monkey5
02-26-2009, 06:31 PM
Lisa, i hope everything is alright i need you to be here for me i did by no means try to cause conflict, i know you are just trying to help and i am trying to express. I will fill the pm dr. in on everything and let you know how it goes. Prosmise i will get through this and hope you still help me in support of pm dr. and what i have to deal with.
Monkey
Monkey
Sponsor
Jema X
02-26-2009, 08:39 PM
Hey monkey, I am quite sure that lisa will still be there for you, so don't worry. We have all been where you are now. You'll get through this ok, just take care of yourself. Juliet.
Boxerluver
02-26-2009, 09:28 PM
OK, I haven't been in this conversation and maybe I shouldn't say anything but since I just read all of this for the first time maybe I have a clearer picture. Fisrt of all Monkey I want to say I am sorry for what you are going through. I know what it's like to be in bad pain, have your meds changed, not be able to sleep and have the added stress of a family crisis. That's a lot for anyone to deal with individually let alone all at one time.
Second I didn't see any of the descrepancies except using a 10 on the pain scale. And I have seen many on the boards use a 10 when in reality it probably wasn't the case as I agree with you Lisa if you are an 8 or above you should probably be heading to the ER. I also think when someone has been in pain for a lot of years that we have a better understanding of the scale and it takes awhile and it takes going through different pain issues to get a handle on the pain scale. I know at first it took me awhile to really get a feel for it.
I know for me, if I was going through all that Monkey is at the moment that the last thing I would want or need is some of the picky criticisms that I have read.
Just because advice is given doesn't mean it must be followed, I feel she thanked everyone for the advice and gave legitimate reasons why she felt it wasn't for her. All she was asking for was a little support and in my opinion got hammered.
Monkey, I hope you are having a better day today!;)
Melissa
Second I didn't see any of the descrepancies except using a 10 on the pain scale. And I have seen many on the boards use a 10 when in reality it probably wasn't the case as I agree with you Lisa if you are an 8 or above you should probably be heading to the ER. I also think when someone has been in pain for a lot of years that we have a better understanding of the scale and it takes awhile and it takes going through different pain issues to get a handle on the pain scale. I know at first it took me awhile to really get a feel for it.
I know for me, if I was going through all that Monkey is at the moment that the last thing I would want or need is some of the picky criticisms that I have read.
Just because advice is given doesn't mean it must be followed, I feel she thanked everyone for the advice and gave legitimate reasons why she felt it wasn't for her. All she was asking for was a little support and in my opinion got hammered.
Monkey, I hope you are having a better day today!;)
Melissa
monkey5
02-26-2009, 10:14 PM
Melissa, thanks for the kind words and yes i am feeling better today;). The only thing is i am going to try and get to the bottom of all this if it's the last thing i do. I dont understand how i can go from a two to a eight and even end up in the er with a ten at times. It's almost like if i do something irritating then that is when it spikes and seems nothing helps. I have talked to my dad about that extra vertbrea ect. that i have that runs in the family wich is congenital and he also swears it's something to with that but what dr. do i see. or specialist or how can my pm dr. treat something thats Mechanical just like one sole specialist said i have. I believe the specialist but how to treat this is another and i know leave it up to he pain dr. and i believe he knows it is something to do with a facet joint and that area but i have heard bad things about back surgery but i have heard alot of success stories with surgery fixing this. And if it could possibly be that easy then get it over with although i know there still may be permanent nerve damamge. I know one thing that the Lyrica helps some because that i have quit taking before and OMG! And i always have pain when walking, i walk with a limp and since the other day the inside part of my foot is hurting alot and down the back of my thigh and of course the lower back .And like you said added stress does not help but good news, i got my car fixed, my oldest son is gonna sit with the kids tommorrow while i take hubs to the dr. and my dad went to sister at the hospital:eek: but she wants to see me tommorrow! Take care, Melissa
Melissa(Monkey)
Melissa(Monkey)
monkey5
02-26-2009, 10:16 PM
Juliet, thanks! Ihope so because sheis sweet and we need her here!
Monkey
Monkey
lynn1961
02-27-2009, 12:00 AM
Hi Monkey and all............
