Barbara’s story

“It was a huge breakthrough to be told, ‘you must start moving again, you won’t do more damage, indeed you will do your body good.’ “All we grown men and women had tears rolling down our faces with the pain in those first physio sessions, as we started to stretch and reuse limbs. 

“I saw we were in a competition for life, to live as normally as possible. Like an athlete, you had to go through the pain barrier and keep improving.” 

Barbara had always led a busy life, pushing herself, and still tried to push herself on good days, which inevitably led to pain flare-ups. The group learn to be realistic, pace activities, do a bit at a time, and then build up slowly to doing more. The psychologist teaches problem-solving strategies instead of seeing a problem as overwhelming and giving up, generate options for dealing with it. 

“It all began to fall into place, like pieces in a puzzle,” says Barbara. 

“The trouble when you’re soaked in chronic pain is you can’t think about anything else. You lose your identity, self-esteem, energy. It’s like a bereavement for the loss of your life and future. 

“I’ve still got the pain, but the course gave me a choice. Either lie down and be an invalid and get worse, or battle through it and achieve a much better quality of life.”

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Clinic Administration Enquiries

Bernadette Foley
Michael J Cousins Pain Management & Research Centre
Royal North Shore Hospital,
Douglas Building
T: +61 (0)2 9463 1500
F: +61 (0)2 9463 1050
bernadette.foley@health.nsw.gov.au

FUND-RAISING & DONATION ENQUIRIES

Shaan & Geoffrey Verco, Pain Foundation Ltd
c/- PMRC, Douglas Building
Royal North Shore Hospital, St Leonards NSW 2065
T: +61 (0)401 140 921 
Shaan@painfoundation.org.au

Pain Foundation Ltd (“PFL”) is registered as a charity with the Australian Charities and Not-for-Profits Commission. Eligible tax deductible donations have Deductible Gift Recipient (DGR 1) status with the Australian Tax Office (ABN # 87 072 480 123).  PFL’s privacy policy may be found at THIS LINK.

Pain Foundation Ltd acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their Elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.