iPain Living Spring 2021

2—iPain Living Magazine International Pain Foundation—13

Spring 2021 Consultants

4 — How To Finally Organize Medical Files in 5 Steps Intellectric Productions
6 — Life Changing Experience; Following Your Dreams KB Media
8 — Overcoming Anxieties
10— Tragedy into Triumph! Morthanos, LLC
14 — Who Cares For The Caregiver
16 — Weed Out What Doesn’t Belong Editors
18 — Unity Poem
21— A Look At Pharmacogenomics Ken Taylor—Digital
22— BLISScipline; Cover Story with Dr. Cie Scott Barby Ingle—Print
30— Patient Spotlight: Triathlete, Olivia Christmann
32 — Key Differences Between Medicare Advantage and Medicare Supplement Plans Staff
36— Violation Of A Nation Report
37—Accident; Michigan’s Insurance Model for All of America? Chris Lavelle
38— Medicare Deadlines: When Do You Sign Up for Medicare? Glen Shurtz

Tim Franklin
Kenny Evans

Regular Contributors
Christina H Chororos
Ross McCreery
Megan Roche
Contributors
Danielle Harris-Branch
Dr. Cie Scott
Healthline
Jessica Lynn Heagy
Jesus Guillian
Kelly McMenamin
Laura Formentini
Linda Mac Dougall, HHP, CMT
Mia Maysack
Robert Miller

42— Can Systemic Enzymes and CBD Lower Your Pain Levels? If you would like to submit an article for
44— The Importance of Self-Care consideration in an upcoming iPain Living Magazine edition,
47— 4 Ways to Win the Battle Against Stress
48—Living with Muckle-Wells Syndrome email [email protected]
For comments, questions, or suggestions please

email [email protected]

50—How Courage Can Transform Your Pain Into Passion

54—iPain’s Top 21 Pain Practitioners of 2021

Pg 44

Pg 14 Can Systemic Enzymes and
Who Cares For The Caregiver? CBD Lower Your Pain Levels?

Pg 42

Printed in Arizona, United States
ISSN - 2688-576X(Print) ISSN - 2688-5778 (Digital

Print UPC: 07447071462011—Spring 2021 Edition

International Pain Foundation—3

1. Accept there isn’t Life isn’t always easy (Hello, 2020!) Fun
one best way to or- but organizing it should be. If you’re You’re a quarter of the population
ganize; there’s one not organized after a year at home, (27%) but these quizzes never truly
best way for you. it’s not you, it’s your systems. How capture you as you are easy-going
you organize is hardwired in your and sometimes adventurous but
2. Figure out your or- brain. The trick to getting grounded in reality. Best ways to or-
ganizing and staying organized is building sys- ganize: Avoid To Do Lists & Inbox-
style: Classic, Fun, tems that work for you. Organization es, use attractive desktop fileboxes
Organic, or Smart. isn’t about making it perfect. It's for filing, create a roving office in
about finding stuff when you need it. your purse or bag.
3. Build systems that Here’s how to organize your medical
work with your files and KEEP them organized in 5- Organic
natural tendencies. steps. First step? Accept that there You make up less than a quarter of
isn't only one way to be organized. the population (16%), are the idealists
4. Winnow down The next step is find the one that of the world, and … are pilers. Some
your filing system works for you by figuring out your Organics prefer structure and plan-
to as close to 1- organizing style. There are four over- ning, while others prefer less plan-
Step as possible. arching styles: Classic, Fun, Organic ning. Best ways to organize: Create a
& Smart. structured piling system with labels
5. Set-up a household and file sparingly, use physical calen-
mailroom with Classic dars even if you also use digi-
cubbies for every- You make up almost half of the tal, structured Organics need To Do
one, even pets American population (46%) and be- lists, whereas flexible Organics
(they get medical lieve in tradition, hard work, goals should avoid them.
stuff too!). and loyalty. Best ways to organize:
Use To Do Lists religiously, filing Smart
cabinets, create hidden homes for You are the architects of change in
everything you can, and take the time this world and even though you make
to declutter regularly for your sanity. up only 10% of the population, most
CEOs, presidents, and people in

4—iPain Living Magazine

charge are Smarts. Best ways to within discrete categories be- piling system. You want things
organize: Create a structured pil- cause you are detail oriented out and visible but organized
ing system with labels, schedul- when it comes to storing and re- which is what piling systems are.
ing digitally is fine but always membering information and pa- Some of you don’t even need a
have a small notebook on hand pers. The more attractive filing filing cabinet. When the piles
for either To Dos or great ideas cabinets you get, the less annoy- get unruly, go through them and
and delegate tedious tasks when- ing they are to file away medical weed out stuff that needs to be
ever possible. documents. Beautiful things thrown out. That’s it. Whether
make boring tasks less onerous. you're a piler or a filer, make the
Filing Advice You can get covert filing cabi- system you create easy to use by
Even in good health there are nets that do double duty in your setting it up so it requires as few
few thing less universally stress- home like cushiony filing steps as possible to maintain it.
ful than figuring out what to do bench in your front hall right For example, if you file, have
with medical bills and reports. where you open your mail to file folders on hand. If you pile,
The main divide in organizing make sorting and filing an in- have extra open bins on hand to
paper is between filers and stantaneous task. quickly accommodate a new pile
pilers. Classics and Funs are fil- category. Finally, make sure eve-
ers and Organics and Smarts are Smarts and Organics need piling rybody in your home has their
pilers. Classics and Funs are fil- systems which consists of own inbox for incoming papers,
ers because they remember a shelves that have space above bits & bobs. It's seemingly a
plethora of things hidden away them and clear, lidless bins for small detail but it's life changing.
for long periods of time whereas piles. You have visual memories
Organics and Smarts often need when it comes to storing and re- About the Author: Kelly McMenamin is an author,
visual reminders to remember membering information and pa- organizing coach and speaker and co-founder of Pix-
where things are hidden away. pers. Ideally, piles will live on iesDidIt!, a company dedicated to helping clients or-
Once you know which organiz- an open book case but you can ganize according to personality type. The company
ing style is you, then you almost also compromise and maintain it motto is that while life isn’t always easy, organizing it
have the answer for how to or- inside of a cabinet with doors to should be. Kelly is co-author of “Organize Your Way:
ganize. Regardless of type, name hide piles for those who might Simple Strategies for Every Personality” ‘(Sterling
files or piles how you think find them messy. You do best Publishing). Prior to PixiesDidIt!, Kelly worked as a
about them in your head or casu- with broader categories for piles hedge fund analyst and at the Federal Reserve Bank of
ally refer to them and you’re and even files. You’re big pic- NY. She holds a B.A. from Barnard College and an
more likely to find things when ture thinkers so this mirrors how M.B.A from The Tuck School at Dartmouth. What
you need them, i.e., “Medical your brain works. Smarts and PixiesDidIt discovered after over 10 years of field
Crap” or “Back Surgery Stuff Organics should use filing cabi- research is that how you organize is hardwired in your
2019” or “Pain Meds” etc. nets minimally for long term brain. The trick to getting and staying organized is
storage of documents but any- building systems that work for you. Organization isn’t
Funs and Classics need filing thing in process should be in a about making it perfect. It's about finding stuff when
cabinets to file away papers you need it.

twitter.com/PixiesDidIt

instagram.com/pixiesdidit/

facebook.com/PixiesDidIt

linkedin.com/company/pixiesdidit-

International Pain Foundation—5

Life Changing Experience;
Following Your Dreams

By Robert Miller

December 2, 2000 was a bitterly ined and X-rays taken. My wife happens – or a pandemic occurs –
cold Saturday in New York City. I was called. They were about to re- it forces you to face your mortality.
bundled up, got on my bicycle and lease me thinking I was beat up but
started out on one of my usual long otherwise okay, when the attending At the time of my accident I was a
weekend rides by going over the resident said he was not happy successful lawyer. I specialized in
59th Street Bridge from Manhattan with the X-rays and wanted to take big corporate restructurings and
to Queens. At the end of the bridge them again. Lucky for me he did – bankruptcies. For example, I repre-
I made a U-turn onto a service my neck was broken. And it wasn’t sented the creditors of the Trump
road. My life then changed forever. just broken, it was as if my neck Taj Mahal in its bankruptcy. I was
A van came up from behind and hit had exploded. I was ambulanced to married and had two teen age girls.
me. My bike and I flipped back- Mount Sinai Hospital in Manhat- I had a lot going right for me, but I
wards over the van. I was knocked tan, where three days later I had 8 at the same time I was unhappy in
out. I woke up lying on my back hours of surgery on both the front one major respect. I had seemingly
looking up at two EMS guys. I and back of my neck, and a lattice- given up on my dream.
thought I was dreaming. I heard work of metal was inserted to hold
one say to the other that this guy the whole thing together. My sur- From an early age what I really
(me) is “really lucky. We usually geon said afterwards it was a mira- wanted to do was be a full time
find people like him dead or para- cle that I was alive and not para- professional musician, a Rock Star.
lyzed”. lyzed, as despite the fact that my I came from a musical family. My
neck exploded and the shrapnel father played the trumpet. He
So began my sojourn into pain, flew everywhere none of it hit my wanted me to be a musician too.
surgery, recovery and – ultimately spinal chord. Like him I played trumpet through
– realizing upon my lifelong dream High School, mainly classical mu-
to play music full time and become There’s nothing like a near-death sic. But another life changing event
a rock star. experience to cause you to re- occurred for me and millions of
evaluate your life. We all assume others in 1964 when The Beatles
I was ambulanced to a trauma cen- blithely that our lives will simply emerged on the scene and changed
ter in Queens where I was exam- go on, but when something bad everything in music. It suddenly

6—iPain Living Magazine

wasn’t very cool to play the years! I was miserable about it. and abroad. We even opened for
trumpet. So I taught myself gui- What changed things for me was major artists like Edgar Winter,
tar and then bass, and I formed a my accident. The pain, the un- Blues Traveler and Boney
band of sorts with my teenage certainty, the coming to terms James. In just five years we’ve
friends. with my mortality – put me back had 10 celebrated albums, 4 mil-
on a path to follow my dream. lion video views, 1M Spotify
I played rock and roll through But no path is a straight line. It streams, and over 50K Facebook
my teens, then I learned about took me another 15 years – step fans. My dream was realized.
jazz. I spent the 1970s in Boston by step – until I was finally able
playing jazz fusion. At the same to cut the umbilical cord and Along the way I figured that I
time I had graduated from col- make music my full time profes- had a unique story. Who else be-
lege with a degree in TV and got sional occupation. came a Rock Star when they
a job at the Boston public TV were in their 60s? It was coun-
station. So I was working there I formed a band, Project Grand terintuitive. All the great artists
during the day and playing jazz Slam, in 2007, but it wasn’t until that continue to tour – from Paul
at night. I loved it, but there was 2015 that I put the band on the McCartney to Billy Joel – all
one big problem. I barely made road to success. I reorganized the became stars when they were in
enough money to survive. So, at group and surrounded myself their 20s. I deferred my dream
the urging of a friend, I decided with young, extremely talented, when I was in my 20s because
to apply to law school, with the mainly foreign-born musicians. life intruded. It wasn’t until I
thought that I would do law dur- Their youth, talent and vibrancy was in my 60s that I had the time
ing the day and play jazz at pushed me to new heights. I be- and the wherewithal to finally go
night. Unfortunately that plan gan writing more songs, now after my dream.
didn’t work out at all – the law, mainly vocals because I had an
as they say, is a jealous mistress. awesome female vocalist. We And I’m so glad that I did.
recorded albums that got rave
So between the law and my fam- reviews. We began performing at More can be found on Robert’s
ily obligations life got in the way festivals and concerts in the U.S. music and journey at his website:
of my music dream. And I followyourdreampodcast.com
stopped playing music for 15

