Bethany Gamble
Mother of Jacob, 15, Jocelyn, 12, and Jillian, 8
Cottage Grove
Working and raising three children might seem like a handful, but Cottage Grove mom Bethany Gamble also suffers from pudendal neuralgia, a rare chronic pain condition affecting the pelvic area. However, Bethany has been proactive in finding ways to spend time with her family, despite her limitations, and has even become certified as a wellness coach to help other chronic pain sufferers.
What was your reaction to your diagnosis?
I basically had to self-diagnosis myself because I had pain for almost five years. I finally Googled a bunch a symptoms and came up with this term pudendal neuralgia, and it fit me perfectly. The next step was to find someone to properly diagnosis me, and there’s only about five or six doctors in the country that specialize in it. I remember being both devastated and relieved because I finally had a name for it.
How did your family react to the diagnosis of the pain you’d felt for so many years?
At first I think my husband Adam and I both tried to hide it as much as we could because this condition is so personal and embarrassing. Also, I didn’t want them to worry — my husband has health problems too — so we didn’t want them to think we were both going to be incapable of taking care of them. But when we finally knew what it was and what my limitations were, that’s where we sat down with them.
I can no longer ride a bike, bowl, or hike with my kids and rarely am able to sit for more than 20 minutes at a time. So we try to concentrate on the things that we can do together and make jokes about what I call a “reverse disability.” I think more than anything it’s just taught them empathy.
How did your condition motivate you to become a wellness coach?
I guess there was a period of denial, but I really wanted to figure out how to make decisions not based on fear but on information and then move forward. It was really just about not making chronic pain my identity, not being ashamed of it anymore. “Pudendal” is actually the Latin word for shame and that fascinated me. Once I got a diagnosis, I decided, “I’m not going to be embarrassed by this anymore; I’m going to help educate people.”
What methods do you use to cope with your chronic pain on a daily basis?
We find activities we can do together. We lay and read books a lot or we play board games where I can lay down. The kids know that when I attend their sporting events, I’ll be the one standing or laying on a blanket, as sitting in a lawn chair doesn’t work for me. It’s taught them responsibility because starting three years ago they had to help out a lot around the house. They’ve also been taught to recognize that sometimes emotions can be caused by pain. We’re to the point now that when I’m having a crabby day, my daughter will say to me, “Do you need to go lay down?” or “Do you need an ice pack?” She’s really realized that it’s not me; it’s the pain talking. I try to teach them that everyone has their struggles, but they’re not always visible. •
