William Learns to Control Chronic Pain for Better Living

As a soldier, William Hensley was taught to be tough and to push through pain. On the battlefield, this way of thinking is imperative for survival. During a tour of duty in Iraq in 2006, William seriously injured his back, and though he fractured vertebrae, the injury went undiagnosed and William returned to combat almost immediately.

In 2007, William was diagnosed with a traumatic brain injury (TBI) and was medically discharged from the Army. Though he looked forward to a happy homecoming, he could no longer ignore his chronic pain. Pain from his back injury not only affected his quality of life, but also his family. As William recalls, the pain made him irritable, causing stress within his family, which in turn caused him increased pain. William’s doctors prescribed medication, but he didn’t want to live life in a medicated haze. William wanted to be a better father and husband, to return to school and to enjoy life again, but he found himself in a cycle of chronic pain that kept him from his goals.

William’s quality of life improved significantly when he began attending a chronic pain management program offered by Donya Blair through the Operation TBI Freedom program. He learned the differences between acute and chronic pain and how to effectively manage his pain. He learned how to better communicate his needs to his family, his friends and even his medical professionals. As a result of his dedication to the program, William reduced his pain medication by over a third, improved his family relationships and is now enrolled in college. In William’s own words, “Pain used to run my life. Now I run pain.”

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Learn tips for living well with chronic pain.