I am so new to this whole process, so I'll do what I do best and just write, off the cuff, no editing, writing. I have always had a lot to say on my own without even approaching all of the rest of the "issues," but now that I actually have "issues" I feel this overwhelming urge to share my experiences. I will not for one moment say that I can speak for another person, unless they allow me to directly quote them of course. The people I want to help the most are those that are, in any way, trying to make sense out of suffering, or knowing someone who suffers from, chronic pain and/or fatigue. I know these ailments are just starting to be more widely acknowledged problems but so many people have already suffered for so long, if not their whole lives, that I feel like talking about it now will help me feel like I'm at least trying to help in some way. I'm too damn old for med school, which is the only other way I know to be of assistance.
I plan to start off writing my blog about what brought me to this specific point, of actually wanting to write about the most depressing topic in the world, daily. It is my hope that I could provide others an oasis where they can go, and maybe not feel the pain for every second they are awake. The only way I know how to do this is by talking about my own pain experiences (amongst other experiences). At least I got the idea of that video journal out of my head. My friends and family would be really bored with their seemed obligation to watch/read. If it was a video journal, it would be me laying in bed, watching t.v., reading, writing, one dog on the bed, then, the big excitement, one dog jumps off the bed, and another one jumps on! Reading it all just seems to make me feel like I will be able to make it seem a little more exciting than paint drying. I have heard that humor is one of the best coping mechanisms, well I'm filled up to the brim with it. Which brings me to my first tip of the day:
Coffee, if you enjoy it black, with regular cream and sugar, with the special creams you can buy by CoffeeMate at the store, named Gingerbread Garden or Hazelnut Heaven, or if you want to go all out and spend that $20 at a specialty coffee shop, just love it, smell it, love it, make sure it's filled with caffeine, even if you have to leave that extra day to get over the adjustments that a person with chronic pain and fatigue needs for one cup of coffee, just treat yourself. If you don't enjoy coffee this much, just exchange it for something you do.
Here's to you and me, pain free