First off, Monkeyboo.....I hope you can find out what is causing your pain. I know and everyone on this board knows all too well about pain and chronic pain. I, myself, am a chronic pain patient. I am now in recovery after a back fusion surgery and while the surgery has been successful so far, I will always have back pain. The majority of the pain <HOPEFULLY> will be gone post surgical pain. I also have facet issues Monkey and that is painful. I, in fact, am having an injection march 12 for that. It effects my right hip. I am going to ask more questions about that. Its not a bad bad pain to me....it is more discomfort. My back pain prior to surgery was way more pain on a every day basis. I also suffer with a great amount of arthritis. Which....never goes away. My neurosurgeon told me that I would always have some back pain even after my surgery so....I have come to except that.
I want to also tell you monkey. I asked for my MRI report yesterday at my PM appt. just out of curiosity. I wanted to read it. It stated that I had herniations on both my disc <L4-5 and L5-S1> BUT.......it didnot state that I had several tears in the lining of my disc nor did it state I had a nerve impingement. It was my nneurosurgeon that actually went over the MRI films and found the EXTRA's UGH....so, in saying this too you, I do believe the doctors reading the MRI's dont always get it right or see all what is wrong. I am just thankful i have a good doctor that did go over my MRI films himself.It did say I have facet hypotrophy. It was NOT untill I had a discogram that my PM doc and my neurosurgeon saw just how bad off my disc were. The MRI showed problems, but not to the extent of it. So.....maybe you should ask about a discogram?
On the conversation about pain scales.......I do agree with Lisa. I think she is right on with that. I can honestly say, out of the years I have had a bad back , one time was I ever a level 10 on a pain scale. I was really screaming and crying, unable to move my body actually, and telling my husband to call 911. I think back on that time and believe I had herniated or ruptured even a lumbar disc. That is really the only time I was a 10 on a pain scale. Prior to surgery, my pain level while taking vicodin was at a 4-5 normally. It just took the edge off so that I could function somewhat. I was also having injections and other procedures for a good while. Also PT. I also agree with what Lisa said about going into a docs office saying you are a level 10 when you in fact walked in the place. To me a level 10 is what I consider excrutiating. I did have a set back 2-3 weeks after my surgery to where my pain was a level 10
I was brought to the ER, and I was admitted. The doc in the ER KNEW I was in great pain. Was not no question about that. I was given dialudid....very potent pain reliever. I know that everyone is different......all people handle pain differently. I wish you well monkey......
LYNN
First off, Monkeyboo.....I hope you can find out what is causing your pain. I know and everyone on this board knows all too well about pain and chronic pain. I, myself, am a chronic pain patient. I am now in recovery after a back fusion surgery and while the surgery has been successful so far, I will always have back pain. The majority of the pain <HOPEFULLY> will be gone post surgical pain. I also have facet issues Monkey and that is painful. I, in fact, am having an injection march 12 for that. It effects my right hip. I am going to ask more questions about that. Its not a bad bad pain to me....it is more discomfort. My back pain prior to surgery was way more pain on a every day basis. I also suffer with a great amount of arthritis. Which....never goes away. My neurosurgeon told me that I would always have some back pain even after my surgery so....I have come to except that.
I want to also tell you monkey. I asked for my MRI report yesterday at my PM appt. just out of curiosity. I wanted to read it. It stated that I had herniations on both my disc <L4-5 and L5-S1> BUT.......it didnot state that I had several tears in the lining of my disc nor did it state I had a nerve impingement. It was my nneurosurgeon that actually went over the MRI films and found the EXTRA's UGH....so, in saying this too you, I do believe the doctors reading the MRI's dont always get it right or see all what is wrong. I am just thankful i have a good doctor that did go over my MRI films himself.It did say I have facet hypotrophy. It was NOT untill I had a discogram that my PM doc and my neurosurgeon saw just how bad off my disc were. The MRI showed problems, but not to the extent of it. So.....maybe you should ask about a discogram?
