Sorry for the recent tech problems - 24 hours down to move servers turned into 7 times that. Thanks for your patience! I’m re-posting some articles that appeared, then disappeared. And remember that tomorrow’s the last day to submit your article for July’s Pain-Blog carnival.
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This article was submitted by a reader Margaret and is in the running to win a prize, as are many other articles this month at How to Cope with Pain. See how you can enter to win prizes.
Margaret writes: I was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor over 15 years ago and gave up active treatment over 7 years ago now. My life now is 24/7 pain, deteriorating coordination, and increasing difficulty with speech and walking.
Amazing Grace, Inuit
Here are some things that have provided me with relief:
1. I’ve finally been able to afford Tramal. Before that, I was only able to use Ibuprofen for pain relief. I’m allergic to codeine, morphine and derivatives.
2. During this time, my general practitioner taught me the practice of TFT. (This is a treatment I’m not familiar with, but which is described on their website as “psychological acupuncture” – HtCwP) The tapping and breathing helped me to manage and rise above the pain. I have since taught a number of others, and most have reported marked improvement both when used for pain management and for treating panic/anxiety disorders.
3. God has also helped me greatly with dealing with the constant, largely unrelieved pain I suffer. I find that His constant presence and availability has been my rock that I grasp onto when pain spirals out of control. Listening to hymns or meditating on Scripture helps me to rise above the debilitating effects of pain.
4. Distraction has long been another coping technique. I’ve always made toys like teddies and dolls, knitted and crocheted. I’ve developed a way of knitting that I can still manage, despite the fact that my right side rarely cooperates with what my brain is telling it. Combined with my computer and my studies, I find that most times I can distract myself, even when I’m too ill to go out on street ministry, which I love to do.
Yes, there are those in the medical profession who wonder why I’m not only still alive, but functioning and helping others. They were sure I would be relegated to an acute care facility, unable to do more than move my eyes, when they first handed down their prognosis. Some listen when I tell them how God obviously disagreed with their prognoses, but most would prefer to perform yet more tests, which in the past have served to prove that I shouldn’t be able to do what I am.
Okay, some days are total wipeouts, but I learnt that fighting against those days was a waste of energy and time. Instead, I allow the Holy Spirit to flow over and around me, and these days became fewer. God has certainly blessed me, even to the point of giving me my lovely Jeze, who has trained herself to be my service dog.
Thanks, Margaret, for sharing what helps you. - How to Cope with Pain
Grunt Doc is hosting Grand Rounds, a medical blog, this week.
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This article was submitted by Michele and is in the running to win a prize, as are all the articles this week at How to Cope with Pain. See how you can enter to win prizes!
Michele writes…
I’ve never written anything on my pain before, but something happened recently that’s prompting me to share. I’ve been dealing with persistent, increasing pain from degenerating disk disease for more than 7 years. It’s something I just live with and have been making peace with for about four years. I never thought it had taught me anything until the other day when I had to have part of a toenail removed.
You know the torture they show in the movies, when somebody gets a nail pulled off? Well, that’s mild compared to how it really feels. Once I was back up walking around, with my toe all bandaged up, I had good-hearted people giving me all kinds of advice about how to handle the pain, how to manage my foot so the pain doesn’t get worse, etc.
While their ideas and thoughts were heart-felt and well meaning, most of the ideas were nothing new to me. In fact, I realized, through the whole thing, just how much I know about managing pain and living with little interruptions that pain causes in my day-to-day life. And even more, how much pain I really am used to handling!
I joked with my husband how much I would give to have the pain of this little toe be my only issue. But it also pointed out to me that I really have become good at dealing with the little irritants that we all may deal with in time. As my younger sister recently pointed out, “We’re all going to have to face our growing limitations, as we baby boomers continue to age. You’re just way ahead of the game!”
So while I wouldn’t wish a pain condition on anybody, I can say that I’m stronger and better equipped because of it. And when it seems that my pain is getting the last word, I will try to remember my little toenail, and how it’s all “relative”!
Thanks, Michele, for submitting some of your story. - How to Cope with Pain.
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This article was submitted by Llano and is in the running to win a prize, as are all the articles this week at How to Cope with Pain. See how you can enter to win prizes!
Llano writes:
Pain is personal, so how do I deal with it?
