Once upon a time I was healthy and so happy. Then a Thai elephant named Alan, an unnamed mosquito and I spent quality time together in a jungle and wham bam ma’am: I have malaria, amebic dysentery, parasites and endless migraines. 

Pain is not something I asked for; it appeared out of nowhere and refuses to go away. I developed chronic pain in 2009 after a shoulder injury that required surgery. However, instead of relief, I was left with constant pain. My burning back felt as it was stuck in a vice grip that was getting tighter.

My name is Joelle and I live in Penticton, BC. I was diagnosed with Chronic Intractable Cluster Headaches 15 years ago. After a very long period of time visiting doctors, incessant testing, accusations and a generally very difficult period in my life I met the man, a doctor, who I believed to be my saviour.

What is it like to live with chronic pain? It’s a progression that shakes your world right down to the very foundations of who you are. Living with chronic pain is a life-altering event, right up there with marriage and divorce, the birth of your first child, and the passing of your parents.

I’m 54 years old and a grandmother. My pain started due to the wear and tear of my life, but got much worse once I finished menopause. I was previously diagnosed with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), but during the last and final cycle I had at least 6 cysts burst in my ovaries and ended up in the hospital.

I am 58 years old and have suffered from chronic pain for more than 35 years. My pain started with sciatica and progressed to full body and joint pain after being rear-ended.

People often ask me if my tattoos hurt, they can see those. That's a pain that goes away, I welcome that pain for the beauty in the end. What you can't see inside me is the chronic unrelenting pain and fatigue I experience on a daily basis. You can’t tell that inside me is a disease that is stigmatized, that it doesn't only affect the elderly or that it can be severe.

About National Pain Awareness Week

Chronic pain impacts the lives of 1 in 5 Canadians. During National Pain Awareness Week (NPAW), pain organizations host various events and activities to raise awareness and understanding of the impacts of chronic pain in Canada.

"The UBC Pain Medicine Residency Program has met many key milestones since its development starting in November 2011. In 2018, the program achieved accreditation through the Royal College Internal Review and this opens the opportunity for propelling new leadership development. 

IASP is an international organization bringing together scientists, clinicians, health-care providers, and policymakers to stimulate and support the study of pain and translates that knowledge into improved pain relief worldwide.

Over six million Canadians live with chronic pain. For many, the pain is so severe that their lives may sink into depression and suicidal thoughts can become a regular occurrence. One of the struggles that those with chronic pain face is finding suitable doctors and treatment.

'VANCOUVER—For Kitsilano resident Leslie Park, managing her chronic back pain means finding a variety of ways to treat her symptoms — even if they might be unconventional.

She often jokingly refers to her local pharmacists, chiropractors and health supplement providers as her “doctors,” who she can go to when her physician isn’t available.

'British Columbia doctors treating patients with chronic pain will be required to prescribe opioids without limiting dosage or refusing to see patients who are on the medication that has come to be associated with illicit overdose deaths.