We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Ross McCreery. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Ross below.

Ross, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Was there a moment in your career that meaningfully altered your trajectory? If so, we’d love to hear the backstory.

I had spent 10-15yrs working my way up with a large corporate company. When I finally got a promotion into a senior management position with that company I was diagnosed with a rare disease called Complex Regional Pain Syndrome. This is a disease that I would wish on nobody as it leaves a person in constant chronic pain. This diagnosis would flip my world upside down. I had spent so much time and energy in getting myself to a place where I could be the sole provider for my family. My wife had always dreamt of being a stay at home mom and we had just adopted our first child. Now all of those plans had to be sidelined and my wife not only had to go back to nursing but had to become my caregiver. I would have to go off on permanent disability and would then have to spend years trying to fight for my own health and wellness. Early on in the diagnosis I lost my sense of self and had to work really hard to create a new identity for myself because everything that I had become was taken in the blink of an eye. It was at this moment where I was at a crossroads. I could decide I’d let this diagnosis be the end of me or I could fight to move forward and create the best quality of life for myself that I could!

Ross, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I am a 54yr old married father of two beautiful children who lives in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada. The work I do in the advocacy space came about in an effort to not have to see others go through what I had to as a patient. I was diagnosed in 2006. Where I live in Saskatchewan there was no help for me in trying to get treatment. After seeing over 20 physicians and specialists in our province I would have to fly to another province to be diagnosed. Ultimately it probably took almost ten years to really get proper ongoing treatment to help me manage this disease.

In going through everything that I’ve had to endure it has created a passion within me to help others with their struggles. I started advocating with online organizations to raise awareness in order to help others find the resources they need. My advocacy work started online but was noticed by organizations from around our province. I then started working with the Saskatchewan Health Authority in order to create change and help others living with pain in being able to access the resources and treatment that they need.

I was also involved in getting a non for profit off the ground called the Sask Pain Foundation and also created a day of awareness called CRPS Awareness Day which is recognized in the province of Saskatchewan. Through working with all of these organizations we have been able to create better access and establish better resources for those living with pain. I am proud of the work that I have been doing with these organizations and will continue into the future however I am most proud of creating a day of awareness for our province and I am even more proud of a children’s book that I co-wrote with a team over the last two years that also has a curriculum with it that we hope to put into schools.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

My story of resilience is from the day that all this began.. After having a simple surgery to remove a cyst from my wrist I was immediately in constant chronic pain from my finger tips to the top of my shoulder. When the pain moved to my left leg I was unable to walk for almost two years. It was over this two year period and trying to navigate our healthcare system that I had to be my own best advocate. I had to fight for health care professionals to believe me and for them to not think this was all in my head.

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

What really helped me build my reputation as a healthcare advocate was my tenacity and the use of my story to keep fighting for improvements in not only my care but for others. As I share my story with others it has brought validity others health care professionals and those living with pain have notice that.

Contact Info:

• Website: http://painfullyoptomistic.com
• Instagram: http://rossco166