Rachel has a chronic disease. She has had the chronic disease for the better part of a decade. It causes her constant pain. She suffers in silence mostly. She is often at her wits end, or so she tells me.

Living with temporary pain is extremely difficult. Living with pain for year after year must be unimaginable torture. I know about living with temporary pain as a result of a surgical procedure some years ago. For the most part, I have been extremely lucky to be relatively pain-free for my entire life.

Rachel told me a few months ago about her illness and the pain she suffers. I didn't realize that she was suffering so much. Like many people of her generation, she hid her problems from other people. Only when I made a few inquiries did I find out that something was wrong with her. Her closest friends knew, but she didn't talk about her pain openly with anyone else.

There were many times when Rachel would take extra time to complete a task. Most of us thought she was slowing down because of her age. Now we realize that her chronic pain was a major issue for her.

Rachel is determined not to let her chronic disease and the pain it causes ruin her golden years. She worked her entire life so that she could enjoy her retirement. She was determined to enjoy these years, chronic pain or not.

Getting control of her life, not succumbing to her illness, is a major goal. To help her cope, she attends six community workshops that teach her how to live with a chronic disease. The workshops are free, lead by people who have chronic disease themselves, and have been through the issues that Rachel is fighting.

She reported that the community workshops helped her realize how to cope with pain. They taught her exercises to help make her stronger and fight fatigue. She learned how her nutritional choices affect her disease. The workshops helped Rachel realized whom she could rely on when she needs a little extra help.

Community workshops for people with chronic disease are scheduled this fall in Carterville, Pinckneyville, and West Frankfort. Call our office toll-free at 1.888.895.3306 if you would like more information about these helpful workshops.

Learning new things is not just for schoolchildren. Regardless of your age, new ideas can help all of us deal with life's challenges. It's another lesson learned.

Complaints and excuses don't solve anything. Just ask Rachel.

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