Hello, my name is Llano, and I deal with pain 24/7. I have something called Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS) or RSD. In a nut shell… it means I had an accident and now my nerves will not shut off. I’ve had it for close to 15 years and there is no cure.
With everyone, your pain is personal. I hate it when the chronic pain clinics, doctors or physical therapists ask you, “Between 1 and 10, rate your pain level.” Once in a while would be ok, but not every 15 or 30 minutes. With me, it hurts more because then I have to acknowledge that pain by rating it.
Over the years I have come to some conclusions about my pain - neither right nor wrong, just conclusions for me.
1. I have pain – it’s not in my “head.” Not everyone understands this, but I know it, and that’s all that matters.
2. I can be a victim or I can contribute and move forward in life. I have pain, but what am I going to do about it? No one else can take on my pain, so I must learn to deal with it.
3. I have pain, so let me make nice and become friends with it. If I fight with it, I can really hurt myself. I set my lmits. I’m still dealing with this… it’s hard to relax, but I must.
4. Help others and your pain will not seem so bad. Care about those around you, help those that need your help. It takes your mind off of “you,” and you realize that you’re not the only one going through this.
5. Be determined to smile, even when you don’t want to.
If this helps you come to some conclusions in your own journey, please pass your knowledge along to others. It only takes one person to make a difference in the world, why not you? Thanks for reading this. I hope it helps.
Thanks, Llano, for submitting some of your story. - How to Cope with Pain.
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This question was submitted by Esther and is in the running to win a prize, as are all the articles this week at How to Cope with Pain. See how you can enter to win prizes!
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Today’s topic for Monday Chat: What’s Your Favorite Game That Distracts You From Pain?
I wrote recently about video games decreasing pain. Esther, a reader, asked what games other people find helpful to bring their focus away from pain. Do you play any games to help make yourself more comfortable? Share your thoughts in the comments.
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Find it hard to slow down? In the fable of the tortoise and the hare, is it clear you’re zipping along, nibbling carrots?
Sometimes people who are more energetic and driven find it hard to learn relaxation techniques or to slow down enough to rest. In the long run, people who are willing to push themselves a bit do better in dealing with chronic pain, I think. However, it can really help to learn to balance your drive forward with taking enough time to let your body recharge and heal.
Healthskills: Skills for Health Living had a great post recently about using walking meditation for people who find it hard to slow down. Another case in which I’ve suggested walking meditation is for people whose pain increases when they’re still. This probably happens because of less stimulation to their brains when they’re quiet - there’s nothing to compete with pain signals.
Even bunnies rest, right?
How about for you? Have you tried walking meditation? If it works for you, let us know why you think it helps you.
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What if the benefits of the relaxation exercises you do, such as breathing, visualization, guided imagery and hypnosis, continued 24/7? That would be pretty great, right?
I’d guess most people would say they hope/expect to get some benefit – say reduced pain – during their meditation practice. If this benefit continues outside of those 15 or 30 minutes, that’s extra. However, another way to look at meditation practices (and possibly other relaxation exercises) is that your period of “practice” – those 15 or 30 minutes – is just that… practice. And what you’re practicing for is the other 23 ½ hours – the rest of your life.
A reader, Kelli B., wrote in with these comments. She says, in summary:
These thoughts were spurred by someone with chronic pain who said that “the pain goes away when I meditate, but returns when I stop meditating.” I’ve noticed that people often assume that meditation is a special activity, one largely separate from the moment-by-moment unfolding of one’s day.
A fairly standard element of a deeper meditation practice is to aim to meditate throughout all daily activities. Meditation continues while performing other tasks, and in fact, sometimes makes them easier and less stressful.
What I’d like to offer is the following perspective. It isn’t a matter of meditating several times a day, but of aiming to treat whatever arises in one’s daily, moment-to-moment life, as an element arising in a meditation. This can be pain, or emotions such as anger, sadness, anxiety, etc.
Many meditation traditions emphasize that the purpose of the separate meditation “sitting” is actually to develop mindfulness for the express purpose of eventually expanding the practice of mindfulness throughout one’s daily activities, and all of one’s moments. The most familiar examples of this are probably the Zen tradition’s treatment of simple daily work activities and personal relationships as platforms for meditation.
