Friday, December 11, 2015

Sensitivity Irrelevant to Chronic Pain Says PROPS Doc


This blog is based on the New England Journal of Medicine article.

by Jane C. Ballantyne, M.D., and Mark D. Sullivan, M.D., Ph.D.

I left a comment at the NE Journal of Medicine website, and I responded to Pat Anson’s editorial at the Pain News Network

   © by Jen Jasper in Broken Body,
   Wounded Spirit: Winter Devotions


Ballantyne and Sullivan: “Opioids are a case in point: they have good short-term efficacy, but there is little evidence supporting their long-term benefit.”

To say there is “little evidence supporting the long-term benefit of opioids for managing pain” is simply not true. There are plenty of us who are able to function better because our pain is managed with opioids. You simply do not hear about them because good news is no news. Maybe you meant to say there are few studies. For which I reply, “Where is the EVIDENCE that long-term opioid treatment doesn’t work for managing for chronic pain?”

Ballantyne and Sullivan: “But is a reduction in pain intensity the right goal for the treatment of chronic pain?” 

I doubt few chronic pain patients, if any, expect their pain to be completely alleviated regardless of the treatment pathway. But they do expect reduction in intensity. Patients with this goal are far wiser than you are.

Whether pain is acute or chronic, it is a symptom. Assessment for location, onset, duration, character, AND intensity of any symptom is considered the standard of care for good reason. I hope I don’t have to explain why.

People experience chronic pain for two reasons, the underlying cause is untreatable, and/or misfiring in the brain causes pain to persist that otherwise wouldn't. Our brain extrapolates information and responds to chronic pain differently, but it is still pain. So, I ask Dr. Ballantyne and Dr. Sullivan, “Do you seriously believe assessing pain intensity is not important?” If you truly disagree with your peers on this, you are breaching the standard of care. You might want to think about this too editors and publishers of the New England Journal of Medicine. Is the message of bias against a certain patient population the one you want to send?

Ballantyne and Sullivan: “Patients who report the greatest intensity of chronic pain are often overwhelmed, are burdened by coexisting substance use or other mental health conditions, and need the type of comprehensive psychosocial support offered by multimodal treatment approaches.”

Often? I disagree. As part of a citizen’s leadership group of chronic painpatients, I see these people, I am one of these people, and you are way off base. When you make such statements, YOU become part of the problem.

I agree that people who live with chronic pain can feel overwhelmed. I am feeling overwhelmed reading this article. Why don’t you ask the pain doctors who include this aspect of their care for their opinion? Sure, we experience situational depression and anxiety, just LIKE YOU DO! But you are describing people with addiction, very real, but needing a different treatment, also woefully unavailable. Why should I even have to ask, “What does addiction have to do with pain intensity?”









Ballantyne and Sullivan:Multimodal therapy encompasses behavioral, physical, and integrated medical approaches.”

It does take a multimodal approach to manage chronic pain. The pain patient certainly knows that better than you do. We have resorted to, and been the victim of, charlatans that claim they have a cure. I have found meditation to be helpful with coping, but that doesn’t cure the conditions that cause my pain. Ask how many of us  keep several ice packs on hand for fear we won’t have enough. Ask us how many times we have been blistered by a heating pad because that was still less pain. Ask us how many use ointments, OTC products, TENS units or are willing to have electricity delivered to our spinal cord, just so we can have a REDUCTION IN OUR PAIN INTENSITY! Maybe you should ask the patient about the remedies they have tried before you write such an "insensitive" article. 

And, shouldn’t opioids be included as integrative care if they reduce pain so patients can participate in complimentary therapies? Oh that’s right, you don’t think a reduction in pain intensity is an important measurement.

While we’re at it, “When was the last time your physician asked about your spiritual awareness, or your circumstances at home?” And, just on the chance that they did (because they are in tune with treating the body as a whole) were they able to provide you with resources? If they could provide access to alternative treatments, are they affordable for everyone?   

