But, that isn't entirely true. There was one day about 4 years ago that I went pain free for a full 24 hours. It was, thankfully, a Saturday. (It would have been a waste if it happened on a work day). It was late Spring and wasn't totally gorgeous out but in my mind, as I think back, I want to make it out to be the most glorious, sunny and 70 degree day ever.
I honestly didn't realize it was happening at first. I carefully took each step, as I had the two and a half years prior, thinking my knee or hip would surge an immense amount of pain into my body causing me to fall as it had done so many times in the past. As I started to get more confident, I remember thinking, "This is it. I actually beat this thing."
I didn't do anything special that day but I enjoyed just doing the normal things I hadn't been able to do for a while. I remember that I took the dogs outside and played with them for a long time and I did some chores around the house. These things probably don't seem so glamorous to everybody, but just to do what others take for granted had meant the world to me.
When I woke the next morning and I had stiffness in my hips and it took, what had become my normal, 5 minutes to get out of bed, I was upset. I tried to remember what it was I did in the days leading up to my pain free day and nothing different than what I had done in the past two and a half years came to mind.
I am glad I had that day but as the days, weeks, months, years go by and I deal with pain constantly, I wish I knew it was to be my last. I am still looking for another one, that elusive white whale, but I am always thankful for the low pain days (or few hours) I get every once in a while.
It is the little things we with chronic pain need to be thankful for.
Contributed by: Janet Mullen
Janet suffers from a rare, progressive illness called Dercum's disease. For more information on Dercum's, visit lipomadoc.org
No comments:
Post a Comment