themotherloveshow's photo on Instagram
Cynthia Troussaint & John Garrett join Mother Love in studio to invite women who live in chronic pain their families and care givers to the 7th Annual Women In Pain Conference and LIVE webcast: Accepting Pain: Our New Normal. This event is September 12, 2014 @ The California Endowment Center for Healthy Communities.
About Cynthia I lead a life of contradiction. I’ve experienced horrific pain, a non-caring medical system, and total loss of the career I felt I was born for. Yet I feel completely blessed. Twenty-seven years ago, I was a 21-year-old ballerina with a bright future. Then a minor ballet injury in my right leg triggered the chronic pain disease, Complex Regional Pain Syndrome, too often called “The Suicide Disease.”
For the first thirteen years of illness, my doctors told me my physical problems were all in my head. That abuse left me bedridden for a decade and unable to speak for five years while the CRPS spread throughout my body and ravaged my vocal cords. After my disease was diagnosed in 1995 (later I developed fibromyalgia as an over-lapping condition), I enjoyed significant improvement and moved into a wheelchair.
But my anger with my predominantly male physicians gave me the gut feeling I’d been dismissed because I was a woman. I wasn’t alone. Studies show women are more prone to chronic pain diseases and feel pain more intensely than men, all the while receiving far less care. We get sedatives and psychiatric referrals, while men tend to receive serious diagnosis, painkillers and aggressive treatment. Simply put, women hurt more and are helped less.
So I founded the nonprofit, For Grace, to ensure ethical and equal treatment of all women in pain. Our goal is to empower women to become better advocates for their pain care and to declare war on gender bias and the ever-convenient “it’s all in your head.” Cynthia Toussaint is the founder and spokesperson of For Grace. Toussaint championed and gave key testimony at two California Senate hearings – one was dedicated to CRPS awareness, the second explored the chronic under-treatment of and gender bias toward women in pain. She will spearhead a third hearing in Spring 2010 that will explore the barriers to care that women in pain face. Toussaint is the author of the memoir, Battle for Grace .
My shining star was my partner John who stayed by me, whispering support all along the way. His love lifted me through the worst of times, his steady strength soothed my wounds.
About John
Cynthia's care giver and Life Partner have been together for 34 years. He is her staunchest supporter, confidant friend and gave his voice to their memoir Battle For Grace. Even though he was reluctant at first, he knew how his sharing love story could give hope and healing to those who love and care for women in pain. Leaving was NEVER an option for him and because they are not "technically" wed, they are married, to each other in deep devotion ,love and commitment to being of service to Women In Pain.
For more info RE: The 7th Annual Women In Pain Conference and LIVE webcast: Accepting Pain: Our New Normal. This event is September 12, 2014 @ The California Endowment Center for Healthy Communities. Contact John Garrett jgarrett@forgrace.org or 818-760-7635