International Pain Foundation—7

By Christina H Chororos , Owner Kairos Chronic Pain Coaching, LLC
Founder, Educator, Speaker & Writer

It's evident that 2020 has taken struggles have been on the rise 38%), and stress (8.1% to
quite the toll; I see it every day since the beginning of the pan- 81.9%) are reported in the gen-
when speaking to my clients demic—and it's worrying pro- eral population during the
about the anxiety, depression, fessionals everywhere. COVID-19 pandemic in China,
and grief they're experiencing. Spain, Italy, Iran, the US, Tur-
Rightfully so. Our lives are for- In fact, a study published in key, Nepal, and Denmark. Risk
ever impacted, and we've all the Journal of Affective Disor- factors associated with distress
watched, horrified, as job inse- ders and published online in Au- measures include female gender,
curity, housing insecurity, finan- gust 2020 conducted a systemat- younger age group (≤40 years),
cial insecurity, and food insecu- ic search on PubMed, Embase, presence of chronic/psychiatric
rity has become the norm. Our Medline, Web of Science, and illnesses, unemployment, stu-
children's education, social Scopus from inception to May dent status, and frequent expo-
lives, and relationships have 2020. The study also included a sure to social media/news con-
been exponentially altered and manual search on Google Schol- cerning COVID-19 (Xiong,
affected. We have grieved the ar. What they found was inter- 2020).
loss of our loved ones, our sense esting.
of security, and the monotonous The study went on
"normalcy" we once all took for Relatively high rates of symp- to find:
granted. toms of anxiety (6.33% to
50.9%), depression (14.6% to The uncertainties and fears asso-
You may feel alone in what 48.3%), post-traumatic stress ciated with the virus outbreak,
you're feeling, but I promise disorder (7% to 53.8%), psycho- along with mass lockdowns and
you, you're not. Mental health logical distress (34.43% to

8—iPain Living Magazine

economic recession, are predicted help them overcome the debilitat- Panic attacks, anxiety attacks,
to lead to increases in suicide as ing symptoms of depression, anxi- panic disorder, and anxiety are
well as mental disorders associat- ety, and panic disorder? often used interchangeably, but
ed with suicide. For example, important distinctions should be
McIntyre & Lee (2020) have re- First, let's talk about the symp- highlighted.
ported a projected increase in sui- toms typically present when we
cide from 418 to 2114 in Canadi- are struggling with depression, Anxiety is part of the human ex-
an suicide cases associated with anxiety, panic attacks, and panic perience and can be a normal re-
joblessness. The foregoing result disorder. action to stress and even be bene-
(i.e., rising tra jectory of suicide) ficial depending on the situation.
was also reported in the USA, Pa- The Diagnostic and Statistical
kistan, India, France, Germany, Manual of Mental Disorders Typically, anxiety comes on grad-
and Italy. Separate lines of re- (DSM-5) (the standard classifica- ually and intensifies over time.
search have also reported an in- tion of mental disorders used by Anxiety may include symptoms
crease in psychological distress in mental health professionals in the like worry, distress, and fear about
the general population, persons United States) states that typical- a potential danger—real or per-
with pre-existing mental disor- ly, one must be experiencing five ceived. According to the DSM-5,
ders, as well as in healthcare or more symptoms during the there are several types of anxiety
(Xiong, 2020). same 2-week period. Additionally, disorders, including generalized
at least one of the symptoms anxiety disorder, panic disorder,
Often, when we are suffering from should be either (1) depressed specific phobias, agoraphobia,
chronic pain and illness, mental mood or (2) loss of interest or social anxiety disorder, and sepa-
health struggles are comorbid. pleasure. Other symptoms may ration anxiety disorder.
How do I know this? Well, in ad- include diminished interest or
dition to my education and the pleasure in all or almost all, activ- The DSM-5 does not recognize
extensive research available, I ities you once enjoyed, weight the term "anxiety attack." Howev-
have lived it. As a twelve-year gain or loss, increase or decrease er, the DSM-5 defines
chronic pain sufferer, I have strug- in appetite, and fatigue or loss of a panic attack as an abrupt surge
gled with mental health issues like energy. Other symptoms may in- of intense fear or intense discom-
clinical depression, anxiety, and clude feelings of worthlessness or fort that reaches a peak within
grief. It is for this reason, as a pain excessive or inappropriate guilt, minutes and during which time
management coach, I emphasize inability to think or concentrate, four or more of the following
teaching coping strategies for anx- or indecisiveness, a slowing down symptoms occur: palpitations,
iety, depression, and grief—and of thought and a reduction of pounding heart, or accelerated
why I say that my wheelhouse is physical movement, and recurrent heart rate, sweating, trembling or
pain… in all its forms. thoughts of death, suicidal idea- shaking, sensations of shortness of
tion (with or without a specific
So, what do I teach my clients to plan), or a suicide attempt. (Continued on page 54)

International Pain Foundation—9

Tragedy Into
Triumph!

By Danielle Harris-Branch

10—iPain Living Magazine

I am a double cancer survivor had to build him a vascular It is his megaphone to rouse
of uterine and ovarian cancer system to handle the kidney. a deaf world.”― C.S. Lewis.
which dwelled in my body This afforded him 13 years of
simultaneously. I could not wonderful living free of re- I’ve found that pain has a bur-
stop hemorrhaging so I be- straints. ied prize. If we can learn and
came persistent in having a lean on God for understanding
hysterectomy. After extensive Through it all, he never and trust His motives we can
test they only found a fibroid stopped praising God and al- weather any storm.
tumor which qualified me for ways counted God faithful. It
the surgery. It was not until was his belief that there is no 1. We must decide to trust
after my surgery that they excuse, nor pain, or any rea- God and live through it.
opened my organs and found son good enough not to praise
that two of my organs were and worship. Delmar endured 2. Discover new strengths
cancerous. They couldn’t tell affliction well and made suf- and weaknesses. Weak is
me how long I had cancer but fering appear easy. He depart- the new strong. Being
they stayed contained. I was ed this life on January 7, 2019 weak allows God’s strength
healed with no radiation, no at the age of 47 from a mas- to flow through your life.
pills, and no chemo. sive heart attack. His life gave This is also a great time to
many the courage to go heal and confront those are-
My husband suffered 23 ½ through their storm with a as in which you feel bullied
years with medical mayhem to praise. His testimony of faith, by the devil. It is important
include: After 14 years of di- strength and courage has en- to reach out and reach up
alysis, stroke, high blood pres- couraged people near and far. for help
sure, leaking heart, colostomy
bag, countless abdominal sur- When tragedy hits we are in a 3. Design: We have to realign
geries, pancreatitis, peritonitis, fork in the road and what we ourselves with our purpose.
collapsed lung, gout, twisted entertain can lead us into
bowel, brain surgery, gall darkness or a rebirth of fresh 4. Dedicate: Rededicate your
bladder removal, paralysis, opportunities. “Pain insists life to your purpose and the
coma, countless blood transfu- upon being attended to. God will of God. In essence, go
sions and losing his mind, whispers to us in our pleas- back to basics. Repair the
God sent him a kidney donor, ures, speaks in our conscienc- cracks in your belief sys-
his brother-in-law Frank Wil- es, but shouts in our pains. tem and move forward. He
son, Jr. He was so sick they will never put more on you
than you can bare. I Corin-
thians 10:13, Jeremiah

(Continued on page 12)

International Pain Foundation—11

(Continued from page 11) pose. I believe everyone needs a age those who feel lost, hurting,
cheerleader. and looking for a purpose to live
29:1111 For I know the plans with confidence and boldness, as
I have for you,” declares the I have learned that pain produces she helps them re-imagine their
LORD, “plans to prosper you purpose. It’s happening for you lives.
and not to harm you, plans to not against you. In this process I
give you hope and a future. have experienced many mira- This inspirational icon is also
cles. the founder of Global Girls Con-
This is a very important topic nect, executive director of
and evergreen because at one Danielle Harris-Branch, is a R.E.A.C.H. Community Services,
point or another we are either speaker, coach, image promoter, Inc., and owner of Image Pro-
watching someone endure the and author of the forthcoming moters.
effects of a tragedy or personally book, From the Other Side of the
coming out of a tragedy or afraid Bed: Allow Faith to Transform Danielle is an engaging and in-
tragedy will knock on our door. Your Perspective Through Life’s spirational interview for audi-
With over 500,000 deaths we Hardest Blows. Danielle has ences looking and needing en-
need to share hope. lived through events that would couragement, relationship tips,
have destroyed others. She is a purpose, healing, and hope.
It is my belief that everything double cancer survivor and was
has a reason. There is always a simultaneously healed of uterine Instagram:
gift in every traumatic event we and ovarian cancer and has also instagram.com/daniellehbranch/
face or endure. There is a prize survived the battle against Ste-
that only the pressure of pain ven Johnson’s Syndrome, a rare Facebook:
could produce. This is when we condition that only affects every facebook.com/dhbranch
have the option to turn our trage- two in one million people. Dan-
dy to triumph or become para- ielle is also the recent widow of Website: daniellehbranch.com/
lyzed in pain, fear, bitterness, or Delmar Branch, who endured 23
regret. 1/2 years of medical hardships Twitter: twitter .com/Iamglobalgir l
with a smile. Her metamorphosis
I feel I survived to be a life raft developed through life’s painful Linkedin:
of hope for others. I know that blows and the recent death of linkedin.com/in/daniellehbranch/
the right word at the right time her husband.
can provide strength and direc- Youtube:
tion. I know that healing is real. Her humor, transparency, exper- youtube.com/channel/
Seeing others pull through gives tise, and experience in coping UCVKP7MpwcaUVqM_XnQ-cCsA?
me life and reaffirms my pur- with painful experiences encour- view_as=subscriber

