Last modified: Tuesday, July 11, 2006 12:59 AM EDT Walker nears end of trek BY RICK FOSTER/SUN CHRONICLE STAFF WHEN DENNIS KINCH arrives in Santa Monica, Calif., The Sun Chronicle will be there to greet him. Read Rick Foster's reports from Santa Monica beginning Wednesday in The Sun Chronicle and at www.thesunchronicle.com. Walking west through Fontana, Calif., Dennis Kinch can look back on miles of trekking through the Mojave Desert, the friendly face of a small-town mayor who came out to greet him in Illinois and a caravan of classic car enthusiasts who cheered him as he made his way down a lonely stretch of legendary Route 66. What Kinch doesn't dwell on is the pain. The former Attleboro resident began walking 2,400 miles from Chicago to Los Angeles last September, despite chronic pain from an obscure bone condition. He set out on the one-man journey to call attention to the need for pain management, therapy and education in concert with the National Pain Foundation, which advocates for patients nationwide. Now, as he nears the end of his journey -- he's scheduled to arrive at the Pacific Ocean in Santa Monica, Calif., on Friday, July 14 -- Kinch said he still experiences pain every day. He's just not dominated by it. `` I've learned quite a bit about pain, how to deal with it, how to put it in the background,'' said Kinch, 50, a national ambassador for chronic pain management who's talked with thousands of pain sufferers, doctors and family members at clinics, hospitals and public appearances since leaving Chicago last September. Wherever he goes, Kinch preaches his mantra of `` do what you can, when you can,'' urging a blend of patience and perseverance. He also has become something of a symbol for an estimated 75 million chronic pain sufferers -- many of whom feel their condition is ignored or minimized by doctors and health insurers. `` When Dennis passes through a town, he becomes something like an instant celebrity,'' said Mary Pat Aardrup, director of the National Pain Foundation, the organization promoting Kinch's cross-country trek. `` People want to meet him, walk with him, get encouragement from him,'' she said. Kinch's odyssey has generated stories in dozens of newspapers, including the New York Times, and on many TV and radio stations along the route. The long-distance walker has also been showered with recognition and awards by pain clinics, medical conventions and rehabilitation groups from coast to coast. Aardrup said Kinch has helped focus attention on the often-neglected medical condition which afflicts an estimated one in four Americans. Pain, both from confirmed and mysterious causes, has caused millions of Americans to miss work or abandon popular activities, disrupted family lives and drained the economy of billions of dollars in lost productivity. For many patients, a chance to meet and talk with a courageous individual who has become a focal point for combating their often-misunderstood affliction is self-affirming. `` For many of these people, one of the worst parts is the lack of validation,'' Aardrup said. `` Chronic pain is often seen by others as a character flaw -- something that might be all in a person's head.'' But chronic pain is beginning to attract additional attention within the medical and rehabilitation fields, spawning an expanding variety of therapies, medications and education programs. Excruciating but inexplicable back pain that began about three years ago forced Kinch to give up his job as a chef, cost him his home and even the ability to care for his two daughters. After numerous medical procedures and attempts to diagnose the problem, doctors eventually pinpointed Paget's Disease, a degenerative bone condition, as the culprit. Kinch gained knowledge and comfort from therapists, including an aquatic movement program at the Attleboro YMCA and Sturdy Memorial Hospital. The former Attleboro resident has encountered his share of triumphs and bumps in the road as he's traveled from Illinois to California pushing a small wheelbarrow containing his belongings. Kinch says residents along the route who have heard about his travels on the radio or read about him in the newspaper frequently come out to meet and or walk with him. He's also gratified by the opportunity to lend a sympathetic ear to patients at local pain clinics, many of whom burst into tears while relating their stories. Kinch has also had to overcome adversity. A cart containing his camping gear and supplies was stolen from a motel en route. He had to tough out a long stretch crossing the dessert recently, during which temperatures hit 120 degrees, and was frequently forced to shelter under highway overpasses. But Kinch, who says he feels more fit than ever on account of his travels, isn't cured of chronic pain by any means. `` If you talk to Dennis early in the morning, you can tell how much pain he's still living with,'' Aardrup said. `` The difference is he is managing his pain. He's not allowing it to define who he is.'' Hiking across Arizona in the homestretch of his eight-month trek a few weeks ago, Kinch was suddenly stricken with severe bleeding caused by an ulcer in his small intestine and might have died without immediate treatment. After three weeks of recuperation, though, he was back on the road. For Kinch, who earlier completed a 440-mile Boston-to-Washington hike on behalf of chronic pain sufferers, doing `` what you can, when you can'' has a special significance. Because of his slowly deteriorating health, doctors say he may one day lose the ability to walk. Kinch said the possibility added urgency to his journey. Back home, pain sufferers and health care providers haven't forgotten Kinch, either. `` What Dennis has done is so inspiring,'' said Judy Logan, director of rehabilitation at Sturdy Memorial Hospital, which serves a large number of pain patients. Logan and others follow news of Kinch's progress religiously and post clippings about his exploits at the hospital. `` Please let him know we're very proud of him.'' The former Attleboro man is scheduled to complete his trip July 14, when he reaches Santa Monica. A blog containing a running account of Kinch's travels along with photos, videos and news coverage can be found at www.nationalpainfoundation.org. rdrtrdrsrdrw15rsp160 RICK FOSTER can be reached at 508-236-0428 or at rfoster(at)thesunchronicle.com.