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Amanda Mattheisen has endured chronic back pain since a car accident thirteen years ago. At times, the pain was so bad it controlled her life. Surgeries and drug treatments brought no relief.
Eventually, Mattheisen turned to Mayo Clinic’s two-day Pain Rehabilitation Program, a program designed to help people whose pain cannot be cured to learn how to improve their lives despite the pain. Mattheisen arrived to the program on Feb. 13 with her boyfriend Charles Buggs along for support, and during a stretching exercise on the second day of the program, Mattheisen’s boyfriend became her fiancé.
“We were doing lunges. I couldn’t go down on my knee … so he went down onto his knee and asked me for my left hand,” explains Mattheisen, who looked down to see Buggs holding a ring from her mother that she’d always wanted.
“I’d been carrying [the ring] around in my pocket for a couple of days. Trying to find the right moment,” says Buggs. “The opportunity presented itself, so I did it.”
“It was so unexpected,” says Mattheisen. “I always told him that I didn’t want to get engaged on Valentine’ Day … so I was never expecting it on Valentine’s Day.”
According to Joan Cronin, Pain Rehabilitation Program, the engagement was much more than a surprise. It was an inspiration for others in the program and the staff. “Our programs are about living life more fully and looking at life in a positive way … despite any chronic condition,” says Cronin. “So what a reward we got today by seeing a young couple that had basically said we’re going to have a life together and we’re going to make it work … despite the pain.”
This is so awesome! Our daughter suffered from chronic back pain after a car accident in 1999. She had a disk replaced in November and is finally pain free. May God guide this couple to healing and a wonderful life together! I wish them the very best!
Amanda – I encourage you to participate in the 3 week program. The 2 day is informative, but the 3 week is so much more. You will gain the support of your peers and discover many things about life and living with obstacles. The staff is there to be supportive through the entire process. As my neighbor said, “It’s the best money I ever spent.” Congratulations on your engagement and hope you have a masterpiece of a marriage.
Great story. We are always telling our kids to take what the good Lord gives you and make the best of it. Great to see that this guy loves his fianc’e and is willing to stick with her in good times and bad. I hope they live a long happy life together.
Thanks for the advice and thanks i have truly found a strong person to spend my life with! Love him dearly!