Hi Junie!

We havent met, because I usually post on almost every other forum LOL. I want you to know you are not alone in the world of pain. I stopped working in July 2001, but should have stopped in 2000. I just couldnt let go of the best job in the world.

The pain stops me cold all the time, and sometimes makes me break activities that were planned. Most of my friends and work associates are now just memories. No one understood how I could go from working circles around most people to just a lump in the bed. Life just plain sucked, and it felt like it was over.

The first few years all I wanted to do was talk about my pain because that is all that I could think of. PAIN 24/7.... how do you not want to talk it out. My family at first tried to understand, but soon were avoiding me, or getting short with me because I was a real bummer to be around.

This is when these forums really began to help me. I could come here and scream and cry...really vent and everyone understood. Sure my posts wouldnt get alot of action and would drop off the page. I didnt care if anyone listened or not because I was just getting things out of my system. I soon made friends, and then even more friends.

One thing I started doing was finding topics that were close to what I wanted to talk about, and post up in there. Soon I was getting comfortable, and also caring for the others posting because they werent all that different than me. Now I may not start a new topic for months, but get just as much satisfaction in posting in other threads.

One day I decided to try a new approach with my family. I was going to try and take an interest in what they were doing, their pains, joys, their plans, just about anything they were doing, and leaving my problems out of it. If I needed to complain, or needed someone to understand, or just be with people that wouldnt put me down I came here.

Soon my family quit running soon as they seen me, and even began to come around about my pain. They would actually ask me how I was feeling, and even took interest in what the doctors were doing with me. This improved my attitude tremendously, and I didnt seem so down as much. It didnt take away the pain, nor did it change how they perceived my pain, it just made it easier for them to talk with me, and sometimes even understand what I was going through because they didnt think I was pressuring them to understand or care.

As time passed and I made even more friends on the forum, posts and topics came easier, and more people would chime in because they were truly interested in what was going on with me as much as I was interested in what was going on with them.

Life still isnt a bowl of cherries, and I still can run off the most caring of person sometimes, but the lows dont hold me down as long as they used to.

I sure hope everything starts smoothing out for you, and truly hope your pain gives you a break here and there.