Another group post
From: Nancy E. Hale (nanny@nbnet.nb.ca)
Mon Mar 11 21:18:48 2002
Hello Everyone:
I just got back from my second visit to the pain management
clinic. Unfortunately from a Canadian point of view, I am not impressed
with our system here.
I went down in January for my assessment - 3 hours drive each way, so we
had to send our 9-year-old to a sitter and stay overnight for me to be able
to handle the trip. I saw an anesthesiologist, whose physical exam left me
screaming in agony on the table (she walked out of the room without even
asking if I needed help) and a psychologist who seemed intent on finding
some traumatic event in my life to trigger the onset and continuing
pain. I was asked to come back for a follow-up, so I went through the
whole ordeal again, only to be told there was nothing they could do for me,
but they were concerned that I would become addicted to the narcotic pain
meds I am on. As if they couldn't have told me that over the phone.
DAWN: I am so sorry the clinic cannot help you. I don't have any advice
for you, but I will keep you in my thoughts and prayers. At least you got
a response - when I sent in my patient assessment form, I didn't even
receive an acknowledgement that they had received it. Probably because I
am in Canada and they wouldn't accept Medicare, but this is only my opinion.
CHRISSIE: Love seeing your pink posts. If this great weather holds out,
we'll be able to make plans for our meeting soon ;)
CHRISTINA: Welcome to your sanity ;) The IAS site and members have kept
me from going completely loopy many times over the past two years since
diagnosis. And it has enabled me to learn more about adhesions and how to
handle them than the "professionals" at the pain management clinic I've
been to.
DEBRA:Welcome to the site. I was going to send you to the ASAP good docs
page, but I see Helen C has already done it (Good work Hell-yun!) As for
the codeine, 30% of people in the world who are prescribed codeine for pain
do not have the proper chemical receptors to break the drug down to make
it effective. I am one of the 30%, I was on a lot more than 20 pills per
month, and it had no effect whatsoever. I've been on Percocet since
August, and have developed a strong tolerance for it. My GP is switching
me to oxycontin to see how that works.
EVELYN: Love and hugs to you and Zac. You are both in my prayers daily.
HELL-YUN: I know exactly how you feel about the pain winning,
Sweetie. I've been doing a lot of crying too for the same reason. Stiff
upper lip Hon!
JO: Just a thought on your post to Mary Lou:
>You also need to include the people you live with, work with and
>socialise with
I had to insist that Chester be included in today's meeting at the pain
clinic. They wanted him to wait in the waiting room, I insisted that he be
included, because my pain and any treatment or pain management involves him
as well. Huggles, my friend, catch you soon on MSN (when it's working) or
on ICQ.
KELLEY L.: I am so sorry things are so rotten for you right now. But your
family is right - the final decision IS up to you. This is your pain, your
body, your life that is being destroyed by ARD, and you have to put YOU and
what is best for YOU first. If your son has to be inconvenienced by a move
so that you can find adequate medical care, so be it. My Significant
Other, my 9-year-old stepson, my 21-year-old daughter and my 3-year old
grandson have all had to make adjustments because of my fight with ARD and
everything that I have lost because of my decreasing ability to deal with
the constant pain. I know this sounds so negative, but you have to do what
is best for you. If you can find a good pain management specialist,
great. Here in the backwoods of Eastern Canada, I don't have very many
options, and the one option that I had exercised did not have a promising
result. You are in my prayers.
LISA: If you have had one doctor who found adhesions,
congratulations. Now for you to find one that believes that adhesions can
and do cause pain. As for finding other people who have experienced the
kind of jabbing stabbing pain that you are experiencing, you've come to the
right place. My best suggestion is for you to read back through some of
the archives and the Adhesions Quilt to see what the rest of us have
experienced, tried, had success with, etc. Good luck, and welcome.
COLETTE: Keep the giggles coming, girl;) Sorry you've been feeling so
rotten, but know that you are in my prayers.
MARY LOU: I'm on amitryptiline as well, but I cannot take mine in the
evenings or it leaves me a walking zombie the next day. Instead, I've been
taking mine in the mornings, which helps me make it through the day without
ripping someone's head off when the pain levels skyrocket. I also went the
route of OTC meds for pain control, then went on codeine (see notes above),
and in August I was finally prescribed Percocet. I have now built up a
tolerance to it so that it is no longer as effective as it once was, and
because of the acetominophen content, I can't take OTC meds for anything
else. My GP is now in the process of switching me to oxycontin as soon as
we can get approval from my drug plan. As for sedation, the Percocet did
not sedate me at 8 tablets a day, but I do not get effective pain control
from that dose either. At the max dosage of 10 tabs per day, I was
nauseated and sleepy, with very little improvement in pain
management. Pain-free days are unlikely for most of us, but they are
definitely something to wish for. As for alertness on oxycontin, I'll try
to let you know in a couple of weeks once I get stabilized on them
(hopefully by this time next week). Good luck, and keep reading.
MILLIE: Keep giggling girl ;) Catch you soon on MSN.
LILLIAN: Thank you for taking me to lunch with God. That is so cute!
ROBIN: Thank you for letting us all know that there is some hope with the
right surgeon. Even though it has taken you three tries, you do stand a
good chance of beating this! God bless you.
ROSE: Hope you aren't working too hard. Love the rose. Will write to you
after I finish this novel ;)
SALLY: Twin lambs to help take the place of your poor little pygmy goat
maybe? Definitely a gift.
SUSAN: Congratulations on finding the site. I agree with the general
opinion so far - surgery is not necessarily your best option. From what
you said, I do not believe that the drugs you are taking are effective
either - see previous notes on what I personally have been on to try to
control pain. Good luck.
To anyone I may have missed, I'm sorry. I'm just so distracted right now,
I can't think straight. Hugs and prayers to all.
Nancy in NB
|
