Over the years For Grace's Share Your Story project has been a place where women in pain have contributed their gender bias stories. More recently, we've focused on stories about the pain-cancer connection and early-life trauma as a driver for pain. Of late, we're hearing much from our community about "medical trauma", where one suffers physical and/or psychological harm at the hands of their healthcare provider. If you've experienced medical trauma, please consider sharing your story. Through your words, we look forward to raising awareness of this troubling trend...

For Grace's Women In Pain conference committee has kicked off the planning of their 2022 September event! This virtual meeting will raise much-needed awareness about trauma as a driver for chronic pain as well as how trauma release can lead to Post-Traumatic Growth. We're excited to be trailblazing this critical connection, one that will emerge as key to understanding and effectively treating people with chronic pain. Please check back as details develop...

Take a look at For Grace's powerful May Story of the Month. Michaela Byer was a successful hair stylist running her own salon with hundreds of clients. Then nearly overnight, due to a poorly placed sedation IV, she developed Veni-Puncture CRPS that spread throughout her body,  eventually leaving her unable to work and using a wheelchair. Michaela's doctors labeled her a crazy, drug-seeking woman (this is known as Medical Trauma) because she was a striking blonde with a tattoo. Fortunately her husband remained by her side through her extreme challenges.

For Grace Spokesperson Cynthia Toussaint consulted on and interviewed for an outstanding New York Times Magazine long-form article that explores Virtual Reality as a treatment for chronic pain. The piece goes in-depth about the development of VR for medical purposes, the skepticism it faces as an accepted therapy and how it may one day replace opioids as a safer option for chronic pain patients. Toussaint's insight informed many parts of the article, in particular the section that addresses coverage concerns.  Link HERE to read "Can Virtual Reality Help Ease Chronic Pain?"