PAIN PUMP (2008)

Hi Everyone,

I know I haven't been around for awhile but that was because I was actually living my life pain-free for the first time in oh so many years. Yet here I am. Back again and back in pain. Something happened to my wonderful life giving pain pump and it stopped working last thurs. I made it through the pain til my appt I already had schedualed with my PC Dr. I called and told them what was going on and lucky for me I always make sure I have back-up meds to handle any thing that arises before I can get to the dr.

I went today and after checking my pump she said it was working so the problem had to be somewhere else between it and my spine. She was very helpful and is schedualing a dye test to see where all the dilaudid is going. She raised all my medications to handle my pain issues and something for the withdrawal symptoms I will and have been going through. I love my pump and I am so scared. When I came back here and actually saw 2 threads for pain pumps I was thrilled. Next I was really bummed. It is impossible to read as I'm sure everyone else knows. Someone mentioned a site devoted to pain pumps and I would really like to know what that is. If anyone knows of it would they please write it here for all to see? It would be deeply appreciated by my-self and I'm sure a lot of other people.

It's been awhile since I've said hi to all of you good people but it was strange when I was feeling no pain I was a little scared to "jinx" it, I know it sounds juvenile but I look forward to catching up with you all again. I'd also like to thank Pamela kneckpain for restarting this thread I hope others will contribute, thanks. I'm not feeling my best at the moment but I will read and catch up with what's going on asap. I pray all of you have been well or are on your way there and me too.

Toritoo

Pamela the pump doesn't hurt in your abdomen it does make it hard to find clothes that fit. It doesn't hurt to have it filled either although it looks and sounds like it would. It took quite awhile to get my pain pump to the point where I could wake up and not have my first thoughts be of pain meds. When it did begin to work correctly it was amazing! My pain was gone. I forgot to take pain meds! I always had left over meds at the end of the day. And more important I went out and visited my daughter at her house. I went to my sisters house. I didn't pay for it later. There was no later. It was heavenly.

So goodnight to all and you Pamela thank you again.

Toritoo

Post Edited (Toritoo) : 8/27/2008 8:49:25 PM (GMT-6)

Hey Pamela,

Just curious as to why you think Oprah is the answer?  Granted, she has more money than she knows what to do with, and she does have access to very important people.  What do you think she can do regarding pain-pumps or chronic pain?

The last time I went to my pain management clinic, I inquired about the possibility of getting a pain pump for my chronic back pain.  The doctor actually "poo-poo'd" the idea of using a pump, making is sound that they were minimally effective and quite problematic.  I read between the lines and realized that, once again, the doctors are steering away from any treatment that includes narcotic pain medication. 

One day, I'd really like to sock one of these doctors in the head.

Leigh Ann

Just checking in and saying hey and letting you in on my pain pump odyssea. I had the test yesterday. The pump and the catheters and everything else are working fine. Once again one of those moments you don't know whether to be relieved or scared. You know?

If there isn't anything wrong with the pump then what caused this sudden spike of pain and all the, what we thought were withdrawal sickness symptoms saying? So off I went over to my PC Dr. and we talked. They had given me a bolus at the hospital so the pain wasn't too bad. But I was really sensitive in one specific area in my spine. Well long story short now we are going to see if the infection that had brought about this whole back situation, Osteomyelitis, was back. It is a very bad infection and it eats away at your bones from the inside out. The main symptom is excruciating pain with fever, nausea and general feelings of malaise as well. I need a blood test now with a SED rate to see if that is what is going on. So at this point I guess I am just basically numb inside my head. Don't know what to think how to feel, beside scared and I'm so tired of scared.

I hope everyone else is doing better than I am at this point if not I feel for you as always. Take care all and I will try and be around and get caught up with all of my fellow sufferers. Saw something about a beach party. I didn't feel well enough to read it all but I hope you all had as good a time as it sounded. Wish I could have been there?

Take care all,

toritoo

I'm so glad that I am not alone with my problems and it is so nice to see a familiar name as well. Boy go away for a few months and come back to a slew of new fellow sufferers. I've seen a few of the others like Palady and Ryand but wondering about Gramps, did something happen while I was gone? I hope he's okay. Anywhoo I am also glad that you have gotten relief from your pain pump as well. Isn't it great? As for me well everything was going so well for almost 3 months and then BAM I'm back in the land of pain. So depressing. Oh well enough venting. I am waiting for my dr. to call about blood work and then we'll see where we go from there. Hopefully they catch it early this time (if it is the osteomyelitis) and before it proceeds to eat away at what ever bone and discs I have left.

Well I'm off for now but thanks again for writing back to me and caring it means a lot to me. I wish you and the rest of the old gang all the best and I will post again to let you know where I stand and what's happening. Have a good day Susie and everyone else old and new, I look forward to getting to know all of the new members although it is sad that they have to be here in the first place.

Hugs to you too,

toritoo

Oh yea I forgot to answer your question about how I got it in the first place and no I don't mind telling. I was in the hospital with bronchitis and fell, hit my head, had a grand mal seizure, coded, died, brought back and was in a coma for 3 days. During that time I was intubated and that caused the bronchitis to turn into pneumonia which in turn changed into the osteomyelitis. It took 6 months for them to diagnose it and by that time it had eaten away the base of my spine and discs L4,L5, S1 etc. They went in and repaired it with bone grafts and hardware and gave me a recovery period of 16 to 18 months with 2 months of IV antibiotics and a very uncomfortable brace to wear. It was hell, sorry but there is no other word that covers it. (When they finally gave me an MRI it was just dumb luck that an ortho surgeon just happened to see my films and said whoever these belongs to needs to be called now and brought in for surgery right away so I guess I was lucky in that respect.) Also I am very lucky to be a patient at one of the better teaching hospitals in California, Loma Linda University Medical Center. OK now I guess I'm done. Hope I didn't bore you with some of the sad tale that has become my life since this all started. Oh one more thing, it took them 6 months to finally find out what was wrong during which I lost 65lbs and suffered unbearable pain. That Susie is my sad story.

Post Edited (Toritoo) : 9/12/2008 12:29:50 PM (GMT-6)

      Hey Pamela, Susie and Palady

 I guess I should just say hey all. It's nice to be back among you all but I hate the reason. It's just sad. Pamela about the connectors, they Xrayed them and I am having blood work the first of next week. So thanks for the looking out for me. I hope everyone else is doing better, although better than what I don't know.

So good night to all and hope for a pain free or less day to you to.

Hugs, toritoo