Greetings me fellow pain peeps...Oh, they heard me exclaim as I limped out of sight, "PAIN spits in the face of Christmas...How do I find the "merry and bright"????
I swear I'm giving it my all, as are all of you. I wish that I could gift each of us, first and foremost, with good health and pain-free lives. We know that's not happening. So, I wish that all of my chronic pain peeps could receive the gift of a caring and understanding doctor. This imaginary doctor would speak clearly understood English. He/she would actually listen and make every effort to "manage" not only our pain, our meds, but also the debilitating SEs of treatment.
I saw my PM last week, literally limping into his office after Synvisc skewers in both knees. He looked at me and my husband (who serves as my body guard from this fucking lunatic) then said "Everybody hurts more during cold weather. Can we leave your meds as is, because DEA is telling us how to do our jobs?" WTF do you say? He doesn't give a damn that I spent half of October in hospital...F-U-U-C-K me running, if I could run!
Yes, as SKR once said, the ole bones creak as though their true age exceeds our lifespan. I walked down the hallway last night/early morning to crawl into bed. The sound effects (my husband joked) were as dramatic as the ghosts of Christmas past. I swear it feels as though the pain is like shackles to us all, dragging us down as we choke back screams of desperation.
closeau...I've heard great things about Duke. I'm so happy that you have a cohesive team of doctors that truly seek solutions. They seem to surgically correct the issues that warrant. Then they follow up with necessary meds/modalities to maintain your QOL. That, my friend, is a gift greater than GOLD.
I can only wish for specialists who'd listen. These fuckers at UMMC, UT and Vanderbilt see the
scar from my breast bone to my pubic bone...and FREAK the fuck out!!! They KNOW I'm in agony and need help, but they're not EVEN going to risk what they perceive would surely lead to malpractice or wrongful death. If my gut were opened right now, I've no doubt that gasps and the stench of death would permeate the OR.
Only the coroner (for me) will ever see the extent of my suffering. I want copies of my autopsy sent to these gods in white coats who denied me the medical treatment/surgical intervention I needed and begged for. Bleak, huh?
BB4U...Have you asked about Synvisc injections for your knees?
JM357...Stay strong in your pursuit of a good PM doctor. I certainly understand the financial issues, as my insurance left me with THOUSANDS to pay OOP for my hospital/2 ER visits in October. My post is already to DARK, so I'll refrain from my rant about the costs of meds! If you have the Xrays/films/records to show/prove your condition, the doctor cannot deny your treatment. As others have said, you have to sign a contract and pass urine tests. My PM has never tested my urine, but I think I'm the exception and not the rule. I have signed a contract, and refused anything more than Toradol IV during hospital stay.
GM and CfZ...Absolutely, the temp and humidity affects your joints. I always thought that was an old wives' tale my parents used. They'd say "This cold weather is killing Old Arthur (itus)" My rheumy told me years ago that ALL, including barometric pressure, affects our bodies. Yay us!!!?!!
Kratom has potential (for me) for mood lift, but beware of constipation. My GI issues existed long before pain meds or Kratom. The constipation intensifies when I take either.
Sorry for the bitching and whining...I promise I'll do better next post. Y'all stay strong.
Was pain predominantly on the left quadrant (belly into back)? My gallbladder was taken out during surgery in 1993-4. I have every symptom stated in your first sentence.