On December 2, 2015 my friend Jan Chambers, President of the National Fibromyalgia& Chronic Pain Association and collaborative leader in the PAINS Project, of which I am a participant, had this to say.

NPS misstatement by PROP's President Ballantyne

Drs. Ballantyne and Sullivan incorrectly state that the U.S.established a National Pain Strategy (NPS) to address the enormous burden of chronic pain to 100+ million American adults. In fact, the NPS draft was completed by summer of 2014 but has not re-emerged from the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services since then (18+ months) despite requests by many patients, citizens, professional medical groups, and patient advocacy organizations. Chronic pain patients are worse off now because many doctors refuse to treat them; one result of unintended consequences from recent opioid abuse deterrent policies. Lack of a NPS and research funding hurts everyone. With no access to care or new, effective treatments, people with chronic pain are literally cast aside by society and treated inhumanely. The authors would like us to believe that NPS initiatives are in place, reducing suffering and brain-seizing pain, when they ask the ludicrous question, “But is a reduction in pain intensity the right goal for the treatment of chronic pain?” I guess that life-altering and debilitating chronic pain must not be such a burden after all.


If you are a doubter, be grateful, you have not experienced such pain, because one day you may. I have witnessed the change in perception in my own circle of family and friends. If you need a narcotic, it isn’t so bad after all.


“The only pain that is tolerable is somebody else’s.”
~David Sherry, MD, pediatric rheumatologist


Put your thinking hat back on. Don’t be part of the problem, be part of the solution. Embrace this adversity as an opportunity for change before you seriously harm someone, including yourself.

~ • ~ • ~ • ~ • ~ • ~

"Adversity is only an obstacle if we fail to see opportunity."  
Celeste Cooper, RN
Author—Patient—Health Central Chronic Pain ProAdvocate

Celeste’s Website: http://CelesteCooper.com

Learn more about what you can do to help your body function to its potential in the books you can find here on Celeste's  blog


All answers and blogs are based on the author's opinions and writing and are not meant to replace medical advice.  

Saturday, December 5, 2015

Transforming the Pictures of Our Mind


In my last blog, The Setting, the Shutter, and the Power ofResolution, I talked about my 2015 New Year’s resolution. It's about translating 35mm film photography to my new digital SLR camera. The blog is more than that though; my story is a metaphor that unveils the face of opportunity when we are faced with the challenges associated with living with chronic pain and illness. 

A Universal Language

Most of you reading this blog know I am a writer of self-help books. If you have read any of the four books in the Broken Body, Wounded Spirit: Balancing the See-Saw of Chronic Pain series, co-authored with Jeff Miller, PhD, you know each day offers an exercise or a tidbit of information to inspire new ways for managing daily challenges. Each day begins with a picture chosen to convey a feeling on the topic at hand. They are positioned to do one of two things, reflect on our own treasured moments, or provoke us into action. A photojournalist knows the impact images have on him or her personally and in the hearts and minds of everyone who sees them. The language spoken through photography is universal.

“A picture held us captive. And we could not get outside it, 
for it lay in our language and language seemed to repeat it to us inexorably.”

― Ludwig Wittgenstein, Philosophical Investigations

The Influence of a Title

Titling a picture seems like such a simple thing. However, it has a powerful impact on how the photo speaks to us and it provides infinite possibilities for bringing life into focus. While my title may be different from yours, it still reflects a personal journey and allows us to explore our feelings. You don’t have to be a photographer to do this.

Exercise:
Find a favorite photo, name it, and then write a few words about the feelings it brings to surface. You might not remember the date, or even the circumstances surrounding the photo, but you will remember how it made you feel.

The power of photos is evident; they have become a visual experience that is shared across social media. When our emotions erupt, we find camaraderie as human beings. We can share our journey, photographer or not, the connections are universal.

Looking Beyond Clouds

The Embodiment of a Pain Advocate.

