this is not something that I have written. This was written by someone else, but the author is unknown. I found it important to post because people who are not in pain, can see or read about the "cost" of pain to those of us dealing with it daily

1. The Cost of Pain........................
the cost of prescriptions, medical treatments and devices,
surgeries, insurance, disability payments, physical
therapy, psychological therapy and such...
yes you can add all those things up and get a total cost...but that
is not the price of pain...the price of pain is more...
The price of pain is the loss of self-respect when you can no longer
complete personal grooming, cook meals or take care of your family the way
you want to
The price of pain is the loss of rewarding employment when you
cannot perform the tasks to do the job you love.
The price of pain is the loss of quality of life when you can't go
biking with your children or dancing with your husband.
The price of pain is the loss of relationships with friends and
family when the pain and medication makes it impossible to even have
a conversation or attend important events.
The price of pain is no longer being independent when you cannot
drive very far or shop for groceries alone.
The price of pain is the depression and mental anguish the pain
brings with it.
The price of pain is the loss of sleep and the resulting problems
sleep deprivation causes.
The price of pain is the side effects of the medications taken in an
attempt to survive the day.
The price of pain is when you lose who you are in the pain.
These things and more are the price of pain...
It is the living every minute of everyday around what
your pain level is or when you can take the next dose of
medication,praying it will bring more pain relief than the last dose.
When happiness is 4 hours of pain-free sleep or a day with only 75%
of the usual pain.
The price of pain is paid by the person in pain as well as those who
love them.
The price of pain is watching someone you love suffer day after day,
night after night and you are helpless to ease their pain.
The price of pain is when your child asks "Can you take me shopping or to a movie, if
you are feeling Ok?"
The price of pain is beyond money, the price of pain is beyond
words, The price of pain seems endless.
The price of pain is is there until the day that person is free of
the damaged body.

2. The price of pain is all these things and more.
But the pain is not me and I am not the pain.
The pain is part of my life, but the pain will not take my life.
I will fight, and though the pain fills my life it will not take my
life.
Each day I fight, I live, and show the pain who I am...
though the pain may take much of my life it will not consume me-I
will not allow the price to be that high...
The price of pain is all this, but I am more