Chronic Pain members - Welcome, please introduce yourself

@jmjlove Your words, along with those of @tazscott mean a lot to me, especially today. Distraction is good when pain or stress of any kind rears its head. Doing for others, "getting out of your own way" focuses your energy away from the negatives. I find journaling, and writing/talking to my pain helps to take away the force it would like to have.relying on low-dose pain meds [Tylenol and CBD only] keeps me aware of the pain but not a slave to it. Our cat senses my discomfort and presents herself often, for a cuddle or simple scratch on her tummy. She glues herself to me in bed.
Ginger

Oh my,you are so right about cats and dogs. If it was for both of them I would have proably done something bad in the past. Mine are incredible therphy for me. Along with my many hobbies

@lillee Good morning hope you slept well .Since its been a week now with CBD I'm sleeping now .There are many good alternatives on here for you see what fits you now.I will say about Tramadol here in California I've been able to get a 90 day supply Dr knows I only take 1or 2 but like the rest of the country last time I had a refill I only got 21 it is said we are letting a bunch of idiots in Washington dictate to us who are in pain and not street users .For me. I have a O.D for my Dr and she is fine with what I do herbs vitamins and more magnesium as fibro people need more so I've found what works for me it's all in research is the beginning.

@tazscott....Lived on 2 different farms, 24 years total. Raised goats, sheep, rabbits, pigs, ducks, geese, chickens, cats and dogs. Every single birthing season was sheer delight for me. Every baby born gave me a thrill. Actually, sheep shearing, fence building, the daily egg search, milking, breeding, producing our own foods, buying and selling fine animals, haying season, picking veggies, canning salsa, well...I LOVED all of it!

After a very large cerebellar stroke, and 2 years later a fast growing aneurysm requiring the removal of 2 ribs and one of my neck muscles in a 71/2 hr. surgery at University of Michigan, I am now unable to work on farm, so sold it to son. Broke my heart, but happy son will carry on and keep it in the fam. Turned out perfectly because it was time to move north to care for 88 year old father. Much change, but worth it to make sure father gets the care he needs. The demands on me I volunteered for so not complaining. The shift in focus was very good for me. Now it's not all about me, my farm, my kids, their kids.....now it's all about my poor dad. He has terrible dementia, rheumatoid, but in good health despite his issues. He has taken a few headers over the last few months, so our major concern is his safety. This focus takes me out of my me zone and into providing loving care for the man who raised me. Nothing like being needed to deflect self focus and babying ones self. This has been a gift of sorts and I'm grateful for it. It's funny, but even if you've had issues with a parent...while caring for them, your love grows beyond measure.

Anyway, lots of words to say we all need a focal point in our lives, otherwise our focus is too often solely on how we feel. It's easy to do. Done it myself, but it doesn't take a genious to see that if we set our sights outside of our personal sufferings, we actually, without realizing it, begin to deal with our issues much better. They become secondary in our lives. I've a feeling you too have discovered that. And many others, here, too. JMJ

Oh! Most important to me is cultivating my Faith, hopefully making a more charitable and generous person out of this broke down old warhorse.

@tazscott....Lived on 2 different farms, 24 years total. Raised goats, sheep, rabbits, pigs, ducks, geese, chickens, cats and dogs. Every single birthing season was sheer delight for me. Every baby born gave me a thrill. Actually, sheep shearing, fence building, the daily egg search, milking, breeding, producing our own foods, buying and selling fine animals, haying season, picking veggies, canning salsa, well...I LOVED all of it!

After a very large cerebellar stroke, and 2 years later a fast growing aneurysm requiring the removal of 2 ribs and one of my neck muscles in a 71/2 hr. surgery at University of Michigan, I am now unable to work on farm, so sold it to son. Broke my heart, but happy son will carry on and keep it in the fam. Turned out perfectly because it was time to move north to care for 88 year old father. Much change, but worth it to make sure father gets the care he needs. The demands on me I volunteered for so not complaining. The shift in focus was very good for me. Now it's not all about me, my farm, my kids, their kids.....now it's all about my poor dad. He has terrible dementia, rheumatoid, but in good health despite his issues. He has taken a few headers over the last few months, so our major concern is his safety. This focus takes me out of my me zone and into providing loving care for the man who raised me. Nothing like being needed to deflect self focus and babying ones self. This has been a gift of sorts and I'm grateful for it. It's funny, but even if you've had issues with a parent...while caring for them, your love grows beyond measure.

Anyway, lots of words to say we all need a focal point in our lives, otherwise our focus is too often solely on how we feel. It's easy to do. Done it myself, but it doesn't take a genious to see that if we set our sights outside of our personal sufferings, we actually, without realizing it, begin to deal with our issues much better. They become secondary in our lives. I've a feeling you too have discovered that. And many others, here, too. JMJ

Oh! Most important to me is cultivating my Faith, hopefully making a more charitable and generous person out of this broke down old warhorse.

Hi; This is Steve from Maricopa AZ. Had retired from Mayo Rochester since Dec. 2014. I play golf in the morning, and walk/bike/weight lifting for an hour and swim a bit in the afternoon. Got arthritis diagnosis and my hip and back are hurting. so far, my pain management is to take Alive or physical therapy. just wonder how others are doping.