05:24 am - QotD
"I've been thinking a lot about pain lately, now that I have the 'legitimate pain' of a broken ankle. I'm still kind of flabbergasted that my rheumatologist missed my broken ankle because she was so busily checking in to see if I'd been seeing a chronic pain shrink for my RA.
"But also just ... Having a broken ankle is like Queen for a Day. I mean, with chronic disease, you trudge through life trying to get your doctor to not put you in the category of med-seeking or whatever, but with a broken ankle, you get same-day appointments and specialists at a major research facility, relaxed-looking doctors who have lots of success stories under their belts and who have loads of fancy, fresh equipment. And insurance companies? They pay for it all without making you spend a year using a less effective treatment before they actually pay for the thing that works.
"To be honest, I'm in much less pain due to a broken ankle than I am when I'm having a flare, and yet this little break in my bone has opened so many doors for me that I can't help but wonder how different my life would be if RA pain treatment came with the same perks, and if chronic pain was the object of the level of funding that goes into, say, sports medicine.
"But then, of course, broken bones heal. Chronic disease is ... well, chronic. And depressing. Even for doctors and researchers, I'm sure. It's like a self-fulfilling prophecy."
![[info]](http://stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small}