In my last blog about Medtronic Global Heroes, I wrote about meeting the engineers who designed my nerve stimulator. The other part of the experience that was, well, magical, was meeting the other 24 Global Heroes. I’m not sure what I expected of the program prior to flying to Minneapolis, but I know for sure I … More Medtronic Global Heroes – My Bionic Family
Several weeks have passed since I participated in the Twin Cities Marathon as a Medtronic Global Hero. I haven’t been able to write about it until now because the experience was so unexpected, so overwhelming, that I think I’ve needed time to process its deep meaning in my life. First, a bit about the program: … More Medtronic Global Heroes – Meeting the Engineers
Thanks to WordPress’ handy scheduler, as this blog posts I will be in the air, flying to Washington to climb Mt. Rainier, my first non-Colorado peak. Whahoo! At 14,411 feet tall, Mt. Rainier is a smidge shorter than Colorado’s tallest mountain. But unlike our high peaks, Rainier is a glaciated volcano. It is also the … More Managing My Chronic Headache, Rainier Bound
I’d like to introduce you to my new friend and climbing partner, Zach. Zach and I have something exceptional in common: he and I both use climbing to control severe chronic pain. Along with two other teammates, Zach and I will be climbing Washington’s Mt. Rainier this weekend. More on that in future posts, for … More Not the Only Pain Sufferer on a Mountain
As I wrote about my disappointing Mt Evans Ascent the other day, I grappled with the grief I still sometimes feel surrounding my chronic pain. I realized that one of the most difficult aspects of a chronic medical condition is its on-going nature. Duh, right? The problem is that the losses accumulate. When I was 21, … More Perpetual Loss
Stats: Distance: 14.5 miles Vertical Gain: 3,900 feet to the summit of Mt Evans Goal: sub 3:00! Last year I finished in 3:03, 3 minutes short of earning an engraved rock. Coming so close to the coveted rock only drove me to want it more…so this past year earning it has been … More Mt Evans Ascent Race Report
Great news! I’m excited to announce that I was selected to participate in the Medtronic Global Heroes Program! Every year, Medtronic chooses 25 patients whose lives have been radically transformed by their medical technology to run the October Twin Cities Marathon as a “Global Hero.” A friend told me about the program a few months … More Medtronic Global Heroes Program
Lately I’ve noticed a string of articles with titles like, “What Not to Say to a Woman Who is Expecting,” or “10 Things Not to Say to Someone with Cancer.” There’s many, many more with the same idea, all published in popular online outlets in the last few months. Here’s one for migraines and one for chronic pain. Both … More “What Not to Say…”
I have a confession: I’m harboring a particularly insidious habit. When speaking about my headache, I tend to abbreviate the term and refer to my body part most affected, my head. “My head’s bad today,” I’ll tell my partner, as if my head were a teenager in need of a drastic parental intervention, like a … More Language Positivity
Recently someone asked me what advice I would give to another person with chronic pain who hoped to become physically active. After reflecting on the question a bit, I’ve come up with a few suggestions that might be helpful. (With the disclaimer that I’m not a physician or a physical trainer, just a fellow chronic pain sufferer.) … More Advice for Pain Sufferers
Lynn K Hall 
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