For the first time in exactly a month I rose out of bed with little or no pain in my back.

It’ll be back, I thought as I made my way to the bus stop.

When I got there, there was some discomfort but the burning, numbness and tingling that haunted me and made walking uncomfortable was faint.

I’m finally healing, I thought. Finally. Thank God!

I was riding the high until I got to work and realized it was almost time to say goodbye to my co-worker turned friend Jenna. After two years, the pace, workload and stress of our newsroom nearly wiped away her smile, damaged her health and impacted her family life. So, she decided to move on. Knowing it was the right decision for her comforted me, at least a bit. But, I was no longer at ease as I made my way to an intimate gathering in her honor.

As I watched a small group of people wish Jenna well, I thought about the stories we shared, the help we offered each other and the laughs. I was overwhelmed by the thought that just as my physical pay left me, emotional pain found a way to creep in. And, I didn’t have a procedure of pill to deal with it.

I waited a month for my back and leg pain to subside but I have no idea when I’ll stop missing my friend, I thought. At least I know that if the friendship is genuine we will keep in touch.

As I left the restaurant with another friend by my side my leg and back began to ache. But, it was nothing compared to the sadness in my heart so I just kept on moving.

#friendship #coworkers #backpain
#emotionalpain spoonies #igg4 #happynewyear #autoimmunedisease #invisibleillness #chronicillness #chronicpain #disability #blogger #writinglife #medtwitter