The Senses: The One We Don't Want To Feel

I've already pointed out that there are more than five senses. Balance, or equilibrioception, and the sense of our own body, or proprioception, are other senses we have besides the usual five.

The human body has other senses as well. Senses that tell us how our body is feeling. I tend to simplify things a bit too much but I think there are three general ways in which our body can tell our conscious mind how things are going.

We feel nothing, we feel pleasure, or we feel pain.

Pain is the way we know something isn't right. The way our body can get our attention.

Many people only feel pain when they hurt ourselves. For them pain is just a warning mechanism. Some of us feel pain on occasion. Whether headaches or lower back pain or something similar, we feel pain not just when we injure ourselves. Pain encroaches. Pills and painkillers help it pass. We look after ourselves and then it goes away again.

Others feel pain all the time. I've come to know one person with chronic pain very well. Lene Andersen is an award winning author and blogger, advocate, and exhibited photographer. The Seated View is where you can read her "opinionated ramblings about almost everything".

From audio book reviews that make you realize how important it is to have a good reader, through movie reviews, amazing photographs, and her end of the month random posts, The Seated View is well written, funny, insightful, and I highly recommend reading it.

As an accomplished writer Lene is also able to share her experiences living with pain. The Seated View gives insight into living with chronic pain for those of us who can't begin to imagine it. If you want to try to understand what it's like to live with fibromyalgia and rheumatoid arthritis, or even with chronic pain in general, The Seated View is a good place to start.

• Don't understand fibromyalgia? Here's what it's like to have a fibro flare. Not sure what affects pain can have on the mind as well as the body? The term is fibro fog.
• Have you had a family member or friend in great pain? Pain not only isolates but it can be very hard to watch. Even for those who can personally relate it's hard to watch someone suffer.
• Having chronic pain isn't necessarily depressing. Life can be good even with pain. It can even lead to personal growth apparently. Even after downturns and setbacks the future can open up again.

Don't think The Seated View is only about disability or pain. Lene's blog is like life. There are ups and downs, laughs and tears, moments of frivolity and moments of deep reflection. I've learned a great deal reading her blog. It's made me not just aware of how lucky I am to be relatively pain free, but also how lucky I am to know her.