Pain Doc

Well I finally got to go see a pain docbut he is in Lubbock,Tx so every time I have an appointment I have to get someone to drive me the 92 miles over and then back home.I just don`t know if it will help to go over and get shots and then have to ride that far.I said ride because they won`t let me drive by myself after the shots.They are talking about doing some epidoural shots in my thorasic spine because they think they have localized where most of my pain is comming from is in that area.I think it is comming fr4om my neck and lumbar spine,but what do I know I am only the patient.At least this doc listens to me and he dosen`t like the last NS that I saw and he looked at my MRI`s and saw the syrnix`s all three of them so at least he knows how to read a radiograph(that is a fancy word for X-ray).I knew that my being a level II x-ray tach  would come in handy one day.I can find things that most people can`t because of my almost 20 years in the industry.I am not sure what to expect with these shots that they are going to give me.I know that they did a thorough search of poking and prodding me and sticking me with a sharp object to see where I could feel it and where I couldn`t.Some places it was real sensitive and then others I could tell they were poking me but it was no as sharp,more like they were poking me with there finger but they said they used the same instrument for the whole test.I guess ther are some places that are sort of paralized and then there are others that are over sensitive.It is so confusing that I am not sure that it is going to do any good.For one thing I had some epidoral injections done to me in Denver and only got a little relief,not enough to justify the pain they put me through any way.I just wonder some if there is going to be any use to do these shots if it is going to be the same results as the ones I had in Denver.I am at least happy to know that this pain doc dosen`t want to start out using narcotics,maybe that is because I told him that I would rather not do those kinds of med`s if at all possible.Or it could be the fact that I am allergic to morphine and anything with codine in it triggers migraine headaches in me.And I don`t and will not use methadone period!!!!I am not going to be classified as a drug addict. and that is what would happen if I had to use it,most people don`t think of it as a medication they think of it as some illeagl drug or something you have to take to get off of drugs.So Iam not going to take it reguardless of if they think it will help or not,that is just me I guess.I know that I will probably get blasted for thinking this way but I do have my opinion and I don`t care what others think about it in that reguard.I mean if you have a different opinion that is ok with me but as for me I will not use it and no one can make me do something that I don`t think is right.It may be ok for others to use this type of med`s but I would prefer not to and I have a right to my opinion.I hope that everyone knows that I respect there opinions and can appreciate what kind of pain they are going through,so don`t get me wrong it is up to the individual and what they can anbd can`t tolerate as far as pain and the type of med`s they can handle.I guess I am done for now,I hope and pray that everyone has a pain free week.