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.
Middle-schooler and Young Woman In Pain Leighann Talbert led a lively interview with For Grace founder Cynthia Toussaint for her inaugural episode of "The Invisible" podcast. In collaboration with the EAST Initiative, Leighann's aim is to spread awareness of invisible diseases and help folk not feel so alone. A relative newcomer to CRPS, Leighann asked Cynthia for tips and insights about the chronic pain experience from the perspective of a 40-year long-hauler, detailing advocacy, trauma and the power of distraction. You can catch "The Invisible" podcast on Spotify and Apple.
Check out For Grace's November Story of the Month that focuses on the pain-cancer connection. Donna Pinto was blindsided a decade ago when she was diagnosed with Ductal Carcinoma In Situ (DCIS), also known as "Stage Zero" breast cancer. After initial conventional treatment left her disfigured and in chronic pain, Donna hit the brakes. She took a deep breath, centered herself and did extensive research that led her to a path for healing. Donna then started DCIS 411 to raise awareness of this controversial diagnosis, one that often does a great deal of unnecessary harm.
On October 19, 1982, Cynthia Toussaint sustained the ballet injury that changed her life forever. Seeded from childhood trauma, her conventional injury, a hamstring tear, sparked Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (aka, "The Suicide Disease".) With time, CRPS spread throughout Cynthia's body, causing her to be bedridden for a decade and unable to speak for five of those years. Today, she has 19 over-lapping conditions and is currently battling a Triple-Negative Breast Cancer recurrence. Cynthia, from her wheelchair, started For Grace 20+ years ago to bring worldwide awareness to the plight of Women In Pain, the pain-cancer connection and trauma as the main driver for chronic illness. Cynthia shares, "While CRPS robbed me of the life I'd planned, it gave me a great gift - the pursuit of truth and helping others avoid my fate with that truth."
