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


Enter keywords:
Returns per screen: Require all keywords: