Unmasking Pain: Because Pain is More Than a Chart. It’s a Life.

Unmasking Pain: Because Pain is More Than a Chart. It’s a Life.

#ThisIsPain | Pain Awareness Month 2025

Every day, more than 1 in 4 Americans navigate chronic pain. Yet for too many, their suffering remains overlooked, doubted, or dismissed. This Pain Awareness Month, we’re unmasking the hidden realities of chronic pain—because it’s more than a number on a pain scale or a symptom in a chart. It’s a lived experience. A lifelong challenge. A call to compassion, reform, and justice.... continue reading LINK...

Fed Panel Opposes CDC Opioid Guidelines — Pain News Network - I shall add more to this post.. but this is CRITICAL FOR ALL OF US TO STAND UP FOR OUR RIGHTS AS PAIN PATIENTS!

Fed Panel Opposes CDC Opioid Guidelines — Pain News Network

PLEASE READ THIS article, and be sure to also send it out on Social Media and everyone you can... we must fight this nonsense.... if we sit around and "allow" this mess, MANY of us will DIE from "intractable pain".... it can cause a heart attack, and all types of other "deadly" issues if someone must try and cope in severe, daily pain day after day with NO help from medications and so forth! This is INSANITY as it's most INSANE!!!!

Day 10: Pain Awareness Month - US Pain Foundation and a great video to find out much more about Pain Awareness Month, the US Pain Foundation and How you can help!

It is OFFICIALLY September 1st, National Pain Awareness Month 2015 begins.....

Morning everyone here at my FB "family"... It often feels more like "family" at times when I come to my page here, along with my blog. There are several of us, that find comfort in one another, especially when the "storms if pain, illness, and life" begin to be overwhelming. For myself, this entire year so far, has not "turned out" at ALL like I had "planned"... Of course I should already know, after 55 years of living, that "Rhia's Law" is that if it will be COMPLICATED, COMPLEX, CONFUSING, FULL OF DRAMA AND STRESS, DIFFICULT.. just to name a "few" of my thoughts, it shall be happening to ME. Nothing ever comes easy for me... as much as I would love it to, and I've often wondered why, life has to be so darned complicated - as all of us with any type of chronic illness and/or chronic pain, "Living Life" is never "easy"... we battle with illness and pain, we battle with medications, doctors, pharmacies and most of all insurance. We battle just to get up every morning, and try to be our best, whether that means sitting on the sofa all day, being in bed all day, or up and about with errands, work, and the other daily things we accomplish in life. I had just been reading in a local small magazine that usually continues interesting information about our doctors, or different places here involving health... therapy, gyms, alternative medical practices, and the like. They also usually focus on the local people, that either have a beautiful home, like something that may be in the "Historical District" or a new group for different types of illnesses... one such here I was just reading about is Parkinson's. Now even though we are educated about many different ailments, we sometimes tend to think that diseases like, Parkinson's, Dementia, Alzheimer's, arthritis, just to mane a few, are "elderly folks diseases"... yet, right here in our community. One of the reasons why I decided that I wanted to participate in US Pain Foundations, "Beautify in Blue" campaigns here in my home town, is exactly what I have wanted to do for a long while now, with Lupus, RA, Sjogren's, and those living in chronic pain... to begin to educate people here, to bring more awareness, rather than rumors, or misinformation when it comes to any type of severe disease that is all too often "chronic" in nature, and it envelopes and takes away the "life" that you thought you would have. When I began years ago having very severe migraine headaches, there are not a great deal known about them. The doctors for the most part, would either not really know what to do, or give you pain meds... that later ma have been considered "habit forming" and such. But, I worked MANY years at several different jobs, and in one way or the other, the migraines interfered with my job and my life. I wanted to be a nurse, and had my sites on that profession for many years. Yet, when I finally had that opportunity, the headaches would have been an interference in my schooling. So, as badly as I wanted to pursue that career, I knew it was not in the cards for me. I did go to college mainly during the evenings, after work, and got my AD, and the most proud moment is when I was inducted into the "National Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society at the college I attended. I of course still have my lapel pin, and even had special lettering made and put it in my car back glass... I was so thrilled.