Book Site:
FromTheOtherSideOfTheBed.com

12—iPain Living Magazine

International Pain Foundation—13

Who Cares For The Caregiver

By Ken Taylor

One of the hardest lessons I ter for us. Through this journey I Don’t get stuck in the same
learned as a caregiver is when to found the need to focus on my- mindset and overwhelming feel-
let go. Figuring out where the self and caring for me even in ings you experience when the
line was between caregiving and her bad times. It is like when you chronic illness first happened.
making decisions for the patient are on a plane and the flight at-
when they are more than capable tendant tells you to put your oxy- We had to practice and learn
of deciding for themselves. Be- gen mask on first then help oth- new skills. Everything the loved
ing by my wife’s side since ers. one goes through caregivers also
2003, I have seen her go from do in our own way. One tool is
mildly disabled then totally disa- As a caregiver is ok to taking planning and preparing so that
bled, to being in and out of re- care of yourself first or be selfish when you are not physically with
mission. My experience has as some would say. As a care- the patient that they have tools
taught me that she is capable of giver we have to make appoint- around them that will help them
performing daily tasks at varying ments and take time for fun in help themselves. It is their
levels, and I must be observant life or we stop living. I con- choice to use those tools or not.
to her changes. When things are sciously have chosen to go with The point of living and being a
going better for her they are bet- what life brings in each moment. caregiver is to keep living. Be

14—iPain Living Magazine

mindful that as a caregiver your you and cause you physical and ting into a daily routine of
job is not to live their life, but to emotional challenges you must scheduling medication times,
assist them to live their own life. address. See a doctor yourself to using a medication tracker and
rule out any medical condition if using a priority list. What has to
Become a team. Aim to work you’re feeling run down. Take a be done now, what can wait,
together to have the smartest break without guilt. Invite a what you can let go all together.
today so you can have the great- friend or family member to a Don’t worry about the items
est tomorrow. For the patient movie or out to dinner. It makes lower on the priority list. We
living with a chronic illness you me feel better to share what I am use a white board and marker
do not have to let it take your feeling myself. Talking about color system. (Green means
dignity, respect and living away. my emotions, frustrations, and most important, complete soon,
Same concept goes for the care- fears helps me ease feelings of black is get to it as you can, but
giver. Life becomes different isolation and loneliness that can not pressure or stress, and red is
but it is not over. The patient creep in from time to time. once everything else is done, if
has to learn more than ever that you are up to it, these are the
they are responsible for them It sometimes feels overwhelm- things you can do.)
self and their choices. Com- ingly helpless when you have
municate with each other so the tried all you know to help ease Patients typically don’t want to
patient realizes that the caregiv- your loved ones pain and it be a burden, they want to have
er is not your keeper. Caregivers doesn’t seem to help. It helps to assistance when absolutely
can only do so much before they grieve what you have lost to- needed. Be their sympathetic ear
need a break, too. You cannot gether. Let the feelings out in but don’t live their life for them,
let others fault you as a caregiv- constructive ways. Holding in it is okay to live your life and
er, but also be careful not to put the stress and depression takes a help them with what you are
guilt on others who you wish for toll on your immune system and able to, as you are able. They
assistance from. Everyone is you will have to learn to listen need more help than you can
different and handles the stress to your body. If you as the care- give, but they can also help
of chronic illness differently. giver is feeling sick or run down themselves more than you tend
Learning this and keeping it in all the time work on your diet, to believe. Being a caregiver
mind has helped us in planning sleeping habits, and regular den- may be the hardest job you ever
our day to day and future life. tal, eye and medical checkups. face but taking time to adjust,
set expectations, and figuring
You can become depress and When it comes to the patient, out when to let your loved one
anxiety filled yourself not accept that it is ok that you can’t shine and make their own choice
knowing the future of your get their pain down to a full time is going to help you be a better
loved ones health. As I said 0 pain level. Set the expectation caregiver.
above, I have to take care of without raising the bar so high it
myself. Stress can take a toll on can never be met. Work on get- International Pain Foundation—15

By M. Mays

Imagery is something that has doesn't differentiate between ly on the problem(s) themselves
proven itself helpful on my jour- viewing this on a screen as op- but our reaction.
ney while managing the implica- posed to physically experiencing
tions of intractable, on-going, it, because ultimately those are A friend recently shared their sto-
relentless, never ending pain. two in the same as far as our cells ry then had "let down" pain after-
understand. These responses are wards — consequences from en-
Sometimes when breathing, I designated to have assisted with gaging in anything, really but this
imagine inhaling/exhaling colors situations of survival — fight or likely occurred because in their
or designs such as lightning bolts flight IS a natural response mind while proclaiming their
which of course symbolize what though ISN'T naturally tapped truth. It had an impact thus took a
it can and very often does feel out of and if we're not careful, it toll on the body.
like but is also meaningful for a easily can become the lens we
diversion, aiding with a check in internalize life through. This is not the same as simply
to the system then choosing to suggesting "it's all in our heads"
devote attention /energy else- Although it's true that imagery in although thoughts do possess
where. itself doesn't fix, cure or even more power than they're given
necessarily help a high pain situ- credit for.
Taking ourselves to a different ation at times — it's at the very
place in our minds can be very least a distraction and an oppor- Think of them as the fuel that
powerful. When watching a tunity to focus pent up energy assists your vessel in running
scary movie for example: the toward something meaningful by smoothly and much like other
body tenses in such a way it consciously zeroing in, not exact- vehicles, maintenance is re-

16—iPain Living Magazine

quired for upkeep- in this in- the fact we all go through hending what it’s like to be
stance, that's the ongoing rough patches at some point or us, that means it’s our respon-
check ins we're able to provide another and caring about sibility to proceed accordingly
ourselves at any point! whichever ‘season’ our fellow with what is best individual-
humans might be venturing ly. Something I’ve learned is
When the inner climate gets through is imperative. that each temperament does
rough, the place my mind of- exist in me at the same time, I
ten goes for comfort is in rela- There’s a saying I like very can recognize and
tion to weather. Admiring sur- much that states “they tried to acknowledge them all without
roundings, taking a moment to bury us but didn’t know we are getting caught up in the storm.
fully immerse myself in the seeds”- this is how I feel in
sun, breathe in fresh air, appre- relation to my chronic health About the Author—M. Mays is
ciate transitions and the differ- conditions- I’m tested each a columnist for the Pain News
ences they offer. Nature is al- and every day as to how badly Network, creator of Peace-
ways changing, as are we and I want to live and how serious Love Support group, Owner of
the experiences we're endur- I am about putting in the work Keepin Our Heads Up and a
ing. that makes these moments on mental health practitioner at
earth even the slightest bit Be Well Community Collec-
Trees stand tall regardless of bearable, let me tell ya, it tive. Ms Mays serves on the
how strongly the wind may takes everything I have. As I iPain Summit 2021 committee,
sway them — due to their un- see it, we all have a * garden * is a multi-year iPain Hero of
shakable foundation and af- to tend to which is our lives / Hope Finalist and past pre-
firmedness as to who/ what the quality of them. senter for the International
they are, they withstand chaot- Pain Foundation.
ic turmoil while even still re- We know it takes work to
peatedly going completely bare weed things tout hat don’t be- Columnist:
and beginning anew — that’s long. Fruit does not produce painnewsnetwork.org/staff
what each seasonal change rep- itself overnight, even the most
resents and in many ways, beautiful flowers wither away Creator:
those same representations are and the soil is to only ever be peace-love.life
true for us as well. Some days as healthy/ prosperous as the
in our lives there is to be light effort that’s invested. Founder:
that shines brightly. Other days keepinourheadsup.com
there is seemingly no light to The exact same can be said for
be found. what’s going on inside and Practitioner:
given that no one else has the bewellcommunitycollective.com/
It would suit us to normalize capability of fully compre-
member-directory

International Pain Foundation—17

UNITY

How Could That Happen To Someone Like You?

By Jesus Guillen , The COVID19 times, Long-term HIV Survivor

Close your eyes and let me take stance that is equal to emptiness still happen to anyone. Yet, when a
you for a moment to the ocean. but fills up your lungs. Breathing person becomes very ill, or in dan-
above, without being conscious of ger of dying, like from cancer, or
Yes, I know this is not the first the movement of your wings, along our journey of HIV, or in a
time you have done this, and that you're flying higher and higher. horrible accident, we always hear
you don't like this hippy thing. But the echoing of, "how could that
just make me happy for a moment, Look down and the ocean seems to happen to someone like you?"
and follow me. Hear the waves, see be getting farther and farther away;
the foam, hear the drops falling, look up and you seem to have no This is part of life, just like breath-
over and over, and then breathe. limits. Just a few minutes ago, you ing in and out. We might want to
Take a good gulp of air and sub- were a whole different entity, were be separated, feel separate, or be
merge yourself slowly under the you? And now you're moving and completely autonomous, but with
surface of chaos. Slowly, deeper, feeling with a completely new set every breath, we're taking in the air
deeper, slowly. of sensations. Cells and microcells that someone else breathed
vibrate with a heart drumming nev- out. Yes, every thought, decision,
Look up and see the light, look er heard before. The ocean and the action, and reaction, and every
down and see the darkness. In an air might seem to be totally differ- movement we do, also allow us to
imagined moment you know there ent dimensions, but there is never a become the rock beneath our feet,
is an incredible abyss under your total border of separation. the flower, the clouds, the rain, the
feet, unknown places where the mountains, and yes, you and I.
weather's pressure transforms each What we don't see, or we don't
creature into a very different being, seem to think about, is that the There are moments in our lives
alien to our senses. world that exists is interconnected, when we become more conscious
that world of light, shadows and of our individuality, or feel like
Look up again, and now allow darkness that is always there, that nobody understands us, or like we
yourself to float, as though you gives life to all places. It is a magi- don't belong at all. But as the
were a dragonfly, and after living cal bridge that exists between each ocean and the air, we are there for
for a long time under the h2o uni- perception of our brains, and no each other, we are each other, a lot
verse, emerging, simply extend doubt between each human being more than we think.
your wings and fly above it. as well. We may think we are as
different as the ocean and the air, Ocean waves, the breeze, waterfall,
Let's not make it complicated by but we all have that invisible per- water drop, a storm, a hurricane, a
writing down how amazing this is, manent bridge that connects us. simple breathing in and out,
the wonder of these steps. Don't breathing in and out. It is unity, our
worry, the sun and the wind will Health issues are residents of the unity, and the part of yourself that
help you adjust, and now, you are freeway in between these univers- is also forever me.
breathing air, that magical sub- es. No matter how good or bad you
may have been, a simple cold can We Might Not Be As Different As
You Think.

18—iPain Living Magazine





A Look At Pharmacogenomics
By iPain Staff

Would you like to know how you Benefits of Most comprehensive PGx test
are going to respond to a medica- Pharmacogenomics with the highest degree of
tion prior to taking it? No longer include: clinical evidence.
would you have to go through
side effects or adverse drug reac- 10%–20% of hospital inpa- National Institute of Health
tions. tients will have at least one (NIH) – PGx testing could
ADR. save $3,962 per year, ON
Pharmacogenomics - DNA Test- EACH PATIENT with depres-
ing can tell you just what you ADR is the 4th leading cause sion, sparing them from
need to know. It predicts the op- of death and 65-70% could be months or even years of frus-
timal medication and dosage for prevented. tration from taking non-
YOU and your healthcare pro- therapeutic treatments.
viders based on your genetics. Allergic reactions make up 5-
10% of ADR – the rest are Our Best-in-class Lab tests 62
Pharmacogenomics (PGx) com- genetic mutations. genes & scans over 200 vari-
bines the study of genetics with ants.
the science of drug delivery. PGx Annually some 125,000 peo-
testing can help predict how a ple unnecessarily die from Over 300 medications are
patient may respond to drug ther- ADR. known to cause ADR due to
apy based on their DNA. A sim- genetic factors.
ple 30-second cheek swab can Dramatically reduce your risk
help your physician select medi- of experiencing an Adverse PGx Reduces hospital visits
cations that work for you, based Drug Reaction. by 1/3 for seniors taking more
on your own genetic make-up. than one med.
Eliminates “Trial and Error”
The same drug and dosage that frustration from non- Predicts drug interactions with
helps you, may not be effective therapeutic prescriptions. recommendations for alterna-
for me, and may send a third per- tives.
son to the hospital. This is called Every year 2 million people in
an Adverse Drug Reaction the U.S. are hospitalized due The FDA reports that the an-
(ADR), and there is an easy way to ADR. nual cost of ADR exceeds
for you to avoid it! $136 billion.
Many Health Insurers & Med-
icare cover the costs 100% For more info on
(No HMO’s). pharmacogenomics testing,
please visit mygeneticmeds.com.

