Pain

For the past nine months, I have experienced constant nerve pain. No details here (trying to under-share), but I couldn’t get away from the searing sensation no matter what I did.

I eventually found a doctor who listened to me, diagnosed me correctly and has helped me to regain my pain-free life. What I am left with is an expanded exercise regime (good) and a whole new understanding of pain.

There are too many people who are in chronic pain, from illness, from injury, from emotional trauma. Pain is exhausting. It changes your personality. It interferes with your relationships. It makes you feel hopeless. So many carry on the best they can, using drugs, psychological and physical therapy, medical devices to make their days tolerable. They look fine, so we all assume they’re fine. But, if you’re in pain, you are most definitely not fine.

My experience has taught me not to assume that a grumpy person is just mean or that a broken date is a personal attack on me. None of us can know what is going on inside someone who just isn’t connecting with us. It can be physical. It can be emotional. It is most likely none of our business unless that friend chooses to share.

My pain taught me to listen to my own body and be my own advocate for finding help. Now that I am recovering, I need to listen to others as well. Everyone tells a story by their behavior and actions. We may not understand that story because we don’t have all the details. And, we may never get all the details, nor are we necessarily entitled to them. But, we can listen and react with patience.

Patience and kindness are sometimes all we can give. And, that may be enough.