Every morning my alarm signals the start of a new day, a new beginning; so, to speak.

As I inhale with thankful recognition that I am alive, I cringe with the unwelcome displeasure of discomfort. Mornings are usually met with the same concern; pain. I am no longer alarmed or surprised, instead, I retreat to the regular activities associated with ‘getting up’ or ‘starting the day’.

Pain, unfortunately, is an old acquaintance. Over the years I fought long and hard to ascertain the direct source of the pain through various medical institutions, the occasional world wide web search, and word-of-mouth discussions of the same.