This is such a personal and for me, intimate topic. It speaks of a very private battle of chronic pain and physical limitation that I abhor admitting to. I have spent years planning my life around it's predictable nature, trying to outsmart the effects it had on my life. I have been silent in the presence of others and participated in activities I knew would exacerbate my symptoms because I simply didn't want to discuss my symptoms or complicate other's meal or activity plans. Eating at restaurants always seems to come with a painful price tag and physical exertion often left me sweating from the sheer pain it caused.
