Living with the unspoken

nlaffertyrn

Hi, I am Nicole- new to this group, and so glad to become a member.

The unspoken I am talking about refers to my chronic pain- I have had pain for several years. Leg pain and joint pain that is always present, but I am ashamed to admit it to anyone (but you, I guess). It is not IF I am having pain, but how much pain I am having. I have taken so many NSAIDS that I have permanent ringing in my ears.

I am hesitant to talk to my husband about my chronic pain because I am afraid he will tell me I did it to myself, which does have some truth to it, or that he will minimize the pain I have. Don't get me wrong, DH has always been supportive and truly loves me unconditionally, but I know it would effect our relationship if he heard bout my pain everyday... so I grin, suck it up, and move on.

Exercising is something I have to carefully consider everyday. What can I do, how hard can I push myself, and how much will it hurt afterwards. It makes it that much harder to exercise even several days a week. My family doesn't understand why I pause before saying I will join them at the gym. I don't want my teenage girls to know about my chronic pain because my mother abused narcotic meds for the last several years of her life, and I do not want them to think I am like her.

Ironically, I am a hospice and palliative nurse and help people manage their pain everyday to live their life as comfortable as possible. I suppose I should have tiled this "irrational secrets."

Anyway, it is nice to finally tell SOMEBODY!

arnfolly

May I ask if you have been diagnosed with fibro, or osteoarthritis or any other auto immune disorder? the reason I ask, is because certain foods will help reduce inflammation. I was never a huge fan of broccoli until I discovered it's natural antinflammatory properties, so I began eating it. NOW I LOVE IT! We eat it all the time here at our house. It took me a couple weeks of just eating it all ways to discover the love it, but it DOES help. I also eat a lot of blueberries, blackberries etc. Also, I make sure to get my EFA's in, as they help coat the nerves.

verzinoviolet

It am relatively new to living with chronic pain. I am still struggling with many of the same issues. Other people can't feel or see your pain so they have a hard time relating to it. I try to not talk about it too much to my hubby because he feels helpless to help me. I do vent a little to friends and family who are particularly understanding and supportive. That being said, I try not to ruminate on it for too long as it brings me down. I also have to carefully consider exercise much in the same way you do. It is very important for my health and well being, but I have to keep it at a level that does not cause me to hurt or flare afterwords. I have started journaling and meditating. The meditation in particular is helpful. At first when it was recommended to me for pain management I thought they were crazy. I did not want to spend any time actually focusing on my pain. I wanted to continue to ignore it and push it away. I have found that meditation is very helpful. I need to acknowledge the pain. Acknowledging it as a body sensation helps me to cope with it better mentally. I am still figuring all of this out . It is so very complex and difficult. Be kind to yourself, practice self care, and find a listening ear who can listen without passing judgement. Best Wishes

tnrunningnurse

I got diagnosed with Thoracic outlet syndrome in Jan. after an almost 2 year search for the cause of the pain in my left upper back and left arm, nerve pain. I just had Botox injections to help with the pain, as the surgical option is removal of my first rib and my scalene muscle. I have an appt. this week with an homeopathic Chiropractor to get a nutritional analysis and check on acupuncture. I too try not to talk about my pain because I am sure people are sick of hearing about it. Feel free to friend me, you can talk to me about it.