This picture is from Broken Body, Wounded Spirit: Balancing the SeeSaw of Chronic Pain, Winter Devotions. I chose this particular photo for day sixteen, "Advocating for Pain” to represent several things. Living with chronic pain and illness can cloud our judgment. It can bring about tumultuous feelings, and sometimes cast a shadow over our desires. But, it’s more than that to me. This picture also represents a ray of light in the darkness, the promise of a bright sky, and treetops that lift our spirit upwards. For me, the telephone lines represent the connection and power we have to make a difference through advocacy. So, ad hoc, after the fact, I shall name this picture, “The Embodiment of a Pain Advocate.” 


What would you name it, and why?

Unchain Your Imagination

Experts tell us the power of a photo transcends all generations. So, next time you come across a shared photograph think outside the box. Take a moment; be flexible in your thinking.

Years ago in an effort to raise my endorphins through laughter, I began a photo journal of animals. I saved them for my personal enjoyment and I named them something that would spark the laughter that became buried by pain and illness. I resurrected my inner goofiness through laughter and photographs.  

We are born with an imagination and when we use it wisely, we loosen the grip chronic illness can create. Unchain your imagination. Share the creativity that lives within you.

~ • ~ • ~ • ~ • ~ • ~

"Adversity is only an obstacle if we fail to see opportunity."  
Celeste Cooper, RN
Author—Patient—Health Central Chronic Pain ProAdvocate

Celeste’s Website: http://CelesteCooper.com


Learn more about what you can do to help your body function to its potential in the books you can find here on Celeste's  blog

Tuesday, November 17, 2015

The Setting, the Shutter, and the Power of Resolution


I know, I know, it’s not even Christmas yet. But this is a story about my New Year’s resolutions from THIS year, January 2015. Since I live with chronic pain, I know the importance of taking an inventory on what I want to do and what I can do. This resolution was certainly both, even though the later has been questionable. You see, the very first time I saw the world through the lens of my 35mm film camera; I fell in love with photography. But film photography has become a dinosaur, so I set about figuring out how to fulfill my desire to capture and manipulate photos using new technology, leading me to my 2015 resolution.

I will learn to use my new Canon Rebel T5 SLR camera!

There is an underlying story here about keeping up with the times, embracing change, and all that good stuff, to be revealed.

Resolution vs. Resolution

I struggled to translate what I know about film photography to digital photography. I even bought the book for Dummies specifically for my camera. My New Year resolution, I would learn, was harder to achieve than setting the resolution of digital photographs.

Having short-term memory loss, I couldn’t remember from one page to the next; white balance, color space, or focal plane, my head was spinning. I am embarrassed to say, I couldn’t even remember how to turn the darn thing on. But if I am anything, I am tenacious.

So, I ditched looking at the book from an academic standpoint, deciding it was more valuable as a resource. After all, we don’t read an encyclopedia cover-to-cover—right? (I have since found my difficulty with this book is not shared with my otherwise mentally sharp friends, I wouldn’t want you to think this is a bad book review.)

Intimacy with the Inanimate

Six months in to the New Year, I set my sights on accomplishing at least one goal.

Trash the anxiety and pick up the camera.

I would soon learn one of the most valuable tools on a digital camera is the DELETE BUTTON!

My Chronic Pain Friend and the Shutter Sisters

Probably the best advice I received regarding digital photography came from one of my chronic pain sisters. You see, she also loves to do what I do. She knew I was struggling, she understood why I was struggling. In one exchange of emails, she asked me a question that would change my world.

Have you heard of the Shutter Sisters?

I had not, but I have now. I immediately went to their website. I bought their book, and I quickly became intimate with my camera. I forced myself to only use the manual settings, and I did what I did not think was possible, I fell in love with digital photography.

