Episode 179: Excessive Baggage

Twenty-three hours of flying. Ten-hour safari rides. A body already screaming in pain. And an experience that changed everything.

Living with Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS) means even the simplest activities can feel impossible. So what happens when you take that body halfway around the world and ask it to keep going?

In this solo episode of Giving Pain Purpose, Lyndsay Soprano takes us on her unforgettable African safari through Kenya, sharing the breathtaking moments, unexpected challenges, and very real physical toll of travelling with chronic pain.

From wheelchair assistance and excruciating flare-ups to getting locked in a bathroom in the middle of Kenya (yes, really), Lyndsay doesn’t sugarcoat a damn thing. But between the exhaustion, ice baths, and moments of wanting to give up, something extraordinary happened.

Surrounded by elephants, lions, giraffes, and the remarkable people working to protect them, Lyndsay discovered a deeper appreciation for wildlife conservation, our planet, and what it means to be truly present. What began as a bucket-list adventure became a perspective-shifting experience that would change how she sees the world—and her place in it.

Chronic pain came along for every mile of the journey. So did the joy, wonder, laughter, and a reminder that there’s still so much life waiting to be lived.