by benforred | Apr 10, 2025 | Activity, Mental Health, Pain, Symptoms
I attended a seminar on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) for Chronic Pain. It was extremely enlightening and helpful in understanding additional methods to increase quality of life with chronic pain. I have been seeing more articles and information about mental...
by benforred | Jan 14, 2025 | Caregivers, Death, Family, Grief, Mental Health, PTSD, Survival, Symptoms
Jenny, Mama, and DaddyThe conceptions we create of our parents over time as we grow from children to adults can be quite interesting to say the least. We come to learn new details about our parents that challenge those long held perspectives we’ve built, leading...
by benforred | Mar 28, 2024 | Health, Medical Procedures, Pain, Stress, Symptoms
This has been a story in the making for over a year now. I am now released from worker’s compensation and feel able to share my story with Post Concussion Syndrome (PCS).In 2015, I fell at work and hit my head due to my blood pressure bottoming out. I...
by benforred | Sep 26, 2023 | Cancer, Health, history, Medical Procedures, Medical Providers, Mental Health, Ostomy, Pain, Short Bowel, Surgery, Survival, Symptoms
La Mémoire Noire or The Dark Memory is a letter series written to my first surgeon. The man who caused everything ultimately in my life to reach this point today. I was to have 2 surgeries beginning at the age of 9 and his surgical errors altered the course of...
by benforred | Apr 30, 2023 | Health, Medical Procedures, Medication, PTSD, Surgery, Symptoms
I don’t think I’ve ever been so excited to undergo medical testing as I have this last year. I felt like I was literally begging for any medical test to be ran and I wouldn’t even say I felt that way during the 6.5 months I spent seeing 7...
by benforred | Aug 15, 2022 | Advocacy, Health, Medical Providers, Medication, Symptoms
Self advocacy is often a trial by error skill that we learn out of necessity with chronic illness. Each encounter with a medical provider may be different and can be a teaching opportunity for us. Studies have shown that the more someone is motivated to be involved in...