On the conversation about pain scales.......I do agree with Lisa. I think she is right on with that. I can honestly say, out of the years I have had a bad back , one time was I ever a level 10 on a pain scale. I was really screaming and crying, unable to move my body actually, and telling my husband to call 911. I think back on that time and believe I had herniated or ruptured even a lumbar disc. That is really the only time I was a 10 on a pain scale. Prior to surgery, my pain level while taking vicodin was at a 4-5 normally. It just took the edge off so that I could function somewhat. I was also having injections and other procedures for a good while. Also PT. I also agree with what Lisa said about going into a docs office saying you are a level 10 when you in fact walked in the place. To me a level 10 is what I consider excrutiating. I did have a set back 2-3 weeks after my surgery to where my pain was a level 10
I was brought to the ER, and I was admitted. The doc in the ER KNEW I was in great pain. Was not no question about that. I was given dialudid....very potent pain reliever. I know that everyone is different......all people handle pain differently. I wish you well monkey......
LYNN
monkey5
02-27-2009, 12:40 AM
Lynn, thank youi am glad you can relate and i know your worse off and have learned to deal with it. I give you alot of credit for that So your saying if i cannot walk and in tearn i should call 911? I'm sorry but i worry too much, like i will be alone noone to watch my kids ect. yes anxiety here big time. I would probably bleed to death if it meant calling 911, i dont know why i am like that. Maybeit's hard for someone like me to say i am a ten in pain scale, i have even had a dr.tell me i handle pain very well, what is the worst pain for someone. I could shut my finger in the car door and feel like i have to call 911 but the only thing i can think of if noones been in tthier zone of feeling like it's the worst pain ever then how would you put that in your own head maybe you should go to an ER? I am trying to explain how i feel about the pain scale. When i am inpain and i try to move and and or standup striaght can't because it hurts so bad to me that is a ten. I hope i am not pieeing you off, just trying to figure this out. When i fell last March and went to the er because i couldnt move my arm and it felt like the worst pain ever i said it was a ten. But if you compare that to my back pain when i did something it seems like a twelve, do you understand where i am coming from?
I need the chart that tells you about this because i dont understand. Like people say childbirth is the worst and they compare that of a kidney stone of a man, okay they say you forget the pain with this especially with pain meds but i didn't have any and i didnt think it was that bad without meds, but do something to my back and omg it seems way worse than childbirth. I am not saying anyone is a whimp and they say every pain type is different for everyone it sure is different for me or maybe i am just weird but i have never went into the er saying i have a ten pain level if i can walk in there, i usually state it is an eight but if i'm almost crawling in there i will say it's a ten. Only because i normally do not experience pain so bad that i cannot walk right. I hope this wasnt to bad i am just trying to get this all! Where can you find this pain scale, I know i had it somewhere on my computer but i have a different oone now.
Take care, Monkey
I need the chart that tells you about this because i dont understand. Like people say childbirth is the worst and they compare that of a kidney stone of a man, okay they say you forget the pain with this especially with pain meds but i didn't have any and i didnt think it was that bad without meds, but do something to my back and omg it seems way worse than childbirth. I am not saying anyone is a whimp and they say every pain type is different for everyone it sure is different for me or maybe i am just weird but i have never went into the er saying i have a ten pain level if i can walk in there, i usually state it is an eight but if i'm almost crawling in there i will say it's a ten. Only because i normally do not experience pain so bad that i cannot walk right. I hope this wasnt to bad i am just trying to get this all! Where can you find this pain scale, I know i had it somewhere on my computer but i have a different oone now.
Take care, Monkey
monkey5
02-27-2009, 01:01 AM
sorry for the lots of posting but i can get a lot of support while i'm resting and this helps with the anxiety! So if feel i am not getting any pain relief(thnking posotive here truly) If i get this bad again should i get in with my pm dr. o my md and request they do further testing ? They have never seen me in the worst of pain. Unless the meds start working then i'm good but even so after time your body can get amuned to them and the injections i read can be short term, what do you think has worked better if you know, is it the diagnosis or what is going to control the pain or both? I would much rather know the reason they are sticking needles in me then just guessing what part of your body is causing pain. I have not had to have surgery no but i would like to go back to work someday doing what i love and i may not be able to do he exact same work i know but i am posotive to try. Any suggestions would be great!
monkey
monkey
monkey5
02-27-2009, 01:04 AM
lynn, i will be praying for you that The majority of the pain <HOPEFULLY> will be gone post surgical pain. Thats the only thing that scares me about knowing is that even if they find, fix whalla that i could and probably still have some level of pain, but i hope to get it under control where i feel confident to indpendently working in the near future. We can all be positive on that right!.
