Seriously, I'm so excited to be going to Toronto (which is frankly not my favourite city in the world - sorry Toronto readers - big city, not my thing) - one would think I was headed to a five-star resort in the Carribean. Trust me, this trip, if successful, is so much better than any beach, I hardly know where to begin.
When I can start the day without having to consciously block out the haze of pain that is just *always* there, it's like a little slice of heaven.
I'm reading a book by Jennette Fulda called "Chocolate and Vicodin."
The author manages to slip in some humour as she describes her experience of chronic pain. What I found especially fascinating was how important it was for her to have a visual sign of her pain when she had an IV in place for five days if treatment with Kepra. It was a tangible sign to her co-workers and family that *yes* there is something wrong with her.
I can sooooooo identify with that feeling. I can't tell you how many times I've wished that there was a cast on my arm or a pair of crutches to use that would shout to anyone looking at me "Cut her some slack, she's sick!" The other part of Jennette's story that fascinated me was her experience with topamax. It was almost identical to my own horrible side-effect-ridden experience.
Some people might say "Stop reading about other people's pain, and just get on with living with your own" - but I can't tell you how much it means to know that I'm not the only one who has to think twice about committing to evening events, has trouble going to movie theaters, needs to watch sleeping/waking times carefully, thinks three times about everything I eat, and has become a bit of a recluse - all because of pain.
Thanks Jennette. You don't know me, but you sure know how I live. That I could read your story and find a bit of humour and a lot of truth means the world to me.
One week. Just one week - then the possiblity of relief.
Possibility.
I don't count any chickens before they've hatched. I just hope and pray.
Live and learn. Live and learn.
11 comments:
WOW good luck in Toronto, I'm only 40 minutes from there and the weather is beautiful right now ;)
I also have chronic pain and get alot from hearing from others with it.
It's like a slice of sanity....
Thanks for posting about my book! I'm glad you enjoyed it, though I'm less glad that you were able to relate to my experiences. Good luck with the nerve block!
Oh, Sue. Praying.
hoping and praying with you from here
@SoberJulie - welcome & thanks! You just helped me decide on appropriate footwear for the trip. Because it's all about the shoes, right? :)
@Jennette - thanks so much for stopping by! I'm loving the book!
@zorra & elastigirl - thank you for sending some of that Southern love my way and thanks for the prayers as always....
More southern love from here... though not quite as far south as it used to be!
Keeping you and your hope of relief from pain in my prayers. Miss you.
My fingers are crossed for the nerve blocks to work!
I am of two minds when it comes to reading chronic pain books. .... I also like feeling that sense of community and normalcy. But I also find that it's not as easy to distract myself from the pain while I'm reading - all that talk about pain and treatments and hospitals.
Looks like a wonderful place to go if you have chronic pain. Praying that this time it will relieve even MORE pain for a LONGER period, permanently.
oh, sue -- how did i miss this until now? hope your trip is very successful.
know just what you mean about finding someone who knows the [whatever] that seems so lonely.
How did this therapy go? Have you had any relief?
KellieS - After three weeks I've had five headaches, which is certainly an improvement. More importantly, it tells the pain doc where the correct trigger points are for the next set of injections, which will be done with Botox.
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