Pain is a universal human experience; however, chronic pain -- the kind that lingers, interrupts your life and refuses to leave -- is a different beast altogether. This is a glimpse into my daily struggle with ME (Myalgic Encephalomyelitis), chronic tennis elbow, and severe cervical spine foraminal narrowing.

ME (Myalgic Encephalomyelitis)torments me significantly with arm issues. The trouble escalates in my right arm due to years of suffering from chronic tennis elbow. But it doesn't end there. I also have severe cervical spine foraminal narrowing which means that the passage where the nerves exit my spine narrows down, compressing those nerves slightly. This condition triggers problems down my right side especially affecting my hand, elbow and shoulder.

Thus, I experience a whole heap of issues with my right arm and hand.

More than pain

It's not only about battling constant intense pain; it's all about managing nerve pain too - neurological nightmares of tingling, heaviness, numbness, spasms etc.

With all my conditions, it restricts my arm and hand use considerably even in seemingly minor ways. For instance, trying to squeeze the liquid gel detergent out of a bottle turns into a painful battle; especially at the point when the bottle is quarter used, when I need to exert pressure on the bottle – something I find myself unable to do, due to pain.  

Such trivial encounters upset me deeply, simply because they highlight my disabilities and limitations so blatantly and brutally.

It means now that when selecting laundry detergent, it becomes a decision based not only on preference but also on physical capability—can I squeeze the gel out? Even handling medication proves challenging as taking pills out from their dispenser or picking them up is more troublesome than it should be. Imagine losing crucial medication on the floor because of my finger dexterity issues, unfortunately, I do this often! Also, using spray bottles, the trigger can be extremely painful for me to keep pressing that trigger.

Makeup application, once an effortless process, now turns into a long, exhausting ordeal due to these limitations. Brushing my teeth becomes incredibly painful or just simply difficult as my arms and hands fatigue quickly and feel extremely heavy and painful. Brushing my hair and attempting to style it (tie it up), is immensely challenging with my arm. With the most upsetting thing is, I am unable to do my daughter’s hair.

I now only buy jersey sports bras as I can step into them and pull a sports bra up, thus, this avoids me having to do the hook-and-eye connection on a normal bra (which I find extremely challenging to do)

I use talk-to-text on my phone/laptop as typing and using my fingers can become quickly painful. Holding the phone to my ear can quickly become too much and too painful.

Constant reminders

Doing buttons-up, tying shoe laces – all these tiny mundane everyday tasks that I took for granted before, are now constantly reminding me that my body is failing me, my body is broken, and I am disabled.

Days that are particularly bad present even more challenges — things like cooking become almost unmanageable. Tasks like cutting fruit and vegetables become impossible. Other activities including sewing can lead to excruciating pain; making me pay for hours or even days afterwards if I push myself too far. 

Although I'm slowly learning to use my left arm/hand more frequently, it doesn’t have full functionality without issues, and it also presents continuous difficulties.

Final thoughts

Living with chronic pain requires constant adaptation and resilience, dealing with both physical discomforts and emotional setbacks. Each day is a new challenge but it also provides opportunities (always trying to keep positive) for learning better ways of managing life despite limitations.

About me

I am a married mother of four children, in my mid 40's. I run a small business and enjoy writing, which is why I blog. My blog focuses on my experiences of living with chronic illnesses and disabilities such as ME/CFS, spinal stenosis, chronic pain, and fibromyalgia.