Monkey
Monkey
sammyo1
02-27-2009, 10:42 AM
Hello Monkey, I have been rushing through the posts lately & have not taken as much time. I have to say I hate the pain scale. I will admitt what I use to think was a 8 I realized was maybe a 6 , of course not knowing it could get worse. I no longer say 10 unless I am in ER & then I still am afraid to say 10. Of course when I was in ER before surgery & could barely hold my head up I sure said 10+. Some days you just cant imagine it getting worse you know?
I will say I am a fool, I have been in some major pain & still will hurry up & try to get something done such as vacuum. Of course there are those days no way could I do it. My vacuum goes more or less by itself to a degree so I use that excuse,lol. Guilt with OC behavior thrown in drives me to do these things & you bet I am in some major pain. Heck I worked with vertabrae in pieces & in my spinal cord, of course I did not know that at the time but its amazing how at times we push ourselves & of course we should not do that. That landed me into ER.
To some degree I can understand. People say if your at an 7 or 8 you would not be doing that but you know it depends on the person & where the pain is & of course how foolish we are. There have been posts in the past of how we also learn to live & work around pain levels, some people have no choice.
I prayed all the way to work & ice & hot packed while driving, then prayed to get the day over & get back home. Everyone is different. For example if my lower back gets as bad as my C area was I could not imagine forcing myself to work.
Sometimes posts can be confusing & our frustration can come through. Heck since I had surgery I cant remember things & have to be careful of how I am wording things. Pain is pain & its god awful to live with day in & day out. I know there are people worse then I & I sure do feel for them, we just all get sick of it. You hang in there & I hope you have some better days. God bless, Sammy
Ps I agree with Lynn & if your in any doubt would not hurt to ask about a discogram
I will say I am a fool, I have been in some major pain & still will hurry up & try to get something done such as vacuum. Of course there are those days no way could I do it. My vacuum goes more or less by itself to a degree so I use that excuse,lol. Guilt with OC behavior thrown in drives me to do these things & you bet I am in some major pain. Heck I worked with vertabrae in pieces & in my spinal cord, of course I did not know that at the time but its amazing how at times we push ourselves & of course we should not do that. That landed me into ER.
To some degree I can understand. People say if your at an 7 or 8 you would not be doing that but you know it depends on the person & where the pain is & of course how foolish we are. There have been posts in the past of how we also learn to live & work around pain levels, some people have no choice.
I prayed all the way to work & ice & hot packed while driving, then prayed to get the day over & get back home. Everyone is different. For example if my lower back gets as bad as my C area was I could not imagine forcing myself to work.
Sometimes posts can be confusing & our frustration can come through. Heck since I had surgery I cant remember things & have to be careful of how I am wording things. Pain is pain & its god awful to live with day in & day out. I know there are people worse then I & I sure do feel for them, we just all get sick of it. You hang in there & I hope you have some better days. God bless, Sammy
Ps I agree with Lynn & if your in any doubt would not hurt to ask about a discogram
monkey5
02-27-2009, 01:05 PM
sammy,
yes thats what i was trying to spit out the whole time, but like you said sometimes when your in pain things just get all mixed up and you probably shouldnt be posting but if you have nowhere to turn and you cant sleep ect. not to mention i have spelling problem and thinking problem on top of it but you saying this:
I will say I am a fool, I have been in some major pain & still will hurry up & try to get something done such as vacuum. Of course there are those days no way could I do it. My vacuum goes more or less by itself to a degree so I use that excuse,lol. Guilt with OC behavior thrown in drives me to do these things & you bet I am in some major pain. Heck I worked with vertabrae in pieces & in my spinal cord, of course I did not know that at the time but its amazing how at times we push ourselves & of course we should not do that.
Is exactly the way i would have put it!
