Keeping going...

I received a very nice email which complimented me on this blog and how interesting it was (I hope that it is going to get even more so very shortly!). The sender also said that sometimes I seemed a bit down and grumpy but "now I understand that it's probably from the pain you're suffering"

That sparked in me a little rant in general about how people in pain are perceived.

Now that I have a mouthpiece to write exactly what I want to I am going to detail what it is like to be in chronic pain and yet try to live a constructive and fulfilling life. Doing this Career Break is important to me, yet there could possibly be accusations of appearing fully-abled but having disabled "privileges" (which is the attitude I have had from people all my life).

When I put up the description of what it is like to have the chronic pain and the reasons why I am grumpy sometimes (which I thought I had conquered and could hide better) I felt that people could see exactly what it is like. Yes, I might be doing the travelling, but I still have to deal with the pain and frustrations of the limitations of not doing what I want (can't do a lot of tourist walking in cities for example, etc). I may possibly have a flare-up of TC pain and a huge swelling of my feet due to the EM, any time any place, and that could throw my plans out for days/weeks.

I do envy travellers who don't have to think of medical problems, but as I have said all along (and all through my life), this TC, EM and my feet will not stop me doing things that I want to do and experience, and I will get through somehow.

5 weeks today I will be at LHR!