The Cradle of Perfect Imperfection
Here’s How it Happened

I found the LIGHT METER! Oh, what a glorious day that was. It was my “ah ha” moment, MY “light switch” was on. Terms I thought were lost to new technology like aperture, depth of field, F-stop, lighting, filters, subject, ISO were all there. It is so much more than becoming intimate with the inanimate, it was like that first time I zoomed my lens in on the stamen of a flower, I was detailing my feelings, setting a historical moment in time, and I was going to be able to capture it the way I wanted. More than that, I found I have Shutter Sisters that can see what I see the instant before I release that shutter. They get why I do what I do as a writer of self-help books too. 

These people, my fellow passion driven brothers and sisters, understand that automatic doesn’t always emote what I am trying to capture. To me, imperfection often brings clarity, character, and a feeling of that moment that will forever be etched in my mind, in my heart, and in my soul.

Miles to Go before I Sleep

Those words, “miles to go before I sleep” (thank you Robert Frost) can mean many things to those of us who live with daily pain, but in the context of this blog, it simply means that for all I have learned, for all I have regained, I have so much more to accomplish. That’s the beauty of it. I am a work in progress and so is my photography.

So, before you give up my friend, know that your “ah ha” moment is coming, but you can’t have it if you give aren't determined.

“Many of life's failures are people who did not realize
how close they were to success when they gave up.”

~Thomas A. Edison

Thank you Thomas Edison, the brilliance of your wisdom continues to light the world and guide me as I embrace the power of perseverance.

~ • ~ • ~ • ~ • ~ • ~

"Adversity is only an obstacle if we fail to see opportunity."  
Celeste Cooper, RN
Author—Patient—Health Central Chronic Pain ProAdvocate


Celeste’s Website: http://CelesteCooper.com

Friday, November 6, 2015

Stop Discrimination against My Sisters in Pain, Sign the Petition




Are you a woman in pain? I am. My sisters, we have been identified in the Institute of Medicine Report, “Relieving Pain in America…” as an under-served community that is discriminated against when it comes to treating our chronic pain. It’s time for that to stop!

I have experienced pain most of my life. I had my first cystoscopy at age five. At puberty, I developed migraine headaches and irritable bowel syndrome. I have lived with premature degenerative disc and spinal disease for 30+ years, and have come to know other chronic pain and health issues intimately, fibromyalgia, myofascial pain syndrome, Hashimoto’s, ME/CFS, post herpatic neuralgia, and interstitial cystitis.  After having extensive shoulder surgeries, I returned to work as a nurse (considered to be as physically demanding as that of a construction worker). I paid my own way as a single mom with two small children. I was board certified in emergency nursing and I was an expert witness as a legal nurse consultant. I was a typical type A. But eventually, my ability to keep up - caught up with me.

I will never forget the words on my neurocognitive exam report, which concluded I have significant short-term memory loss compared to others my age and education. I didn't need a report to tell me that. I knew I was slipping. But the hardest thing to bear were the words that said I would be a danger to patients. You see, I was expecting my symptoms would lead to a treatable diagnosis. I would get fixed, and I would get back to a job I loved dearly. After all, I pushed through any obstacle in life. But, it was not to be. All I could do now was put my head in my hands and weep.

“Out of suffering have emerged the strongest souls; 
the most massive characters are seared with scars.”
~Kahlil Gibran


Soon after, I found it was easier to let people think what they must rather than defend something I was struggling to accept myself. I learned the worst, and the most damaging, was not the pain, but the change in the way I was perceived by others. At the most vulnerable time in my life, I had to accept that my family, friends, colleagues, and physicians had forgotten about the person I once was. Through therapy, I learned the very same people that criticized me for seeking pain care, would indeed do the same in my position. I learned that chronic pain could only be appreciated if you experience it. I learned that I needed to be compassionate with my otherwise healthy friends and family, because they have no control over their perceptions anymore than I have control over my pain. But I also learned there is no free ticket to being a bully, which resulted in learning the importance of choosing my friends wisely. 