But, I still fought around the damned headaches... then new medications came out, none of which I could take, or they simply did NOT work... I always tell this one story, I had to go to the ER one night with a really bad migraine. It had been going on for days, and I just could not get it to "cease and desist" ... the ER doctor, I think rather than giving me what they usually did, decided to give me "Compazine". Well, this nurse came in with a pretty large syringe of medication that I believe was to go into the IV they had started... It did not take long, and I began to feel "odd"... it was just not working at all in fact, and I just felt like I was going "nuts"... so rather than the doctor trying something else, he told her to give me yet another round of it... I literally got up, pulled the IV out of my arm, wrapped it up to stop the bleeding and I left... I was having some kind of horrible reaction to that medication, it was NOT working, and I certainly did not need anymore.... So, those types of events in our lives, makes us want to stand up for not just ourselves but others just as we are... ILL and yet some physicians just DO NOT either listen, or they prefer the patient to be quiet, or there is just too much misinformation being spread around.... SO, TODAY and for the next 30 DAYS I hope you join all of us in promoting the correct information and awareness about Chronic Pain....

 

Facebook Page  https://www.facebook.com/U.S.PainFoundation

 

 

Take The 30 Day Challenge by the US Pain Foundataion

 

http://uspainfoundation.org/

 

 

 #ITookThePledge

 

September National Pain Awareness 2015 starts tomorrow! "Beautify in Blue" campaign by the US Pain Foundation.

 Also see this link: http://www.uspainfoundation.org/ and sign up for the 30 day Challenge!!! There is a .pdf that you can find there and I have posted the information in a post below... come in and join!!!

National Pain Awareness Month September 2015 - US Pain Foundation and the "30 day" Challenge for you!

The National Pain Awareness Month coming very soon for September 2015, and sponsored by the US Pain Foundation have all types of things YOU can do to spread the word about Chronic Pain, to everyone, whether online, in your community, state... you can help!

My Mayor here in my hometown, has signed a "Pain Proclamation" and they have also okayed me to put up Posters, Ribbons and so forth for the "Beautify in Blue" Campaign for September Pain Awareness, and I am thrilled to be able to do something!

Chronic Pain all too often at times is yet another one of our "invisible illnesses"... many of us don't go out with canes, walkers, or limping... BUT that does NOT mean that we are NOT in terrible pain... for many of us it waxes and wanes, moment to moment, day to day... we never know when and where it may hit us...

Here is the "30 Day Challenge" Information that gives you some ideas about what you can do to help....

US Pain Foundation and Some Fun Ways to Spread the Word!

Day 1:

Change your profile picture on Facebook, Tumblr,

Twitter, etc. to a logo designed to raise awareness. The

logo can be found on the US Pain Foundation webpage:

http://www.uspainfoundation.org

™

Day 2:

Wear White and Blue! Show your support for US Pain

Foundation by wearing our colors in various ways! If

you’re feeling colorful, you can wear a tie dye shirt to

represent that there are many types of pain. This is much

like the concept of our Pain Warrior Bracelets, which we

encourage you to wear on a daily basis!

™

Day 3:

What would you do if you lived pain free? Write

down a few ideas, activities or career goals. Then,

modify one or several to fit your “new normal”. Set

yourself a goal and share it with us through email, the

Ambassador Website or Facebook!

™

Day 4:

Use social media to explain to family and friends

why you decided to join the U.S. Pain Foundation, or what

you like most about your involvement with the

organization.

™

Day 5:

Submit a letter to the editor explaining the

organization, how many people (over 100 million) live

with pain, etc.

™

Day 6:

Take some pics! Have someone (if possible) take a

picture of how you feel on a good day or bad day. Explain

to your friends and family what this picture represents,

how pain can look different for everyone, and why you

volunteer.

™

Day 7:

Week one is done, so have some fun! Be creative

indoors or out and show your community what US Pain is

all about! Use chalk, paint...whatever you have free, and

proudly display “Pain Warrior” for everyone to see!

Please only decorate on property where you have been

given permission to do so.

™

Day 8:

Circulate! Choose a handful of locations you would

like to visit and during this month, stop by a library,

rehabilitation center or community center to drop off US

Pain brochures. Leave your US Pain Ambassador business

cards too!

™

Day 9:

Sharing time! Try reaching out to one person who’d

benefit by knowing about U.S. Pain Foundation. You can

share how the organization’s helped you and that

information can be found on our website:

www.uspainfoundation.org

™

Day 10:

Rest, relax, rejuvenate, repeat. Make this YOUR

time to find that quiet place or spoil yourself with a

new haircut, massage (confirm it is safe to do so with

your physician) or nap!

™

Day 11:

Attend a support group meeting, pain awareness or

community event! The gathering doesn’t have to fall on

this day, but plan ahead and support community efforts

taking place in your area. This provides great networking

opportunities!

