Painiac: The Podcast On Living Well Even When Life Hurts

In this episode, we explore what it means to get better. I’ve been thinking a lot about healing and recovery, and what it means to get better. Last month marked my 12 years anniversary of living with debilitating chronic pain, and this past May marked the 3 year anniversary of my most recent and most invasive surgery. When I look back at how I had imagined myself to feel at this stage, I hadn’t been able to see clearly; it was all a blur of grey. I could barely see beyond the initial hospital stay, let alone the long uphill journey of rehabilitation. When I was able to imagine the recovery, I focused my energy on the end game, the final stretch in the marathon. I imagined myself fully restored, and maybe even, if I can say it, healed and full of energy and vitality. The truth is, I don’t feel that way, well at least not yet. And I’m not sure if I’ll ever feel that way, really. Let's talk about how a life with pain isn't just so simple; it isn't good or bad, and it isn't that if we feel better we don't also fe