is some way that can convince the brain to allow us to not feel it indefinitely. It might take a lifetime, but there are people working towards that every day. And raising awareness and funds for research for chronic pain is as real and necessary as raising awareness and funds for cancer. We have to fight together to do it.


I'll be back with more couponing tips later, but today, this was the message I needed to send. This was what was weighing on my mind and heart.

Just remember, you're not alone. And you're loved. We'll get through this together.