™

Day 12:

Say ‘Thank you’. Those two words can mean so much

and doesn’t take a lot of effort to show someone that you

appreciate them. Choose a caregiver, friend, family

member, doctor, nurse—anyone and everyone who has helped

you.

™

Day 13:

Did your state proclamation get approved in

September? If so, brag about the proactive efforts of

your state via social media. We’re showcasing all of the

approved proclamations here:

http://uspainfoundation.org/september-pain-awareness-

month.html

You can share this link with others as part of

today’s activity!

™

Day 14:

Put down the pen and share the US Pain Foundation

Facebook page on your social media platform of choice!

Let others know that this resource is made available by

sharing this link:

https://www.facebook.com/U.S.PainFoundation

™

Day 15:

You’re halfway through the challenge, but there’s

several more days and ways to raise awareness! Create

your own activity or task for today that you feel will

reach our goal of advocating, being proactive and

motivating others!

™

Day 16:

Try a form of complimentary therapy! There’s a

list of options on our website. As an organization we

support all therapies available and to not endorse just

one type of treatment. Please consult your primary

physician or pain management doctor before deciding to

participate in one of the complimentary therapy options.

™

Day 17:

Encourage a friend. Sometimes it isn’t easy to

find inspiration on days when a person is down on his or

her luck. This day can serve as an opportunity to connect

with someone who is also in pain, or just a friend in

need.

Day 18:

Write a list of things you like about yourself!

It’s okay to have a little fun with this activity and be

honest with yourself. This can include accomplishments

you are proud of achieving, despite your pain.

™

Day 19:

Paint or draw a picture depicting pain. Once

completed, share it with us by taking a photograph and

emailing it to fellow Ambassadors and/or on social media.

We may also ask for them to be sent to our main office

for display!

™

Day 20:

Rest, relax, rejuvenate, repeat. No really, we

mean it! Go ahead and take another personal day for YOU!

™

Day 21:

Try for one day being aware of how many times you

want to feel or say something negative. Attempt to catch

yourself today and instead, put a positive spin on your

thoughts. Remember the good days that you’ve had and will

continue to have!

™

Day 22:

Create your own challenge! Be creative and

innovative today and let your individuality shine!

™

Day 23:

Invite a new friend to join US Pain as a

volunteer, member or Ambassador.

™

Day 24:

Educate yourself by learning about a pain

condition you do not have. We become a better support

system for the pain community just by knowing a little

more about those conditions, syndromes, injuries and

diseases that exist.

™

Day 25:

Log onto the Ambassador website and blog about

your 30 Day Challenge Journey! Writing down your thoughts

in general is a therapeutic tool. Members and volunteers,

share your challenge on the US Pain Facebook page!

™

Day 26:

Visit a nursing home, hospital or similar venue,

speaking with those coping with pain. This type of

supportive outreach is sometimes lacking and is such an

easy way to let other pain warriors know that they’re not

alone.

™

Day 27:

Reach out to one another. Introduce yourself to

other volunteers within your state or across the country!

We’re a close-knit group of understanding, compassionate

individuals, sharing the same goals. Send emails, chat

online, meet up somewhere or make a quick phone call to

fellow pain warriors! You may find a forever friend or

pen pal!

™

Day 28:

Post it! Write your favorite quote or personal

saying you have created and make it your daily mantra.

Keep repeating the saying today and post it on

Day 29:

Schedule an appointment to sit down with

administrators at a local elementary, middle or high

school. Request the time to speak with them about

visiting a classroom. The purpose would be to discuss

what it’s like to live with pain, that children shouldn’t

be afraid to visit a doctor’s office, discuss the US Pain

Foundation, and distribute our tie dye Pain Warrior

bracelets as a thank you for feeling welcome in their

classroom. We recognize that in order to eliminate the

stigma of what pain is and what it looks like, we should

start by educating our younger generations and decrease

discrimination within the school system where there are

often children who live with pain, are wheel-chair

dependent, have a handicap or know someone who is

dependent on others.

™

Day 30:

Self-reflect on the month. Look at all you have

accomplished inside of 30 days! Many of these activities

can be implemented and executed throughout the year as a

means to spread awareness. These small steps are making a

huge difference in the lives of those who once felt

alone, but are now aware that there is an organization

emphasizing fair policies for patients, reinforcing

proper pain treatment and providing support systems and

resources for the community at large. We thank you for

being a part of this positive change, and a part of the

U.S. Pain Foundation Ambassador family!