International Pain Foundation—21

Cie Allman-Scott, Ph.D. is Video, Saturday Night Live, an excellent writer;
a seasoned show host and Me- and also performed stand-up come- advertising clients were
dia Psychologist who successfully dy at The Improv in L. A. Cie un- also pleased with her ability
evolved to both sides of the camera derstands the value of a comedic to research and execute mean-
through years of modeling and act- edge. She's used humor divinely in ingful scripts. As a long-time own-
ing. A published author of both #1 hundreds of celebrity interviews er of a production company, she
best-selling books and audio for FOX, ABC, CBS, and UPN produced commercials for large,
books, Dr. Scott is also the writer television. worldwide companies such as
of TV commercials, infomercials, LifeFitness, Toto, and Stevia. She
episodic and "how to" daytime TV Feeling creatively incomplete read- has created and produced martial
programs, music videos, and trans- ing lines for recurring roles on arts and exercise videos, as well as
formative self-help tools. General Hospital, Baywatch, and TV pilots, such as the Most Beauti-
many other episodic shows, her ful Women in the World, with Tip-
Dr. Cie has over twenty years of self-expression took over and she pi Hedron and Gena Lee Nolan.
full time experience as an actress, created Infinite Power, a daytime Beauty and Truth, a TV show cre-
TV host and narrator, with hun- TV show that she grew from 3 ated, directed and hosted by Dr.
dreds of voiceovers. Having an ex- markets to 186 on major networks. Cie is in its second season, touting
ecutive hand in launching three TV Executive producing her show af- celebrity secrets of success and
networks, including ClearCom TV forded her the opportunity to learn segments on health, fitness, fash-
with over 100 digital apps world- most TV production jobs and suc- ion, winning mindset and longevi-
wide and long ago specializing in cessfully syndicate her own show. ty. She is currently directing the
Direct Response TV advertising, Focused on her tasks, she became first season of a retro TV show
she uses her Ph.D. and psychology with the original casts of well-
know-how to influence and inspire known and loved sit-coms like
television viewers. With experi- Happy Days, and rock bands such
ence as a powerful teacher, Cie's as Kiss. She has also almost com-
career in modeling, acting, and pleted two documentaries to be fin-
hosting has afforded her a unique ished and aired in 2021, one featur-
education, which includes improvi- ing the life of acting legend Mick-
sation and comedy. She has played ey Rooney. That show features in-
prankster parts on Totally Hidden

22—iPain Living Magazine

International Pain Foundation—23

(Continued from page 22) As an actress, TV host and produc- wishes, as well as mind and spirit.
er, "Dr. Cie" earned 8 Tellys, 2 Vi- Over 15 years ago I created a pro-
terviews with Carl Reiner, Connie sion Awards, and 2 Emmy nomina- cess in which people could easily
Stevens and Mel Brooks. tions for production and hosting. commit, stand firm, and implement
We sat down with Dr. Cie to learn a decision that they would never
Above all, Dr. Cie’s purpose and more about how to create a life- regret, even if later it turns out to
expertise is to continue as a body, altering “BLISScipline” and a bet- be wrong.
mind and spirit expert. She is ter, healthier life.
known around the world having When they make a decision, my
lectured on 6 continents; she illus- IPain: How impor tant ar e our readers are committed to that deci-
trates optimal brain performance life's choices? sion. They will never waver or
and its influences on the body, lon- waffle on it. It is a process that cre-
gevity and quality of life. Dr. Cie Dr. Cie: Hi Bar by and thank you ates so much certainty that the user
also cherry picks TV and film pro- so much for inviting me. Your Life will not change their mind and
jects, writes inspiring self-help equals the sum of your decisions, whatever comes of that decision is
books, blogs and magazine col- so they are perhaps the most im- going to be a step in the right direc-
umns, and is a voting member of portant thing you do. Your direc- tion for that person. The decision
the Academy of Television Arts tion in life as well as your success will move the person to exactly
and Sciences that produces the is a product of your individual de- who they are and what they want. It
Prime-time Emmys. She is also a cisions. might not be exactly what they
member of both SAG and AFTRA. think they are going to get; it could
She currently splits her time travel- IPain: In your new book, Decide be better and more aligned with the
ing and lecturing, also producing Your Future; Write, Direct and Star user in a way they hadn’t realized.
and appearing on television. In Your Life, you spotlight the pro- This process is very strongly need-
cess of making decisions, building ed, especially in the world today
confidence and assuring success. because people have a hard time
Did you create this seven step pro- making decisions, so if they make
cess of decision making based on one reluctantly or indecisively,
your personal experience in life, or they don't stick with it. Often their
on your education as a psycholo- decision isn't grounded in commit-
gist, or is there a combination of ment.
both?
IPain: Do you think that is some-
Dr. Cie: Good question, honestly. thing that has to do with societal
I took into account all the factors pressures or is that the individual
that I could think of, from ones in- person? Do you think that how you
ternal blueprint, critical thinking are taught to make decisions as you
skills, intuition, personal goals, are growing up plays a factor?

24—iPain Living Magazine

Dr. Cie: Yes, I definitely do. your mind, eventually you are go- in psychology. Certainly, knowing
Whether your parents are showing ing to have different irritating is- what hasn't served me in the past
you principals for life or not, mat- sues. If you live for the spirit and and using my seven step process
ters. Certainly, upbringing matters. you are not interested in anything on those life experiences helped. I
I certainly think how you grow up physical in this world, then be a wondered if perhaps others would
is a factor. If you did not have a monk on a mountaintop because have the same problem, and I
strong upbringing, if you did not society has no good place for you. found out, yes, we all struggle with
have parents that could show you I know if you work all three to- making decisions. Reasons that
how to be successful, then the gether they become a firm founda- cause you to make decisions can
book's process overrides your in- tion. You will be strong enough to certainly be the source of future
nate norms. However initially un- withstand the issues that life problems. Knowing this, I could
comfortable, it can open up a clear throws at you. No one is exempt recognize cognitive biases. Cogni-
path that you otherwise might not from such issues, it's how they are tive biases are the little justifica-
see. handled that reveals the winners. tions that we act upon that cause us
to make poor decisions and vali-
IPain: Mind, Body, Spir it. How iPain: Did your own fitness and date bad strategies. Everybody is
important is it to have all three of modeling lead to your doctorate in capable of making a clear decision;
those areas doing well in your life? psychology and how did you come everybody. If you can start to rec-
to giving health advice through ognize what you have done right
Dr. Cie: Ther e is a quote about your media projects? and done wrong, that is the begin-
this in my book. It’s true that you ning. If someone can ask you the
cannot live for the mind only be- Dr. Cie: By that time, I had right question so that you are
cause you will be plagued with enough fame on television and I forced to face it you can attend to
your body eventually. It will be an was freely giving advice anyway. I all the many factors and obstacles
unwelcome distraction that inter- wanted to do more research for my in your life. Then you will make
feres with every area of your life. followers. I wanted to offer a the best decisions for you; they
If you do not care for your body, stronger and more scientific posi- may not always turn out to be
your spirit and your mind are also tion. I wanted to give more. I want- right, but they will be the best deci-
ultimately impaired. If you care for ed to make sure that I go through a sions at the time.
your body, but you do not care for proven process of critical thinking
and part of that was getting a Ph.D. (Continued on page 26)

International Pain Foundation—25

(Continued from page 25) occasion? I think it's both. He prob- many times in life. Wise people
ably believes more in the latter. strive for this, as uncomfortable as it
Ipain: You have at times become is. Spiritual practices can be uncom-
a caregiver for your husband. He is IPain: Do you have any health fortable to start, but practicing
going through some health issues challenges of your own? yields results. It’s extremely diffi-
now, but he also has some great life cult to affirm aloud your perfect
accomplishments of his own. Can Dr. Cie: Pr obably not as much as health when you feel terrible, but
you share a little bit about his life most. I have allergies; nobody has that is exactly when you can benefit
successes? ever been able to do anything about the most! Like everyone, I have
it. I can take something rather be- done some stupid things, you know,
Dr. Cie: Well, I pr obably would nign for it, which is an advantage. I to injure myself. Once I was at a
not characterize myself as his care- have done regenerative medicine for fitness expo where I was signing
giver as much as I would character- my knee. You know, I probably autographs. A company that made
ize myself as his rock. He has had need to do it one more time. I only punching bags asked me to come
incredible uncertainty with his got one vial in my knee, and it has over to their booth and look at their
health! For me, he is my hero. He is improved a lot, but I think I need product with my other executive
a genius and an inspiration to me. another treatment. I used to have a producer. We went over and he
He is now a retired General and heart murmur. My internist in Bev- asked me to try out the bag. I was
Vascular surgeon at 54 due to his erly Hills diagnosed it in my 20’s. I wearing high-heeled boots and fit-
numerous health issues. The way remember not being upset about it. I ness clothes. I started pushing and
our relationship works is magnifi- asked him, if it ever goes away in kicking this bag and I did a jump-
cent. We never have a breakdown at people without surgery. He said, “I ing, spinning kick with heels on. I
the same time. When I am going suppose it could”. I said, “Great, hit the bag and the bag did not give.
through something, he is there for then that will be me. I will do it.” I went straight down and landed on
me, and when he is going through About 3-4 years later, I was doing a my arm and it hurt so bad I could
something, I’m the strong one for stress test in his office and he tell that I was going to pass out. All
him. This luxury that allows us to thought the stress test was wrong. of a sudden, I began to see stars as I
do that for each other is almost in- He made the nurses redo the whole was just going into shock. Before I
explicable. We both have hard procedure and then he said, “You became unconscious, I remember
knocks. I don't know if that is God know what happened?” And I said, getting up and the man that owns
or if we just collectively rise to the “Yeah, my heart murmur is gone.” the company said, “Would you like
He said, “How do you know that?”
I replied, “I told you that was going
to happen. Do you remember?”
Slightly dazed, he said, “Oh, yes! I
DO, I remember.” I believe that my
visualization exercises, affirmations
and positive thinking have saved me

