First post here so hopefully someone can help. I am trying to find a new doc for my wife. She has suffered from daily headaches for the last 20 years. She has had every test and tried every procedure out there. She has been opioid free for the last two years and under the care of a Headache specialist at my request. Her quality of life is now suffering and I think she needs to go back on opioids again. I want to at least provide her this option but her old doc is no longer practicing and all of my old links are dead.
Could someone please PM me some info on a caring doc that understands the importance of treating pain. We are located in the northern VA area.
She has been opioid free for the last two years and under the care of a Headache specialist at my request. Her quality of life is now suffering and I think she needs to go back on opioids again. I want to at least provide her this option...
Wow.
Is she unable to make those decisions for herself for some reason? Maybe her best bet for improving her quality of life is to be in charge of her own healthcare.
Is she unable to make those decisions for herself for some reason? Maybe her best bet for improving her quality of life is to be in charge of her own healthcare.
Really ...you want to insult me like that, ***
Chronic pain effect the whole family not just her. We are a team in this battle so get off your high horse. She make all the decisions in her healthcare I just asked her to try coming off the hard drugs and to give another Doctor a try.
Now I am helping her find a new doctor, is this a problem, am I a bad husband for this? I think not
Chronic pain effect the whole family not just her. We are a team in this battle so get off your high horse. She make all the decisions in her healthcare I just asked her to try coming off the hard drugs and to give another Doctor a try.
Now I am helping her find a new doctor, is this a problem, am I a bad husband for this? I think not
I wasn't trying to insult you, and I'm sorry that you misread it that way.
You chose the words you did, not me. The way it was worded came across as you being the one making the decisions and she was the one suffering for it.
I fully understand how chronic pain can affect an entire family, but anything that you're suffering pales in comparison to what she is going through. I was simply saying that maybe it would be best to let her and her doctors coordinate her care, because it sounds like (again, your words, not mine) your ideas for her were not panning out well.
I wasn't trying to insult you, and I'm sorry that you misread it that way.
You chose the words you did, not me. The way it was worded came across as you being the one making the decisions and she was the one suffering for it.
I fully understand how chronic pain can affect an entire family, but anything that you're suffering pales in comparison to what she is going through. I was simply saying that maybe it would be best to let her and her doctors coordinate her care, because it sounds like (again, your words, not mine) your ideas for her were not panning out well.
Agreed, when you worded your original post, it sounded as if you were in control of her pain control, medical care and life. Not meaning to be insulting at all in any way, but as a severe chronic pain sufferer who has not only failed back surgery nerve pain but migraines with stroke like aura, I find being in control of my own medical needs at least restores some of my independence and dignity and many times when someone in the family including a spouse approaches a doctor especially a new one on behalf of the patient in request of pain meds, they are then skeptical to prescribe to the patient because unfortunately their is such a large amount of drug abuse and sale ESP of opiates in the US, ESP in and around VA, so in trying to speak for your wife you may actually hinder the care she may have received had she spoke for herself and took her own initiative. Also having been in the condition I am in, there has been very few times I allowed or were the doctors receptive to my husband. Asking for or about anything regrading my medical care and medications.
Doctors in the practice of pain mgmt are skeptics to begin with, understandable taken the amount of times they have patients who do misuse their help and abuse or sell what they prescribe the patients, and as for affect on family, yes it affects the family, but nothing like it does your wife, I'm 100 percent certain of that, you know have her take charge of what's best for her headache management. Hope she gets better
Is she unable to make those decisions for herself for some reason? Maybe her best bet for improving her quality of life is to be in charge of her own healthcare.
I see this a lot, he has to realize with pain management it's best for her to step up and speak on her own behalf, yes the spouse n family suffer, but it's the patient who can feel and gauge her pain levels not spouse or family, and when a pain specialist sees this type behavior it brings questions to his mind regarding the situation. And she also has to present as strong enough to be responsible for her own pain care, that's why many pain clinics have a psychiatric consultant in office or nearby.
I am 51 and been dealing with the same pain doctor for 6 yrs I know where he stands, he knows where I stand. I know what he feels I should or shouldn't take, he knows what I will or won't take and we trust and work together to relieve my pain to a tolerable level without overdoing. Opiates work wonders if used correctly and the level in blood is kept at a constant even level. They do much less harm then large ibuprofen doses and NSAIDs as you can get opiates with lowere acetominaphen levels. Lortab is strongest I like to take with gabapentin n Flexeril ...and cascade cream n lido patches only when needed...he has offered OxyContin, MS Contin, Fent Patch, etc etc...I have 2 Demerol prepack injections in case, they are almost a year old and not touched as well as one Fent patch.
So if she wants pain control properly and a good relationship with a pain doc she must do it herself and go in the room alone. My hubby never goes in the room, never gets into my pain control with my doctor.. If he n family are so affected she can request an order for family therapy, but she must be in control of her own pain after her it's her that feels it.... Just food for thought, not an insult simply observation of post by someone who's there with issues regarding pain...be careful bouncing from doc to doc and speaking for her, you can get her *** flagged in your medical community and she won't be able to get any help. Maybe you should read an actual pain contract from a good strong reputable facility. Good luck
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[SIZE="3"]. Harmony
Last edited by Harmony60; 04-12-2012 at 06:55 AM.
Reason: Misspell
Hi-I go to Dr.Lewis Eberly, he's my Neurologist. His number is 703-845-1500. He has also been able to help with pain management. He has office in Aexandria,I'm not sure where the others are. Hope this helps.-Christina
Re: PM doc in VA, MD or DC 
. Harmony