Women are caretakers, not the other way around. Maybe when we step outside that role, bias emerges. But, as human beings, we all deserve to be treated with the same respect and to have access to the same pain care. I could tell horror stories about the abusive comments and treatment I have suffered at the hands of those who took an oath to do no harm. But from adversity comes opportunity. I took control, and over a decade later, I now have a great team of healthcare providers. But, because of the amount of time it took to find providers with whom I could build mutual trust, I fear what will happen when my husband and I relocate. At my age, I will be dead if it takes that long again. This should not be the case. Regardless of our socioeconomic status, race, gender or where we live in this country, we should all have access to the same pain care and be treated with the dignity and respect we deserve. 

If you are a person living with pain or a caretaker, male or female, stand with your sisters in pain become the catalyst for making a difference. Stand with us as an advocate for changing pain care for women. We are in this fight together and we must serve our compassion by being supportive to one another. 

Cynthia Toussaint has made it easy for us to speak up. Please take a minute, that’s all it takes, and sign this most important petition.

End Pain Care Bias Toward Women 

In Chronic Pain

(click on the title)


Don’t stop here. Share often and cast your net beyond the horizon.

In healing and hope, Celeste

~ • ~ • ~ • ~ • ~ • ~

"Adversity is only an obstacle if we fail to see opportunity."  
Celeste Cooper, RN
Author—Patient—Health Central Chronic Pain ProAdvocate


Learn more about what you can do to help your body function to its potential in the books you can find here on Celeste's  blog


Tuesday, October 20, 2015

Trick or Treat: Causes, Symptoms, and Remedies for Foot Pain




Our feet are very important parts of our body, after all, they provide a platform so we can to move around, and they provide our body with the balance we need to perform many tasks… So what are the causes of foot pain? Check out my article on Health Central “What’sCausing My Feet to Hurt!”





Foot pain can vary from mildly annoying, to extremely severe. When you think about it, they are one of our best supporters. So, how can we support them? Read about the many factors that can perpetuate foot pain and what you can do to help them out in “How to Report Foot Pain Symptoms.”




Taking the next step could mean a difference in what treatments are helpful for you and your feet. And that next step means knowing the right treatment, because treatment plans can vary widely depending on the cause. Tread lightly, safely, and aware this Halloween. Trick or Treat? “Treatment Options for Foot Pain: How toCare for Our Feet.”



In healing and hope, Celeste

~ • ~ • ~ • ~ • ~ • ~

"Adversity is only an obstacle if we fail to see opportunity."  

Broken Body, Wounded Spirit: Balancing the See-Saw of Chronic Pain, FALL DEVOTIONS now available in paperback in Canada!

Amazon in paperback
Kindle version
Amazon UK Kindle
Amazon Canada Kindle
Amazon Canada Paperback
Barnes and Nobel paperback

You can read more about the book on Celeste's website, here.

Thursday, October 8, 2015

Chronic Pain Month Goes Out with the Blood Moon by Celeste Cooper


Blood Moon (c) Celeste's Photo Gallery
What a phenomenon many of us had the opportunity to witness on September 28th, a total eclipse of the moon, a blood moon. And, I captured it with my own camera. What a way to mark the ending of chronic pain awareness month.

This September was full of events offered by various advocacy associations. This advocate wants to share with you her contributions to chronic pain awareness and education on various pain topics.

Scroll on down and you will find a poem written this summer that shares my intimate thoughts on our earth and its treasures.



September 2015


Health Central

ProHealth

August 2015


Health Central

July


Health Central

June 2015


Health Central
·        Myofascial Pain Treatment

May 2015


ProHealth

Health Central

April 2015


Health Central

March 2015


Health Central

February 2015

Health Central

January 2015


ProHealth


Where the Earth Meets Sky© by Celeste Cooper

The lodge pole pines tremble in anticipation
And their needles whisper in the wind.
Swaying to the orchestra of creation,
Their fragrance teases the tip of my nose.
It’s evening here where the earth meets the sky.