26—iPain Living Magazine

to sit down? Would you like a glass made a bad mistake, and I would on-one patients. I know they clearly
of water?” I knew it was only going never make it again. I just said, help my husband and me, too!
to be seconds before I was out and I “The show must go on. You “get
said, “Yes, I would”. I sat down and to” deal with the consequences, not iPain: You have a bucket list and
said, I am sure I will be OK and I “you have to”. You “get to” be fab- you've been working on accom-
closed my eyes. I don't know how ulous for the rest of the day. You plishing the items on it. How have
long my eyes were closed, but I “get to” go take care of your friend, you continued to accomplish some
knew I was in shock and out of con- who you love dearly. You “get to”. of the items, even with the challeng-
trol for a time, then I just kind of Then get your arm treated last, you es that you face in with the pandem-
pulled myself out of it and every- “get to” take care of that last. So ic and other world activities going
thing kind of went okay after that. that is somewhat how I see it, I see on? How do you continue to push
The truth is I had broken my arm, this as I “get to” rather than have to. yourself to complete those goals?
and I stayed at the event. I stayed If it happened again, I would do ex-
there all day and worked without actly the same thing. My father used Dr. Cie: Well, the fir st thing I can
complaining. At the end of the day I to say when I was a kid, “Quitters think of is right now. In two weeks I
learned that one of my friends who never win” and “take your lumps.” am going to the Galapagos Islands. I
was also an assistant director on my Always be a winner, never be a love to see the world! You know, it
TV show, was in Cedar Sinai Hos- quitter. Take your lumps means that is one of a few places I have not
pital with a blood clot. I left the if you caused it, you own it, and you been that is on my bucket list. For
event at five o'clock. I got to the fix it. You've got to take responsi- me, travel is learning more about
hospital at six to see him and his bility. humanity while I also experience
visiting hours were over at eight. I the beauty of our world. Travel is an
stayed until eight o'clock. I then iPain: Can you tell me a little bit education in itself. I learn about hu-
went to their Emergency Room to about your therapy dogs and how man needs which allow me to help
have my arm X- rayed and they put they help you and others through other people to help themselves by
a cast on it. I made a bad decision life's challenges? creating tools for people. Anyone
doing a jumping, spinning kick in can use my self-help tools any-
high heels on a product that I did Dr. Cie: Yes. They ar e tr ained where! They simply need an outline
not know. I took a chance and I re- and certified therapy dogs. They are and a place to start. Seeing the
ally hurt myself. I think when I was beautiful and really well behaved,
in that situation, I realized that I had and they bring great joy. Pre- (Continued on page 28)
pandemic they would go to hospi-
tals and patients spent time petting
and interacting with them. We
would go and cheer up patients in
hospitals and things like that. I have
just always trained my dogs to do
this. They are also a comfort to one-

International Pain Foundation—27

(Continued from page 27) Dr. Cie: It consists in par t of spir - It reduces your chance of dementia
itual practices, having empowering by 50%!
world allows me to be “in touch”. relationships, and taking care of
For my own entertainment my hob- your body, mind, spirit and finances. iPain: What ar e your final
by and associated bucket list is trav- Because when we do not feel good, thoughts for our readers?
el. My husband and I enjoy scuba we don’t want to accomplish any-
diving and safaris. I have managed thing or help anyone. As you strive Dr. Cie: Do what you love because
to do lectures all around the world towards achieving your goals, it life is short. Remember, suffering is
for the last 20 years. Sample topics takes discipline. You need not pur- optional. The reason I say this is not
are brain optimization, memory, and sue your goals with grim determina- to contradict or minimize people
care of the brain. I could be away, tion or use fear to motivate you. In- who have pain. I care, and I empa-
speaking all the time, but instead I stead, there is a joyous energy be- thize. I tell everyone that things can
cherry pick lecturing opportunities. I hind everything you do; this is time- be re-framed. If you take your prob-
also want to be home with my hus- less awareness, it is being in the lem, whatever it is, and you re-frame
band and dogs, and of course, I want “FLOW”. I promise I will share it in your mind, then you can have a
to create television. I juggle my op- more about flow as I write occasion- different experience from it; this is
portunities and that which is within al columns for iPain. It’s great to true mentally, physically and spiritu-
my heart that I want to create. I’m flow in a way that you forget time ally. I have countless suggestions in
blessed to help my community. I because you are thrilled with every- my book, but something easy you
have received many awards by help- thing you are doing! Typical people can do every day is to confidently
ing my community. We need to re- need to feel enough strength to get and loudly speak my favorite affir-
charge ourselves on a regular basis the day going. If you have a disci- mation for yourself with conviction-
because our own batteries get low pline, if you have a plan to pull “I am divinely guided, directed and
and then our attitude suffers; then yourself up every day and if your protected”. Speak it. Believe it.
we don't follow through on our attitude is good and you’re feeling Make it so! Namaste!
goals. well, you will be able to handle the
things you want to do. Whether it is Find more on Dr. Cie at:
iPain: You have been shar ing your for your work, your purpose, your Website: www.doctor cie.com
plan of “BLISScipline” for more family, your pet, or whatever, I think
than 25 years. Can you explain it a discipline is an important part of ex- LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/cie
little for our readers? ercise. Either you are exercising to
get endorphins, or it is just a part of Personal Website:
your discipline. It could include do- FastTherapy.com
ing your affirmations and telling
yourself that you are strong enough Twitter twitter .com/dr cie
to do your workout, even if it is only
a walk. For people over 50, it is im- Company Website:
portant to walk at least a mile a day. InfinitePowerTV.com

28—iPain Living Magazine

International Pain Foundation—29

Patient Spotlight:

Triathlete, Olivia Christmann

By: Megan Roche

For Team USA Triathlete Oliv- “I was in pretty rough shape. that because of her accident
ia Christmann, her dreams and Things were getting better very and chronic pain diagnosis that
goals of representing the USA slowly, where I could go on her dream was taken away.
almost never happened. some walks, but around two or
three weeks later, the pain “I was pretty stubborn and kept
While training for a 2015 started getting worse. I could- telling myself ‘I’ll get across
world championship level tri- n’t walk as well as I had been, that finish line, whatever it
athlon, Olivia and her team I had to start using crutches to takes.’ Because things were
were out on a serious bike ride. get around, so where some getting worse, after a certain
While riding along at 27 miles things had started to get better, point, my coach broke the
per hour, Olivia’s front tire I noticed that other things got news to me that there was no
clipped the rear tire of a team- progressively worse,” Christ- way I could race. It was obvi-
mate. Her coach’s front tire mann shared. ous; I was still on crutches, I
clipped her rear tire and she had open wounds so I couldn’t
flew off her bike and into the Still in pain, doctors put her swim. A week before the race,
middle of a busy road. through hundreds of tests and I admitted to myself that it was
MRI’s. After all those doctors’ something that just wouldn’t
After arriving at the local visits, Christmann was given a be possible,” Christmann re-
emergency room, Christmann Cortisone shot in her hip to see called.
was diagnosed with a broken if that would help. After it did-
nose, a torn Gluteus Medius, n’t, her doctors finally broke What started out with physical
and had strained everything in the news; Christmann was di- and occupational therapy,
her left hip. As she started the agnosed with CRPS. As debili- Christmann was still not get-
recovery process from her ac- tating as the pain was, Christ- ting any better. The days were
cident, Christmann could tell mann did all she could to find tough for her early on. After
that something still wasn’t her way back to her bike again. finding a chronic pain manage-
quite right with her. Still determined to race in the ment program at a children’s
world championships in 2015, hospital, Christmann slowly
Christmann ultimately realized started to feel like herself

30—iPain Living Magazine

again. She credits the pain grateful for, even if they are four years. Being able to walk
management program with small. With the mind and heart out with Team USA for the
giving her the successful tools of a champion, Christmann Parade of Nations, that’s when
to manage her CRPS, but also battles each day through every it finally hit me that I did it. I
manage life in general. pain flare up with a smile on saw my parents and I was just
her face. bawling into their arms. It was
“Being in an inpatient hospital such a surreal experience, after
was quite an experience, I was “When you are in pain, you everything I had been through,
in there for four weeks. I had have to keep moving through but I did it,” Christmann re-
to completely buy into my it and you have to keep push- called.
own dreams and hopes of rac- ing through it. For me, when
ing at the top level again. A lot I’ve had flare ups, I’ve pushed Christmann will represent
of what this journey has taught myself to do even more than Team USA later this year
me is to never settle. I knew I’m capable of. I’ve learned to when she races in Edmonton,
from day one that I was not take things one day at a time Alberta, Canada and Bermuda
going to be okay with living and take things as they come as a triathlete. Swimming, bik-
like this for the rest of my life. and make small, attainable ing, and running, Christmann
I had a team of people around goals everyday,” Christmann continues her journey with a
me who bought into the goal shared. better understanding of her-
of getting me back out on the self, partly credited to her
racecourse. I never took nega- Even through it all, Christ- journey thus far with CRPS.
tivity as an answer and I found mann never gave up on her
a team of people who support- dream; to compete as a mem- “Don’t ever give up on your-
ed me with that goal,” Christ- ber of Team USA at the World self and your dreams. You are
mann said. Championships in her age di- the only one who knows what
vision (20-24). In 2019, just your body feels like and what
According to Christmann, four years after her accident, is important to you. After my
throughout her accident recov- Olivia capitalized on her goals diagnosis, I decided that it
ery and her journey of remis- and represented Team USA in wouldn’t define me for the rest
sion, it was just as much a Switzerland at the world of my life and I haven’t let it
mental recovery as it is a phys- championships. stop me yet.”
ical one. Christmann wakes up “Being able to finally race at
every morning and writes worlds was something I
down the three things she is thought about every day for

International Pain Foundation—31





Key Differences Between
Medicare Advantage and
Medicare Supplement Plans

By Healthline

Choosing health insurance is a What is Medicare What is Medicare
crucial decision for your health Advantage? Supplement?
and future. Fortunately, when it
comes to choosing Medicare, Medicare Advantage plans are Medicare Supplement or
you’ve got options. private insurance options for Medigap, is a different set of
Medicare coverage. These plans plans that help cover out-of-
Medicare Advantage (Part C) and cover what original Medicare pocket costs and things not other-
Medicare Supplement (Medigap) does, including: wise covered in your original
are additional plans that pair with Medicare plan, like copayments
your original Medicare (parts A hospitalization and coinsurance.
and B). They may offer you the medical
customization you need to meet prescription drugs As of Jan. 1, 2020, newly pur-
your individual healthcare needs. chased Medigap plans don’t cover
Depending on which Advantage Part B deductibles. You can pur-
Both plans are designed to offer Plan you choose, your plan may chase Medigap in addition to your
coverage that other parts of Medi- also cover: other original Medicare coverage
care may not. However, you may (parts A, B, or D).
not purchase both Medicare Ad- dental
vantage and Medigap. vision Medicare.gov has a tool to help
hearing you find a Medigap plan that
If you want additional Medicare gym memberships meets your needs.
coverage, you must choose either transportation to medical ap-
Medicare Advantage or Medigap. pointments Healthline Resources

