Coming off years of chronic pelvic pain including surgeries, medications, excruciating pain, fear, and endless medical appointments, I’m understandably skeptical about what pregnancy would mean for my body. My providers have, over the years, offered advice that ranges from horrifying to reassuring.
Read MoreMy last post ended with my arrival in Chicago. After a two-day, cross-country drive from New Mexico, our UHaul pulled into town. We arrived in the midst of the 2014 Polar Vortex, the coldest winter that Chicago had seen in 30 years. My pain was so severe that I couldn’t wear pants or underwear, and the thick sheet of ice covering most of the city didn’t make it any easier to walk normally or navigate a wheelchair.
My husband and I unpacked our UHaul as the snow poured down, and then, surrounded by boxes, we sat on the floor of our apartment (above someone’s garage) and sipped hot chocolate. What had we done?
Read MoreThis treatment, and these PTs, weren't going to be the ones to get me better. This was true despite how badly they wanted to help me and despite how compliant I had been with their treatments. It was true despite how passionately they felt about pelvic floor disorders, how much book knowledge and certificates about my issues they possessed, and how personally involved with my case they felt. These women genuinely, deeply cared for me.
Read MoreWhen I got my first IUD, it was with a rotten doctor and no compassion.
It was December of 2010, I’d just finished my first semester of law school, and my gynecologist told me it was a simple in-office procedure. I picked up my cervix-dilating medicine at the pharmacy and followed the instructions exactly. I had also asked my doctor about pain meds for the procedure. She said none were necessary but I could take something of my own if I wanted. I brought an old bottle of Vicodin.
Read MoreI recently wrote a blog entry for my law firm, Jackson LLP, about insurance discrimination against women in pain or suffering from chronic conditions. It's so relevant to Inspire Santé's mission that we're also sharing it here.
Read More"When was the first day of your last menstrual period?" Every woman who has gone to the doctor for any reason can relate to this. Upon your first interaction with the nurse or medical assistant, you're asked a series of questions, usually while they take your blood pressure, and they ask about your LMP (last menstrual period) in a monotone way. If you hesitate, they hand you a mini-calendar.
Read MoreMy physical therapist, Sandy, has asked me: "How many good things, feelings, and inputs is it going to take for you to no longer fear that the pain will return?" My answer has always been: "I don't know." She also admits to not knowing. No one knows.
Read MoreMore times than I can count, I’ve been asked: “How long did it take for you to start feeling better?” I met Sandy, my PT, when I was wheelchair-bound and in constant, horrific pain. So, I’m sharing this journal entry, written 15 days after meeting Sandy. And to answer the question: It took less than 15 days.
Read MoreWe imagined that I'd receive some sort of gold-gilded trophy with a woman standing triumphantly in her underwear. I'd successfully mastered several dynamic challenges.
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”Inspire Santé”, “Hope Dealer,” and “Patients are people.” are all trademarks of ours. They stem from our founder Erin Jackson’s personal retelling and writing of her experience with pelvic pain. Words matter, and these are hers and ours. Don’t steal; it’s bad karma, and we’re trying to do good. If you use them, attribute them.