A graceful wind dances across my face.
It coaxes my senses to receive the invitation
To be awakened by the elegance of its finagling.
Pines swirl, their majestic crowns inviting me to join,
Taking my senses, together the earth meets the sky.

The wind washes upwards creating a sense of need,
And distant thunder keeps time with the universe.
Clouds anticipate their release upon the ground,
So they can move on—and let the night come alive.
Mingling constellations wait for the earth to greet the sky.

Listen, percussion from the wings of hummingbirds
Brushing across the cymbals of space and time.
Chipmunks chatter a crescendo of urgent messages.
The elk bugle for their mate and coyotes howl,
Extraordinary harmony as earth reaches for the sky.

This place is alive with spirit, life, and understanding.
Here is where the earth rises up to greet eternity.
A feeling of unison, and a guttural understanding,
Ours if we embrace the trembles, the orchestra, senses—
They come alive here where spirit resides between earth and sky.
  

Don’t forget to check out our book Broken Body, Wounded Spirit: Balancing the See-Saw of Chronic Pain, FALL DEVOTIONS. It’s time to begin daily activities and inspiration for the fall season.

In healing and hope, Celeste

~ • ~ • ~ • ~ • ~ • ~

"Adversity is only an obstacle if we fail to see opportunity."  
Celeste Cooper, RN
Author—Patient—Health Central Chronic Pain ProAdvocate


Learn more about what you can do to help your body function to its potential in the books you can find here on Celeste's  blog

All answers and blogs are based on the author's opinions and writing and are not meant to replace medical advice.  



Thursday, September 24, 2015

The Painful Truth: A Book, a Documentary,a Meeting with Lynn Webster, MD


I recently had the pleasure of speaking with Dr. Lynn Webster for a second time, the first being at the gala and symposium Healing What Hurts: The Politics of Pain, which was also organized by the Center for Practical Bioethics for their initiative, the PAINS Project.  You see, before he talked to a full auditorium of people eager to hear what he had to say, he visited in private with our local patient/citizens leadership group, Relieving Pain in Kansas City. He wanted to get to know us on a personal level, because frankly, that’s how he rolls.  

http://thepainfultruthbook.com/
The Painful Truth: The Book

This gathering of providers of all pain care disciplines, patients, medical students, caregivers, and concerned citizens were going to hear about the journey of an internationally known pain specialist. We walked not in front or behind him, but beside him, with him, as we learned about his passion for healing an America that hurts from the stigma of chronic pain.

All those in attendance got a copy of his new book and as we were gathering, I noticed people were not merely leafing through their copy, THEY WERE READING IT! Stay with me and you will find out why.

Dr. Webster’s message is irresistible. He tells us The Painful Truth is not a self-help book, but it is a helpful book. I am in awe of willingness to share his personal stories, his motivation for being an advocate, researcher, author, and physician with a dream to make a difference. He underscores the importance of heart, listening, and understanding that pain is more than a symptom of disease. He wants everyone across America to know the benefits and risks of opioid prescriptions, the cultural attitudes, the role caregivers take in our lives and most of all—the hope of a fulfilling life despite pain. 


 The Painful Truth Book Trailer



The Painful Truth: The Documentary

Dr. Webster teamed up with Craig Worth to produce a documentary. Together this physician and New York and Los Angeles Emmy Award winner and former network correspondent documented important and truthful messages from patients and the many people who touch their lives in some way. The documentary itself is a testament to the spirit and determination this advocate has for people living with pain, the seriousness of not only untreated or undertreated pain and suicide, but also addiction.

Dr. Webster and his wife Holly funded the documentary (of the same title) because they wanted a raw, unfiltered portrayal of chronic pain, a guttural reaction that would create change in the perceptions associated with people living with pain, and those who care for them. Though different in some ways, the theme is the same as the book…

There is a difference between healing and curing.


