Information and opinions on Chronic Pain from restmin 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/939 http://www.healthcentral.com/chronic-pain/c/939/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/939 http://www.healthcentral.com/chronic-pain/c/939/38250/invisible-week Sun, 24 Aug 2008 03:57:04 -0000 restmin   Chronic illness statistics are staggering, with nearly 1 in 2 people in the USA living with a chronic condition and, according to U.S. Census Bureau, about 96% of illnesses are invisible. With hundreds of thousands of people on the Internet searching for health information and support, thousands of bloggers now post daily journals about the emotional challenges they live with while facing a daily chronic illness filled with... http://www.healthcentral.com/chronic-pain/c/939/38250/invisible-week http://www.healthcentral.com/chronic-pain/c/939/36143/4-facilitating Tue, 05 Aug 2008 04:48:01 -0000 restmin By Lisa Copen   After planning for your new illness support group for weeks, or perhaps even months, it's finally time to have your first meeting. You've gone through the steps of preparing a proposal to start up a support group. It's been approved by whoever is in charge, such as an organization or church. And you've put together a welcome folder for all the people who will attend. You have topics to discuss, speakers scheduled, and... http://www.healthcentral.com/chronic-pain/c/939/36143/4-facilitating http://www.healthcentral.com/chronic-pain/c/939/27573/support-illness Mon, 12 May 2008 00:58:10 -0000 restmin When you first received the diagnosis of your illness, the odds are that many people around you, perhaps even your doctor, reommended a support group. Reseach has studied the impact support groups have on how well one copes with disease, and it is positive.   However, if you have no desire to attend a support group, recognize that it is not uncommon. As with any kind of support group, some support groups you will connect with well and... http://www.healthcentral.com/chronic-pain/c/939/27573/support-illness http://www.healthcentral.com/chronic-pain/c/939/27572/wife-happening Mon, 12 May 2008 00:52:41 -0000 restmin When your wife has a chronic illness, though you may love her no matter what, it can be hard for her to get into a romantic mood. Physical pain from the actual illness to weight gain or loss, bloating, and less-than-fun symptoms of medication can all be a deterrent to some romantic moments.   It's important to know that you are not alone. Nearly 1 in 2 people live with a chronic illness in the U.S. which means that a lot of marriages are... http://www.healthcentral.com/chronic-pain/c/939/27572/wife-happening http://www.healthcentral.com/chronic-pain/c/939/27570/illness-husband Mon, 12 May 2008 00:49:26 -0000 restmin "Hot and bothered" has long referred to romance and those sparks of chemistry between you and the one you love, but if you have a chronic illness, romance may be the last thing on your mind. Chronic illness can quickly redefine "hot" to mean the symptoms of a thyroid condition, night sweats, or a hot heating pad. "Bothered" is something you feel every night when you are annoyed you can't sleep. For examle, achy joints, a dog who snores from his... http://www.healthcentral.com/chronic-pain/c/939/27570/illness-husband http://www.healthcentral.com/chronic-pain/c/939/27566/steps-spiritual Mon, 12 May 2008 00:39:21 -0000 restmin "When I was first diagnosed with fibromyalgia, I actually felt relief," shares Cindy. "I had been trying to find a reason for my pain and it finally was acknowledged as being something physical not mental." Cindy goes on to explain, "It wasn't until months later that I started getting short-tempered and frustrated and I realized that I was angry about the diagnosis. I was angry that I had to suffer and no one understood."   Elizabeth... http://www.healthcentral.com/chronic-pain/c/939/27566/steps-spiritual http://www.healthcentral.com/chronic-pain/c/939/27565/5-frustrations Mon, 12 May 2008 00:30:50 -0000 restmin "You look so good! You can't be as bad as you say. You look perfectly healthy."   "You think you have fatigue? Try working full-time plus having four children! Then you'll know what chronic fatigue is."   "I think you're spending too much time thinking about how you feel. You need to just get out more."   "If you really wanted to get well, you'd at least try that juice drink I gave you last week. It won't hurt to try... http://www.healthcentral.com/chronic-pain/c/939/27565/5-frustrations http://www.healthcentral.com/chronic-pain/c/939/27563/patient-person Mon, 12 May 2008 00:19:54 -0000 restmin Book Review: "YOU: The Smart Patient: An Insider's Handbook for Getting the Best Treatment," by Michael F. Roizen and Mehmet C. Oz -- Review by Lisa Copen     I picked up the book "YOU: The Smart Patient: An Insider's Handbook for Getting the Best Treatment," by Michael F. Roizen and Mehmet C. Oz  up a few years ago, not knowing that soon "Dr. Oz" and his cheery advice, even when discussing the most personal of issues, would... http://www.healthcentral.com/chronic-pain/c/939/27563/patient-person http://www.healthcentral.com/chronic-pain/c/939/21075/ill-20-ways-20 Mon, 03 Mar 2008 22:54:00 -0000 restmin Rest Ministries, the largest Christian organization that specifically serves the chronically ill, recently did a survey and asked people to "List some of the programs or resources a church could offer to make it more inviting comfortable" They have provided a sampling of some of the 800+ responses, all of which could be done in 20 minutes or less. 1. Send out emails that are encouraging. 2. Make an effort to confirm that the... http://www.healthcentral.com/chronic-pain/c/939/21075/ill-20-ways-20 http://www.healthcentral.com/chronic-pain/c/939/20387/moms-send Thu, 14 Feb 2008 19:07:00 -0000 restmin I just had an article posted over at the How to Cope with Pain Blog at http://www.howtocopewithpain.org/blog/195/playgroup-mom-chronic-illness-chronically-ill . It's called "8 Ways To Encourage Your Fellow Playgroup-Moms Who Have Chronic Illness." Since most people who will read it there are the actual mom with the illness and not the friend, I wrote an example email that could accompany the article and/or link in case people want... http://www.healthcentral.com/chronic-pain/c/939/20387/moms-send