21st Century Pain Solutions

"The best lessons I have learned is that the intensity of my pain depends on me, my thoughts, and my actions. The other important lesson is that I can turn down the intensity of my pain with calm, quiet breaths and muscle relaxation." - Heather DivineHeather Divine graduated from the Misericordia School of Nursing in Edmonton, Alberta in 1974 and worked as an operating room nurse until May 31, 1991, when persistent pain forced her from the workforce.Very soon after that, I met with another person who had lived with pain for over 25 years and she was fasting with the intent to die. My pain doctor asked me if I would go and talk with her and talk about living with pain. I stopped by her home and began by talking about my own fears and thoughts and how scared I was to face the rest of my life with pain. We talked and laughed and cried for a few hours and at the end of my visit, she changed her mind about wanting to die. I asked her what had made such a difference and she told me “this is the first time since my