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...
I understand feelings of resentment from jealousy if you're not getting your pain treated.
I understand rage at Dr,s who are so Leary of drug seekers that they won't treat our pain.
How/why I understand.. in spite of being one of those who is given pain meds now..
Is that I've been there.
Many people who are finally getting their pain treated have been there.
..And bee there..and been there.
I like others have here.. had one such an awful experience with a DR. When I was only asking for Ultram.. which at the time was still the medication they would give ne when I asked for a nonnarcotic pain Med..
Anywaaay.. such a lousy experience that I quit going to Dr.s for a couple of yrs.
It turned out I had blown the discs above and below where I had had fusions. Will never knw if living with that pain for those yrs contributed to how awful my cervical spine pain and damage is now.
What I do know is..
No one can do it for me.
Do it being.. going back to Dr.s. And going back. And going back.
And..I KNOW..IT"S AWEFUL to be in pain and have Dr.s unwilling to help you.
That doesn't change that..
It's terrible. It's NOT FAIR. It's... not going to change unless you keep at it until SOMEONe helps you. And, no..that's not " easy for me to say " because I get Pain Management.
That took YEARS of just being in pain with my current DR ( well..he JUST retired)....
Before asking for help with pain. Years of wanting to beg for that help..but knowing I needed to build trust with him..as I had with my Dr in CA.
..and that was after just refusing to go to Dr at all no matter what for a couple of yrs..because of various bad experiences.. and then the worst one.
My point is..
You cannot quit. Well..you can. But.. there will be no help forthcoming. It isn't going to search you out.
You HAVE to keep being your own advocate.
And..YES...I do.. as do many here who seem to be getting their pain management handed to them... DAMNED WELL. Understand how very, very hard it is.
The reason for this post? I know a couple of you have given up. I " get" it. I've been there. You have to..ungiveup. If you want change..
You HAVE to keep at it. I KNOW..I DO.
At the very least..
Get a new GP.
Go to them with the sincere attitude that you aren't asking for pain meds. Build a relationship with them. This TAKES TIME. And..it's HARD.
But..so is the possibility that you will live just as you are until you die.
Doing nothing.. changes nothing. ( yes.. again..I know.. sometimes..doing EVERYTHINg changes nothing.
And, still..
You have to begin again if you want change..
This post is in no way meant as a criticism if anyone.
I TRULY feel so bad for this of you suffering without help.
jc
There is NO WAY to get that help.. other than to keep seeking it.
I understand rage at Dr,s who are so Leary of drug seekers that they won't treat our pain.
How/why I understand.. in spite of being one of those who is given pain meds now..
Is that I've been there.
Many people who are finally getting their pain treated have been there.
..And bee there..and been there.
I like others have here.. had one such an awful experience with a DR. When I was only asking for Ultram.. which at the time was still the medication they would give ne when I asked for a nonnarcotic pain Med..
Anywaaay.. such a lousy experience that I quit going to Dr.s for a couple of yrs.
It turned out I had blown the discs above and below where I had had fusions. Will never knw if living with that pain for those yrs contributed to how awful my cervical spine pain and damage is now.
What I do know is..
No one can do it for me.
Do it being.. going back to Dr.s. And going back. And going back.
And..I KNOW..IT"S AWEFUL to be in pain and have Dr.s unwilling to help you.
That doesn't change that..
It's terrible. It's NOT FAIR. It's... not going to change unless you keep at it until SOMEONe helps you. And, no..that's not " easy for me to say " because I get Pain Management.
That took YEARS of just being in pain with my current DR ( well..he JUST retired)....
Before asking for help with pain. Years of wanting to beg for that help..but knowing I needed to build trust with him..as I had with my Dr in CA.
..and that was after just refusing to go to Dr at all no matter what for a couple of yrs..because of various bad experiences.. and then the worst one.
My point is..
You cannot quit. Well..you can. But.. there will be no help forthcoming. It isn't going to search you out.
You HAVE to keep being your own advocate.
And..YES...I do.. as do many here who seem to be getting their pain management handed to them... DAMNED WELL. Understand how very, very hard it is.
The reason for this post? I know a couple of you have given up. I " get" it. I've been there. You have to..ungiveup. If you want change..
You HAVE to keep at it. I KNOW..I DO.
At the very least..
Get a new GP.
Go to them with the sincere attitude that you aren't asking for pain meds. Build a relationship with them. This TAKES TIME. And..it's HARD.
But..so is the possibility that you will live just as you are until you die.
Doing nothing.. changes nothing. ( yes.. again..I know.. sometimes..doing EVERYTHINg changes nothing.
And, still..
You have to begin again if you want change..
This post is in no way meant as a criticism if anyone.
I TRULY feel so bad for this of you suffering without help.
jc
There is NO WAY to get that help.. other than to keep seeking it.
Hugs
jc
I tried all if the non med treatments, injections, saw the consults that they wanted, did the inaging, testing,repeatedly, physical therapy, chiro, and everything else they could think of. Had surgery twice, before any medications were offered, and then only as post op.
When things continued to go south for me, I still did what they asked regarding other treatment options, along with the meds.
