Pain

Someone - two someones actually, my aunt-in-law among them - asked me today about all my issues from the past few months. Restless leg (less of an issue now that I drink less caffeine, and even less so when I'm not drinking within a few hours of bedtime). Hemorrhoid surgery. Kidney Stone. And I noted that I was happy about these things because they were finite. They had a start, and they had an end. Per the brackets above, the restless legs seem at least somewhat under control. I'm not going sleepless for weeks at a time. The surgery happened and was over. There's recovery. But I'm capable of riding my bike trainer despite the healing process. And the kidney stone. Well, passing that was the most painful thing I've ever done, but the whole event was done in two days and only involved four forty-minute episodes, only the last one being a heaving pain fest, and some concern about peeing on the floor because the filter sprays urine in 256 directions. Yes, I could have one of the other stones they CT-ed drop loose. But it's still an event with an end.

So I look at my friends. Tall Brad who threw his back. Again. Presumably having problems lifting his daughter or pulling her in the sled I gave him. And definitely laying out some big bucks for a bed in order to address the issue. Mean Mr. Mustard who also has back problems that x-rays can't identify. At least not yet. I can feel the disruption in his life over morning coffee and how it exacerbates all the other issues he faces. My admin, who is back at the doctor for a second round of combating breast cancer. My wife, who has spent over two years with nerve pain and is combating it with four rounds of painful shots interspersed with hopping on and off narcotics. A process which takes her away from our family for a day or two each time she has to DT.

My issues, despite that they seem to be related to turning 40 in some weird way, are contained and manageable and the end is right there where I can grasp it and deal with it and know I'm coming out the other side. I am thankful for how fortunate I am and that how limited my pain has been leaves me time to listen to my friends and family, have breakfast with them, and do what I can to help them through their pain, and hopefully provide them some ability to laugh at my travails and extrapolate that if there's an end in sight in the short term, maybe there's an end in sight in the long term.