Living with Chronic Pain

Many people think of chronic pain as being associated with a particular physical condition or disease and in most cases this would be correct. Most of the time, chronic pain leads a physician to diagnose a medical problem--such as a fractured bone, bursitis, cancer, bone disease, or spinal stenosis, for example. But, not all chronic pain has a direct and diagnosable cause. Not every sufferer can discover the cause of her chronic pain, as strange as that may sound to some.

How do I know? I am one of the unfortunate sufferers without a medical diagnosis, without a known cause for my chronic pain. I do know how and when my pain began, but the doctors do not understand why it has progressed the way it has. Believe me, I wish I could get some kind of diagnosis-it would likely make things at least a little bit easier. But as it is, I just have to live with it, and it sure isn't easy.

So, what is it like to live with chronic pain? It is really kind of hard to describe, at least in my case, because it is different from day to day. Each day I get up in the morning, not knowing how much I am going to be hurting that day until I start moving around. Usually, my pain level depends upon the kinds of activities I did the day before, how well I slept, and what kinds of things I have to do that day. For instance, if I had to do a few loads of laundry the day before and then didn't sleep too well, I will be hurting more the next day than if I had a more relaxing day. But, regardless of my pain level for the day, I have to take my many medications.

The medications I take have changed over the years. When my pain first began (I fell down a flight of steps at home), I was simply taking some over-the-counter pain killers, like Tylenol. That lasted for a couple of days, until I decided the pain was too great and I headed to the hospital to get checked out-it turned out that I had fractured the very tip of my tailbone when I had fallen. The hospital gave me some Vicodin, told me to use some ice packs, and sent me on my way. At this time, I was working as an assistant manager at a busy drugstore, so I had to take a few days off from work.

I have to fill 8 prescriptions each month for my daily medications.

Credit: Tara Bartal

Copyright: Tara Bartal