The Drawing Board
a journey in chronic pain
Mary Ann Farley
- Location
- Hoboken, New Jersey, USA
- Birthday
- January 18
- Company
- www.maryannfarley.com
- Bio
- In 1999, at the very same time I was diagnosed with a serious blood clotting disorder (Essential Thrombocythemia), I also felt my face explode in a type of pain that no one could explain. After 13 months, I finally learned that it was osteonecrosis of the jaw (also known as NICO), a complication of the blood/bone marrow illness. I've had untold numbers of surgeries during this time, having spent most of it in pain. In 2004, the blood condition caused an internal massive hemmorhage during which I lost 70% of my blood volume, which in turn made the jaw infection much worse. This blog will detail my journey with chronic pain and all of its accompanying complications and emotions. I'll try to be as honest as possible without shooting myself.
MY RECENT POSTS
- Six...No, Two...Degrees of
Donna Summer
May 17, 2012 04:54PM - Revenge of the Invisible
March 31, 2012 11:24AM - Pain for Sale
March 27, 2012 09:47AM - Open Call: Occupy America! (My
NYC pix)
November 01, 2011 12:31PM - How I Quit Smoking (6 months
and counting...)
September 20, 2011 12:51PM
MY RECENT COMMENTS
- “I was actually an intern
at Rolling Stone Magazine
a
looonnnggg time ago, and
eve…”
May 21, 2012 09:50PM - “You did???
Awww...thanks, Willie.
:)”
May 19, 2012 11:01AM - “Tragic story,
beautifully told.
A
few years ago, I attempted to
explain
depression…”
May 18, 2012 01:11AM - “Rita...I can relate!
There is definitely a certain
freedom in
invisibility. I
rem…”
April 19, 2012 12:56AM - “Thank you for your
comments, ladies. Mypsyche,
I'm confident
that you'll be a
won…”
April 18, 2012 11:30PM
Mary Ann Farley's Links
- New list
- Mary Ann Farley's Etsy Shop
JANUARY 15, 2009 12:14PM
Catching Flies
I haven't posted for a couple of weeks, as I've been writing the
story of what happened in March 2004, when life took such a dive.
I've been wanting to get it down for awhile now, just so that I
don't have to tell the story anymore. If someone wants to…
JANUARY 2, 2009 2:24PM
Another Bum From The Neighborhood
This is my first post of the new year, 2009. As I'm still achy from
this flu, I snuggled on the couch this morning and was lucky enough
to stumble upon the film Rocky and watch it in its
entirety.
As Sylvester Stallone's career took such a bizarre, unexpected and disappointing turn…
As Sylvester Stallone's career took such a bizarre, unexpected and disappointing turn…
DECEMBER 30, 2008 6:40PM
The Return Of Pollyanna
I continue to explore this strange, new world. I wasn't sure if
this new state of acceptance was going to stick, as this journey of
chronic pain has been fraught with so many hills and valleys. But
it seems it has, as each morning I'm waking up in a calmer
state.
What's…
What's…
DECEMBER 19, 2008 11:00AM
The Spoils Of Acceptance
I've been walking in a strange and unexpected state. Something
happened in the last few days, and I've been trying to retrace my
thoughts to see how I got here.
I've been feeling profoundly more peaceful for some reason, and all I can come up with is that I'm finally in a…
I've been feeling profoundly more peaceful for some reason, and all I can come up with is that I'm finally in a…
DECEMBER 13, 2008 1:56PM
The Limits Of Everything
It's Saturday now. It's taken me two days to absorb the
consultation at the Hackensack Pain Clinic, where after a long
discussion about the details of my health history, I was told I
would most likely be in pain for the rest of my life.
While I was told about treatments that…
While I was told about treatments that…
DECEMBER 9, 2008 7:23PM
Hope Springs Until Thursday
It's been a tough week and I haven't posted anything. I suppose I
don't want to sound like a broken records of complaints and
thoughts that the universe has diabolical plans for my
existence.
But it's also been an interesting week. Over the weekend, I was surprisingly in a very low amount…
But it's also been an interesting week. Over the weekend, I was surprisingly in a very low amount…
DECEMBER 1, 2008 5:06PM
Trouble With Feed
I'm trying to get Open Salon to accept my feed, so that whatever I post in my Blogger account will automatically be posted here.
Each time I enter the feed URL, I get a message saying that Salon could not retrieve the feed.
Has anyone else had trouble with this, and… Read full post »
NOVEMBER 29, 2008 11:20AM
How To Shop For Olives
In reading through these blog entries the other day, I thought,
"Jesus Christ! Talk about self-centered! Everything is me, me, me;
I, I, I." Of course, the purpose of a blog is to talk about our
lives or our thoughts or our experiences, but today's blog entry
will offer my advice--a…
NOVEMBER 23, 2008 7:49PM
Soul Paralysis
Timing is surely a perplexing thing. Yesterday, I decided to clear
off some outdated papers hanging on my fridge, and one was an old
schedule of my flamenco teacher, Victorio, who's now teaching in a new
location.
What was under it was a message I received almost two years ago from self-help…
What was under it was a message I received almost two years ago from self-help…
NOVEMBER 21, 2008 5:57PM
The Pendulum Of Consciousness
Some interesting developments with my hematologist. He attended a
conference a week or two ago about a very rare and very
underdiagnosed genetic mutation that he thinks I might have. It's
hard to fathom that anything could be rarer than my current
diagnosis (essential thrombocythemia), but apparently…
NOVEMBER 16, 2008 12:31PM
Life In The Penumbra
Today is Sunday, and I woke up feeling somewhat better. I took some
Xanax yesterday, which scares me as benzodiazapenes have the
potential of permanently scarring the brain, but drugs in the
Valium family are known for their pain-relieving properties for
facial pain. I don't have the same addiction i…
NOVEMBER 15, 2008 11:57PM
Tea and Sandhogs
It's been a hard day. I'm tired. I'm lonely. I'm unmotivated and
angry. I slept most of the day, after taking too many pain
pills.
I woke up to watch a segment of a show on the History Channel on the Sandhogs of New York, the guys who keep the underworld of…
I woke up to watch a segment of a show on the History Channel on the Sandhogs of New York, the guys who keep the underworld of…
NOVEMBER 12, 2008 6:50PM
Popping Mad
Oh, man. Today is really bad. There's just something about this
pain that is so debilitating, so crushing to the soul. I tell
people it's like someone injected acid into my face and jaw, and
lemme tell ya, it's hard to imagine at the moment what could be
worse in this…
NOVEMBER 8, 2008 4:00PM
Out Of The Mouths Of Babes
The pain has returned, as have the painkillers. And so has
despondency. Perhaps the worst thing about a period when the pain
is moderate and endurable is that I tend to get overly optimistic,
hoping that my jaw/face pain is on its way out for good. When it
inevitably returns, my…
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