If that sounds a little confusing, Medicare.gov has a tool to help Managing your health starts with
don’t worry. We’ll explain more you find a Medicare Advantage the right Medicare Advantage
below. Plan that meets your needs. Plan

32—iPain Living Magazine

Medicare Essentials gives you the emergency coverage within Eligibility for Medicare Sup-
resources you need to make in- 60 days of your international plement coverage:
formed health choices. We pro- trip You’re eligible for Medigap
vide personalized recommenda- Spousal coverage— if you’re enrolled in Medi-
tions based on the plan features in Individuals must have their care parts A and B.
your area that matter to you the own policyIndividuals must You’re not already enrolled
most. have their own policy in Medicare Advantage.
When to purchase—During You meet your state’s re-
Comparing Plans open enrollment, or your ini- quirements for Medigap cov-
tial enrollment in parts A and erage.
To help you compare, here are B (3 months before and after Costs of Advantage plans vs.
both plans side by side: 65th birthday Medigap
During open enrollment, or You can purchase Medicare
Medicare Advantage your initial enrollment in Advantage, or Medicare Part
parts A and B (3 months be- C, through an approved pri-
Part C—Medicare Supple- fore and after 65th birthday) vate provider as a part of
ment coverage (Medigap) your Medicare coverage. The
Costs varies by plan provider Are You Eligible? costs of each plan are deter-
Varies by age and plan pro- mined differently. Read on
vider There are several requirements for an explanation of how the
Eligibility age 65 or older, you must meet to be eligible for premiums and fees are deter-
enrolled in parts A and B Medicare Advantage or Medigap mined.
plans. Here’s how to tell if
Age varies by state, en- you’re eligible for Medicare Ad- Medicare Advantage
rolled in parts A and B vantage or Medicare Supple- Cost
Specific coverage, every- ment:
thing covered by parts A, B Much like any other insurance
(sometimes D) and some ad- Eligibility for Medicare Ad- plan, Medicare advantage premi-
ditional benefits for hearing, vantage: ums vary across the board de-
vision, and dental; offerings pending on the provider you
vary by provider You’re eligible for Part C if choose to enroll with and the
Costs like copayments and you’re enrolled in parts A plan you choose.
coinsurance; doesn’t cover and B. Some plans don’t have a month-
dental, vision, or hearing You’re eligible for Medicare ly premium; some charge several
Worldwide coverage — You Part A and B if you’re 65 or
must be within your plan’s older, have disabilities, or (Continued on page 36)
coverage area. Plans for have end stage renal disease.

iPain Living Magazine — 33

(Continued from page 35) Medicare Advantage is a good Again, each insurance plan var-
fit for you if: ies in price based on your eligi-
hundred dollars. But it’s unlike- bility and the type of coverage
ly you’ll pay more for your Part You already have parts A, B, you want.
C than you do for Part B. and D.
You have an approved pro- With Medicare Supplement
Additionally, costs like copays vider you already like, and plans, the more coverage you
and deductibles will also vary you know they accept Medi- want, the higher the cost. Addi-
by plan. Your best bet when de- care and Medicare Ad- tionally, the older you are when
termining potential costs for vantage plans. you enroll, the higher a premium
your Medicare Advantage plan You want additional covered you may have.
is to carefully compare plans benefits, like hearing, vision,
while you shop. and dental. Use the Medicare.gov tool to
You’d rather manage one help compare Medicare Supple-
Use the Medicare.gov tool to plan for all of your insurance ment rates.
help compare Medicare Ad- needs.
vantage plans and costs. Factors that may affect the cost
Medicare Advantage isn’t a of your Medigap coverage in-
Other factors that may affect the good fit for you if: clude:
cost of Medicare Advantage
plans include: You travel extensively or your age (the older you are
plan to while on Medicare. when you apply, the more
which Advantage plan you (You must live within your you may pay)
choose plan’s coverage area, except the plan you choose
how often you want access for emergencies.) if you qualify for a discount
to medical services You want to keep the same (nonsmoker, female, paying
where you receive your med- provider each year. (The re- electronically, etc.)
ical care (in network or out quirements for approved your deductible (a higher
of network) providers change annually.) deductible plan may cost
your income (this may be You want to keep the same less)
used to determine your pre- rate. (Rates change annual- when you purchased your
mium, deductible, and co- ly.) plan (rules can change, and
pays amount) You’re concerned about pay- an older plan may cost less)
if you have financial assis- ing for extra coverage you
tance like Medicaid or disa- won’t use. Medicare Supplement coverage
bility Medicare Supplement cost may be a good fit for you if:

34—iPain Living Magazine

You prefer to choose the Here are some tips for helping Medigap helps pay out-of-
amount of coverage for out-of your loved one enroll in Medi- pocket costs like copays and
-pocket expenses you’re pur- care: coinsurance.
chasing. You can’t purchase both, so
You need help covering out- Discuss what their healthcare it’s important to know your
of-pocket expenses. and coverage needs are. needs and choose the option
You already have the cover- Decide on an affordable and that best meets them.
age you need for vision, den- realistic budget for insurance.
tal, or hearing. Prepare your information and The information on this website
You plan on traveling outside your loved one’s information may assist you in making person-
of the United States and want for Social Security. They may al decisions about insurance, but
to be prepared. need to know who you are it is not intended to provide ad-
and your relationship to the vice regarding the purchase or
Medicare Supplement coverage person you’re helping enroll. use of any insurance or insurance
may not be a good fit for you if: products. Healthline Media does
You already have a Medicare Ad- Talk with your loved one about not transact the business of insur-
vantage plan. (It’s illegal for a whether they’ll need additional ance in any manner and is not
company to sell you Medigap coverage like Part C or Medigap. licensed as an insurance company
when you already have Medicare or producer in any U.S. jurisdic-
Advantage.) While you can help your loved tion. Healthline Media does not
one evaluate plans and under- recommend or endorse any third
You want coverage for extended stand their choices, you may not parties that may transact the busi-
long-term or hospice care. You enroll another person in Medicare ness of insurance.
don’t use much healthcare and unless you have a durable power
don’t usually meet your annual of attorney for that individual. Healthline— The information on the
deductible. This is a legal document that Healthline website healthline.com
gives you permission to make may assist you in making personal
Helping Someone decisions on behalf of another decisions about insurance, but it is
Enroll? person. not intended to provide advice re-
garding the purchase or use of any
Enrolling in Medicare can be The Takeaway insurance or insurance products.
confusing. If you’re helping a Healthline Media does not transact
friend or family member enroll, Medicare coverage offers a the business of insurance in any
there are a few things you can do variety of plan options. manner and is not licensed as an
to make the process easier. Medicare Advantage covers insurance company or producer in
your part A, B, and often D any U.S. jurisdiction.
plans and more.

International Pain Foundation—35

Violation Of A Nation Report
The Chronic Illness
Advocacy & Aware- Restricting access is not just a The report exposed the National
ness Group, Inc. problem for the individual; it neg- Pain Strategy's role in the creation
atively impacts the nation’s public of the CDC Opioid Prescribing

(CIAAG) is a nation- and economic health, resulting in Guidelines and subsequent denial

al non-profit organization that previously functioning members of care for millions of pain suffer-

promotes both a common-sense, of society being forced into unem- ers.

compassionate and research-based ployment and disability in re-

approach to palliative care along sponse to the relentless, inhumane Their team met with senatorial

with the responsible prescribing and debilitating pain they experi- and congressional leaders in

of opioid medication to those ex- ence. Washington, DC and presented

periencing chronic pain and ill- their report along with our request

nesses, including: serious injuries, for formal announcements to be

intractable pain, and those who made against the forced tapering

suffer from painful chronic dis- of patients who are prescribed

eases. Intractable pain and forced opioid analgesics. For more infor-

isolation often leads to depression mation on CIAAG check out

and other mental health crises as ciaag.net.

well.

CIAAG offers lawmakers and Their findings indicate that the

Unfortunately, some patients have other decision-makers fact-based CDC guidelines are actually part

turned to the street to find unsafe research on prescription opioid of a massive population based

alternatives (including dangerous use from qualified physicians, as study – a clinical trial if you will -

counterfeit pills) in a desperate well as policy white papers, testi- that has been implemented into

effort to relieve their untreated monials and other resources to aid the national healthcare delivery

pain, while others have suc- in crafting sensible policies system without the consent or

cumbed to suicide as a final es- around opiate use. knowledge of the American citi-

cape. zens impacted. In review of the

CIAAG’s mission is to work col- Due to the diligent research ef- CDC guidelines’ execution, our
laboratively with legislators in forts and a desire to know the organization has discovered what
crafting the policy changes and truth, CIAAG was able to recon- appear to be serious conflicts of
legislation enacted to combat opi- struct the "why" and publish it for interest, potential financial incen-
oid abuse (including heroin and all to see in our report, Violation tives between parties intimately
illegally obtained fentanyl) in a of a Nation (link) . involved in the study, and viola-
tions of patient privacy, as well as

way that does not restrict patients’ the constitutional, legal, ethical

access to their medication. and moral rights of the citizenry.

36—iPain Living Magazine

Accident

Michigan’s Insurance Model for All of America?

With over 25 years of experi- They are filing bankruptcy due the gold standard for insurance
ence helping accident victims to their unpaid medical bills; in all of the United States.
and their families, John meanwhile their medical pro- People around the country
Prosser II has witnessed the viders are struggling to make continue to lack access to es-
stark contrast between what’s ends meet with perpetually sential medical care that could
available under Michigan’s dwindling reimbursements. dramatically improve their
robust no-fault automobile in- quality of life.
surance and every other sys- Michigan has a successful
tem around the country, all of model for insurance that They are filing for bankruptcy
which leave the survivors un- solves these problems while due to their unpaid medical
derserved. These experiences creating thousands of jobs and bills; meanwhile their medical
have made him passionate saving billions in Medicaid providers are struggling to
about creating resources for costs, with a $20 billion fund make ends meet with perpetu-
those who are suffering with- to prove it. ally dwindling reimburse-
out them. He believes the time ments. “The auto no-fault sys-
has come for all Americans to When the state of Michigan set tem has served Michiganders
have access to lifetime care. up its unique auto insurance well for more than 40 years. It
system in 1973, they probably provides for a level of care
They compare and contrast didn’t know it would become that is unattainable in other
issues with receiving and giv- states.
ing treatment under varying
insurance models around the As state governments continue
country, explaining the nation- to seek out the best practices
wide need. Accident survivors, across the nation, policymak-
medical professionals, and ers would do well to take note
state policymakers share their of the shining example that is
perspectives on the value of Michigan auto no-fault insur-
this unique system. ance.” —Susan Connors, Pres-
ident of the Brain Injury Asso-
People around the country ciation of America.
continue to lack essential med-
ical care that could dramatical- Available on Amazon
ly improve their quality of life.

International Pain Foundation—37

Medicare Deadlines:

When Do You Sign Up
for Medicare?

