Instead, it’s the daily reality of a chronic pain sufferer and former police officer.

Since an accident which crunched his spine “like several chiropractors visits all at once”, Mr Parrello has struggled with crippling physical pain and resulting depression.

Mr Parrello was upbeat and candid sharing the story of his experience with chronic pain. It’s easy to believe him when he says he “used to be the life of the party”.

After falling and hitting his head carrying firewood in 2007, Chris wasn’t too worried – after all, he could move his fingers and toes. He didn’t like the crunching sound his neck made, but he had a “suck it up” attitude to pain.

Three months later, he woke up with pins and needles in his arms and legs, unable to lift his head from the pillow.

So began a decade-long battle with the pain of fractured discs and ruptured vertebra. He was only 40.

“I started on non-steroidal anti inflammatories for about a year,” he said.

“I was flying between Sydney, Melbourne and the US as an IT consultant.

“I saw a neurosurgeon and had two surgeries, along with cortisone injections.

“It didn’t work, and when I went back for my third surgery the doctor wasn’t there.”

That was because his neurosurgeon, Suresh Nair, had been arrested. He was later jailed after pleading guilty to the manslaughter of an escort, Suellen Domingues Zaupa, 22, who died of a cocaine overdose in his luxury Elizabeth Bay flat in November 2009.

Nair also pleaded guilty to supplying the cocaine that nine months previously killed another escort, Victoria McIntyre, 23, in the same unit.

It was later revealed Nair had been allowed to continue performing delicate brain and spinal procedures while his life was spiralling out of control due to a chronic cocaine addiction.

“It was bizarre,” Mr Parrello said.

“I found another neurosurgeon, who had to take out the previous plate, which was loose, and fuse more vertebra,” Mr Parrello said.

“I have a three-inch plate with a cage, eight screws and a couple of false discs in my back – and I’m still in pain.

“I burn my hands and fingers all the time cooking because the pins and needles get so bad they’re numb. I just don’t notice until later.

“I was started on opioid pain killers, then ketamine infusions. The first infusion was great, I was able to come off all the pain killers and had no pain at all for four months.

“The second infusion, I was sick, hallucinating … it didn’t work that well,” he said

“I saw a pain management specialist in Sydney, who put implants into my back. He couldn’t get into the areas that he needed to because of the previous procedures.

“That was a really depressing time, because he basically said ‘look, there’s nothing we can do’.

“The pain specialist I had in Melbourne said that I’d be on this rollercoaster for the rest of my life. 

“Looking back it was a blessing. After I got through the angst, it made me calmer because I knew there was nothing else I could do but take the medication.”

Mr Parrello said taking opioids carried a stigma, but “I take them so I can get out of bed and get to work – and I want to work”.

Mr Parrello said, since moving from Sydney to Eurobodalla, he has met suspicion when attempting to fill prescriptions.

“The liquid (they prescribed) is usually for cancer patients, so when I took the prescription and authority down to the chemist, they said they didn’t have any in stock.

“I thought, ‘fair enough’. Then they called me back and said there’d been a glitch in their system and I’d have to see my doctor again,” he said.

Unable to see his own doctor, Mr Parrello said another doctor “quizzed” him “like I was a drug addict”.

He said it took four months and numerous phone calls before there was effective communication between his pain management specialist and local service providers.

Mr Parrello lives daily with the exhaustion of chronic pain. He says living in a rural area makes it more challenging.

“I’ve been up for days with no sleep from the pain,” he said. 

“I asked my doctor if we can do anything. He said no, but I could go to hospital and be knocked out - I’d just have to drive to Canberra.

“We just don’t have the facilities here, so if you’re in pain, don’t live in a rural area. It’s ridiculous.”

He’s hoping, as part of consumer advocate group Chronic Pain Australia, this year’s Chronic Pain Week can be a catalyst for change. 

“There’s got to be a better way,” he said.

He wants a central database of patients with chronic pain, showing “our full history, to show we’re legitimate”.

“I’m lucky the doctor I’ve got now is such a lovely guy, it’s been a dream. He’s just been unreal.

“When you feel good, you think ‘why can’t I just feel like this all the time?’” 

Southern Area Health NSW has been approached for comment.