Hello, I am Tom Bowen. I oversee the Facebook group Chronic Pain Champions — No Whining Allowed and the Chronic Pain Champions website.
It took me years to accept my chronic pain and find the tools (both medical and non-medical) that worked for me to champion the pain. I am hoping this page and group can help others in their journeys to champion their own pain.
Below is my story.
While I try to always put on a good face, smile and laugh; I share my days with chronic pain, fibromyalgia, fatigue, headache, neuropathy, tinnitus, depression and anxiety.
However, the pain does not define me. Instead, I am defined by who I am and what I do. I am a husband, a father, a son, a brother, an uncle, a friend, a clown, a mentor, a past-coworker and a clown.
When I first experienced my pain conditions, I had a hard time adjusting to them. I let them control me, instead of me controlling them. They affected my life, my family, my friends, my job, and my activities. No different than others facing the same challenges.
However, I have learned from the help of my medical and mental health professionals as well as my peers in pain to accept the pain and champion it (many praises for the Mayo Pain Rehabilitation Center).
Yes, I still hurt. Yes, I still tire. And yes, I still have troubles with concentration and memory. I don’t like it. But know my chronic pain doesn’t signal continued damage to my body. It is my “new normal”.
How do I manage my pain? I use non-opioid prescriptions and injections. I use Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. I use tools like deep breathing and relaxation. I try to moderate and modify what I do. And I exercise.
Have I stopped looking for a solution to my pain? No. There are always medical advancements. There is always hope. But while I still have the pain, I am driving the car. Pain is in the backseat.
