7 Facets: A Meditation on Pain



Pain is a funny thing. Not just to live with (in which case it's not always very funny), but in terms of the myths and the silence surrounding it. Talking about pain is uncomfortable, especially for those who don't have it. Pain is hard to understand. You can't measure it, it's difficult to describe and it's near impossible to make others comprehend what it feels like to be in pain if they've never experienced it themselves. There’s a gap — you may even say, a chasm — between those of us who have chronic pain and those who don't. We need to start talking about pain with each other, to bridge that gap and create a better understanding.

To that end, meet my new baby


7 Facets: A Meditation on Pain is just that — a meditative exploration of the concept of pain, what it is like to live with it, its qualities, roles, and impact. It's been in the works for a while, something I've noodled with whenever I needed a break from writing nonfiction. Written as a poem in prose, it dives into the depths of pain and takes a look at it from the inside, the outside and at several points in between.

I hope this short e-book will spark conversations about pain, not just in the chronic pain community, but also among people who wish to better understand what pain is.

It wouldn't have been impossible to finish this one in time for September's Pain Awareness Month or for it to look as good as it does without my team (I love that I have a team). Laurie Kingston was the best writing buddy and beta reader anyone could ask for. Dan Handler yet again designed a cover that I fell in love with at first sight. Holly Sawchuk edited and made it feel joyful. And The Boy discussed, formatted, held my hand and showed me what true love and partnership is all about.

7 Facets: A Meditation on Pain is $0.99. It is available as an e-book short on Amazon US, Amazon CA, Amazon UK and Kobo. If you don’t have a Kindle, you can download the Kindle app for computer, tablet and smartphone for free on Amazon. The book will also be available for iBooks and Nooks soon.
   

Comments

Vickie said…
Would love to know when the Nook version is available!
11:15 AM
Unknown said…
What the heck? When did this happen? I feel so out of touch.
6:31 AM
AlisonH said…
Go Lene! I will have to corral yonder kid with the Kindle so I can read it.
9:26 PM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Farber’s Disease: Could Your Child’s Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis Be Misdiagnosed?

Image
Joint inflammation or contractures. Nodules (small lumps under the skin or in other tissues). A weakened or hoarse voice. Children with these symptoms may have been diagnosed with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) or other types of juvenile arthritis . But do they actually have JIA or do they have Farber’s disease? An equine digression When you hear hoofbeats, think horses, not zebras. This is an adage in the medical world that encourages doctors to not wander off exploring rare and esoteric reasons for a patient’s symptoms. Because most of the time, that hoof beat of a rash likely isn’t the plague, the joint pain more likely a type of arthritis than the bends (especially if the person has never scuba dived) and you get the picture. But once in a while, it actually is a zebra. And even if it’s first identified as a horse, eventually, the stripes come through. It took five years of my parents running around to different doctors before one finally recognized that I had
Read more

13 Things to Know for Rheumatoid Arthritis Newbies + Facebook Live

Image
Getting a diagnosis of any type of chronic illness can throw you for loop. There is so much to know and you have so little energy. My new slideshow for HealthCentral collects 13 things you need to know as an RA newbie : "Receiving a diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a moment of strange duality. On one hand, you may be relieved to finally have answers for the symptoms you’ve been experiencing. On the other, it can be incredibly overwhelming to find out you have a chronic illness. Wrapping your head around all the new factors RA brings into your life is a long-term process. Here are some of the things you need to know." See the slideshow on HealthCentral . And in case you missed it, here is the Facebook Live I did yesterday talking about this topic:   
Read more