Old Dogs and New Tricks
Today as I was standing in the shower with my old dog while she walked constant circles around me, undoubtedly trying to wrangle me; I realized how much we have in common. Pets of all kinds are always teaching us so many lessons and this dog, our dear Annie, has been quite a teacher. Shall we look at some of the ways we are similar to our old dogs, especially when it involves learning new tricks?
First of all, let’s all agree puppies are cute.
Youngsters and puppies can get away with so much, don’t you think?
Cute, however, isn’t everything; there’s a lot to be said for experience.
Maybe that’s a bit of “sour g...
Source: Life with Chronic Pain - April 4, 2013 Category: Other Conditions Authors: admin Tags: Chronic pain therapy dogs pet therapy pets Source Type: blogs
It’s Time for Renewal? I Don’t Think I Can Do it Again
Spring has sprung; the bulbs are popping out of the soggy ground, peeking out of snowy mounds in some parts of the country and the cat’s got that certain look in her eye. The poet’s tell us in spring a young man’s fancy turns to love. Since I’m neither young nor male, I can’t really verify that. I do know this is the time for renewal for all of nature when that process fulfills a cycle of new birth. Bears are coming out of hibernation, perhaps stretching and yawning. Young chicks and ducklings are breaking through white and speckled shells, pecking their way into a world which will astound them and we humans are ...
Source: Life with Chronic Pain - March 28, 2013 Category: Other Conditions Authors: Sue Falkner-Wood Tags: Pain Management fatigue seasons Spring Source Type: blogs
Beauty Is Hope in a Life of Chronic Pain
I understand your first reaction to this title, I know. Words can’t heal a heart, cure a disease or take away a pain, but they can soothe, comfort and bring hope to an aching life. Like the right words spoken or read at the right time, beauty can also accomplish more than we often suspect.
If you’re in pain today as you read this, you are probably looking for hope. I also live with pain and like you, am a victim, a patient and yet, I continue to look for hope. It’s a shame we can’t store hope, put it in the bank, and hide it under the mattress or save it for a rainy day. It often rains on those of us who live this ...
Source: Life with Chronic Pain - March 21, 2013 Category: Other Conditions Authors: Sue Falkner-Wood Tags: Pain Management beauty hope Source Type: blogs
Creating Beauty From a Life of Chronic Pain
When I sit down to write these blogs each week, my creative self often takes me to surprising places. I’ve discovered last week’s theme of finding beauty is the beginning of a series of three blogs on beauty. It certainly surprised me to find two more blogs lurking in my mind. The more I reflected on the role of this particular quality in my own life, I realized it has many ramifications. For many of us who live with daily pain, creating beauty and participating in something beautiful has been a welcoming open door into a dark room and a way out of the pain.
Naturally, when you create a beautiful photo or picture you ...
Source: Life with Chronic Pain - March 14, 2013 Category: Other Conditions Authors: Sue Falkner-Wood Tags: Pain Management creating beauty endorphins Source Type: blogs
Looking for Beauty in a Life of Chronic Pain
Winter seems to be the time of year we’re all worn from the mere act of survival. We feel like worn out human popsicles as we’ve rediscovered the very acts of staying warm and moving around seem too much to expect. Maybe those bears that hibernate have the right idea. It would be sweet to go to sleep and wake up when it’s spring but alas, it’s not to be for us mere humans. We are imbibed with the tasks of survival, family responsibilities and dragging ourselves along for the ride. I think most of us feel we used to be more appreciative of winter, you know BEFORE. That would be before pain arrived in our lives. We r...
Source: Life with Chronic Pain - March 7, 2013 Category: Other Conditions Authors: Sue Falkner-Wood Tags: Pain Management beauty coping with chronic pain Source Type: blogs
Don’t Jump!
Unlike bullets, knives or poison
You’d make an awful splat;
I can’t help but wonder
How much dignity’s in that?
It won’t really help a thing
But your pain will surely end;
But so will all the glorious bits
More than you comprehend.
You see we’re all connected
Through this web of heartfelt caring,
Our family, friends and others
They all share in your despairing.
No, they cannot feel it
Quite as much as you
But they do see it
And can hand you Super-Glue.
One can’t take it everyday
This constant chronic pain
That’s why the love of others
Falls like summer rain.
As each new day arrives
With it comes the sun,
You ...
Source: Life with Chronic Pain - February 28, 2013 Category: Other Conditions Authors: Sue Falkner-Wood Tags: Pain Management chronic pain poem Source Type: blogs
Don’t Jump!
Unlike bullets, knives or poison
You’d make an awful splat;
I can’t help but wonder
How much dignity’s in that?
It won’t really help a thing
But your pain will surely end;
But so will all the glorious bits
More than you comprehend.
You see we’re all connected
Through this web of heartfelt caring,
Our family, friends and others
They all share in your despairing.
No, they cannot feel it
Quite as much as you
But they do see it
And can hand you Super-Glue.
One can’t take it everyday
This constant chronic pain
That’s why the love of others
Falls like summer rain.
As each new day arrives
With it comes the sun,
You ...
Source: Life with Chronic Pain - February 28, 2013 Category: Other Conditions Authors: admin Tags: Poetic therapy chronic pain poem Source Type: blogs
A Thorn By Any Other Name Still Hurts!
If a rose by any other name would smell as sweet, does a thorn by any other name hurt as much when you prick yourself? No, this is not to be a dissertation on pricks. I’m not that kind of girl; but I could be with very little effort. That brings to mind that old expression, if a tree falls in the woods and there is no one there to hear it, did it really happen? There are so many versions of that one; one in particular has something to do with bears and their bodily functions. Poor bears, guess we’ll leave them alone. My favorite one is on a plaque I gave Jim a couple of years ago. It boldly states, “IF A MAN IS ALONE...
Source: Life with Chronic Pain - February 21, 2013 Category: Other Conditions Authors: Sue Falkner-Wood Tags: Pain Management humor and pain humor therapy Source Type: blogs
“I Hate You Chronic Pain!”
There are some days in this way of life one just has to speak the ugly side of truth. It’s isn’t always pretty. I sometimes believe after the many years I’ve been writing this blog, some of my readers think I’m Little Mary Sunshine ; I assure you, I am not.
We often find ourselves in one particularly pitiable state I like to call, “My life is worse than your life.” It’s only human of us to feel that way but it is most definitely a dead end road but a path we occasionally drive down. Life is hard enough for the jolly and the totally healthy but for those of us who face pain each day of our lives, usually in ...
Source: Life with Chronic Pain - February 14, 2013 Category: Other Conditions Authors: Sue Falkner-Wood Tags: Pain Management chronic pain and emotional health chronic pain and forgiveness Source Type: blogs