Meditation might be a much deeper resource for people when pursued more deeply and in an ongoing manner.
Readers, what do you think? Do you see your meditation and other practices as experiences with specific boundaries - or - as an approach to life?
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Welcome to June’s Pain-Blog Carnival… the best articles of June! This month’s theme is summer/vacation. Lots of other great reading here, too. Enjoy!
Vacations can mean flying by plane. Spine Health gives us 5 tips to make flying pain-free.
Rhymes with Migraine share some tips she’s learned from her own travels to make the journey more pleasant and do-able.
Don’t want to fly… or even leave home? Somebody Heal Me writes about vacationing at home. “Living well with chronic health conditions is all about adapting things to work for you. By staying home, you can get the relaxation you crave, while also accommodating your health needs.”
Even if you don’t work or if you need to take things easy because of pain, you still need a vacation. Working with Chronic Illness tells us the wise reasons why.
Summer also means having extra time for reading. Here are some other great submissions:
Migraine Chick shares with us some rules about living with migraines and chronic pain that she’s learned the hard way. How many can you relate to?!?
I’m in so much pain. Fighting Fatigue writes about the risks of faking it - pretending nothing’s wrong, when you’re really in a lot of pain.
Psychology of Pain writes about a new website, Pain Explained, which has info for both patients and healthcare providers.
Natural Pain Relief shares some natural products that might potentially help neuropathy (nerve pain).
Thanks to everyone for their submissions! July’s Pain-Blog Carnival will be Wednesday, July 30 Deadline for submissions: Friday, July 25.
Send in your submissions here.
This week’s Grand Rounds, a medical blog carnival, is hosted at Shrink Rap. Check out the technologically-amazing interactive iPhone they created.
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Do you ever say to yourself that you should write a book, an article or a blog?
81% of us do (according to this funny NY Times article by Joseph Epstein). However, few run with that thought and actually do so. Nickie Coby is the exception – she actually self-published Nickie’s Nook: Sharing the Journey. I recently asked to review her book, and I thought it was inspiring.
Nickie, a college student, is the author at Nickie’s Nook, a blog about her experience with pain, sight-impairment and living. I found her book really interesting and enjoyable to read. It talks about her pain condition (RSD), how she copes, and the challenges she experiences because of pain. Nickie is also blind, and she relates what that experience is like, too.
Having had severe pain myself, I’m always curious about someone else’s pain experience, seeing how they deal with the challenge of pain. My sight, at least with glasses, is fine, so reading about the challenges of sight-impairment was an eye-opener (no pun intended).
Nickie writes about the challenges of coping with pain and blindness and functioning fully in our society, attending college, working with her guide dog, independence and interdependence (great writing), and spirituality. As a physician and blogger, I was also interested in her chapters on access to both healthcare and the web for people with disabilities.
When someone is challenged in some way by disabilities, there’s a risk in describing the person’s story as “inspiring,” because it can seem condescending. So I hope that’s not what I’m communicating between the lines here. I was truly struck by Nickie’s courage and perseverance. And the book was a fun read – humorous and engaging.
I’d recommend the book to anyone interested in these topics (you can even download it). Stop over at her blog, too - lots of great reading there, as well. Thanks, Nickie, for writing your book as well as sharing it with How to Cope with Pain!
Nickie’s book is one of the prizes here at How to Cope with Pain!
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How about some prizes for participating on How to Cope with Pain?
I’ve gathered quite a few books, movies, meditations CD’s, etc., while evaluating these products for you. So I’d like to give them away to you!
You just have to write something for How to Cope with Pain to share with other readers. This can be a guest post, a short article or story, or even just a question for Monday Chat. The topic can be anything related to pain, including:
your own pain condition
what you’ve learned from coping with pain
what your best coping techniques are
a question for Monday Chat
Whatever you’d like to share. Don’t be modest or shy, or feel you have nothing to say. I’ll pick my favorite submissions over the next month (deadline, 7/20) and publish them over the summer. I’ll contact the winners to see what reward you’d like. You can send in as many submssions as you’d like. Your prizes could include:
Life Disrupted: Getting Real About Chronic Illness in Your Twenties and Thirties, by Laurie Edwards. (To be published 6/08)
Nickie’s Nook: Sharing the Journey, By Nickie Coby (see review coming Monday)
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