Dealing with the ups and downs of chronic pain is not just one person's burden to bear. More times than not, there's a significant other who helps one get through the day. To acknowledge this "dance", For Grace is kicking off a new project under its Women In Pain Nation banner. Dubbed "Partners In Pain", WIPN leaders Cynthia Toussaint and John Garrett will interview a fellow person in pain along with their caregiver to talk about the challenges, pitfalls and silver-linings of the lived chronic pain experience. Check in this week as we post our first Partners In Pain interview with pain advocacy champions Tom Norris and Marianne Muellerleile!

Good news from Sacramento! For Grace's resolution proclaiming September as Pain Awareness Month and September 1st as Women In Pain Day was introduced on July 17th. According  to Assemblymember Nick Schultz's office, HR 51 will get a Rules Committee hearing on August 18th, and it's expected to pass on the Floor's Consent Calendar August 29th. This will be For Grace's 22nd year in a row effort - and we extend a warm thanks to Leg Director Jim Metropolus for making sure this much needed information reaches policy makers.

Check out For Grace's August Story of the Month as we continue our focus on how chronic pain intersects with social isolation. Cynthia ("Harley Lady") was diagnosed with Interstitial Cystitis (IC) in the 1990's, but it's been a challenge for her to get good treatment. While she's now found practitioners and advocates who have greatly helped, Cynthia and other family members with IC have hit road blocks in understanding and compassion from loved ones. This causes a sense of loneliness, and Cynthia shares, "It's sad, but we try our best to function as 'healthy people'".

The challenge of chronic pain knows no borders, so For Grace is helping out with articles for our northern neighbors. Earlier this year, we consulted on and were featured in a piece about women and the gender disparity in the treatment of chronic pain for International Women's Day that ran in the National Post, Canada's #1 legacy newspaper. More recently we consulted on an upcoming, eye-opening article at the Post that will examine how our brains change when we have chronic pain. Watch for it in September which is Pain Awareness Month in the US!