Caregivers are unsung heroes, providing countless hours of love and support. But for all the good they do, it can still be a pretty lonely road. For Grace is seeking stories that speak to the interconnection between chronic pain and loneliness/social isolation. We're now expanding beyond women in pain, and also want to hear from caregivers about their unique challenges of staying connected (or not) when providing care often keeps them inside and apart. We're looking for two more stories to round out the year, so please link here to submit.

It is with deep regret we share that long-time For Grace supporter and Board Member Dr. Susan Nyanzi recently passed. Dr. Nyanzi was challenged by the chronic progressive disease, scleroderma, and was a fierce advocate for sufferers of this painful, autoimmune condition. A public health expert, Susan made countless contributions to For Grace, including being a planning committee member and popular presenter at our annual Women In Pain conferences. Susan had an undeniable spirit and sincere compassion for everyone she served, and will be deeply missed by all who knew her. We loved our "Sister In Pain" so very much...

Check out For Grace's special June Story of the Month as we continue our look at the connection between chronic pain and social isolation from the caregiver POV. When Marianne Muellermeile married Tom Norris, the world was their oyster as they looked forward to a healthy and happy life journey. But when Tom developed persistent neuropathic pain from aggressive cancer treatment, it all came tumbling down. Luckily, Marianne is as tough as they come, and isolation was not welcomed in their home, bolstered by deep faith and a love story for the ages.

New medications are coming on line that offer women in pain hopeful options for pain management. For Grace has co-signed a letter that requests Medicare to expand its policy to make new non-opioid medications for moderate to severe acute pain available to patients. As it stands now, many people—especially those on Medicare—are still being forced to start with opioids, even if they or their providers don’t want that to be the first option. The letter asks CMS to add newly approved non-opioids to the list of drugs that are eligible for coverage under the NOPAIN Act, and to clarify how oral treatments will be handled moving forward.