For examply i had to go to the store real quick this morning and feeling better yesterday i did some things around the house, but i got up quick this morning and went to the store and on my way back i said as i hobbled into the house, you know you can't move that fast right now and and most days, but i am a fast walker even though i have had to adjust things because of my limping i have also learned to cope. It's hard to slow yourself down sometimes even though you know you have to. Take care.
monkey
yes thats what i was trying to spit out the whole time, but like you said sometimes when your in pain things just get all mixed up and you probably shouldnt be posting but if you have nowhere to turn and you cant sleep ect. not to mention i have spelling problem and thinking problem on top of it but you saying this:
I will say I am a fool, I have been in some major pain & still will hurry up & try to get something done such as vacuum. Of course there are those days no way could I do it. My vacuum goes more or less by itself to a degree so I use that excuse,lol. Guilt with OC behavior thrown in drives me to do these things & you bet I am in some major pain. Heck I worked with vertabrae in pieces & in my spinal cord, of course I did not know that at the time but its amazing how at times we push ourselves & of course we should not do that.
Is exactly the way i would have put it!
For examply i had to go to the store real quick this morning and feeling better yesterday i did some things around the house, but i got up quick this morning and went to the store and on my way back i said as i hobbled into the house, you know you can't move that fast right now and and most days, but i am a fast walker even though i have had to adjust things because of my limping i have also learned to cope. It's hard to slow yourself down sometimes even though you know you have to. Take care.
monkey
sammyo1
02-27-2009, 04:14 PM
Monkey thats fine, really this is a place sometimes we turn to when the rest of the world dont get it. I hope you get some relief soon here, its got to be rough raising small ones still & trying to cope. God bless, Sammy
Jema X
02-28-2009, 06:15 AM
Hey monkey, it sounds like a lot of ur frustration comes from not having a proper diagnosis. I can understand that, it's very stressdul to have pain and not know why - it can also make u anxious because u don't know if u might be hurting yourself.
Has your dr ordered mri scans etc? It sounds like they're more interested in doing proceures than finding out exactly what's wrong. Do you think the methadone is helping yet? God bless
Has your dr ordered mri scans etc? It sounds like they're more interested in doing proceures than finding out exactly what's wrong. Do you think the methadone is helping yet? God bless
monkey5
02-28-2009, 01:12 PM
juliet, yes thats my problem, i feel there are just poking and proding and not wanting to anything more, nope they have not ordered another mRI or anything. The only thing my MD hads doen was ordered xrays of my upper thoratic area and thats because i have alot neck pain and spasms and that all comes from when i fell last March and when my whole left side got worse, so basically she is going on what the transferred records say such as i had an MRI in 2007 wich was before i fell the very last time. Heres whats happening with the methadon. I take during the day and then at night. I am supposed to take it 12 hours apart. Theres no way i can do that but i tried and thats when i was up all night. So what i do is i take one at 2pm and then another at midnight and i am going to let them know that. But whats happening is that at the first dose it makes me wide awake and i have lots of energey and the pain is still there and the second one knocks me right out, not really but makes me really sleepy. See i have to take the Lyrica also so i take that at the same time but i take that dose at like 10 am with my thyroid med, and then in the evening because the problem i have been running into lately in the last couple of months is i will forget if i took a med or not so taking it this way i dont get comfused, yes i need to get one of those pill caddy things. I think when i take the second dose of the lyrica because they recently increased this it help make me really sleepy so i dont have to take a sleeping aid, it's not that i didnt want to take advice i just hate taking pills i already have to take and i figured i would just wait to see how the other med goes first. I think the methadone is helping some because i'm not as bad as i normally would have been running all the errands i did yesterday, my leg hurt alot but i know the methadone wont neccessarily work for nerve pain! I know with my situation igt depends alot on if i bend , lift twist and turn to far and thats that. But i know the last time when i vaccumed i pushed too far and i'm not sure if the Methadone was kicking in our not but i couldnt move for two days and i am under no circumstances going to take the chance again! I know one thing is that my leg upper and lower leg did not hurt that much before i vacumed;) Thanks for being here for me!
Take care, Monkey
Take care, Monkey
monkey5
02-28-2009, 01:16 PM
sammy, yes it is hard, especially when you have to be big ol mom, and one of your children start having a back problem, you have to be careful to make sure you dont try and make it so you are not too concerned with your own back pain and make them think you dont care! I just hope my son can get the proper help and not have to suffer and be on meds ect at such a young age, but they say kids bouce back quicker!
Take care, monkey
Take care, monkey