So of course whilst I had the injury I was walking around on crutches, very limited in what I could do and really restricted in my daily activities but one year later I was able to do whatever I liked, run, walk, play soccer, go for a walk with the family, go bushwalking, cadets whatever I liked I was able to do it I was basically a free person rather than twelve months ago being trapped in this cell of chronic pain.
I've learnt that if you do push through it, it's, it's easy to do more things, um… like six months ago I would never have imagined like being here where I am today.
I would've never thought that it was going to get easier.
Um… I didn't, I kinda lost hope for a bit Um… but I've learnt that, you know, you have to kind of not lose hope so you need to have faith that, you know, it's going to become more manageable and that it's gonna get a little better.
Um… and that you will have your life back on track I like the idea of beauty therapy and so I went, I enrolled into that TAFE course, um… started, and I fell in love with it, it was so much fun, it was like perfect, it fits me 100% like, it's me all over and um… I really enjoy it and um… next year I'm starting my diploma and um… which means like you get fully qualified and um… I can work on like cruise ships and travel doing it and I'm excited.
She's gotten to this point by using those techniques and those tools that she's been taught to, um… focus on the positives, to focus on feeling better and being better and getting there and that's, she's still not 100% pain free, but compared to where she was, you know 5, 7 years ago I can't believe it.
In the future even if my arthritis doesn't go away I hope to be an architect or an engineer and I won't let the pain stop me because i know how to control it now.
My key tips would be, never give up find something you love and try and be the best you can at it and no pain no gain.
Well I hope you really enjoyed pain bytes and all the amazing stories from real young people people like you with chronic pain and how they've used these strategies to really make a difference to their pain and their lives and um… remember also that you're not alone, that your surrounded by your family, your friends and medical teams who just want to help you.