September 2015 "National Pain Awareness Month" right around the corner and "Beautify in Blue Campaign" by the US Pain Foundation

I will go ahead and mention that I got our Mayor here in my Hometown to sign a "Proclamation" for September 2015 being National Pain Awareness Month! The US Pain Foundation is "hosting" a "Beautify in Blue" Campaign to bring awareness into our towns and cities. Ennis has allowed me to be a part of this event for September. I am not sure all of what my package will be from the Foundation, but I will have signs, posters, ribbons and so forth to put up around town. So, I am thrilled to be able to do something and give our town a look at just how chronic pain can "control" your life, and just how many right here in town suffer from all types of illnesses that also have chronic pain issues in tandem. Even one of the gentleman that does okay these types of projects told me he suffers from Migraines. It is amazing when you speak out about some of the chronic illnesses and pain here in your own "backyard" so to speak, how many others are also suffering too. I have two cousins, both suffering from RA, even before I was diagnosed. In fact my 1st cousin Mike, who just lost his Mom to stomach cancer (my Mom's sister and my Aunt of course) just had hip replacement, this is his 2nd replacement - (two weeks ago), he had his other hip done, about the time I was having one of my knee replacements done probably in 2008 or so. I have had "so many" and in 2007. I believe I went through about 7 surgeries or more on joints, so the dates sometimes become a blur. But, I know others that I run into in the market of Wally World and so on, that also have issues, some of them like my neighbors across the street, the Mom, and both sisters all have diabetes. I believe their Dad also suffered from it. In fact the youngest sister, and she was maybe in her 40's passed away about a year ago after fighting diabetes. She had already been on dialysis. The Mom has also been on dialysis now for several years. She "shattered" a knee not too long ago and spent weeks in the hospital and in rehab, but due to her illness, and the dialysis and age, they would not do surgery on the knee. I don't think the doctors feel she could make it through the surgery. She is sometimes so weak, they have a difficult time just getting her to dialysis. It is just sad to see what the entire family is enduring. The son, is just an incredible man. I don't think he has been "plagued" with diabetes yet. But, he also has two strikes against him on both sides of the family. You don't see it as much in men, especially the type they have, but with the family history, he certainly could succumb to it.

After all of the advocacy I do for Autoimmune Illnesses, Lupus, RA, Sjogren's, and also Arthritis the AI kind, as well as osteoarthritis, along with Cancer and Heart Disease, sometimes the issues of Chronic Pain kind of take a "back seat" in my activist roles. 

So, since Chronic Pain, which of course I know all too well, from my own personal and up close experience with it now for many years, well before the Autoimmune Issues were diagnosed, I suffered from such horrific Migraines that I was sick with them sometimes several times a month, for many years throughout the time I was about 17 years old, until about the age of 45 or so. 

They became so bad at times, that I had to resign jobs, that I had been in for years at a time. It became such a burden, yet back then there were not many answers as far as migraines went. They had very few medications, most of them of course narcotic pain medication, and even back then, the doctors were so leery about giving them. But, if I did not have my prescriptions, it never failed I wound up in the Emergency Room so many times, and even that for one got OLD very quickly, and for TWO, of course the ER doctors began to think of course I was after the "drugs" rather than having Migraines so bad. 

So, oddly enough, once the diagnosis of the autoimmune illnesses were made, and I finally found after years and years of suffering by then all types of chronic pain issues, an awesome Pain Management doctor, who has been taking care of me now for at least 8 years maybe more... and he even put in my internal pain pump in 2010. 

My migraines seemed to have calmed down, even before the pain pump. and began to change. I began to have "Lupus Migraines"... and an injection of corticosteroids, along with a step down pack for 7 to 14 days, was the only thing that helped those.


But, my chronic pain became more complicated due to all of the severe joint issues, of which some I have had surgery and others still bother me with chronic pain, which is a part of many AI illnesses.

So, I felt compelled to now do some advocacy work in the realms of Chronic Pain.

Thus my reason for helping out with National Pain Awareness Month, and the Beautify in Blue Campaign. I hope to be able to help educate others about Chronic Pain, and just how badly it can also effect your quality of life. 

US Pain Foundation September Pain Awareness Month & our Local Mayor signs Proclamation & is allowing me to do the "Beautify in Blue" Campaign for Pain Awareness!

I am totally psyched over our city Mayor signing the Pain Awareness Proclamation for September! Also, they are allowing me to set up the ribbons, signs and so forth for the "Beautify in Blue" campaign by the US Pain Foundation! I am so elated to be able to bring this "home" as far as awareness about chronic pain, and just how much it effects so many people's lives... and so forth. The city has just been very receptive in helping me, so that makes it even better! Here is a pic of the signed Proclamation!