The Painful Truth Documentary Trailer (worth every second)


The message is one of hope for a better America, one with compassion for fellow human beings, an example the rest of the world can lean on.

Physician – Patient Encounter

Dr. Webster told us the first thing he asked new patients was “What do you want [from pain care]? The answer was always the same, the same words he continued to hear while doing the documentary, one that resonates across this nation...

“Doc, I just want my life back.”

He also shares with us that his patients succumb to a primal release of emotions when he says these three words, “I believe you.” You see, he found that no matter our life’s experiences, ethnic background, age, or religious or cultural beliefs—we all share something—the need to be validated. He knows chronic pain is a thief that robs us of our self-esteem. Sadly, there is a historical—albeit irreverent—concept that people in pain are weak. Some of us are stuck in a grieving process because the healing process begins with feelings of trust and respect; something Dr. Webster admits doesn’t happen often enough. Dr. Webster is a leader in his field because of his education and experience, but mostly because he has heart and he knows how important those three words are.

“I – BELIEVE – YOU”

* The documentary will be released later this year, slightly behind its original production schedule.

In Conclusion

I wake up every morning to pain. On average, three mornings of seven begin with what I call my 4 a.m. migraine reveille. I stagger on swollen feet to where I keep my pain medicine of need. My arthritic hands fumble with the lid as I coax them into action using loving words like, come on you can do it, and sometimes—though I don’t like admitting it—expletives about the packaging. Some days that is the only trip I make to that area of my world, other days, I visit more often than I wish. But I am always grateful for the many tools that help me function. I am grateful to have a doctor willing to work with me without making me jump through a hundred hoops. He understands the unpredictability of the many pain sources I face. He understands that I have no control over the cause of my pain, but I do have control over knowing what works best for me. Many are not as fortunate as I am.

I suppose pain defines who I am, but in different ways. Because of pain, I live a life interrupted. But, I am determined to live a full life, a grateful life that respects my capabilities. I have learned not to take things for granted; I appreciate the opportunity to meet the many advocates and heroes in my life. I am inspired by each, and every, person who is touched in some way by chronic pain.

So you ask, “What does this have to do with The Painful Truth?” It has everything to do with it. Reading The Painful Truth reminds me that I am not on this journey alone. I now begin each day by reading this book because it provides me with the other medicine I need, inspiration—a feeding of my mind, my spirit, and my soul—a reminder of the many encounters I have had with champions, because I live with chronic pain. This is MY painful truth.

Those of you who follow me on social media know that for many years my signature has been, “In healing and hope, Celeste”. The Painful Truth reminds me of the powerful message my signature line was intended to send. Healing is not the same as curing, and when we hold these words in our hands, in our mind, and in our hearts, we begin to live a satisfied life.

If you are struggling to find your place, if you are still working through your grieving process (been there), read this book. Every one of us needs to hear those words, “I believe you.” Begin the healing process; it will color your world with hope. The landscape of your existence with pain will begin anew.


Learn more about the book on The Painful Truth book website

“Chronic pain affects 1 in 3 Americans and exerts more than a $600-billion drain on the economy annually. It is the largest invisible epidemic in the land. Having treated thousands of patients with chronic pain-often when they were at their most vulnerable-Lynn R. Webster, M.D., continues to believe there is hope. Ultimately, a cure for pain will require more research, better therapies, and improved policies. But healing can begin today with a broad-based approach to treatment, including compassionate support from those closest to the ones who are hurting. The Painful Truth is an intimate collection of stories about people living with disabling pain, their attempts to heal, and the challenges that we collectively face in helping them live meaningful lives. As a physician who has treated people with chronic pain for more than thirty years, Dr. Webster reveals the difficulties that patients face in dealing with chronic pain in a society that is often shamefully prejudiced against those who are most in need of our empathy. He shares how such biases also affect medical professionals who treat patients with chronic pain.” Find The Painful Truth on Amazon   




In healing and hope, Celeste




Celeste's Website

Celeste's Website
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