Pat, a full-time mom in Birmingham, AL, discusses her experiences with endometriosis.
Can you tell me about when you first started experiencing the pain and what kind of pain it was?
Horrible back pain, to the point that I was bent forward, could not stand up straight, had to go to bed
Did you seek help right away?
Yes, and the doctors could not figure out what was causing such severe pain. I went to an orthopedic doctor because pain had begun to radiate out to my hips. Went to gastro doctor and had to do the barium swallow and …read more

This week, Jeannette Davis from Fairbanks, Alaska, talks to us about her migraines.
Can you tell me about when you first started experiencing the pain and what kind of pain it was?
Headaches, and I’ve had them all my life as long as I can remember.
Did you seek help right away?
No, I didn’t seek any help with the pain for a number of years. I thought it was normal because my Mom always had headaches, too.
What did the doctors tell you when you did seek help?
I was 27 when I finally talked to my doctor about it. I knew by …read more

 
Many people who have chronic pain are depressed and often, people who are depressed have chronic pain. Are they linked? According to research, they are.
When someone has chronic pain, it can get them down. It’s hard waking up every day (if you have slept) with the same pain that will bother you all day long – or the anticipation of pain that you know will come later on in the day.
Pain affects so many aspects of our lives. The pain may slow you down, keep you from doing things you enjoy, or keep you from resting. As you reduce …read more