I received this book for free from complimentary review copy in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Conquer Your Pain in 9 Steps by Carole Staveley Published by Influence Publishing on May 1st 2015
Genres: Non-Fiction, Wellness
Pages: 220
Format: Paperback
Source: complimentary review copy
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Chronic Pain. Everything from chronic back pain to chronic toe fungus is like a debilitating descent into Hell. When first approached about reviewing Conquer Your Pain in 9 Steps I knew I had to get on the blog tour {even though I really try to stay away from tours because of my crazy schedule}. But, I knew this was a book I needed to read.
At age 18 I was in an auto accident that left me in ICU for three weeks, hospital for three months with a traumatic brain injury, my entire face reconstructed with titanium plates; I needed a new cornea and eye socket and subsequently required cataract surgery; my left hand and wrist were crushed and had to be re-built and 5 thoracic vertebra were crushed as well as 2 cranial vertebra {I went from 5’2 to 5’1 in an instant – talk about fast un-growth!}. Although the doctors were incredible miracle workers, there was nothing they could do to prevent the lifetime of chronic pain I was now prescribed. It’s just something I’ve dealt with.
Fast forward 10 years and a diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis. The simple explanation of what is MS? Multiple scarring of the myelin sheath of the brain which leads to a host of problems, including, but oh so not limited to, chronic pain.
Finally, one of the effects from the accident that I talk about here is chronic migraines. Did I mention chronic pain is a debilitating descent into Hell?
But wait, there’s more! Nah, just joking. That’s enough, don’t you think?
With all that depressing gunk out of the way, on to the hope-full stuff! I wanted to summarize how I know what I’m talking about when I talk about chronic pain.
So, there was nothing Carole Staveley could have thrown at me that I didn’t already know. For the most part, if you’ve read my blog for any length of time, you know that I”m a relatively positive, easy-going kind-of gal. I have to be in order to keep those pesky triggers away, like stress and pessimism and depression and frustration and anger and, well, you get the picture, right?
Positive Thinking + Daily Dosage of Belly Laughs = Good Healing EnergyIt was refreshing to read a real account of overcoming chronic pain. Her struggles with diagnosis, treatments and doctors were all completely relatable, especially “it must be in your head.” Well for me, yeah, it literally is! I’ve had fun making a joke out of it for years ~ yeah, my brain has been bounced around in my skull and it has a few scars so yes Dr., it IS in my head. đŸ˜‰
Beginning with “discovering your why,” we learn that developing our ultimate life purpose helps to focus our efforts externally rather than internally. And on to the chapter to “Never, Ever Give Up” that reminds us it is in overcoming adversity where we find our strength. The quotes included along with the action steps are both motivating and encouraging.
A couple of issues I have with the book is that not everyone has a history of physical activity to fall back on as did Staveley. She talks about growing up participating in sports and of playing tennis through her twenties. While it is partially an excuse and partially a handicap, it is difficult to put that first foot forward. Also, her tips on healthcare professionals to engage with is, while fantastic in that it encourages natural methods as well as western medicine, there’s really no magic wand of how in the world one can afford an acupuncturist, massage therapist, yoga teacher, nutritionist, etc. The recommendation is to make healthy living a priority and weighing the value of missed work versus the value of a service.
For the most part, Conquer Your Pain in 9 Steps is filled with positive actions to take in order to move from feeling sorry for yourself to making the most of the life you have been given. Staveley has an engaging voice, the book is easy-to-read and broken up into bite-sized pieces. And there really are great action steps for chronic pain-ers to incorporate into their lives. I’m not certain the IronMan is for me, but a 5k is in my sights! Recommended for anyone who suffers from chronic pain.
Recommended reading for sufferers of chronic painTo learn more about Carole Staveley visit her Website | Facebook | Twitter.
Many thanks to iRead Book Tours for inclusion in this Book Tour!
For additional thoughts on Conquer Pain please visit the additional blogs on the Tour Schedule.
