Life's A Pain

Chapter 4

Kaitlyn didn't even make it three steps from her mom's car before she heard a loud squeal and someone calling her name. The next thing she saw was a blur launching straight at her.

The blur had purple hair and stopped right in front of her and began talking a mile a minute.

"Oh my god! Kaitlyn! It is so great to see you! I didn't know you would be here! I literally could not stop thinking about you and that green dress. I can't believe you are here. I have to introduce you to everyone. We all heard that there was going to be a new member and I never would have guessed that I already knew them!" Crystal said in one breath.

Before Kaitlyn could respond, Crystal grabbed her hand and started dragging her to the doors of the community center.

"Okay, so, including me, there were previously six people in this group, including the leader. You make the seventh person." Crystal said as she opened the door and gestured for Kaitlyn to walk in first.

The building was seemingly new and was actually very welcoming with its neutral colors, and splashes of greens and blues.

" I am glad I know at least one person who is here. I was honestly kinda nervous about how this whole thing would go." Kaitlyn admitted to Crystal as they walked closer to the door where the support group was being held.

"There is absolutely nothing to worry about. Everyone here is super nice, and in no time, this group will become your family, the same way it became one for me. I will introduce you to everyone once we go in." Crystal assured Kaitlyn as she put her hand on the doorknob and began to turn.

As Kaitlyn entered the room she observed the six other occupants. Five of them were sitting and talking to each other and the sixth was at the front of the room flipping through some papers.

Crystal, with Kaitlyn's hand still in hers, pulled her sling to the person at the front of the room.

"Hey Alex, I found our new member! This is Kaitlyn, and she is going to be a perfect fit here!" Crystal stated.

The new person now dubbed Alex, thanked Crystal and turned to Kaitlen and smiled. "Hi, Kaitlyn, it is nice to meet you. My name is Alex and I am the founder leader of this support group. Your mom told me a lot about you and I hope you enjoy yourself today."

Kaitlyn smiled back at ease with how friendly he was. Crystal then guided Kaitlyn to the remaining loveseat near the others, leaving the single chair open for Alex.

Before Crystal had a chance to introduce Kaitlyn to everyone else, Alex started the meeting.

"Good afternoon guys. It is really nice to see you all. As you can all see, we have a new member today and so we are going to start with introducing ourselves. I will go first. My name is Alex and use they/them pronouns. I developed Complex Regional Pain Syndrome in both of my hands and arms when I was eighteen. Some of my hobbies include watching superhero movies, and listening to audio books."

"Calum, will you go next? We will then go clockwise."

At those words, a good looking guy with dark hair and dark eyes stood up and began to speak hesitantly.

"My name is Calum and I am 17 and use he/him pronouns. I got bitten by a tick when I was 14 and developed lyme disease from it. I love playing and watching soccer," Calum said briefly and sat back down.

The next person to stand up had hair that was obviously dyed red.

"My name is Michael, you can call me that, Mikey, Mike, whatever is cool with me. Oh, and I'm 18. My pronouns are also he/him. I have hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome and was diagnosed surprisingly young at 11. Because of my EDS, I also have Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia, more commonly known as POTS. I love watching soccer and playing video games." He said with a warm smile and a wave to Kaitlyn.

Kaitlyn had to do a double take when she saw who stood up next. She swears she has seen him before, but can't quite put her finger on where. Ashton didn't miss Kaitlyn's reaction to seeing him and chuckled to himself.

"My name is Ashton and am 18. I use he/him pronouns. Kaitlyn and I go to the same school, but I am a grade above her."

This shocked Kaitlyn for multiple reasons. The first is how did she not recognize the star player of her school's hockey team? If he is here that means he has pain issues. 'Did the pain start recently' Kaitlyn wondered to herself? The other reason Kaitlyn was shocked was because he knew her name and she did not yet introduce herself.

Ashtons voice brought Kaitlyn back to reality. "My diagnosis is also Complex Regional Pain Syndrome but it is just in my left foot and leg. It developed after I injured it playing hockey at the end of the season last year."

That answered Kaitlyn's question about if it started recently and she wondered if he would play this season at all.

"I absolutely love hockey," Ashton continued. " I am the captain of my school's team and plan on playing this season despite my doctor's recommendations.

Ashton sat down and a guy with a lip ring and blue eyes stood up. The thing that stood out the most was the giant bruise on his arm. Kaitlyn was deep in thought processing everything she had learned. Her attention was drawn when she heard speaking again.

"My name is Luke and I am 17. I use he/him pronouns. I have Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome and am in the process of getting other diagnoses. My passion is music, both writing and singing. Playing guitar can be difficult but I am able to manage most of the time." Luke spoke and quickly sat back down.

This group was very similar yet diverse Kaitlyn thought to herself. She wondered what Crystal had, but she had to wait to find out as the next person rose and began speaking.

"My name is Sierra and use she/her pronouns," quietly started a very pretty and petite girl. "I am 18 and suffer from Chronic Daily Migraine and Post Concussive Syndrome. I used to be an ice skater before my pain began, but now my passion is art. I love creating different patterns and practically anything to do with art. Crystal and I co-run a business, but I will let her talk about it more as it is her 'brainchild.'"

Sierra smiled at both Crystal and Kaitlyn and sat back down. The next person to go was Crystal and she excitedly stood up.

"Okay, so, my name is Crystal and use she/her pronouns. I am 19 and was diagnosed with Gastroparesis when I was 14. As Sierra mentioned, she and I co-own a small business and we make medical accessories such as 'tubie tape', 'tubie pads', and 'tubie clips.' I hope to extend the shop in the future and create and sell more things. Aside from that, I absolutely love fashion and can binge watch Project Runway all day long."

So that is what Crystal had. I would have never know she, or any of the people here were suffering from chronic pain, but then again, most people would never guess that about me.

Wait.

It's my turn, Kaitlyn thought, panicked. She was so busy listening to everyone share their stories that she did not think about what she would say.

Crystal grabbed Kaitlyn's hand and helped her up after sensing her reluctance. Kaitlyn was shocked when Crystal pulled her into a hug and whispered "you got this" in her ear. Once she let go, Crystal gave an encouraging smile and sat back down.

Everyone's eyes were now on Kaitlyn which made her nervous, but Crystal's smile and the open looks on the faces of everyone else calmed her down enough to begin talking.

"Hi everyone, my name is Kaitlyn and use she/her pronouns. I am 17 years old. My diagnoses consist of Complex Regional Pain Syndrome in both legs and feet and I also get debilitating migraines. I used to be a competitive dancer before everything and I currently love writing poetry and music. I am also a bit of a history buff and love watching documentaries," Kaitlyn finished with a shy smile

Before Kaitlyn was able to sit down, Alex stood up and said "welcome Kaitlyn, I hope you find a family here within this group."