I had an interesting dialogue with myself this morning about Chronic Pain.   I wonder exactly when chronic pain became an accepted part of our lives? People often ask me how on earth I handle it.  My answer is very simple.  I handle it because I have to.  There are certainly are days when I just want to pull the covers over my head and pretend that life is "normal."  But then I realize that for us, chronic pain is "normal." Having realized that, we are able to integrate it into our lives.  We don't always make long range plans, and tend to be more spontaneous, which allows us to take advantage of the times when pain is at a minimum.  Chronic pain has affected all aspects of our lives, but we have learned to cope with the limits it presents.

I must say that I am not perfect, far from it.  I get impatient and sometimes downright cranky (just ask Stacy). I think it is mostly because of frustration and the inablity to stop the cycle that has turned our lives upside down.  But I am the eternal optimist.  Frustrations tend to be short lived and replaced with hope.  Hope that the next procedure will be the last, hope that my child will leave the nest and be whole again.

Stacy spends hours each day on the computer doing research, writing articles, talking on the phone and answering questions.  I get upset that she can do all those things but can't participate more in the running of the household.  I do try to understand that it is important for her to feel that she is doing something to help others and take the focus off herself.  But darn, can't she just put her dishes in the dishwasher... LOL.

Like you, I don't pretend to have all the answers.  I can only share my side of the story in hopes that those of you reading it will get a better understanding of what the view is like from the other side of chronic pain.

Candy