Guest blog by Jane, an aFLAME Disability Network member.<\/strong><\/p>\n I never imagined how quickly life could change. What began in mid-2024 as a mild ache in my shoulder gradually reshaped my routine, my expectations, and even my sense of self. Over the past year, I have navigated diagnosis, treatment, setbacks, and small but meaningful victories. I have learned how isolating chronic pain can be\u2014but also how powerful support, creativity, and resilience can be.<\/span><\/p>\n In the early months, the pain was manageable. I relied on painkillers and pushed through. But by late September, everything escalated. My physiotherapist described it as a \u201cstorm\u201d of injuries. Still, I reassured myself it would be gone by Christmas.<\/span><\/p>\n It was not.<\/span><\/p>\n Daily life became exhausting. Simple things\u2014getting dressed, brushing my teeth, making a cup of tea\u2014were painful. Nights were restless, and the effort of coping left little room for anything else. The world outside began to feel distant.<\/span><\/p>\n I sought help where I could: medication for nerve pain, a borrowed TENS machine, and eventually an MRI. Receiving the results just before Christmas was a shock\u2014there were multiple issues, and I realised this was not going to go away.<\/span><\/p>\n The start of 2025 brought stronger medication, exercises, and eventually a steroid injection, which I had been hesitant about. It was difficult, but it helped make the pain more manageable.<\/span><\/p>\n In May, my physio suggested using a left-handed mouse. With support from the Assistive Technology team<\/a>, I was able to try different options and find one that worked\u2014something that has made a real difference to how I work. There are still things I find difficult, and some days are harder than others. However, I am now better equipped with the tools, adjustments, and self-awareness to manage my work in ways I didn\u2019t have before.<\/span><\/p>\n Later that summer, I felt overwhelmed, as though I was beginning to accept this as something long-term\u2014a new version of myself. Around that time, I found aFlame, a university staff and PGR disability support group<\/a>. From my first meeting, I found warmth, understanding, and connection. For the first time in a while, I felt less alone.<\/span><\/p>\n Pain is isolating\u2014there is no mistaking that\u2014which is why support matters.<\/span><\/p>\n I paused physiotherapy for a time and allowed myself space to simply be. I started drawing again, reconnecting with creativity I had lost. Gradually, I reintroduced light weights\u2014lifting a tin of beans, then a bottle of ketchup, then a container of salt. Those small milestones mattered more than I ever expected.<\/span><\/p>\n There were setbacks. Just as progress felt possible, I injured my elbow lifting a heavy saucepan. It was frustrating, but I was beginning to understand that progress is not linear.<\/span><\/p>\n As of June 2026, I am in a better place. I still experience pain, and there are ongoing challenges, but I have more tools to cope. Physiotherapy continues, and a talking therapy group has helped me build resilience in new ways. I am learning to appreciate the moments when pain does not dominate, and to redefine what \u201cnormal\u201d means.<\/span><\/p>\n This is not the life I expected\u2014but it is one I am learning to live, in my own way.<\/span><\/p>\n If any part of this resonates with you, know that support is out there. No one should have to face chronic pain alone. I am deeply grateful to my family, friends, the members of aFlame<\/a>, the Assistive Technology team<\/a>, work colleagues and my physiotherapist, Simon, who have supported me along the way.<\/span><\/p>\n Thank you for reading.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The reality of invisible disability and the power of support Guest blog by Jane, an aFLAME Disability Network member. I never imagined how quickly life could change. What began in mid-2024 as a mild ache in my shoulder gradually reshaped...<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1873,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-60","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-member-stories"],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/aflame\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/60","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/aflame\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/aflame\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/aflame\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1873"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/aflame\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=60"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/aflame\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/60\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/aflame\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=60"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/aflame\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=60"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/aflame\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=60"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}