By: Mia Maysack
How are we able to go about pursuing or even simply believing in the concept of wellness, while attempting to cope with the opposite of being well?
At a physical therapy appointment a few years back, I met with a provider who used to experience debilitating pain himself after an accident. He’d since become pain-free and had a certain arrogance, as if he’d cracked the code, so I looked forward to working together.
Volunteers are the heart and soul of the U.S. Pain Foundation. No matter what your interests are, or what your physical limitations may be, there is an opportunity for you to make a difference. The majority of our volunteer activities can be done from the comfort of home!
Below is a list of examples of ways to get involved, and information on how to get started. If you’d like to get more information on opportunities to act straight to your inbox, sign up as a volunteer here.
U.S. Pain Foundation is pleased to announce that the 2019 Joselynn Badman Ambassador of the Year is Ernie Merritt. Merritt has been an ambassador and advocate for U.S. Pain since 2014, and has been living chronic pain since he was 33 years old. In 2019, Merritt went above and beyond to support pain patients and make sure their voices were heard at both the state and national level.
“It was a difficult choice this year, and we had many qualified nominees,” says Nicole Hemmenway, interim CEO of U.S. Pain Foundation. “But Ernie’s long-time efforts to provide support and raise awareness for fellow chronic pain patients made him a clear choice for the Ambassador of the Year Award. Beyond his dedication to the pain community, Ernie is simply an upstanding individual–his kindness and generosity despite his pain is an inspiration to us all.”
By Amy Orr, author of Taming Chronic Pain: A Management Guide for a More Enjoyable Life
No one needs to tell you that living with chronic pain is, well, a pain. Everything is just harder: it’s harder to work, harder to sleep, harder to think, harder to eat, harder to get through the day. Those of us who have been living with chronic pain for a long time have developed strategies to cope — little things to make each day just that bit easier.
U.S. Pain Foundation’s involvement with various diseases and causes takes its staff members all over the country, and this month was no exception. Representatives gave talks, led sessions, hosted tables and participated in panels at two conferences this month: the HealthyWomen Chronic Pain Summit and the 35th Annual Marfan Foundation Conference.
HealthyWomen Chronic Pain Summit: Fighting for change for the pain community