It seems fake. I mean, whose legs aren’t restless? Is there anyone who can sit or lay comfortably in one position without needing to shift? Everyone needs to move from time to time. But, it turns out that Restless Leg Syndrome is a just a terrible name for a real disorder. I think it falls under the same name-fail as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. So, RLS is an actual condition and I have it. It started slowly and developed as a branch off of my Autonomic Small Fiber Neuropathy symptoms. I want to discuss what RLS truly feels like. The commercials…
For the bent, broken, and busted bodies in this world
Tagged patient advocate
Opioids and Judgy McJudgerson
Take a deep breath. This is going to be one of the most polarizing issues that we discuss here. It’s also going to be a long post. However, no matter how long the column is it won’t be long or detailed enough. Pain and pain management is a very complicated discussion. It is intensely personal and biased, even when science is discussed. My position is different from most people. The way I think about pain has changed over time. It can probably be split into three categories: before illness, start of illness, and chronic sufferer. BEFORE: I was anti-pain medication.…
Response required yesterday to a letter received today
We try, desperately, to meet and match deadlines set by the world. But, from work to leisure, time works differently for the broken. Our bodies’ needs outweigh our desires to keep up with a “normal” pace of life. On the truly terrible days, I can’t function. I can’t leave my bed. Every micro-movement, even just laying still, causes agony that doubles down on the internal pain radiating from my nerves, muscles, and joints. Hell-level migraine days see me curled into a ball crying, vomiting, and losing my will to live. There are moments where my stomach refuses even water and…
Medical desperation
There are so many people with chronic and mysterious symptoms that the western world has developed show-and-tell entertainment around being sick. There are television shows, corporate websites, online series, and major news segments dedicated to showcasing all of our complications. Why do we engage with industries that make a profit off of our pain? Simple. We are desperate. With hundreds of thousands, even millions of people looking for cures to their long-term ailments, the appeal of sharing your problem with the world and getting a solution quickly is overwhelming. Maybe there is a doctor out there who is interested in…
Zebra looking for an umbrella
Having more than one disease complicates everything. Most of those diseases being rare and understudied turn those complications into catastrophes. Doctors don’t know what to do with you and they truly don’t care to try. When you are already suffering from a mystery, the last thing you want is for your doctor to quit helping. Sometimes that dismissal seals a sufferers decision to give up. It reinforces their anxieties and amplifies their pain. Along with hope, their motivation for life disappears. I asked for help everywhere. At first, I didn’t know what was happening to my body. My early symptoms…
Not theirs to break
Lately, there has been a lot of buzz about treating pain with pain. From studies about the psychology of pain to stories about BDSM as a coping mechanism for living with disease, these articles are written by non sufferers and seem lacking in patient perspectives. The concept of treating pain with pain is almost instinctual. For instance, we tend to soothe a sore muscle with rubbing, smacking a bug bite that won’t stop itching, or using the distractive method of pinching your arm when your foot hurts. These techniques absolutely work, temporarily. They overload the nervous system and your brain…
