Now what I posted earlier, I had been talking to my sister, who is an ER nurse, about how I always worried that when I have had to go to the ER for adhesion related things, that the staff maybe thought I just wanted pain medication. And she told me that they could knew who came in there just to get pain meds and those who were really in pain. She gave me some examples of what had gone on in the ER she works in. This was not an adhesion patient. This was not someone who was admitted.
I went to the ER in August last year. I was doubled over in pain. I knew it was not just adhesions but something else was going on too. When I got to the ER I told the nurse and the ER doctor that I had adhesions and that I was under the care of a Pain Management doctor. They asked me what I wanted for pain. Personally, I was shocked that they were asking me what I wanted. I am already taking oxycontin. I know that is pretty strong. I am educated on my medicines but I felt that they are the doctor, they should be telling me, or at least say, let's try this first and if it doesn't work then we can try something else. I told them they were the ones who were supposed to decide what to give me. I did tell them what I know works for me. There are times though that people go to the ER just for the pain medicine. When I had kidney stones one time, we didn't have insurance. I had to go to a county hospital. I had a letter from my doctor saying I had stones and needed to be seen. I got to the hospital at 7:10pm saw a doctor at 10pm. They gave me something that was supposed to be for pain. It didn't work. At 2:30am when I finally threw a fit, they rushed me to get a CT. I had a stone in each kidney and had passed one into my bladder. I found out that they had given me some sort of drug that is a placebo. They said they have so many people coming in the hospital complaining of stones or infections just to get pain medicines. The people will actually stick glass up inside themselves or cut their genital area so there will be blood in their urine and it will look like an infection or stones. And even though I had that letter from my doctor, communication was horrible there. But there are people who do go just for the medicines. Most people who are in pain will have signs that show evidence of their pain. And it's great that you know what works for you. I was not talking about that. Please don't take offense to what my sister told me. If you were to hear what she had said to me in its entirity it would have made more sense. I am sorry that it came across wrong. Lord knows I surely have not started posting to offend people. I am here to get support just like everyone else. I had hoped that what I had posted would put others here minds at ease knowing that when you go to the ER for your adhesion pain, they know that you are hurting. My sister told me that because I didn't want to go to the ER even though I had not slept in 52 hours because I thought they might only think I was there for pain medications for something other than for pain. When she told me what she did, it encouraged me to go ahead to the ER and so they could get my pain under control. She wanted me to know they CAN tell when someone is really in pain. Does this make sense? I sure hope so. I don't know how better to explain it. Anyway, I am sorry that it came out the wrong way. I guess I am just not good with wording things. So I don't know what else to say. Take it for what it's worth. Glean the good, throw away the bad. And please forgive me for offending you. I do agree that there are alot of people, not just nurses, who should not be in the profession they are in. I have had my share of bad nurses. I hate it when I do get those kind. But I tell you what, it sure teaches me how to treat people and how not to treat people. And really all you can do is kill them with kindness. They may just be having a bad day. If that doesn't work, report them. I have done that too.
At Tue, 4 Feb 2003, D & A wrote:
>
>hi
>i have major adhesions i just had my 15 sergery .when im in the hospital i
>do ask for certain pain meds which i know work for me .for a nurse to pin
>point someone just wanting to get is not right im sure there are some th t
>do but as for the things she pointed out i tell them what works and what don
>t and i know what each pain med is and yes i would get mad too if they g ve
>me something that i know don't stop my pain and why shouldn't we get mad we
>know what works and what don't i came across so real unreal nurses in the
>hospital .some saying o you don't need this pain meds let me tell them i
>know what i need to get my pain lessen and my doc gives it to me cause he
>knows what i can take and what does not work i feel some of these nurses
>should keep quite and do the doctors orders i been in enough times to kn w
>what nurses think and i found that 50 percent of them should not be nurs s
>due to there attitudes about our care .i don't know if anyone had a nurse
>tell them well i think you don't need this pain shot and made you suffer for
>a while before bringing it in i been there and think that a nurse should not
>tell a paients what they are feeling .i tell them if you were in my shoes
>laying here with all the tubes and had all these sergerys you wouldn't s y
>what we need .sorry if this afends anyone they are good nurses out there
>but there are bad ones too .
>
>-------Original Message-------
>
>From: adhesions@adhesions.org
>Date: Tuesday, February 04, 2003 06:19:14 AM
>To: Multiple recipients of list ADHESIONS
>Subject: Re: Ahesions Doctors ignorance!
