Then came doctor appointments and physical therapy appointments, and soon, I was out of my wheelchair and walking again. But as the months wore on, my husband ultimately had to take a job out-of-state. I was doing better, but I found myself completely lost. Who was I now?
Read MoreIt's so hard to accept any bad days after suffering so many bad years. I think that, as my pain continues to recede in my rearview mirror, that will become less challenging. With time, I expect that I'll even come to appreciate the occasional "down day" with some minor ailment. But for now, I'm desperate to enjoy my still-fresh health.
Read MoreParents come in all packages. The key to good parenting is preparation and doing your best for your children.
Read MoreMy mother and I have been estranged for more than five years. While I was at my lowest point -- wheelchair bound, in excruciating pain, and suffering immensely -- she was critical and skeptical of my pain. That became intolerable, and my recovery ultimately required that I sever ties with her and work on rebuilding my emotional health and my strength. She's missed so much these past several years.
Read MoreHealthcare providers may be aware of the presence of yellow flags in a patient’s history, such as a major accident, depression, catastrophization, or prior trauma or abuse (to name a few), but not consider it related to the patient’s clinical presentation of pain. But it is. Prior pain experience shapes pain perception.
Read MoreI've been dairy-free for three years now and I've never felt healthier. Give these a try, and add your own to the list!
Read MoreConsidering the fact caregiving duties take up as many hours as a part-time or even full-time job for many unpaid providers, it’s often extremely difficult for them to prioritize self-care. But thoughtful gifts can help make their lives a little easier and even encourage them to indulge in a little “me time.” Here are a few gift suggestions for the deserving caregivers on your list.
Read MoreAnyone who’s battled chronic pain or invisible illnesses knows the chorus too well: “But you don’t look sick!,” or “But you look so healthy!” The way people look and the way people feel can be vastly different. And none of us should ever feel that it’s appropriate for us to comment upon, criticize, and judge the conduct of others based on outward appearances.
Read MoreIn the spirit of Thanksgiving today, I'm sharing my gratitude journey.... My yoga mat reminds me that I’m safe here, and that I’ve done this many times before. My mat has become a symbol of my strength and my ability to feel good. As I lug it around the city, it tells others “I’m a healthy woman!” But more importantly, it reminds me: “You’re a healthy woman. You did it. You made it. You survived.”
Read MoreWith the benefit of 20/20 hindsight and a joyously pain-free existence, I wish I hadn't given in so easily. I wish I'd searched harder for clothes that were both comfortable but also helped me retain a sense of me.
Read MoreI went from doctor to therapist looking for answers and nobody had them for me. It was devastating to say the least. Normal life had ended on some levels; I was a physically active individual who went from playing beach volleyball to not even being able to wash my own hair some days. I had two therapists, a chiropractor and a back doctor all managing my ‘recovery’ and I wasn’t getting any better, at all.
Read MoreI know that the way I’ve changed has been hard for some of my friends. Not everyone who befriended my overachieving, high-charging self in our twenties had bargained for a kale-growing, vaginal-health-preaching, yogi friend in our thirties. I get it. I changed a lot, and so have my friends.
Read More“Being sick is your entire identity right now – by necessity. You go to the doctor, to physical therapy, to Walgreens. You spend your ‘free time’ doing your physical therapy exercises or intentionally trying to relax. The people in your life relate to you as a sick person – the way they interact with you is reflective of their awareness of your disability. When you no longer have that disability, it will change the way people see and treat you. It will change how you spend your time. It’ll change the entire focus of your day and life.”
Read MoreHave you met Elvie yet? Or Ava? They’re fancy women's health tech devices that have hit the market in recent years. Here’s your cheat sheet to the who, what, and why of the most popular. If you've tried them, let us know what you thought!
Read MorePeople who live in pain spend a lot of time smiling. But those smiles are different – they’re directed at others, they’re forced, and they’re intended to make other people feel more comfortable.
Read MoreI never wanted children until I decided I did. As I emerge a healthy, functioning human after being disabled by pelvic pain for years, my biological clock has begun blaring at me. It's an obnoxious take-no-prisoners alarm. There doesn’t seem to be an “off” switch, so I've been hitting "snooze" for the past two years.
Read MoreI thought I could “start fresh,” making a clean break with my pain-riddled life and beginning the pain-free chapter. But my reflection since my pain faded away have taught me that there are no clean breaks. Our lives are fluid, and our experiences color us. So today, I’ll admit that my pain changed me. And I’m working to be OK with that.
Read MoreI spent months crying into Gracie’s fur as I shook and sobbed on the sofa. I flew weekly for medical treatments out-of-state, and I returned home to clutch Gracie for hours as I recharged my batteries. I absorbed her unconditional love for me in times of excruciating turmoil surrounding my health, our wedding, law school, financial instability, and familial discord.
Read MoreFor those who don't know, THINX are a period underwear that can substitute for (or give back-up to) tampons or pads. They're reusable (so they scratched my environmentalist itch), they're made by a woman-owned company (scratching my feminist itch), and they're utterly natural (scratching my itch to have transparency for those things I put in or on my body).
Read MoreSometimes, I leave a doctor’s appointment and think “gawd, that was an awful experience.” And for most patients, bad experiences equal bad doctors. The doctor may be brilliant, published, and well-respected, but if she’s rude, condescending, or freaks me out, she gets a failing grade from me.
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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.
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