How Chronic Pain Became My Motivation for Good

This is a guest post from an activist friend who wishes to remain anonymous for reasons that will quickly be clear.

When I was 17, I had an abortion that went terribly wrong. A mistake in the operating room led to nerve damage and a lifelong struggle with chronic pain . Imagine a cheese grater dragging against your private parts every second of every waking hour. For the past 17 years, despite dozens of experimental treatments, medications, nine surgeries, injections, women's wellness retreats, and every type of psychological and physical therapy you can think of, pain has been a constant feature of my life.

After my first surgery, a vestibulectomy, I had to pee in a bath for weeks to avoid the stinging caused by urine getting into an open wound. Each subsequent surgery and unpredict