Back in May, I had shared the good news that my personal essay, “On a Scale Of…” had won first place in the 2026 Streetlight Essay/Memoir Contest. (In case you missed it, you can read that blog post here.)

This week, friends, I’m pleased to share Streetlight’s 2026 Summer Issue is now available online. And, included in the Summer Issue is my award-winning essay. 

Here’s an excerpt:

“I do not like that pain scale. I like it even less than I liked the 4, 3, 2, 1 grading scale.
“I think most people living with chronic pain feel the same way I do and regard that chart as an incomplete and inaccurate way to describe pain. That scale does not take into account the pain tolerance many chronic illness patients naturally develop over time. I have lived with regular pain for over a decade. I’m certain that to an extent I have grown numb to some minor pains, and I have grown more tolerant of other pains. I have to, if I’m going to get out of bed and do anything during the day.”

You can click here to read my essay in its entirety. 

Spoonie Friends, I’m curious. How do you handle the pain scale when you’re at one of your doctor’s appointments? Let me know in the comments.