Unknown science behind the pain

I had the pleasure of attending another Minnesota Sessions Priority event with the Waseca Chamber of Commerce this past week. We were introduced to many candidates for governor, including Senator Amy Klobuchar and local representative Peggy Bennett. Those were the two we had pictures taken with, anyway. 

 

We provided updates about our local community, and chatted about the candidates’ goals, what made them a good candidate and why they devoted their lives to public service. 

 

After about an hour and half of walking around talking to folks, my body started to yell at me pretty strongly. Mikhail, Waseca Chamber President, noticed my discomfort and asked me if I was alright. I had already texted one of my friends telling them how much pain I was in. My friend told me to leave, but I responded I couldn’t because Mikhail had asked me to attend this event. “He is my friend, and it would be incredibly rude and disrespectful to leave,” I told my friend via text message. 

 

I told Mikhail I was hurting rather badly. He asked me a few questions and promptly told me, as my friend, I should go home–few things are worth being in that kind of pain over. Honestly, I only intend to ever put up with discomfort like that in the future if the pain is for my future children and or spouse. 

 

After three years of mystery pain, it seems with the help of a lot of research and many, many doctor visits, we might know what’s wrong with me: splenic flexure disorder. My enlarged spleen and my stomach pinch together against my insides causing a lot of pressure and pain. This occurs when I stand too long or sit in a slouched position–the sort one usually has when driving a vehicle. There are a number of things I am now doing to combat this problem. One, I don’t drive after I’ve eaten food as if there’s nothing in my stomach, it doesn’t hurt as much because there’s nothing leaving my stomach to get pinched or stuck. Mikhail asked me how I did my vacation driving. Well, I didn’t eat before or during my drives, and if I did, it was very light. Also, I now sit with a rolled up towel behind me while I drive. 

 

There are a number of other things I do to decrease how much pain I feel every day. Mainly, my only goal for 2026 is to be healthier and in less pain. So far, I feel some progress has been made. 

 

I’m grateful Mikhail told me to go home. It was not until about 24 hours later that I physically felt my left side release and the pain pass. I was quite miserable for that entire period of time, simply from all of the standing around. (I am told gravity pulls my insides together when I am standing. But, when I’m walking around it’s fine because then everything is moving around.)

 

I really don’t know the science behind it. All I’ve been able to do is recognize what works and what doesn’t. 

 

For anyone else who has dealt with chronic pain of any sorts, you have my sympathy. 

On a lighter note, I have been eating a very healthy diet now for a couple months, getting a great number of steps per day, and overall do feel better doing all of these things. 

 

"Healing starts with a single breath and a hopeful thought." — Unknown