2008 Designated as the Year of Women in Pain

MY ROLE AS A GRANDMOTHER:

                        As a grandmother I had hoped to play with my grandchildren the way I did with their parents.  Because of my pain, that never happened.  They see me as the "sick" grandmother who needs to be coddled so they don't cause grandma to have a headache.

                        One of my worst and best days as a grandmother was when my youngest grandson was about 5 days old.  We made the trip to Kentucky to see our new grandson.  My pain was so bad at that time, I didn't dare pick him up for fear of dropping him. My son arranged a chair with pillows under my arms for support and laid the baby in my arms.  I loved holding him and rocking him, but despite the pillows, my arms began to hurt, to tremble and to go numb so they had to take him out of my arms.  That was the only time I ever held my youngest grandson as an infant.

            As you can see, my experiences with my husband, my children and my grandchildren show how chronic pain takes its toll, not only on the body but also on the mind.

My role as a woman is that of a nurturer and a mother; a person who gives without thought for herself.  My role as a woman in pain has taken away my ability to be a giver, and now I am forced to be a taker; a role I find more painful than any physical pain.