Do you have a strategy for dealing with pain?

I don’t and I suck at it.

I get very impatient and am in denial that anything is wrong. I try to pretend that all is well, even when I can’t move and I get very antsy.

I have a pinched nerve in my neck from sleeping wrong and can’t lift my neck easily. I hate this.

I still tried carrying on as usual, but was so impatient and irritable. I stopped at the drug store after Charlie’s game to pick up some icy hot pads and Tiger balm cream and couldn’t handle the kids asking me for anything. I just wanted them to be quiet and to take care of my own needs and not theirs. This felt so weird to me.

I came home and Juliana helped apply the pad and rubbed my back before I sat on the couch. I wanted to rest and do nothing but couldn’t sit still for long.

I wanted to help Jeff make the dinner I was going to make. I tried to help a little bit but paced back and forth more than doing anything really useful. I was thankful that the kids were helping out and I felt weird not doing much. Dinner was delicious and we all enjoyed just being together despite my stiff neck.

I cancelled my tennis lesson for tomorrow, which made me acknowledge the painful truth that I’m not so great today. Ahhhhh. Bummer. This too shall pass.

For the rest of the night, I’m going to lay on the couch and relax and hope that this tension in my muscles will dissipate and let go.

I am not a very good patient and I don’t sit still very well. What do you do when you’re experiencing pain?

Namaste