I didn’t choose chronic pain, but I did choose to build something that lasts
I didn’t choose chronic pain. It chose me at 15, right in the middle of a hockey dream I was still growing into.
One day, I was training like a future pro. The next, I was confined to bed screaming from inflammation no doctor could explain. Psoriatic arthritis hijacked my body before I ever fully lived in it. That was the start of a lifelong fight, not just with pain, but with identity, invisibility, and isolation.
Most people never knew. I looked fine. I learned to fake it well. On the surface, I was an athlete, a class clown, a sales rep, a guy who could grind. Underneath, I was quietly falling apart.
Relationships cracked under the pressure. Careers collapsed. For a long time, I feared I might too.
Pain Didn’t End Me — It Reshaped Me
Eventually, I stopped asking, “Why me?” and started asking, “What can I still build?”
Pain stripped me bare but it also revealed what mattered: movement, mental discipline, remote work, boundaries, honest self-talk. These weren’t lifestyle tweaks they were survival systems.
Today, I rely on nightly stretching, sauna and steam therapy, and a remote-first workflow to stay functional. One sleepless night, staring at my laptop, I realized remote work wasn’t just a job, it was a lifeline. It gave me control over my environment and the ability to build a career that worked with my pain, not against it.
I still live at a 6/10 most days. I’ve trained myself to operate in the tension between pain and purpose.
Living with chronic illness isn’t about overcoming it’s about adapting without losing yourself in the process.
Why I Built RemoteResilient.com
This isn’t just a blog, it’s an escape route for people navigating invisible pain while trying to hold their lives together.
As a remote worker with decades of experience managing psoriatic arthritis, I’ve tested countless tools, workflows, and mindset shifts to balance productivity with chronic pain. I’m here to share what actually works. No fluff, no hype, just real systems grounded in lived experience.
If it’s on this site, I’ve used it, tested it, or vetted it like my life depended on it because sometimes, it does.
Whether you’re awake at 3 AM wondering how to keep going, or just trying to make remote work a little more bearable, I built this for you.
You can find me on X at @RemoteResilient, where I share raw truths and small wins from life inside chronic pain.
Let’s Build Resilience Together
You’re not alone here. Read the posts, try the systems, and send me a message if something resonates.
Resilience isn’t about winning, it’s about building a life that holds up, no matter what.
—
Daniel Silverman
Founder, RemoteResilient.com