Hi Lesa!

I haven't had a chance to catch up with you lately, I am having a few health challenges at the moment and pile that ontop of my alreadt too large a work load and well.... you know how it goes....

I just have to say that a statement you made in a message to Robyn titled "Question about what to tell the doctor".

The direct quote is: ...I get my vicoden from my primary doctor, he hesitated at first giving them to me for so long but they work for me, I'd rather have long term damage to my liver than to live now, in the present, with pain.

I am really concerned that you are viewing your need for freedom from pain in such a short sighted way!  Lesa, with your kind of pain, you have to accept the fact that you will have it for many many years to come, if you are taking a medication that has listed side affects which includes liver damage, and view your present day comfort more important than the possible irriversible damage to your liver surely only works to your over all misery and heath problems and pain.  My sweet Lesa, I think it is time for you to find a Pain Clinic and work with them to find a whole range of drug and diversional therapies to help you learn to cope with pain on a daily basis. 

I shudder when my sixteen year old shrugs her shoulders and says that she won't get lung cancer from smoking....that's what old people get!  She has a similar view to my insistance that she wear sunscreen, again shrugs her shoulders and says, only old people die from that!  She knows it's not true, but as a young person she has an unrealistic view of her indestructability.  This is a very dangerous attitude, and we all need to think about our long term health, and not just what helps us get through today.

I hope you understand that what I am saying Lesa is out of concern, and that you think about what I have said and make an appointment to discuss this with your doctor SOON, we all want you to be pain free, just like we all want to be pain free, BUT the price MUST not be the destruction of another organ, especially our liver which has life threatening concequences.

OK my friend, I have taken off my motherly hat and now pop on my fellow adhesions sufferer hat, just so I can tell you that you deserve the best opportunity to a great and long and exciting and a high quality of life.  Don't blow it by being casual about medication.

Love and hugs

Jo (Australia)