Yes, it's only when it gets beyond any "normal" level of pain and discomfort do we aggressively seek help and then eventually get to our diagnosis. I'm similar, I think perhaps I'm lucky versus how severe some people's pain and discomfort. My husband says 'keep on truckin', and I think sometimes that's what we have to do.
We can all relate, there's no day's without pain. But, there are good days, and I do my best to enjoy those.
What symptoms of yours have escalated?