9/8 #1
Mornin/Night Tree Folks
OK..Y'all can come back now 
..thank you
It is interesting that we have so many folks here dealing with chronic pain....And that is a GOOD thing. Ever try explaining what pain feels like to someone??! It's like trying to describe the color seafoam green if you've never seen sea foam. I only bring that up cuz I've been contemplating having the house re-painted...A friend came over to offer advice and asked if I wanted it repainted in GREY ...."NO...I want it in sea foam green"..and we proceeded to go back and worth until I realized their GREY...was MY seafoam green.

Anyway...My point...and I do have one

..is that it is good to have so many folks here who UNDERSTAND ...with out getting that "look" ...

...what those of us in pain are going thru.

...and that is not a small thing.
9-9 #1
I still avoid trying to explain it, because even around other people who have chronic pain, if they don't have what I do I still don't think they can understand. We have a tendency to relate everything another person says, to ourselves - to our pain. When you say you hurt, I relate that to what I feel when I hurt and vice versa.
What others can relate to, is the generalities of being in pain, having it not go away and having to deal with that on a mental level as well as the physical level. Also the struggles with doctors, pills, constant appointments, feeling like a guinea pig and a pin cushion for everyone.. being "cool" to all your doctors because they have never seen another case as bad as yours.. lol.. that we can all usually relate (except for the later, I may be alone there!).
But what you say is correct I think. My husband once told me that my having this disease allowed me to be able to truly help my daughter when she was going through cancer and when she was dying. I do think it helped me to be able to help her more on that emotional level than had I never knows this level of pain as well as the struggles with pills and doctors and endless tests and surgeries.
And that is what we can do for one another - be supportive emotionally.
If you want to know what I have, it's CRPS type 2 due to a spinal injury and two failed back surgeries, the second of which left me paralyzed for two years, when I regained feeling, then came the CRPS.
What is CRPS? What is RSD? - American RSDHope
@rangerrobin - That was manipulation work done by flew designs that you thought was cool. He was my original inspiration for manipulation work. I am not as good as he is, but I am getting there.

His work is just amazing!
Watch this sometime if you have time.. he is too cool! (this also counts as my tree picture!)
@Fuzzy Thunderbear - you do what you have to do for yourself. All I have to say is don't make the mistake of thinking you can never get any worse, because you can. And if you push too hard, you will. Know your own limitations. There is a balance. That is all.
And goodmorin'nite to everyone!