When the Pain is Worth It

We've all seen the troupe in TV and movies where one of the characters does something stupid and then turns around and says, "Worth It."

http://www.dailyhaha.com/_pics/totally-worth-it.htm
There are times when it's worth it to me to be in pain or have the pain set in 24 hours after the fact.

I feel like this may be one of the most important posts I’ll ever make because too many chronic pain and illness warriors live in fear. Fear of the pain or the repercussions. I know I do.

I never want to return to that dark, unforgiving, unending Hell. I would probably do or say anything to not experience 2016 and 2017 again.

All chronic pain and illness warriors know what I’m talking about and if you don’t, you haven’t discovered that rock bottom has a basement, yet.

I have.

Surviving on pure desperation. Trying anything that might make you feel better.

Luckily, I did find many things that made me feel better, so I kept doing them. 2018 was an amazing turnaround year, and I feel 2019 will be better. However, that doesn't mean that I don't hesitate when it comes to doing certain activities.

When the Pain is Worth It


So when I say that sometimes you have to get out there and have fun despite the pain, you should really heed my advice.

Fun makes life worth living because that’s really what we are talking about here. A life worth living.

via GIPHY

What kind of fun are you talking about Adina?

Well, for example, I went boogie boarding in June of 2017 for a good hour and it was so worth it. I had horrible pain that afternoon, the next day, and the day after. In fact, I think for a solid two weeks I was hovering between 6-8 on the pain scale, but I got over it (because I kept doing the things that worked for my pain).
2017 wasn't a good year for me so I really risked it all that day to have fun. For an hour, on that beach, in the ocean catching waves, I was my old self again. I didn't have Adhesive Arachnoiditis. That's what I'm talking about. You need those moments to not just to survive, but to thrive with your condition. Unfortunately, I didn't have enough of those days in 2016 and 2017. However, I didn't give up on trying to reduce my pain whenever I could.
I also took trips. I wouldn't say vacations because I simply do not count spending time with family as a vacation. I didn't shy away from flights as long as they were 3 hours in length. That was my max. I could sit captivated by a movie, or at least on a plane, a good book on Audible and crocheting at the same time. As long as I had my ice pack from my chronic pain and illness go bag on my nerve pain, the activity kept me busy enough to sit with pain as long as I didn't go above a 6.

However, in late 2018, I went on my first vacation since having Adhesive Arachnoiditis with an eight hour flight, my bucket list vaction to Hawaii. Was I afraid? Yes, it was an eight hour flight. Did I have pain? Yes. Was it worth it? F-yes!

Just this past weekend #leohusband and I celebrated Valentine's Day. We switch off every year on planning our celebrations. This year was my turn and even though I knew it would hurt, I did something #leohusband always wanted to do. Virtual Reality Gaming.
I booked us a one hour experience at Omniverse VR and I had a blast. Did I totally wreck my back and my adhesive arachnoiditis? Yes. However, the fun and enjoyment I had with my husband was worth it. I iced my back as soon as I got home and kept ice on it, off and on, for the next 72 hours. Am I back to normal on day four? No. Do I regret it.

I regret not doing it sooner.

That's what it is folks.

I've always said I can be at pain at home or I can be in pain on a beach, or a vineyard, or a mountain. Either way, I'm going to be in pain. Might as well enjoy the view.

Get out there and have fun. Now, if you've been homebound for a while, please don't go out and ride a crazy rollercoaster because I said have fun. You do need to build up to that sort of experience.

Start small. We will discuss small ways to get out there next week. All about bringing in and choosing to live your painful life in Joy.