Hello
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Hi, I'm Ashly, the creator of Believe Pain. Believe Pain is a project inspired by my journey with chronic pain and illness. My goal is to compile information and resources to help others find treatment and diagnoses for rare, chronic illnesses more easily and quickly; poor/uninformed medical care shouldn't take away years of our lives.
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I believe that if I did not continue to search for diagnoses on my own and push for medical care, I would still be diagnosed with ME/CFS, fibromyalgia, and depression. I would most likely still be bed ridden with extreme left-sided pain and swelling, still feeling suicidal, and even possibly dead due to my untreated medical diagnoses and hopelessness.
I hope my work here helps others find treatment and diagnoses that lead to healing. I hope this site helps others feel less alone and more supported.
How am I Qualified to provide Information?
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I have a BA in English with an emphasis in Professional Writing. I'm trained to determine what's good info and what's bad as well as how to share information. After a career in teaching, I returned to graduate school for a Master's of Social Work as well as an Interdisciplinary Graduate Certificate in Women's Health. Currently, I work at Sego Lily Counseling as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) and specialize in treating chronic health conditions, chronic pain, anxiety, depression, grief, eating disorders, and body image. I'm only licensed to see clients who live in Utah. If you're interested in seeing me in person or online and you live in Utah, please visit the Sego Lily Counseling link above to join my waiting list.
Besides my professional training, I spent over seven years searching for information to explain why the left side of my body was swollen and painful. The information I have provided here includes many of the websites I found helpful. I also tried to provide information to connect these chronic conditions to each other, so if you're researching one condition, this site will make you aware of other possibilities. Please remember that the information provided here is not a replacement for medical care.
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I wish you all the best on this difficult journey! If you'd like to read my story, click here.