Author feels that web presence is "Spirit-driven."

The year 2001 has been The 106th U.S. Congress passed H.R. 3244 and President Clinton signed this bill into law. Title VI, Sec. 1603, provides for the "Decade of Pain Control and Research," to begin January 1, 2001. This is only the second Congressionally declared medical decade, the first being the Decade of the Brain in the 1990s.

Each year over 7000 people commit suicide because living with pain has become unbearable. Chronic pain is a drain on our health care system and the personal finances of those that suffer. Nearly one-third of the people in the United States will suffer with chronic pain at some time in their lives. It is currently the most common cause of long-term disability, partially or totally disabling upwards of 50 million people.

The year 2001 has been The 106th U.S. Congress passed H.R. 3244 and President Clinton signed this bill into law. Title VI, Sec. 1603, provides for the "Decade of Pain Control and Research," to begin January 1, 2001. This is only the second Congressionally declared medical decade, the first being the Decade of the Brain in the 1990s.

Author and speaker Pat Oreilly believes her participation in the war on pain is divinely inspired. As a 23-year survivor of chronic pain due to Fibromyalgia, Pat reaches out and gives other people suffering with pain, hope.

"I know the inspiration I give comes through me, not from me. If I were to sit down and just try to write I could not do it. But if I meditate and wait patiently, the words come when they are ready. They are clear, precise and powerful." Says Ms. Oreilly. "I never have to change a thing except spelling."

For some this might sound like new-age mumbo-jumbo, but where ever they come from her words are inspiring. And they are changing lives. Here is Pat's story:

"One year ago my partner forced a new computer on me that I really did not want. I had just been through a monumental fight with my HMO to get my medication changed. I was furious to find out that in two years of my trying to get the change of medication through several doctors, no one had ever sent for my chart to validate my health issues.

I thought there must be others out there that this type of thing had also happened to. In my complete ignorance I decided to try to put a site together to see if I could connect with other pain patients. I had absolutely no money to invest in my venture, (after buying the computer) so I had to teach myself first how to run the computer, then how to build a web site. After working on my site for a month it was ready!

Then I realized how hard it is to get recognized by the search engines. Your site must be submitted, then approved. If it is not listed in the top 30 sites for any topic no one will ever see it. I was up against all the professional sites that large organizations submit and had no real idea of what I was doing!

I worked and worked to get my site listed with no results at first. Finally Open Directory, a large human reviewed directory must have liked what they saw because one day I checked my position and found that my site was #1 with AOL for the term chronic pain.
I was elated! Finally someone would see my site. I was so proud!

At dinner one night a friend asked me what I had been up to I told her about my site. I had forgotten that she was an English teacher and now did book editing for a living. She asked for my web site address and I gave it to her.She told me she really liked what she saw and offered to edit it for me. I was surprised to find so many spelling errors that I had missed. She was very supportive and gracious with her comments.My site grew and was receiving a few hits and I was busy learning all I could about the internet.

Then one day the love of my life decided he wanted to move on. Faced with living alone with very little income I had no idea what to do. When my editor friend learned that I was alone she remarked "What about your site? You can't drop it, the world needs to hear what you write!"

I was so flattered I told her that I would try to keep it up. She suggested I write a book. In my ignorance and desperation I decided to do just that. Once again, I was over my head but had nowhere else to turn. Luckily there was one thing I did know how to talk about, personal growth. I had been a speaker for personal growth for about fifteen years. I began my book and after a while it began to write itself! I was in such pain over the breakup I could not think straight. When I wrote the chapter on depression I was sitting at the keyboard crying my eyes out. But the words kept coming and I continued to put them on paper.

Two months later I was done. The next step was to post it on my site and see if anyone would read it. I did that and also sent it to a publisher just to have the experience, I really did not think they would accept it. Two days later I received an acceptance email and learned that I would not only have an ebook but a paper book also. We had celebration parties and everyone was so excited for me.

I was a bit intimidated because as usual I had no idea what I was in for. I was offered two contracts actually. One was with a top-level publishing house and one was with a POD publisher that I had to qualify for. The top-level publishing house would invest in my book but own the rights to it after it was published. In addition they would do all editing and it would take about eighteen months to have a book on the market. I think my commission was six percent. The POD publisher did not own the rights, the book would take about two months to be published and I had the editing done by my editor. For me the POD was the way to go.

Today I sit here with my beautiful book, and think back and realize what a miracle it is. To teach myself so many things because I had no money and to have a site that is currently in the top 30 sites for chronic pain and in the top 10 on several is in itself a miracle. To have written a book that is gaining attention from some really important people in the field is another miracle. To have an online support group that is helping thousands is yet another miracle. This is not something I would have thought was possible when I started this project. Many things had to come together for all this to work, but they did come together and I can only believe one thing: it was meant to be. Divine inspiration cannot be rushed or faked, and this project was absolutely spiritually driven. I believe it was a gift to all people with pain and I was just the messenger. The big boss was the creator."

For futher information contact:
Pat Oreilly
President
Chronic Pain Clearinghouse
(707) 869-5971
Pat95471@yahoo.com
www.myspirit2.homestead.com/book.html

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