Lessons from the Front Lines of Chronic Pain
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Time to read 3 min
Dear Friends in the Fight,
After a much-needed period of rest, reset, and release, the Mighty Well team is back and buzzing with excitement for 2025! We've got big plans on the horizon: new medical supply product launches, expanded global reach for our PICCPerfect® and H2O Shield™ , and—something we're particularly excited about—more opportunities to connect in person.
This spring, I’m heading to Japan as the Co-Wellbeing Champion for the Cartier Women’s Initiative , where I’ll be delivering keynote speeches and workshops in Osaka and Tokyo. Mighty Well, a proud 2019 alum of this life-changing program, has been deeply shaped by its support. I’m excited to share our impact story and connect with incredible entrepreneurs from around the world!
But before we dive into the exciting times ahead, I want to share something deeply personal that I've been navigating.
Pain is my greatest teacher
The past six weeks have been a profound period of grounding, expansion, and letting go. Yousef, my husband and Mighty Well co-founder, and I moved homes recently , and as I unpacked our belongings, I found myself rediscovering meaningful objects and intentionally letting go of things that no longer serve me.
In the midst of this process, my body delivered an unexpected challenge—a compressed nerve in my back causing neuropathy throughout the lower half of my body. This has sent me back into the familiar dance of medical appointments, physical therapy, and healing.
This pain feels different from the chronic pain I experienced with Lyme disease and CIDP.
It is: Hot. Heavy. Constant. Numb. Tingling. And yes, it absolutely sucks.
But here's what chronic pain continues to teach me—lessons I hope will resonate with you:
Surrender is strength
There is profound power in acknowledging our limitations. Pushing through isn’t always the answer.
Sometimes, true courage means listening to our bodies, allowing ourselves to rest, and understanding that healing isn’t linear.
Most days, I have been working from my sauna mat , which is basically a full-body heating pad!
Compassion begins with self
The way we treat ourselves during challenging moments sets the tone for how we navigate life’s most difficult terrains. Gentle self-talk, patience, and radical acceptance are not signs of weakness, but of deep inner wisdom. And let me tell you—this wisdom has been loud, my Friends in the Fight!
Resilience is not about perfection
Resilience means showing up, even when showing up looks different —lying on a sauna mat during a team Zoom call, breathing through pain during an acupuncture appointment, or simply existing in my new dwelling. Our worth is not determined by our productivity but by our capacity to love ourselves through every season.
Community matters more than ever
While this journey can feel isolating, we are never truly alone. Each of you—our Friends in the Fight —remind me daily that our shared experiences create an invisible but unbreakable network of support. Thank you for all of your DMs ❤️.
Thanks for helping me to remember: Pain is my greatest teacher—this is a hurdle, not a setback. If this resonated with you, what lessons has pain taught you? Share in the comments or send me a message—I’d love to hear from you!
P.S.: One of my dear friends, Jason, and I were having a heart-to-heart about how, just by being ourselves, people often want to help us and share things they think we’d love.
"Have you ever noticed that people just want to give you stuff?" – Jason D., Friend in the Fight and Lyme Warrior
Well, we just want to give you something—because we love you, because we’ve been in your shoes, and because we know how much it can help.
So, we made our beloved Brain Fog Fix (BFF) Planner FREE . Yes, you heard that right—FREE. Originally offered as a printed pack at $9.95, we realized that every Friend in the Fight deserves access to this, no questions asked. So I asked Maria and Caitlin, “What if we just made it FREE for our favorite Friends in the Fight?” And here we are. Want it? It’s yours. Just click here.
Emily Levy
Emily A. Levy is an entrepreneur, healthcare KOL, and keynote speaker. She co-founded Mighty Well to improve patients' lives with chronic illnesses based on her lived experience with long-term vascular access, infusion therapy, and home care.
You are not alone in this journey.
Every month, I share beacons of light, personal stories and lessons learned with our Mightier Together community. If you could use a little extra encouragement and a supportive space —I’d love for you to join us.
More light, more strength, more you.
→ Finding Light in the Darkness: Navigating Chronic Illness with Strength and Hope
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