(((((((((Christina, Cake, Liz)))))))))))))))

yes, staying alive is important. Can you think about looking in to acupuncture? It truly is amazing (and I'd avoided it for years and am not at all fond of needles). It realigns the body pain map and revitalizes cells and blood which energizes the body and reduces pain.
It's not "woo woo"; it's one of the oldest healing modalities in the world. I highly recommend it.