Dealing With Pain

[Rockhound]

Since weaning myself off my pain meds, so I can more safely drive my vehicle, which I had chosen not to drive since being on the pain meds, is getting harder and harder to deal with.

My pain meds have or rather, usually reduced my pain threshold to about 50% for the most part and in some areas it appeared to have reduced it to nearly 0%, since now I am experiencing pain in those areas, like I can't remember, having not had to deal with it in those areas for such a long time.

Life or rather my quality of life, even though I can drive my vehicle without the fear of causing an accident, due to the effects of a narcotic, has actually been reduced, since their are times when the pain is so bad, I am reduced laying in bed with out the strength to anything else. Even lying in bed becomes intolerble at times, I had forgotten how much of my anxiety was connected to my pain level and how often my panic attacks seemed to co-inside with my pain level.

I just don't know how much longer I will be able to contend with the pain, just because of my fear of being in an accident brought on by the affects of the pain meds. Now I fear I may be in an accident, becuase my attention was hampered while dealing with the pain and not on my driving.

I got to go now, because the pain in my hands, while typing is interfereing with my spelling the words I right, I have to keep making corrections as I go along, because my fingers don't seem to want to do or rather type the characters my fingers should reach to, twitching in pain as a move about the different key strokes.

Besides, it's time I should be thinking about something to eat for luch, which brings on a whole new set of pain issues from sitting to standing.

Rockhound Rider :P B) B)

[gp747]

Well people, I couldn't stand the elivated pain in my left shoulder, that was previously thought to be the result of burcitus, but now instead of the pain being more in the area of the shoulder socket, it bares its ugly teeth in my bicept or the area between my shoulder socket and elbow and is much more intense than I remembered. Anyway, it got so bad I was forced to seek out an appointment with my PCP and once again was lucky enough to get a next day opening to see her.

If I don't start glowing in the dark from all the radioactive rays I have received this year, I'll probably be picking up scrap metal from the MRI's I've had. LoL Today I had several xrays taken of my shoulder and bicept area, I hope I haven't exceded my limit thus far. Only kidding people.

I go back into town tomarrow for an MRI of my back, hip, and thigh area for the pain and numbness in those areas and I hope I finally got my IMO referal streightened out for my IMO for my current claim in the DRO stage, hope I hear from the IMO specialist for the appointment date soon, because they told me it will probably be a couple of weeks before I can be seen. At least it will give me time to gather up the neccessary medical history that will satisfy the VA as having had access to the same information the C&P examiner and rater had in their opinion and decision.

Anyway, it has been some week thus far and I am not alone either, my kitten, Tammi is getting the last of her baby shots on thursday and also getting her bio chip, so she can be ID'd if she should get, by chance picked up by the dog catcher who has been know to be in the area at times. My kitten and cat are at risk, since they are indoor/outdoor cats, helping to keep the mice population down and since tammi will be getting fixed, she won't be adding to the population of cats either. It's a shame, she's such a cute thing, I hate to do it, but if I don't do it now, and she does get nabbed, it will go worse for me if I don't do it and i can't ill afford a higher fine and having to get her fixed anyway.

Well I feel like I can get some much needed shut eye, that I missed last night, I just hope it doen't mess up getting to sleep later tonight. I've pretty much given up having regular sleep hours, I take it when I can get it and hope things work out in the end.

Rockhound Rider

dang rockhound, that sounds exactly one of my bad days. i feel for you dude.

Edited August 26, 2009 by skunk

[smilen66]

I take my morning and evening meds which includes baclophen and naxproxen with milk (lactose free). Sometimes, I did't feel like eating a snack or meal before taking meds. so what worked for me is milk and sometimes a slice or two of cheese (if I run out of milk). I think the idea is to protect the stomach lining.

In addition, my doctor prescribed ranitidine/zantac because of the baclophen. "Ranitidine is in a group of drugs called histamine-2 blockers. Ranitidine works by reducing the amount of acid your stomach produces." www.drugs.com

[Rockhound]

This may be, or may not be my last post on this subject. My pain level in my or rather between my shoulder and elbow, which feels like it is more in the muscle or tendons has reached a peak in which I can no longer stand it without taking my pain meds once again.

It came to a head when I went in for the MRI I was getting to find out what was causing the pain in the left lower part of my back and what started out as a loss of feeling in the left side of my thigh. While getting the MRI for this I had to raise both of my arms above my head so I could fit through the donut hole of the machine. I've had to deal with kidney stone pain, but lifting that left arm above my head caused me to actually cry out in extreme pain. I had to indure this pain for a considerable amount of time while they ran the machine, trying not to move. Easier said than done, let alone trying not to cry because of the pain I was in at the time.

Trying to fix my mind on the antics of my Kitten Tammi earlier helped a tiny bit, but by the time I finished the MRI, my arm was locked in the position above my head and I nearly passed out when the attendant/MRI operater helped me to lower my arm. She nealy called for help to have me taken to the VA hospital, but I managed to talk her out of it and since I was her last client, she let me move at my own pace. Boy, how exhausting that experience was. I just hope that the pain is only an indecation or caused by a worsening of authoritis or a strained or torn muscle or tendon and not some new disease process, the worst of which could be cancer.

I'll check in another day or two, if I don't hear from my PCP or her nurse. God I feel like I must be 100 yrs old with my body going all to hell and my mind as well. At this rate, I'm going to have to find an aid to help me do things, which I'm not sure how I'm going to like it, not at my age anyway. I was hoping to hold it together long enough to be able to go fishing or even to travel on my own as my finances began to level out.

I guess you can say I am just feeling sorry for myself, but I have not had to deal with this much sustained pain at this level ever before. It just seams to get worse the more I try to deal with it without my pain medication.

I think it's time to talk to my psych Dr. because just as my pain level goes up, my depression and all seams to worsen as well. Having my hand and fingers throbbing in pain doesn't help matter either. Times like this I wished my computor had one of those fancy voice recognition programs, so I didn't have to use my hands.

It's time I took my hard stuff, I hope it is enough to put me out, at least for awhile. I know sleep would not come at all, if I don't take the max I am allowed. I wish it was more but I am not about to risk an overdose, since I know the max dosages that I am allowed are well within the safety limits and for the combination I take, so you need not fret on that regard.

Rockhound Rider