I inherited a genetic disease from my dad. For 65 years I have dealt with intermittent back pain that ties me to my bed/recliner. When my back is hurting, even riding in a car is unbearable. When this happens, I feel like I’m living on Oxycontin. Worse, there isn’t anything I (or the docs) can do about this except wait it out and take drugs.
But then the pain goes away and I feel great — which makes people think I’m faking it and/or looking for sympathy. I don’t know what’s worse–the pain or the fact that people just don’t “get” it. Even my family doesn’t […]