Pain Management; Living With Chronic Pain Day After Day

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rate or flag this pageTweet thisBy Joel Hawkins



Dealing with pain daily changes your life. Sometimes the people in your life do not understand what you are dealing with day to day. I did not understand what people with back problems were always complaining about, until I had to deal with it. I was in a truck (sober) that rolled and threw me out. The truck landed on me in the process. So today I live with constant pain. If you can get your mind headed in the right direction, you can help overcome the pain. When the pain is severe, there is nothing you can do, but, if you have plans, activities, hobbies, or even work, you can trick your mind into not thinking about your discomfort.

July 4th, 2007 was the beginning of a new life for me and my family. I won't go into all the gory details, but I was mangled. I had a hole in my right hip that you could fit a softball in, and shattered my pelvis. I also shattered my lower spine, which is replaced with a cadaver femur bone. There were five vertebrae cracked in my neck, four broken ribs plus a punctured lung. I also tore all the ligaments in my neck. There were a couple more details that I won't go into. So needless to say, today I have pain (not talking about my wife) that never goes away. Some days are worse than others. I get the best relief from laying flat on my back, however this action can not be performed at work, or at the zoo. Keeping myself busy is a major factor in ignoring the discomfort.

After getting out of rehab (physical therapy) I was stuck at home in a wheelchair, so I was very limited. My activities included watching TV, and playing Madden on PlayStation. I started taking classes online, and finding things to do to keep my mind occupied. I figured out that keeping my full concentration on projects, and on my hands was the key to my new life. This is when I first realized that I wasn't thinking about the pain. It was like a breakthrough for me. As simple as it sounds, it was the best feeling ever. I had, for the first time in three months, not noticed pain. It is amazing how simple distractions could help me ignore my reality. I bought a bed through Overstock.com, and put it together myself. Sounds simple, but try doing this when you have to drag your legs behind you. This project had my full attention, however I paid for it the next couple days. I was taking on too much for my condition.

After six months, I went back to work part-time. They gave me the easy job of delivering paychecks to different jobs around the state of North Carolina. Getting away from my house was great for my mind. It gave me a freedom that I was missing. I was now capable of driving my car, and could go wherever I wanted to. I discovered how much I took driving for granted. In hindsight, I went back to work too soon. For my mind, it was the perfect timing. Now in the preset day, I have good days and bad. The pain stays with me, and will get worse in time. I have developed arthritis in my spine, and was told by several doctors that I would need a knee and hip replacement in the future. I have muscle atrophy in most of my left leg, so I lock my knee in place to walk. I am still amazed that I can do this.

I will not be capable of performing well at my regular job forever. Working from home would be the best place for me. I could be on disability, however I would have to sit at home all the time. The check would cover my mortgage and that's all. I have searched and searched for new jobs that interest me. Trying to change your career can be difficult. Finally the idea hit me. EBay. I started selling used items from around the house, to learn the system. I have worked my way into buying new products and reselling them. I really enjoy this, and find satisfaction in it. This can be done at any hour in the day. When my back hurts, I can lay down. When I am feeling good, I work. I do not generate enough money to quit my regular job at this time. I am hoping to quit my full-time job in 2014, and start working from home. EBay is a job that I take very serious, plus it is a hobby for me . Selling and listing products keeps my mind and hands busy. It took me two years to find something I really enjoyed, that would distract me from the nagging pain. This was not the type of job I had been searching for, however I'm satisfied with line of work.

When pain is severe, nothing works. At my normal level, I can distract myself by keeping busy. This is not a cure, however when one has constant discomfort, a two minute distraction can make a difference. I hope if you deal withthe same thing, you can find your niche. If you have someone in your life that deals with this, help them find something. Staying busy is the key for my new life.