That old section of the Reader's Digest wasn't just kidding: Laughter IS the Best Medicine. Most of the time if you can't laugh, you will cry. And, there are days when I feel really sorry for myself, I will run into someone in a wheelchair or see someone with obviously deformed legs who is still up and walking under their own power, and I think to myself -- is my situation REALLY that bad? Shouldn't I be grateful for what I DO have? It's all relative. We do the best we can with what we've been given. All the best to you,

Linda

It is of added help to know your not alone in the chronic pain also. That's why I try to share by telling my family the worst possible jokes I can think of. Try it, it makes you feel better to see the suffering on their faces for a change.
Take care.

That's funny Mike,I'll have to give that a try.I may need you to share some of those jokes.Have a good day everyone. Mark

Thanks for the post. I tend to get down too and today I was glad to read your post as a reminder of all that I do have. For us spineys, it becomes easy for us to focus on what's wrong, not what's right, and that's a very dangerous road to take.

Anyone with chronic pain is at risk of depression, so it's important to try and keep the glass half full.

However, I do find that a good, big ol' cry once in a while tends to release those little demons that build up inside over time. Screaming into a pillow helps too.

Cath

Mark,
Seeing the beautiful things in life is down to us and in not letting the pain that consumes you dominate you perspective, a developed skill and gifted talent, in can all be too easy to look with continued emphasis on the past and hope of improvement. Being sad does not help with pain and although the real me is just behind that game face of unimaginable pain, those around and supporting me should be encouraged that I will present a positive outlook even when in the persona of despair through pain.

Mark, you are a shinning example of how we should try to do our best every day and see those aspect of life that to us are important, gone are the normal acquisitions of society, we should be measured in how we survive and enable ourselves as most of this goes unnoticed and unacknowledged. If they only knew what effort every day takes our Oscar would be in the mail, I am my best supporting actor. Pain is constantly within me and I do everything in my power not to let it show and even if you asked me, I may deny it.

Our private life is the real us it goes unseen and climb our own mountain every day, only to wake at base camp and start again, I once read that it take equal effort to be miserable, so use that capacity to be as positive as you can, we all have bad days, weeks or years.

The key is not to make a drama of everything and make living possible, live with the pain and with a small a, accept the realistic limitations we have every single day. Surviving continual pain maybe about being unrealistically positive in the presentation of ourselves, what other option do we have, I am stoically proud of my achievement, I know I have pain and do well in continuing to survive this existence not of my making, with a hand of support and encouragement.

Half full is just a tweak, a state of mind, it is within in us all, Pm does not create it just illuminates what we already had.

When my son was in a coma I cried sideways, I search every day for life itself and the good things.

Take care, John.