Check out For Grace's December Story of the Month as we continue to explore the connection between trauma and chronic pain.  Woman In Pain and author of The Migraine Relief Plan Cookbook Stephanie Weaver began experiencing strange sensations early in life, making her feel  "zoned out" and disconnected from her body. Years later she developed debilitating back pain and sciatica triggered by a roller-skating injury that was never properly addressed. Stephanie now understands that her dissociation was a coping mechanism that helped her survive years of childhood sexual abuse - and wonders if her life-long pain could have been avoided if she'd been "embodied sooner."

We at For Grace hold a special place in our hearts for CRPS awareness, as that was our original mission 20 years ago. Pleased to report an article our founder Cynthia Toussaint wrote about the disease for Pain News Network was recently picked up by the popular news aggregator Apple News. In "The Ever Changing Rules of CRPS", Cynthia recounts the mercurial, agonizing nature of CRPS, and, at the same time,  how she can "love it completely without complete understanding."

Emails are alerting us that For Grace's 2005 Discovery Health episode of "Mystery Diagnosis" is airing again, this time worldwide! Our show (Part One, Part Two) is bringing much-needed awareness of Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (formerly known as Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy), told from the perspectives of the patient, caregiver, family member and doctor. Now we need your help! Since the show is being shown in many languages, we need translators to help us answer questions and inquiries from all.  Please contact us if you can volunteer your talents.    

In the New Year, we at For Grace  will focus our enduring Share Your Story Project on the connection between trauma and chronic pain. As a preview, we'll be spotlighting  Stephanie Weaver's gripping story in December. If you're a Woman In Pain who's experienced trauma in one or more of its many forms (childhood, intergenerational, ongoing, medical), please consider sharing your story.  Through your words, we look forward to raising awareness while healing the stigma of this overlooked and little-regarded, yet key, aspect of the chronic pain  experience.