Happiness is such a joy and medicine to the soul as I navigate life with chronic pain. For me, it can range from simple things like hearing and watching the birds visiting my feeders to starting my day, feeling as healthy as possible, content, and finding purpose and meaning in life. Happiness for...

This summer, children and teens living with chronic pain reached the top of a rock wall, traversed a ropes course, rode a zip line and a giant swing, went horseback riding and swimming, and shot hoops. They did so using wheelchairs, braces and splints, forearm crutches, feeding tubes, and other...

From Young, Healthy, and Active to Disabled In 1977, I was 25 years old and attending graduate school, working towards a master’s degree in social work. I was healthy and active, and I enjoyed bicycling long distances and hiking. I started running to get into better shape in preparation for a...

My heart breaks when I meet a young person sharing that they are confronting life with chronic pain. At the age of 74, and living with two progressive and incurable conditions, I find it emotionally upsetting to think of the future they must learn to adjust to. I can only hope that they, too, will...

Have you ever wondered about the advantages of having a service dog? If you are living with a difficult medical diagnosis, you might be interested in learning the many tasks a service dog, properly trained, is able to do to help improve the quality of your days. I have learned this firsthand after...

What would you do if your refuge, a place where you went to be cared for, suddenly became a place where you were dismissed, gaslit, and made to feel worse than when you arrived? If you’re like me, you would choose to leave—but what if you couldn’t? Last year, I developed severe abdominal and chest...

When I was growing up, excitement was in the air as a snowstorm approached. The wooden slat sleds were retrieved and waxed, as we anticipated the opportunity to slide down those hills. Plans were made on the design of the snowman we would create in the front yard. It was a moment of joy, waiting...

No matter what painful condition you are living with, issues with inflammation can be common and, in turn, can add to your body’s pain level. Inflammation not only can cause fluid retention, but it also can bring on headaches, aching, brain fog, and even subluxations for those living with...

Almost 20 years ago, my wife Ellen was diagnosed with a rather rare medical condition called Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS). Simply put, this condition limits the body’s capacity to produce healthy collagen. Collagen is critical for the production of healthy connective tissue, which is invaluable...

The other day, I was in the pool kicking on my back and sculling with my hands on my side, which is all my body can now take on with my fused neck and vulnerable shoulders. Although it is hard to go from a former master swimmer and high school swim coach to this limited movement in the pool, I am...