Pete Moore My story is very typical of that of a pain patient. I was, like many pain patients looking for that magic bullet to take away the pain. Managing my pain was like playing a game of snakes and ladders – a game of luck. Most days melted into the next and I have a very poor pain self manager. I did not exercise or generally look after my body, I ate all the wrong foods and when something went wrong with it, I expected the doctor to fix me.

My story is very typical of that of a pain patient. I was, like many pain patients looking for that magic bullet to take away the pain. Managing my pain was like playing a game of snakes and ladders – a game of luck. Most days melted into the next and I have a very poor pain self manager. I did not exercise or generally look after my body, I ate all the wrong foods and when something went wrong with it, I expected the doctor to fix me.

My Turning Point!

In July 1996 I attended the INPUT Pain Management Programme (PMP) London. It was described to me as a programme that could help me to increase my confidence and mobility and provide me with the pain toolkit of skills to self-manage my pain. I thought this was finally something that could help me move from ‘patient to person’.

I have been back in full time work since 2000 and to date I have never had a day off sick. Currently I work as a Business Development Manager for the Expert Patients Programme Community Interest Company (EPPCIC). While working for the EPP (while under the umbrella of the Dept of Health), I wrote a six week patient/health care professional-led pain self-management programme called the Persistent Pain Programme (PPP) I also wrote a illustrated handbook patients receive when they attend the PPP.

I have also co-authored with Dr France Cole a simple booklet for patients called the Pain Toolkit now used extensively in the UK and now Germany, New Zealand and soon Canada.

During 2006 (January 19th – 21st Oct) I walked across the Essex Way (130km/81 miles) to raise the profile of pain and pain management in Essex and UK. Of course I walked it in a pacing way – a little each month.

Pete Moore

November 2009

13.Nov.10

Fundraising Members Evening

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