Information and opinions on Chronic Pain from Andy@APF at ChronicPainConnection.com. The HealthCentral Network, Inc. (www.HealthCentral.com) is one of the top health destinations on the Web, with more than 35 condition-specific, wellness and general health Web properties. http://www.healthcentral.com/chronic-pain/c/21570 http://www.healthcentral.com/chronic-pain/c/21570/rss self application/xml en-us 15 120 19 http://www.healthcentral.com/images/hc_logo_sm.gif http://www.healthcentral.com/chronic-pain/c/21570 http://www.healthcentral.com/chronic-pain/c/21570/40995/patient-quilt Mon, 15 Sep 2008 16:20:23 -0400 Andy@APF Mixed media fabric, inkjet photo transfer. Approx. 10"x10" I printed a collage I had made about communication with healthcare providers for this quilt block, and had lots of fun decorating it with scraps I had around the house. The pinwheel fabric appliques in the corners are from an old hippie vest that was falling apart. Using a sewing machine is a great challenge for me both technically and physically, so this has been a real learning... http://www.healthcentral.com/chronic-pain/c/21570/40995/patient-quilt http://www.healthcentral.com/chronic-pain/c/21570/40994/fibroquilt Mon, 15 Sep 2008 16:10:59 -0400 Andy@APF Mixed media fabric, rhinestones, inkjet photo transfer. Approx. 10"x10" I used the imagery I worked on in colored pencil for another collage for this quilt block. The fabric I chose has gold squiggly lines that seemed to me to be jangled nerve pathways. I added the shiny stones over the classic fibro "tender points" to add some humor to the standard rhetoric. Yeah, these places hurt, and sometimes feel like actual rocks under my skin, but... http://www.healthcentral.com/chronic-pain/c/21570/40994/fibroquilt http://www.healthcentral.com/chronic-pain/c/21570/40361/window-quilt Wed, 10 Sep 2008 13:15:23 -0400 Andy@APF   Size: 10" x 10", mixed media fabric, ribbon, string, photo transfer print. I put made this quilt block for the 2008 American Pain Foundation's pain and creativity quilt from a collage I created in honor of my daughter, who is dealing with having to reframe her relationship with ballet after a neck injury and knee pain. I'm new to quilting (note the crooked edges), but thoroughly enjoyed the process of choosing scrap fabrics she had... http://www.healthcentral.com/chronic-pain/c/21570/40361/window-quilt http://www.healthcentral.com/chronic-pain/c/21570/38306/days-days Sun, 24 Aug 2008 13:58:03 -0400 Andy@APF   This is a 10" x 10" quilt block, mixed media that I created for the APF quilt project. The figures represent me: some days I'm up, some days I'm down (interpreted as pain level or mood--you decide). The butterflies represent a lightening of heart (and were made from a ribbon that came with a get well basket). The border is made from a hand-painted necktie that I found at the Goodwill and took apart. My husband thought I was making... http://www.healthcentral.com/chronic-pain/c/21570/38306/days-days http://www.healthcentral.com/chronic-pain/c/21570/38304/window Sun, 24 Aug 2008 13:45:27 -0400 Andy@APF This is a mixed media collage I did for my daughter, who was on track to become a dance major in college but suffered a neck and knee injury in 2006, which are now sources of chronic pain for her. At 18, she is dealing with the loss of something she loves, and trying to figure out where to go from here. Luckily, she has had some training in patient advocacy through APF, and is learning to speak up about her own and other people's pain--a... http://www.healthcentral.com/chronic-pain/c/21570/38304/window http://www.healthcentral.com/chronic-pain/c/21570/38301/fibrocollage Sun, 24 Aug 2008 13:37:32 -0400 Andy@APF   This is a colored pencil/mixed media collage (on decorative paper) 8 x 8" inspired by the tender points charts that fibromyalgia patients so often see (with a few "personal" pain spots added in). The figure in the middle represents the other aspects of the disease: the fogginess, the dizzy spells, the uncertainty of living with the other syndromes like irritable bowel and circulation issues. It was a therapeutic exercise for me to... http://www.healthcentral.com/chronic-pain/c/21570/38301/fibrocollage http://www.healthcentral.com/chronic-pain/c/21570/36002/nerve Sun, 03 Aug 2008 17:27:31 -0400 Andy@APF This is a colored pencil drawing, about 6" x 9". When my pain level starts going through the roof, I try to imagine what's going on: what's causing all the commotion. Sometimes, it's the nerves over-firing. In this drawing, I'm representing what I think that could look like. So, if I can picture it, I can edit that picture in my mind's eye, and imagine all those little synapses calming down and behaving better. Going from a stormy sea to a... http://www.healthcentral.com/chronic-pain/c/21570/36002/nerve http://www.healthcentral.com/chronic-pain/c/21570/35998/skin Sun, 03 Aug 2008 17:16:00 -0400 Andy@APF   This is a colored pencil drawing with bits of collage--beads, thread, tin stars from old earrings. Size is about 5" x 8". It represents what I imagine going on under my skin--especially in my neck and shoulders. Yes, this area hurts all the time, but, instead of portraying insidious "devil" imagery, I decided to take an attitude of fun and decoration, using embroidery thread knots, and "pearls" to simulate the hard lumps and bumps that... http://www.healthcentral.com/chronic-pain/c/21570/35998/skin http://www.healthcentral.com/chronic-pain/c/21570/34776/patient-live Tue, 22 Jul 2008 21:27:15 -0400 Andy@APF I created this art card as an example for a collage project where I'm doing bedside artwork with patients receiving chemotherapy. As someone who has lived through cancer, lives with chronic pain, and is a patient advocate for APF, this work is very meaningful to me--like giving back. Ultimately, good health care comes from good doctor-patient communication. All the medicines in the world can't take the place of a respectful, honest and trusting... http://www.healthcentral.com/chronic-pain/c/21570/34776/patient-live