I believe in the power of sharing stories. From listening to a story on The Moth that makes you laugh out loud while driving down the road to a story shared by a church member that breaks your heart, there are lessons to be learned in everything we hear. As a mother of two sons with severe hemophilia, I use my experiences, and with permission, the experiences of my sons to advocate for those living with bleeding disorders.
I also share my mental health struggles. Life with depression and anxiety has definitely had its ups and downs, and I believe that speaking of these issues often helps to bring an understanding of mental health issues to those who do not understand. There is another issue that I have only recently started sharing the past few years…my life with chronic pain.
While I have written several articles and blog posts about my experience with chronic pain and how I relate my journey to my youngest son and his chronic pain, I recently had an opportunity that I could not pass. The Pain Podcast, produced by BloodStream Media, interviewed several individuals living with pain and we shared our stories for Season 2.
As I listened to each episode, I found myself nodding in agreement constantly. I heard others describe exactly what I was feeling. Exactly. I finally feel like I am not alone in this struggle. Pain is different for everyone. When it stays with you twenty four hours a day, seven days a week, you develop an intimate relationship. It has its ups and downs with some days being better than others, but the truth is that you begin to feel isolated. No one can “see” that you are in pain most of the time and you continue to smile, keep moving, and do the next right thing, no matter how difficult. Depending on the pain level, it can often be easily masked
.Through my sharing and listening to the final product I released a huge burden of the depth of my pain. I am extremely grateful.
If you or a loved one suffer from chronic pain, I encourage you to listen to The Pain Podcast. Perhaps you will gain a new perspective as you hear these stories. A huge thank you to Mel Forrest, Greg Holdsman, Patrick James Lynch, and all involved on this project. I simply wanted to share my experience to help others have a new understanding about pain.
