chronic pain / Mental Health

Dream a Little Dream For Me

Chronic Pain With A Higher Perspective19 Comments

I thought I would let every one know how the trip is going and let you inside my neurotic world.

I tried to just sit down and relax at the house after I was finished with packing but to no avail.

Thoughts rolling through my head like fish in a rolling river. They are going too fast to catch. I am trying to slow them down and think with reason.

But the anxiety won and hubby sweetly gave in because he knows I won’t stop obsessing about missing the fight.

So we will be sitting in the airport for about 2 1/2 hours before we board. I really hate anxiety.

Chronic pain with anxiety creates a nightmare of constant planning for what-ifs! If I get focused on something, I cannot let it go.

Anyway, we are patiently waiting for our plane: catching up on emails and reading blogs.

I must give a shout out for American Airlines out of ILM for going out of their way to help disabled passengers.

I witnessed this with other disabled passengers and experienced it myself. Impressed so far.

So, with extra planning I can still fly even being disabled. They will use a wheelchair to get me from gate to gate.

I never dreamed that my life trials would lead me to the places I have gone. I was sure I would ever travel again!

If I can do these things, so can you.

There are many opportunities for advocacy with US Pain Foundation and the people I have worked with have been wonderful.

Don’t give up your dreams!

Your dreams may need to be modified but you can still live an awesome life!!

I’m supposed to be in Chicago around 2pm. Hopefully, enough time to venture out tonight and check the city out.

Much Love and Many Prayers,

Cindy

If you can help with travel expenses for the chronic pain support group leader training I am going to this weekend I would be forever grateful.

Help my mission of starting a chronic pain support group.

19 thoughts on “Dream a Little Dream For Me”

  2. By now you’ll probably have arrived safe and sound. Did you find the flight uncomfortable? I am flying to Melbourne for a beyondblue seminar in July and am panicking already. I haven’t flown much. Are you allowed to get up and stretch during a flight?

    I hope you enjoy your training and meet a lot of new peers.

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    • Yes, we did arrived safely yesterday. The flight was painful and uncomfortable but it was tolerable. You have to wait for the pilot to turn on the no seatbelt sign before you can get up and walk around. It would be determined by turbulence and such I think. How many hours away would your flight be? I was on the plane a total of 2 1/2 hours. About the time we actually landed I was starting to go into panic mode because of increasing pain. I’m not looking forward to the flight home because we have to change planes in Charlotte. It will be a rough day but the knowledge I am receiving makes it all worth it! Tell me more about beyondblue.

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      • Glad to hear you’re getting a lot out of your training.
        My flight is 3 hours but luckily I see my rheumatologist tomorrow and she is changing my meds to one I know works. So hopefully by the time the trip arrives my joints will be less sore. On your return flight will they let you bring a tens machine with you? I borrowed one when pregnant and it helped with pain. Worth a shot?
        beyondblue is a mental health organisation here is Aust. I volunteer on the online forums where people write anonymously for support from peers. It’s like blogging but without photos. They also have a group called blueVoices that I’m a member of where you can join in on activities to help BB as part of a refernlence group. Recently some of what I submitted was included in a submission to the senate re rural mental health services. I felt useful and empowered. I suppose it is like how you are involved in the US pain foundation. Does it give you hope and purpose too?

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        • Your group sounds awesome! It does empower you to take back control of your life after you think your life is over. I’m doing things I never dreamed I would be able to do. Is it painful? Yes, very much so but the feel good feelings, the warm fuzzies of helping others make it worth it.

          I really hope the medication switch is all you need to make you comfortable on the flight.

          Here in the US we have the TSA to call or look online to ask questions about what items we can travel with and what you can’t. So, I’m not sure about the TENS unit. People around us had to take out all their electronics from their carry on’s. So, maybe it would be treated the same way. Just making a guess. Call the airport you are flying from.

          3 hrs— that’s a good chunk of time to be on the plane plus sitting in airport but you still should go! The reward will be worth the pain.

          How is the healthcare system in Aust?

          Liked by 1 person

  5. Hi Cindy,
    Yes being involved and having a sense of purpose have kept me alive. It is too easy to feel stuck and trapped in your body. It feels hopeful knowing even if my health is not what I expected it to be my life still has meaning.

    Here in Aus we have Medicare which I am thankful for. It’s not perfect and the waiting times can be huge but without it I have no idea how I’d manage. The biological injection I take for example…. Because I failed all the initial meds Medicare subsidise my injections. They cost $1700 a month. I pay $100. It is ridiculous to me to think without this help from the government I wouldn’t be able to afford medication which enables me to walk.

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    • It really does help to have a purpose. I lost that for awhile, but I’m back! Unfortunately, the insurance situation in the USA is a mess. I have private insurance. I have to pay over $650 a month. But I take 3 depression pills. One cost $1,000 a month and my migraine pills are almost as expensive. So, I guess it is worth it.
      It is scary to me that any government has that kind of power to decide who gets meds and who doesn’t. Our Medicare is for seniors and they are cutting benefits left and right. My 83 year old mom lives with me and she is afraid she will die in pain. It is so sad what the chronic pain community here goes through to maintain their opioid regimen. I pray that you will continue to get your meds that help you.

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      • That is awful. Maybe you and Mum need to move to Australia and become Aussie citizens. I hate the idea of health care only being for the wealthy. How is that remotely fair and humane!?

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        • The distance to travel here would be a challenge unfortunately. If you ever decide to come to Western Australia let me know ok 😊 I’ll show you around.
          Like most issues goverment officials don’t care unless it affects them personally. Ridiculous. How is your training?

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        • Sorry it has taken me so long. Rough re-entry. The training was very good. I will be able to use what I learned for myself and teach it to others! It is amazing what happens when people with pain get together. There is an instant bond of understand and the guards are let down. That’s why I want to start the support groups. I plan to do posts on what I learned and experienced. And, I would love for you to show me around Australia! 😁

          Liked by 1 person

        • No need to apologise my reply took a while too. Life huh 😊. You sound very energised and inspired which is awesome. Support groups are a really wonderful idea . I’ve been volunteering writing to peers online for beyond blue for a year and a half and although it is good there is no substitute to meeting up with peers regularly and speaking face to face.

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