Chronic Pain Support Group
Physicians and professionalsdefine pain as chronic if it lasts longer than three to six months and is persistent. It's distinct from acute pain that is a direct result of injury or trauma. This support group is dedicated to those suffering from chronic pain. Discuss treatments that have worked for you, find advice for your specific experience, and find support. You're not...
Hi, I'm new to this forum though I have been reading it now and then and posted a couple of comments. I'm impressed by how brave you all are!
As for me, I'm sixty eight years old going on eighty and at the moment I don't feel brave at all!
There is so much pain around that I feel mine is not that that bad even though it's my constant companion.... I suffer from arthritis in all disks in my spine and in other more minor places, as well as spinal stenosis and scleosis, etc....
I'm on three Vicodin per day, so I guess I'm doing pretty well compared to my fellow sufferers, but I'm very sensitive to meds and these three are a major increase from the one or two a day I only took occasionally --so I don't know what the future holds. My impression is that opiates seem to slow down my mind, but then so does chronic pain, and of course old age --so it's hard to tell what's what. I can't take Ibuprofen or any other anti-inflamatory because I'm on blood thiners (for lone atrial fibrillation, another progressive condition which makes you out of breath and tired)
The worse pain is that my adult daughter has been so ill for so long. I don't want to write about her health problems because they're hers, but they seem to be constantly on my mind. As she had to live with me for the last four years during which for most of the time I was her caregiver after she had several major surgeries (finally she was able to move out and might be doing better) her own pain overshadowed mine and I didn't quite realize how bad my back was getting... It sort of crept up on me.... If my daughter wasn't ill, I'd probably complain a lot more and I sure wouldn't know how lucky I would be!
Oh well, you probably all know how tiring chronic pain is, and some days I'm getting pretty tired.
As for me, I'm sixty eight years old going on eighty and at the moment I don't feel brave at all!
There is so much pain around that I feel mine is not that that bad even though it's my constant companion.... I suffer from arthritis in all disks in my spine and in other more minor places, as well as spinal stenosis and scleosis, etc....
I'm on three Vicodin per day, so I guess I'm doing pretty well compared to my fellow sufferers, but I'm very sensitive to meds and these three are a major increase from the one or two a day I only took occasionally --so I don't know what the future holds. My impression is that opiates seem to slow down my mind, but then so does chronic pain, and of course old age --so it's hard to tell what's what. I can't take Ibuprofen or any other anti-inflamatory because I'm on blood thiners (for lone atrial fibrillation, another progressive condition which makes you out of breath and tired)
The worse pain is that my adult daughter has been so ill for so long. I don't want to write about her health problems because they're hers, but they seem to be constantly on my mind. As she had to live with me for the last four years during which for most of the time I was her caregiver after she had several major surgeries (finally she was able to move out and might be doing better) her own pain overshadowed mine and I didn't quite realize how bad my back was getting... It sort of crept up on me.... If my daughter wasn't ill, I'd probably complain a lot more and I sure wouldn't know how lucky I would be!
Oh well, you probably all know how tiring chronic pain is, and some days I'm getting pretty tired.
We know exactly what you mean about being one age and going on to the next 10 like I am jumping through time. I hope you can find some support for not only you but your daughter also. I am a mom so I know that we would take all of our children's pain if we could and it is so hard to see them suffer.
I hope you can concentrate on your OWN issues now and not obsess about your daughters. I KNOW you're worried about her, but you need to take care of YOU. You are important too. We seem to take care of everyone but ourselves, don't we.
I take opiates for chronic pain, and I haven't noticed any slowing down of the mind -- but i never was any Sigmund Freud anyway. LOL
I'm glad you found us, and hope you keep posting! God bless and take care! Hugs, Lee
it's hard to be a caregiver at any point in your life. golden years? really hard. being a loving mother is life's real "till death do us part." you must be a really wonderful mother to generously care for and accommodate your daughter. not everyone would do it.
if we spent all day comparing our pain to others or our suffering to the suffering of others we might wind up being pretty quiet and doing a lot less complaining.
however, our needs don't speak or understand our own mind's language and we would certainly do them an injustice by never recognizing them or addressing them.
that injustice only serves to make a body and mind more out of
balance. you cannot invalidate your own feelings by comparing them to others.
allow yourself to be yourself. you deserve it! your pain and your feelings are just as important as everyone else's.
with care,
jen
I'm usually not a whiner, pretty stoic, but wanted to introduce my struggle and get any info I can, and offer others support.
I'm 48 and have a diagnosis of fibromyalgia, possible Chronic Fatigue and depression, although I was also definitively given the diagnosis of Reactive arthritis 10 years ago that I got after a case of food poisoning which caused my left foot and right wrist to be extremely painful and swell quite impressively! Back in high school a similar situ happened and I was on crutches but the doc didn't know what is was.
I see my rheumatologist on Tues, because pain is worse. I regularly need 6-8 vicodin a day, yikes! Also, very tired as others have mentioned. I am now on disability, after working FT for years, it is so bad.
I have read that in a very small percentage of cases Reactive arthritis can last indefinitely. My pain is migrating joint pain, basically like the pain you have with the flu, but now swelling anywhere. Anyway, sorry this for this long message, but wondering if anyone has heard of the reactive type of arthritis, because I don't really have many of the usual painful points, etc. that people with fibro usually have. I have come up negative for Lyme, Rheumatoid, and a bunch of others.
Also, like I read from another post, my memory seems to be a lot worse, I am so dingy and forgetful, brain damage- oh great! Thanks for listening! Blessings to all :)
I hope you find comfort in this group, I know care giving can take a toll on ones body. I pray you find the time to take care of yourself.
Blessings
Don't ever feel like you have to qualify to be here. We welcome you with open arms. Feel free to check things out and ask questions if you want to, or share your feelings in other threads. This group has great, caring people.
I'm sorry about your daughter. I hope you can feel comfortable here.
David.
Both my hubby and myself have chronic pain which has been going on for several yrs. We do our best to "caretake" ea. other. Gets tough sometimes!!
This is a great group of people and has been a light in my otherwise boring life. LOL (actually not boring but crisis is my only excitement and that's no fuN!!)
I'm glad your daughter is doing better. The distraction of having her on your mind is a great pain relief tool in itself. I use sudoku as a distraction because I have to concentrate on it to fund the solution.
Do you find that time slows down when you're hurting all the time? I've been fighting this for almost 4 years, but it seems more like 9 months...every day is the same day over again and they all just sort of run together.
Oh my gosh! I actually had been wondering lately if I was having mini strokes or something because my mind sometimes feels really foggy and I am having a hard time remembering the simplest things. Was never a problem before. It was really scaring me. Can you give me some more info or where I can find it about this correlation between chronic pain and brain damage.