>
>Hey Charlotte,
>
>--
>
>I am right there with you. I am on Oxycontin, Zanaflex, Sonata (to help
>me sleep) for the pain. I was taking Neurontin and have tried several
>antidepressants, which made me gain weight. I just recently quit the
>Neurontin. It seems to me that doctors only want to take care of their
>little area of specialty and nothing else. That is why I have been
>tossed back and forth between gyn and urologists. Hopefully the new gyn
>I went to last Friday will actually do something, although he doesn't
>believe adhesions cause pain. Jo, from Bombobeach, sent me a brochure
>that she put together about adhesions. I think I am going to take my
>doctor a copy of it. Somebody needs to get through to these people. I
>just wish for once that they could walk in our shoes and feel what we
>feel and have to endure what we do. They would surely think twice about
>whether or not adhesions cause pain. Pain is considered to be the 5th
>vital sign now. In nursing school they told us that "Pain is whatever
>that patient feels it is." Sad thing is, they teach them that in school
>and then some of them change their thinking when they get out. My
>sister is a nurse and she says they know which patients are there just
>to get "high". They will ask for a specific drug, they will say certain
>drugs do not work on them (like Tordol which is a non-narcotic), and
>they get mad if not given the pain medicine they want.
>
>I know you stated that you are on pain killers, anti-depressants, muscle
>relaxers, but are you seeing a pain management doctor for those or just
>a PCP? If you're not seeing a pain management doctor, maybe they can
>send you to one who can better manage your pain. Or maybe your pain
>management doctor can change your medicines to something different that
>might work better for you. My own pain doctor had to increase my meds
>just 2 weeks ago. It has helped a whole lot although now I have more
>than just the adhesions going on, so I am in a lot more pain than I have
>been in the past.
>
>How long ago did you have your appendix removed? I had an ectopic
>pregnancy in 1998 caused from adhesions and endometriosis. In all I
>have had 8 surgeries, 5 laparotomies and 3 laparoscopies. They have
>tried all the barriers that are in use currently in the US, sometimes
>more than one or two at a time, and the adhesions always come back. I
>have tried to be open (to a cetain extent within my beliefs) with what I
>have tried to help relieve my pain: accupressure, deep heat massage, hot
>tubs, heating pads, and of course my medications. My new gyn said that
>I should exercise every day and that would help break the adhesions
>down. But in my own experience, the more I exercise the more pain I am
>in. He says that the increased pain is temporary, but I think
>otherwise. And this comes from the doctor who believes the adhesions
>don't cause pain. How does anyone else feel about this?
>
>Why would you have to wait a year before you could find out about the
>adhesion pad or not? Is this the same as adhesion barriers? Just
>wondering.
>
>I have just recently come back to this site. I had started school and
>did not have time to read the posts every day. But my pain got so bad
>around October that I could no longer sit through class. I finished my
>10 week course and had to drop until I get me taken care of. I have
>been really down and feeling all alone in this although my husband and
>family are a great support. I knew exactly where I needed to go...right
>here. It has been 2 years since I first started posting. These people
>were a wonderful support then, as I sure they still are. That's why I
>am here. I need it! And who better to understand than someone else who
>is going through it too. Anyway, I'm glad you're here (me too!). I
>hope you find comfort among these friends as I have. They are always
>here to answer. And if you need anything, so will I. You should try to
>talk to your doctor though and let him/her know that your pain is not
>being managed. Let me know how you are doing.
>
>Love and hugs,
>jenny
>At Tue, 4 Feb 2003, Charlotte wrote:
>>
>>Hellow,
>>e-mailed a while go..I had my appendix removed. This caused adhesions,
>>I was put through aload of tests to come to this conclusions. My
>>doctors were ignorant to the real pain involved with adhesions.
>>Blah...blah....
>>
>>Well on an UPDATE!
>>
>>Yesterday I was at the consultant following a colonoscopy... Well all
>>the tests were clear and the doctor decides that its ADHESIONS again.
>>Now I am going to have to wait a year before I can even know if their
>>going to use an adhesive pad to stop the adhesions forming again or
>>trying to dissolve them.
>>
>>THE PROBLEM? My pain is getting alot worse! I sit in constant agony, Im
>>on painkillers, ant-depressesants to stop the pain signals going to my
>>head and anti-spasms.......
>>
>>--
>>Charlotte
>>
>.
>