When Chronic Pain Is Invisible

Erika Conrad-Wess has lived with trigeminal neuralgia, one of the most painful conditions known to medicine, since 2004. More than two decades of invisible, relentless facial pain, multiple brain surgeries, medical dismissal, and a healthcare system that didn't always believe her. She wrote it all down. And now Nerve, her memoir of chronic pain, medical trauma, and surviving the healthcare system, is available for the world to read. In this conversation with Kim Nash, Erika breaks down what it really means to live with invisible pain, why becoming the project manager of your own healthcare changed everything, how she redefined hope when a cure stopped being the goal, and how she built a Facebook support community of nearly 7,000 people from a group of 10. This one hits close to home. Pain doesn't have to be the whole story, but first, you have to be believed. CHAPTERS / TIMESTAMPS 00:00 Understanding Chronic Pain and Invisible Illnesses 07:07 The Importance of Empathy in Healthcare 13:51 Navigating the Healthcare System: Advocacy and Self-Care 20:58 Writing as Healing: Erica's Memoir Journey 26:52 Building Support Communities for Chronic Pain Patients CONNECT & RESOURCES 🌐 Website: erikaconradwess.com The Chronic Truth Podcast: 🌐 Website: https://chronictruthpodcast.com 📱 Instagram:   / chronictruthpodcast   📘 TikTok:   / chronictruthpodcast   💬 Share Your Story: https://chronictruthpodcast.com/#test... 📋 Community Survey: https://chronictruthpodcast.com/#survey Production Partner: https://podcastmechanic.xyz #TrigeminalNeuralgia #ChronicPain