Are Doctors Biased Against Patients? And if so, does it affect the treatment they provide. A survey from Medscape asked this question. The short answer, Yes. They are. I didn't need a survey to tell me that. However, it is interesting to see the many ways that doctors are biased against … [Read more...]
Counting My Spoons – Ask Me Anything
Every so often I put out a call on Facebook to Ask Me Anything. Below are some of the questions and my answers. Do you live in a state that has legalized medical marijuana and if so have you tried it? Unfortunately, I do not live in a state that has legalized medical (or any) marijuana. … [Read more...]
The Chronic Pain Scale: Communicating Your Chronic Pain
The Pain Scale and Chronic Pain This is the pain scale they have on the wall in the rooms at the hospital. This is a terrible pain scale on so many levels! But, for someone in chronic pain it's pretty much useless. The faces that go with it are just, well, humorous. 0 - No Hurt - A person … [Read more...]
8 Tips for Dealing with Fibromyalgia
Over the years, I've had many people ask for my top tips for dealing with Fibromyalgia. These 7 tips are the tips I typically share. They are what has helped me. And, while the specifics will likely vary from individual to individual, the basics are the same and I hope you find these tips helpful … [Read more...]
Have you let Pain take your Identity?
How much of your identity revolves around your illness? Around your pain? How do you describe yourself? If I asked you to describe yourself to me right now, what would you say? Would you include your pain and illness in that description? When you live with chronic pain, sometimes that pain is … [Read more...]
Finding a pain management doctor
When you live with chronic pain, it's not uncommon to be referred to a pain management specialist - aka, a pain clinic. Depending on where you are sent you may find a helpful clinic with doctors who listen and provide an array of options to treat your pain. Or, you may find a clinic with one set … [Read more...]
Study Shows: You look too good to be sick
You look too good to be sick! Have you ever heard that before? "You don't look sick" is bad enough, but this idea that you look too good to be sick, I think it might be worse. Recently, I read a post on a friend's page about why it's better to make sure you look like crap when you visit the … [Read more...]
Every Pain Experience is Different
Every pain experience is different. It’s all too easy to try to compare. To try to look at two people with the same health issue and judge one as being dramatic or over-sensitive because they may need more help. But, we can’t judge or compare pain. I was just reading through the HHS Pain … [Read more...]
Living With Chronic Pain in Denmark
Life in Denmark as a Chronic Pain Patient by Erik Hamre As chronic patients, we see sides of society that others don't. We get to become intimate with the quirks of the healthcare system, we learn to make money stretch as far as it has to. Sometimes, maybe often, we get frustrated with red tape … [Read more...]
Are you making your healthcare appointments work for you?
Are you making your healthcare appointments work for you? Doctor appointments often seem like a waste of time to me, especially those regular 3 and 6 month follow-ups with the specialists. Why is it that whenever those appointments come up everything seems to be going well, then 3 weeks later things … [Read more...]