Doctors ,no matter who they are, what fields they specialize in, now REQUIRE proof of your condition and all of the documentation of your condition and treatments you have tried previously, referrals for consults and results ,because they have to have on record that the proper testing and diagnosis, as well as alternative treatments were tried and didn't produce significant results. Insurance companies demand those things be done before any doctor puts a patient on long term medication management.
If you just go to a pain management doctor expecting that they are going to diagnose what's wrong, and avoid all of the testing, injections ,alternative therapies and they are going to just write prescriptions, you are setting yourself up for failure and frustration.
If you aren't sure what is causing the pain, you have to start there. See your primary, get the referrals to the proper specialists who can order the right testing and imaging ,to diagnose you first, then see a pain management doctor to help manage the symptoms.
Those of us who are doing okay with our pm doctors have had to jump through the very same procedures, testing, imaging and face the same frustrations as you (collectively) do, but in order to be able to build that relationship with our doctors, we had to do our parts in making sure we gave them the things they needed to document their treatment.
Sometimes people just have crappy experiences through no fault of their own. Even with all the proof, documentation, pictures of the inside of your body...sometimes, they still don't do much.
Not that I have to explain my choices to not go to doctors to anyone...I'm just saying, just support those people who need it. I love you Jan, I REALLY do and I know you mean well but this felt like a kick in the gut. I don't want to do this crap anymore and I just want to come here and get some support despite it. I'm glad some of you finally got to where you got, don't doubt you didn't have to fight, but the threshholds for some is lower and that's okay. I don't have the money to keep doing this "fighting" after 7 YEARS of doing so, $700/month in bills from ALL THIS FIGHTING, and STILL not getting anywhere so I manage another way and sometimes I don't do well, and sometimes I'm okay. But, I want to be supported here on this board either way.
I mean, this kind of saddened me to read, I won't lie. I don't want to go to another pain doctor, sorry. I DON'T HAVE THE MONEY (my current bills from years past are about a mortgage payment per month), and DESPITE all my "evidence," it's not working. And, you and the others can tell me to keep fighting, etc. but I'm not changing my mind.
So, does that mean I cannot come here and say I'm having a hard time? Because, if it does...let me know so I can go away.
I PROMISE you..I meant no disrespect..or anything negative to anyone.
Maybe I was just hoping someone might try one more time and get their miracle.
I meant no judgement of you.. or anyone.
Hugs
jc
I dunno, I hear this from my family and they just don't "get" that I cannot keep doing the game with doctors, emotionally or financially. I'd love to have the unlimited funds, time, and emotional fortitude to keep doing this. But I don't. I have diangoses and a treatment plan but...that's not a quick process so I needed interim PM. Apparently, that's too much to ask so I am dealing with things in my own way. Medical marijuana comes on the ballot in Ohio this year. HOPEFULLY it passes.
Don't constantly complain about he pain contracts, tox screen and having to go in every 30 days, etc. We have a choice, we can either do the things we have to do and receive pain management or become a difficult patient by always complaining about it and risk losing what we have.
Get copies of your medical records on a regular basis. Often our drs write things down that they don't tell us. Knoiwng exactly what your rmedical records say can also prevent or reduce problems when having to find a new dr.
We all would be going down the drain if we gave up the fight!
I went to countless lousy drs, tried many different medications, treatments, procedures.....before I found what worked for me, it was worth the years it took.
At least parts of me. Some I just have to accept that they are what they are. Some I have found improvement by being my own advocate throughout the years. I guess you could say I'm a little seasoned at it
Keep on inspiring
It's not my place to tell someone what to do. Everyone's responsibilities are different...we cannot make blanket statements...it simply isn't fair. If a person's choices with regards to their health affects the way you (blanket "you") provide them with emotional support, my opinion is maybe you should consider putting them on ignore. It's frustrating when we think we have the answers and someone isn't listening to our "sage" advice...I get it...but does that individual deserve less emotional support simply because they choose not to do what you have done? If the answer is yes than I truly believe the intent of the support group has been lost.
You feel I've not been supportive of you?
I was speaking in general terms. I felt some of the REPLIES to the original post were putting blame on the individual for not being a "good patient" or whatever when I feel our purpose here is to be supportive, and nothing is gained from blaming. I was more or less saying we shouldn't judge what someone is doing or not doing with regards to their treatment.
I think this is one of this things where things are being taken as not intended.
I'm sorry if anything I said hurt/offended you.. or anyone.
Hugs
jc
I cannot reply to your hug so I must defend myself here.
That hug...well, you completely misinterpreted what I was saying. My comment was NOT about you at all. When I say something, I am not always talking about YOU. You started this thread and I simply commented that I didn't necessarily agree with some of it. Is that such a big deal that I don't agree? I've certainly had my share of posts dissected and, frankly, I've had much meaner things said to me.
But, I am sorry that you thought I was talking about you. In the future, I will avoid commenting on your threads because I do not want you to believe I am attacking you...which is, again, NOT what I was doing.
I don't know what else to say to you. I am done trying to explain myself. I am so very sorry that you believed anything I said was about you. Because it was not.