By Healthline

Enrolling in Medicare isn’t al- When am I eligible Your Age
ways a one-and-done procedure. to sign up for
Once you become eligible, there Medicare? You may wish to put the wheels
are several points at which you in motion by signing up for Medi-
can sign up for each of Medi- If you’re currently receiving So- care anytime during the 3 months
care’s parts. cial Security benefits and are un- prior to your 65th birthday. You
der the age of 65, you’ll be auto- can also sign up during the month
For most people, signing up for matically enrolled in Medicare you turn 65, as well as throughout
Medicare occurs during a 7-month parts A and B when you become the 3-month period following that
initial enrollment period (IEP). 65. If you don’t wish to have date.
The IEP starts 3 months before Medicare Part B, you can decline
you turn 65 and continues for 3 it at that time. It’s important to note that if you
months after your birthday. delay signing up until the final 3
If you’re not currently getting So- months of the IEP, the start of
Even with this time frame in cial Security, you’ll have to ac- your medical coverage may be
mind, getting Medicare right can tively enroll in Medicare. delayed.
be confusing, and may also cost
you in penalties if you get it Once you know the do’s and If You Have
wrong. don’ts of signing up, the actual A Disability
process is easy. The following
In this article, we’ll provide spe- factors are important to consider If you’ve been receiving either
cific information about your eligi- when enrolling in Medicare. Social Security disability benefits
bility and the time frame for sign- or railroad retirement board disa-
ing up for Medicare.

38—iPain Living Magazine

bility benefits for at least 24 con- fits based on your work history, When Are You
secutive months, you’re eligible even if they didn’t work. Eligible For Each
to enroll in Medicare at any time, Part or Plan In
no matter your age. If your spouse is younger than Medicare?
you and will be losing their health
If you have amyotrophic lateral insurance once you go on to Med- Medicare Part A
sclerosis (ALS), also known as icare, they may be able to pur- You’re eligible to enroll for Medi-
Lou Gehrig’s disease, or end stage chase health insurance through a care Part A during the initial en-
renal disease, you’re also eligible private provider. rollment period.
for Medicare at any time, inde-
pendent of your age. If you’re approaching 65 but You’ll automatically be enrolled
would like to continue with the at age 65 for Medicare Part A if
Your Citizenship health insurance coverage you you’re currently receiving Social
currently have through your Security disability benefits or rail-
In order to be eligible for Medi- spouse’s plan, you typically may road retirement board disability
care, you must either be a U.S. do so, without penalty. benefits.
citizen or a permanent U.S. resi-
dent who has lawfully lived here Healthline Resource Medicare Part B
for at least 5 consecutive years. As with Medicare Part A, you’re
Managing your health starts with eligible to enroll for Medicare
If You Have A Spouse the right Medicare Advantage Part B during initial enrollment.
Plan

Unlike private health insurance Medicare Essentials gives you the You’ll automatically be enrolled
plans, your spouse can’t be cov- resources you need to make in- at age 65 for Medicare Part B if
ered under your Medicare plan. formed health choices. We pro- you’re currently receiving Social
vide personalized recommenda- Security disability benefits or rail-
In order for your spouse to be tions based on the plan features in road retirement board disability
covered, they must meet Medi- your area that matter to you the benefits.
care’s specific eligibility require- most.
ments, such as age. Once those (Continued on page 42)
requirements are met, they may be
eligible for some Medicare bene-

International Pain Foundation—39

(Continued from page 41) alty will be added to your monthly and eligibility. These vary from
premium each month. plan to plan and from state to
Medicare Part C (Medicare Ad- state. When the open enrollment
vantage) You won’t have to pay a late en- period ends, you may still be able
In order to enroll in Medicare Part rollment penalty if you have pre- to buy a Medigap plan, although
C, you must first be eligible for, scription drug coverage through a your rates may be higher. There’s
and have, Medicare parts A and Medicare Advantage plan or also no guarantee that the
B. through a private insurer. Medigap provider will sell you a
plan outside of open enrollment
You may first sign up for Medi- If you don’t like your current pre- periods.
care Part C during initial enroll- scription drug plan, you can make
ment or during open enrollment changes to Medicare Part D dur- What Are The
periods, which take place during ing open enrollment periods, Deadlines For
the year. which occur twice a year. Enrolling In Medi-
care Parts and Plans?
You can also sign up for Medicare Medicare Supplement
Part C during special enrollment (Medigap) Original enrollment
periods, such as after the loss of a An open enrollment period for Original, or initial enrollment, is a
job that provided you with Medigap supplemental insurance 7-month period that starts 3
healthcare coverage. is triggered by the start of the months before your 65th birthday,
month during which you turn 65. includes your birthday month, and
You can enroll in a Medicare Ad- ends 3 months after your birthday.
vantage plan no matter your age, Open enrollment for Medigap
if you’re receiving Medicare ben- lasts for 6 months from that date. Medigap Enrollment
efits because of a disability, or if The deadline for purchasing
you have end stage renal disease. During open enrollment, you’ll be Medigap supplemental insurance
able to buy a Medigap plan in at regular rates is 6 months after
Medicare Part D your state for the same cost as the first day of the month you turn
You can enroll in a Medicare Part people who have good health, 65.
D prescription drug plan when even if you have a medical condi-
you first get Medicare during ini- tion. Late Enrollment
tial enrollment. If you don’t sign If you didn’t sign up for Medicare
up for Medicare Part D within 63 Medigap providers use medical when you were first eligible, you
days of your IEP, you may incur a underwriting to determine rates can still enroll in Medicare parts A
late enrollment penalty. This pen-

40—iPain Living Magazine

and B or in a Medicare Advantage open enrollment period: Oct. 15 to location.
plan during a general enrollment Dec. 7 You moved into or out of
period, although penalties will a nursing home.
most likely be added to the cost of Special Enrollment
your monthly premiums. Under certain conditions, you may The Bottom Line
be able to apply late for Medicare,
General enrollment takes place during a period of time known as Eligibility for Medicare usually
each year from Jan. 1 to March 31. the special enrollment period. Spe- occurs starting 3 months prior to
cial enrollment periods may be the month you turn 65. This initial
Medicare Part D Enrollment given if: enrollment period lasts for 7
If you didn’t sign up for Medicare months.
Part D when you were first eligi- You waited to sign up for original
ble, you can sign up during an an- Medicare because you were em- There are special circumstances
nual open enrollment period, ployed by a company that had and also other enrollment periods
which takes place from Oct. 15 to more than 20 employees when you provided for you, during which
Dec. 7. turned 65 and had health insurance you may get coverage, if you miss
provided for you through your job, initial enrollment.
Medicare Advantage plans that union, or spouse. If so, you may
include prescription drug coverage apply for Medicare parts A and B About the author: Healthline— The
can also be purchased during an within 8 months after your cover- information on the Healthline web-
annual Medicare Advantage open age ends, or for Medicare parts C site healthline.com may assist you
enrollment period that takes place and D within 63 days after your in making personal decisions
from Jan. 1 to March 31. coverage ends. about insurance, but it is not in-
tended to provide advice regarding
Plan Change Enrollment Part D Plans Can Be the purchase or use of any insur-
If you wish to enroll in, drop out Changed During Spe- ance or insurance products.
of, or change from your current cial Enrollment Healthline Media does not transact
Medicare Advantage (Part C) plan Periods If: the business of insurance in any
or Medicare Part D plan, you may manner and is not licensed as an
do so at one of these open enroll- You moved to a location insurance company or producer in
ment periods during the year: that isn’t served by your any U.S. jurisdiction. Healthline
current plan. Media does not recommend or en-
Medicare Advantage open enroll- Your current plan has dorse any third parties that may
ment period: Jan. 1 to March 31 changed and no longer transact the business of insurance.
covers your geographic
International Pain Foundation—41

Can Systemic Enzymes and CBD
Lower Your Pain Levels?

By Linda Mac Dougall, M.A., HHP, CMT

I have an ever-increasing number My ex-husband had been told he eat away exogenous protein. Fi-
of clients who are discovering might have to have surgery for a brotic tissues built up in vessels
the many benefits of systemic Bakers cyst on the back of his can act as nets catching and clog-
enzyme therapy. Years ago, I knee. I asked him to humor me ging the river of life. Clogged
found these enzymes a wonderful and take three pills before going vessels can affect heart function.
relief for my herniated disc in- to bed. By morning the cyst had
flammation and pain. I was hav- shrunk by two thirds and disap- When the fibrotic tissue is re-
ing trouble moving comfortably, peared in a day or two on its own moved, blood flows more freely.
sitting for very long or even with just a few more rounds of Blood feeds the tissues and must
standing for long periods of time. enzymes. get through for the body to heal.

Now as a holistic health practi- Systemic enzymes are in full People with a history of surgery
tioner and massage therapist, force when we are young, but as can build up a lot of extra scar
they have meant the difference we age, like many other things, tissue that limits movement,
between continuing to practice we start losing our ability to pro- blood flow, and organ function. I
and finding a new path in a pain- duce them around our third dec- have one client who has so much
ful body. ade of life. We start moving build up that in some places she
more slowly as pain becomes feels hard and lumpy like small
My clients have found them more frequent. Inflammation be- marbles and in other places she
great for joint pain and inflam- comes a problem throughout the feels like tiny beach pebbles are
mation, cyst shrinkage, Lupus, body. And inflammation is the just under her skin. In other plac-
Fibromyalgia pain and scar tissue partner of pain, disease and infir- es she is just super restricted,
problems. And yet another client mity. Inflammation feeds scar joints being the worst. Additional
uses them for relieving tingling tissue building in the body and surgeries are often done for the
in the extremities. For autoim- scar tissue overgrowth is what removal of scar tissue from an
mune issues and poor immunity, kills us if nothing else beats it at original surgery. You are not de-
they modulate the immune sys- its task. Blood vessels are ficient in your amount of surger-
tem, lowering immune reaction cleaned by systemic enzymes ies, you are deficient in systemic
for autoimmune and increasing and nattokinase. Excess scar tis- enzymes that clean up excess
immunity for those who need it. sue is removed as the enzymes scar tissue.

