By: Ellen Lenox Smith My family is so lucky, we are all here today! My husband and I are fully vaccinated, and our...
patient perspective Articles
A letter to healthcare providers: Help complicated patients
By: Ellen Lenox Smith I would like to make some suggestions for the doctors and nurses out there that are frequently...
Service dog separations
By: Ellen Lenox Smith We were recently enjoying watching the new show “Transplant” when in one scene, my heart sank...
My IC journey: Finding hope in community
By: Nina Torres In 2016, I was diagnosed with interstitial cystitis (IC), also known as bladder pain syndrome. I was...
The pandemic, chronic pain, purpose, and hope
By: Ellen Lenox Smith We are all coping with different issues as a result of the pandemic. These issues range from...
No pain, no gain
By: Michaela O'Connor There's a saying in the chronic pain community, "whoever said no pain, no gain never had chronic...
My disease no longer controls me
By: Brandy Garcia At 16 years old I had no idea that I would be battling chronic pain for more than 10 years. At that...
A day in the life
By: Erin Adair In honor of Pain Awareness Month, I want to tell you a little bit about what it is like to be me. I’ll...
Finding your way back
By: Ellen Lenox Smith When life is moving forward, discovering you have been diagnosed with a condition that will be...
My journey of finding a health care provider
By: Brandy Garcia Finding health care providers that understand chronic pain can be daunting. I started having head...
How my family helps me through my pain
By: Brandy Garcia My children, husband, and I have been living with chronic migraine for over 10 years. I am the one...
“Catastrophizing”: A form of pain shaming
How the buzzword “catastrophizing” stigmatizes people with chronic pain By Gwenn Herman, LCSW, DCSW The first time I...