A "Chronic Pain" group encounter

Yesterday, I sat in a filled waiting room of a surgery center, patiently waiting my turn to go through those doors and have my Pain management doctor work her "magic" on my aching body. As we all sat there, people began to talk with each other to help pass the time of waiting. Some people had been there for two hours to see the doctor because her patient load was a big one for this particular day. First, we talked about the weather, followed by the latest news and then, one by one, we started sharing our Pain stories. It was amazing! One man made the comment of having  jumped out of too many airplanes (a war veteran). Another man spoke of his attempt to push a huge round bale of hay out of his way (a long time farmer). A woman had simply been working in her garden and made a sudden move, which brought horrible Pain.

There I sat, sharing about the day I fell out of a tree.

We all listened and let each person's story sink in, each of us telling the person how sorry we were for them. And, of course, they would repeat the words right back. Suddenly, we started looking for the humor of how long we usually have to wait for these procedures and the effects of the "margarita medicine" we each get to help us through the procedure. Before long, the entire waiting room was filled with laughter and joy. One nurse approached us and commented we were the "happiest" group she had ever seen who knew this was going to be a long day. But strangely, nobody seemed to mind.

It hit me that here we all sat, sharing the common bond of Chronic Pain, each one of us suffering in different ways. Some had Pain that would never go away, but yet they still managed to step aside from it for a few minutes and actually laugh about it. Trust me when I say this: it is NOT easy to find any humor about Pain when you know it's dragging your body down each day, and you are simply doing your best to stay in the race and not give up. At this surgical place, each person was given a number they are called by and when it came time for my number, I jumped up with true Joy, feeling like I had won a major prize. The entire room started clapping! As I headed through the doors to the surgery area, I looked back, gave them all a heart-filled smile and said, "Hang In there–it will get better!"


I knew that after my procedure was finished, days of slow recovery were facing me. But it somehow seemed a bit lighter as I reflected back on those moments of sharing my Pain story with total strangers and knowing I was speaking about it to people who truly understood my words. It was a way of lifting each other up, allowing them to see how the other person copes, hearing about how many operations or procedures they have been through, the ups and downs of Chronic Pain. And yet we were all still there, looking again for even short term relief, and we managed to share true humor with each other.


Nothing will ever be perfect about Chronic Pain. There will be some good days and a lot of bad ones. But having the chance to be face to face with others who suffer, that helped. And I think each person left there feeling better for the simple act of sharing. People were also not shy about saying how Prayer helps them each day, and we knew our Prayer Circle had just gotten a bit wider as we met and promised to keep the others in our prayers.

My wish for all those who are suffering with Chronic Pain is simple: Do Not Give Up. Keep moving, keep trying, feel free to let your emotions out, and look pp, ask for Prayers. There will be many days and nights when it feels like nothing is helping. But when a single Prayer is spoken, it is heard. I will never see all the faces of so many who must deal with this nightmare journey of Pain, but you are in my Prayers. My bit of Joy came yesterday as I laughed and shared with others who walk the same path I do each day. I left there, feeling hopeful, knowing I am still fighting back against this awful Pain and that I am NOT alone.