Comments on Mature Landscaping: Too Much of a Good Thing

Great comment, Paula...although I might be prejudi...

2009-11-30T10:38:30.925-05:00

Great comment, Paula...although I might be prejudiced where you're concerned (this remarkable creature is my daughter). And, good point about natural childbirth. I didn't give that plot-line full coverage. The point the doctor was trying to make to me was that he believes multiple incidences of acute pain across a lifespan create a domino effect that increases the likelihood of chronic pain in the future. An example might be the football player with a history of injuries that heal, individually, but produce a cumulative--and ultimately, chronic--pain response eventually. In my case, without going into detail, there was a painful, untreated condition through my teens, then the unmedicated births, then years of pushing through muscle strains as an aerobics instructor, etc. Natural childbirth, specifically and by itself, does not cause future chronic pain as far as I know. In fact, I'm all for it, both for baby and mother, when it's possible and safe.

I'm a young-ish chronic pain...um... I'm ...

2009-11-29T15:24:53.514-05:00

I'm a young-ish chronic pain...um... I'm searching for the word... I don't like "sufferer", it sounds pitiful. And "victim" is cliche. Besides, even as my face starts to twinge as I take a bite of food or wash my face, I hear my inner non-victim saying "f-you, I'm gonna eat this food/wash my face and LOVE it." So, I'm a chronic pain...haver?

How 'bout this: in the field of Disabilities, we are taught to call the people we serve as PEOPLE who have disabilities, putting the people first. So I am a person with chronic pain. I'm thankful that it is sporadic and that I have many months in between attacks.

ANYWAYS, I think the repetitive exercise thing was certainly a likely contributing factor; but it's also important to not blame oneself. Some kinds of pain are random and not connected to anything, others are a result of something we did, but neither are deserved. It's not like we did something and thought "I know this might cause chronic pain in the future but I wanna do it anyways."

I also thought it was interesting that you included natural childbirth in your list of ways that you stressed your body. People who do not choose natural childbirth go through the same processes right up until actual birth, and research shows that natural childbirth leads to fewer long-term health risks for the mother than medically assisted births. I know we come from different places on this :) But if we are going to count that stress on our bodies, then every woman who's had a child is included, no matter how the birth was achieved.

I continue to be skeptical in my view of what the traditional medical society tells people, while being excited and optimistic about the new research. I think it's just been in the last 5 years or so people are talking about research that can REALLY be helpful, and I hope that pharmaceutical companies and HMO's don't get a hold of it and screw it up. I'm not anti-medicine, I take my son to the doctor and I take medicine for my pain when needed. But as I get older, I've started to realize that most of the medical society is really a business. A business with a REALLY GOOD public relations department.

I'm thankful for optimism balanced with skepticism, and for the internet, and for being smart enough to know when to trust doctors/medical propaganda and when to go research it myself.

At the risk of being a bliss-ninny, I'd like to say that I agree with you in that our brains are evolutionarily programed to notice the bad rather than the good... the trick is finding a way to be grateful for the bad.

Pshaaw! Have you noticed that the only people who have really mastered being grateful for the bad are, like, Buddhist Monks? And they have to DO things to themselves so they'll have something to feel bad about. "hmm, I'm feeling particularly smug and happy about my peace-filled life, guess it's time to fast.... gosh, I sure am hungry... ooommmm, I'm grateful for the pain of hunger....ooommmm"

Well being a non-pain suffer I would first like to...

2009-11-28T11:15:15.316-05:00

Well being a non-pain suffer I would first like to say that I am Thankful for that. I love being this strong, young, and healthy...and dang it I do not want it to change. Hopefully by the time I reach the chronic pain stage of my life there will be a cure, not just some addictive pain killer.

Secondly, I am thankful for you and Bill. I am so glad you came to spend the holiday with us, even though I worked all day Thanksgiving. I had a great time cooking with you and can't wait to do it again at Christmas.

Apparently we can presume the over-stimulated, op...

2009-11-27T12:19:03.589-05:00

Apparently we can presume the over-stimulated, opioids induced glia cells will not reverse their "cranked up" activity once their usage is terminated. Unfortunate.

What I find interesting is the possibility of a cycle of taking opiods, etc. for pain which contributed to glia cell storms and then taking one of the 9 substances that "target" the activity of the glia. Certainly a lot of money to be made in this arena and could be risky business, due partially to possible slow assimilation of the "big picture" by the ones administering these drugs. So it will also be interesting to learn what each new substance is actually targeting.

Welcome, Katespa, to Mature Landscaping. Glad to ...

2009-11-26T23:14:59.299-05:00

Welcome, Katespa, to Mature Landscaping. Glad to have you Following and looking forward to your commentary.

Happy Thanksgiving to you all, Dear Readers!

Averie, thanks for your comment. I think yoga has...

2009-11-26T17:11:21.761-05:00

Averie, thanks for your comment. I think yoga has a lot to offer chronic pain sufferers. I also think Western medicine should pony up, especially on research into neurological pain that has no well-established etiology. And I think they should produce some results fast, before this entire patient population gets left out by reformed healthcare guidelines that are based on current standards of practice. And I'm FOR healthcare reform.

Alternative approaches, including yoga classes, are frequently sought by victims of neurological pain, but they remain out of reach for those who must rely on treatments that are covered by the insurance for which they pay premiums...especially in this economically brutal time. But I'm not telling you anything new, either.
ML

Hi Nance I actually read your whole post rather th...

2009-11-26T01:05:30.641-05:00

Hi Nance
I actually read your whole post rather than just looking at the pics :)

Great info. I thought I had left glia cell talk behind in my 400 level undergrad physio-based psych classes. Guess not!

It's all very interesting and as a chronic pain girl myself, I really dont think about it anymore. I dont know what I have done but I just stop responding to the pain signals. A true case of mind over matter. And for me, keeping away from gluten (cannot cheat) and being strict as I can be with soy/dairy/high raw/all vegan has done wonders for my pain. Although as you've noticed there is a double edge sword possibly to that but in terms of my RA pain, I'm in the best shape that I've been in in a long time.

And also just consciously willing the pain away. At the risk of sounding like a hippy dippy yogi (oh wait, I am!) I just view daily life as my moving meditation, moving from one thing to the next, trying to not notice the pain. Not saying this will work for anyone but me, but the little "tricks I play" on my own mind are really helpful. But I am not telling you, the Reframing Queen, anything new :)

Anyway, many blessings to you and your fam on this TG.
p.s. Got hired at a 3rd yoga studio this week. So I am the epitome of a yogi driving all over for a pittance, but I am happy doing it. I look back on my Myrtle Beach life and always wonder what if rather than doing that, I had opened a yoga studio back then, but then we wouldnt have the Aruba house either. And I can't what if myself. But I am really happy teaching yoga :) Sorry for the update but what the hell, you say "commenting adored".