42—iPain Living Magazine

Animals even benefit just as we one of many phytocannabinoids calmed the dry, irritated skin
do. Vets have found that heart of the hemp plant. When pur- and the nerves beneath within
worms are eaten just as scar tis- chasing CBD, until we know minutes. I know seniors get
sue is because the body sees more about the other one hun- very dry skin and this could be a
them as protein that is not a part dred or so phytocannabinoids, it blessing for them if their care-
of the body. It is a safe alterna- may be best to get a full spec- givers would assist with applica-
tive to drugs that target heart trum formula. tion to regions out of reach for
worm and often do damage to or the senior.
kill the animal. Animals, just as The few other phytocanna-
people, suffer from arthritic binoids they have studied seem Anandamide is our bodies own
conditions. Keeping the inflam- to also have anti-inflammatory cannabinoid and our bodies
mation down helps reduce pain properties and the combination have receptors for it. CBD
and joint deterioration. I gave may be better than an isolated binds to the same receptor and
some to an old cat with painful product. Only time will tell us. lowers inflammation and pain.
feet joints and she became spry CBD has also been shown to
once more and able to jump on- lower anxiety and help with de- Though the mechanism of its’
to higher surfaces to get to her pression. If you are in pain, it is magic may not have been
food. logical that there is some level known, the use of hemp goes
of anxiety present and possibly back at least two thousand
There are some caveats to tak- depression. CBD appears to years. Just as they are finding
ing these enzymes. They work help your body make better use out today, the ancients knew of
with the blood to thin it so if of serotonin and thus calm these hemps’ many uses both
you are on a blood thinning feelings that can feed the per- industrial and medicinal. What
medication, you would have to ception of pain. they knew anecdotally, we must
have a doctor who knew about now prove with science.
the enzymes and would be I have used the systemic en-
available to test your blood reg- zymes for almost two decades About the Author: Linda Mac
ularly, so it doesn’t get too and now use CBD products on Dougall, M.A., HHP, CMT is a senior
thinned out. And the same with my body as needed. Recently health advocate, management consult-
high blood pressure medica- with the Santa Ana winds of ant for senior living situations, Spe-
tions. The systemic enzymes by Southern California drying the cialized Massage Therapist, and Ho-
cleaning the blood, also eases atmosphere and thus my skin, I listic Health Practitioner. You can find
the pressure in the circulatory have found that it also calms the more on her and her projects at
system and you don’t want to prickly feeling mostly in my loveyourlongevity.com
suddenly have lowered your legs and lets me sleep. No oils
pressure too much. Now another or creams gave much relief at International Pain Foundation—43
inflammation fighter is CBD, all, but CBD applied to the legs

What is the definition of self-care? In living with a rare disease the that could not only help me man-
Self-care is any activity that we do past sixteen years, I didn’t truly age my disease but improve my
deliberately in order to take care of understand just how important self overall health.
our mental, emotional, and physi- -care was! Diagnosed with Com-
cal health. Or lead us towards a plex Regional Pain Syndrome Desperate for answers, my care
desired outcome. Why is it im- (CRPS) a rare chronic pain condi- team and I turned to various tech-
portant for your mental and physi- tion back in 2006, self-care has niques associated with self-care in
cal health? Self-care is important become a necessity not only to order to try and ease the debilitat-
because it helps a person produce help my overall health but to help ing pain and flare ups brought on
positive feelings about themselves. give me a quality of life that I oth- by my CRPS. This would also
In turn this helps improve confi- erwise wouldn’t have. In the early help me with my mental health
dence, a person’s self-esteem, and stages of diagnosis and treatment I and living day to day with a rare
overall physical well being. Now was so busy trying to figure every- disease. If I was going to manage
add a chronic illness to the mix thing out, that I really didn’t stop this disease effectively, and max-
and self- care takes on an even to think about different things that imize my quality of life then I
greater importance. were within my control. Things needed to get really serious about
that I could practice or put into caring for myself.
place (that’s the self-care part),

44—iPain Living Magazine

This meant developing a plan we ever seem to stop and listen beyond understanding and
that I could try and follow to the to that voice inside? I think the knows that this is an essential
best of my abilities. One that majority of us living with chron- part of my day. They know that
centers on five types of self- ic illness would say not often if I’m going to function at my
care: those being physical, emo- enough! I might be wrong but I best then I need to prepare my
tional, psychological, spiritual, think we tend to put our own body at beginning and end of
and professional care. personal care as an afterthought each day.
far too often. When you’re at the
With the help of the staff on my point however where you have I also incorporate biofeedback
care team we started to look at no treatment plan, all you can into every day (again at the be-
these five areas, trying to build rely on is listening to your body ginning and end of each day)
aspects of each into my daily and treating yourself through which consists of breathing ex-
life. Fortunately some were al- self-care methods. Suddenly ercises that are designed to re-
ready there. These haven’t been everything becomes very real! duce stress. This calms my nerv-
mind blowing changes but rather Very fast! There was no choice ous system and helps with tak-
simple changes that for the most but to make it a priority. ing on any additional stress.
part only involve changes in This is a big part in helping me
lifestyle. Ones that I can honest- One of the first changes I made to reduce the number of flare
ly say have made a huge differ- was to find a way to reduce ups that my CRPS causes. An-
ence in how I feel and how the stress. The chronic pain that other change that I have made in
symptoms are managed. I’m not CRPS causes is neuropathic pain my day is finding time for a nap.
going to lie practicing self-care and it gets worse as the nervous Due to my chronic pain my
is hard work. It takes commit- system becomes more stressed. sleep patterns are awful and so I
ment and discipline if you want Life in general brings on stress! find myself getting very little
to see the best possible results. So this can be a big challenge. sleep. Finding a way to help
Something that isn’t always easy In order to reduce my stress lev- give my body the rest it needs to
when you’re battling a chronic el, I spend an hour of what I like try and repair itself is crucial.
illness. to call “me time” at the begin- Although I still might not get a
ning and end of every day. I full 6-8 hrs of rest by having a
When it comes to self-care and spend this time on my own do- nap I still provide or set my
chronic illness, I think the single ing something that brings me body up in the best possible way
most important piece of advice I joy and happiness. That might I can.
can give is listen to what your be something as simple as get-
body is trying to tell you. How ting lost in reading a good book, The biggest change I’ve made
many times have I heard some- or sitting on my front deck over- however is radically changing
one say “I think my bodies try- looking the lake with an early my diet. One of the symptoms I
ing to tell me something”? Do morning coffee. My family is
(Continued on page 48)

International Pain Foundation—45

(Continued from page 47) by my diagnosis. The mental as well. The purpose in all of
health aspect is every bit as im- this is to try and improve quality
deal with is severe swelling, so I portant to take care of and I of life and I really believe that it
try and build in lots of foods that can’t stress that enough. Putting has. Although I’m still living
are high in anti-inflammatory the proper professional into with a rare disease, practicing
qualities. My diet has become place that could help me sort self-care enables me to live the
more plant based with lots of through all of my emotions was best possible life I can within the
fruits, nuts, and anything else another essential piece to the confines of a rare disease. I feel
that can reduce inflammation. puzzle. This along with having good about everything and my
very strong support from family, self-esteem is doing well under a
As well, I no longer eat anything friends, and individuals from very challenging set of circum-
that has preservatives and try to within patient communities or stances. My faith continues to
reduce the amount of glutton groups was really important. sustain me and I have a renewed
that I consume. Our bodies take hope!
on what we put into them, and I Saving the best for last, finding
didn’t really take it that serious- a core of healthcare providers About the author:
ly until I started feeling better that I’m proud to call my team Ross McCreery is a patient/ advo-
and had more energy. This makes taking this beast called cate creating awareness and
change is important because in CRPS a team effort. I can rely change for those of us who live with
taking on chronic illness every on these professionals any time I chronic pain. In 2006 he was diag-
day, I burn through my energy need them, and it makes dealing nosed with the rare disease called
and need to be at my best in or- with everything so much easier. CRPS (Complex Regional Pain
der to keep fighting. These were Let’s just say that it reduces my Syndrome) that has no cure and
the three big changes that I made stress and they are always a very few treatments for the debili-
to the physical side of my self- phone call or email away. I tating chronic pain of which he suf-
care. The great thing about these know this might seem like a fers. Ross is the founder of CRPS
changes is that not only do they simple thing but it’s really big in Awareness Day in Saskatchewan
have physical benefit to me but my world of rare! which is an initiative designed to
they help my mental health as educate and raise awareness for
well. Look! In my opinion self-care the disease. Ross also sits on the
can only help you and it certain- board of directors for the Sask Pain
Another change was that I start- ly isn’t going to hurt you. These Foundation in a client/ advocate
ed working with a psychologist are only the really big and im- representative roll. Along with
in order to address areas of my portant changes that I have made these endeavors he works with the
emotional and psychological to my lifestyle. Other simple Rare Disease Foundation and has
health that had become affected changes have made a difference launched their first Adult Peer-to-
Peer Resource Group.

46—iPain Living Magazine

4 Ways to Win the Battle
Against Stress

By iPain Staff

Stress, in small doses, can do Make Time For Maintain Balance
wonders to your productivity and Exercise With Self-Care
help you get things done. Chron-
ic stress, on the other hand, is an Regular exercise is an important Delicious self-care practices
entirely different story. In fact, contributor to effective stress strike the right kind of balance
there’s more than one reason management. for stress
why it’s known as the “silent
killer,” and its effects on your Manage Stress With .
physical and mental health are Relaxation Yes, it’s easy to dismiss stress as
really just at the tip of the ice- something that you can just “live
berg. The reality is that brushing with.” But it’s important to ask
it off will only do more harm yourself, “At what cost?” Barely
than good in the long run. It’s coping is not a great way to live
one problem that you need to at all, so make use of these stress
address before it gets the better -busting techniques and feel the
of you.
difference. No one deserves it
more than you do

Mind What You Relaxation techniques can get .
Consume you from “aargh!” to “om” with- For more information about
in minutes. chronic pain, please visit the In-
Your diet could be the stress- ternational Pain Foundation’s
reliever you didn’t know you website internationalpain.org,
needed. which features several helpful
resources, podcasts, and blog
posts.

International Pain Foundation—47

Living with

Muckle-Wells Syndrome

By Jessica Lynn Heagy

In 2005 I discovered I have a flammation throughout my en- no idea that I was only six
rare auto-inflammatory disease tire body. months away from a stage 3
called Muckle-Wells Syndrome breast cancer diagnosis. It turns
that causes me chronic pain and Many doctors and specialists out that breast cancer was a
many health challenges. The in- later, I was able to find a highly- more formidable challenger than
cidence of Muckle-Wells Syn- skilled rheumatologist who diag- the 21-year-old competitors I
drome has been reported to be nosed me based on my symp- posed with on stage that year.
approximately 1 in 1,000,000 toms, clinical data, bloodwork, And as hundreds of thousands of
people in the United States. full-screen genetic tests, and a women know, breast cancer
biopsy-proven Muckle-Wells treatments can be just as fatal as
https://www.raregenomics.org/ Syndrome positive NLRP3 mu- pathology .
muckle-wells-syndrome-rareshare-rg tation. Together we created a
suitable treatment plan accom- I want to tell you that I beat the
I had a banking career going modated with the right medica- living daylights out of cancer
strong. I was doing some model- tion to improve my life quality. I and rose above the hardships of
ing’ I had a good life with my slowly started to feel better for chemo, and moved on to the bal-
daughter and my parents. All of more extended periods. ance of my life with restored
a sudden…pain. Lots of it, and it wellness, hope, and happiness.
was unrelenting. Every day by I eventually recognized how de- But life had other plans for me,
noon, I felt like I had the flu. I voting myself to fitness gave me mostly in the form of a cancer-
would develop fevers, extreme control over the pain. It put me ous thyroid nodule, genetic
fatigue, blurry vision, swollen back in charge of my life's prior- chronic basal cell carcinoma, a
ankles, red sore lesions, and in- ities. I embraced that control hypoglycemic condition, and
with fierce determination. In continued challenges with my
fact, by 2013, I took the top tro- old partner, Muckle-Wells Syn-
phy in a fitness competition. I drome.
was 36 then, and as I posed on
stage with women who were 15 I have been wracked by illness
years younger than I was, I had and disfigured by more than

48—iPain Living Magazine