Increased pain / mean nurse

I've been packing (being evicted) & my pain has been horrible. So this was time #3 in a little over a month at my PM's for shots. And what happens but of course the nurse has to say that she thinks I'm faking or attention seeking b/c no one should need to see the PM that many times in that short of a time frame. She said she's going to talk to my PM about telling me that I can't be seen any more for another month.

What exactly am I supposed to do when I'm in pain, then? I'm not allowed to go up on my meds (& don't want to anyways). I try to be good, but I don't have a choice about the moving. I'm just about at my wits end with all the stress (physical & emotional) of everything & now I have to worry about this too. Heck, I hate going in for shots. They hurt; they cost a lot of money; and, my PM works in the middle of nowhere.

I'm just frustrated right now. The last thing I need to have to go looking for a new PM right now. :( Hopefully I can make it another 4 weeks, but things are just super busy right now & there's not much I can do about it. I do have friends coming over to help next week to help pack, so that should help. I just needed to go through things first so I knew what I had when they came to help pack, give stuff away, throw stuff away, etc. I'm moving to a much smaller place, so I can't just have them pack up everything. Oh, this pain is just really getting to me. At least I don't have to go through any more stuff. All that is done now & my friends will take care of the rest for me. :)

But still's not easy. Had to go looking for apartments today. about ready to cry from the pain of all that walking. I know where I'm gonna live now, but I'm all hunched over from the pain. :(

Hope you all's days are going better than mine.
frances

Did you talk to the doctor yourself. Because, the nurse doesn't really get to make that call. I know she has some power but only what the doctor gives her. I would insist on talking to the doctor and telling him/her about he comment and how it made you feel as well as mention to him that you are being forced to move and that has increased your pain level.


And, I am so sorry all of that is happening to you.

Oh my goodness Frances.....that is completely out of line for the nurse to make ANY comments like that!!! Just exactly who does she think she is?? She was ordered by the doc to give the shot and that is her only job!!! I am so angry because I live in a small town and we deal with a lot of the same bull! It seems like the nurses at our hospital are always just angry because they have to do something....anything...uhhh it is your job!! My sister and I both have a lot of issues going on....that involve a lot of pain! She is on oxycontin and I am on MS-contin. Sometimes you just need something to break the pain cycle so you can move on! Most of the time we go in we just get toradol but sometimes it is demoral. Regardless of which one it is....with the types of meds we are taking...neither of those shots can be considered drug seeking....especially not toradol...but they treat us like we are junkies off the street, begging for a fix! I am so tired of people who have NO CLUE about CP acting like that! I always say that I would not wish this on anyone.....but I would like some people to have to deal with it for about 2 weeks and then see what they think!! I also had a receptionist at the docs office take it upon herself to say my daughter was not getting a script refilled 3 days early....and said it came from the doctor....well my daughter had a seizure 3 hours later on my front porch because of the withdrawals from the meds!! Anyway....let me step down off my soapbox.... this is a sore subject with me....as you can tell!

I am very sorry you are dealing with that witch. while having to deal with the other stuff going on in your life right now! That is kind of the nature of CP.....it kicks you when AND because you are down!! Try to keep your head up and hang in there! Get some rest anytime you can and take care of you!!

Oh I am so mad I could just spit!

Hang in There!
Hugs,
Beckey

Frances,

I'm sorry to hear what you are going though. Wow, that nurse is just ridiculous. The way she acted, you'd think that you were getting the injections because you liked getting stuck with needles or something. Come on! Clearly you keep coming back because you are still in pain!!! What an idiot! I'm sorry that you had to put up with that. I can't see why your doctor would have an issue with you coming in so frequently for injections. If they are helping, then by all means don't stop! Besides, he is making money each time you walk through that door & it's not as if you were there 3X per month demanding an increase in pain meds. Geez. You ought to complain about that lady to your doctor next time you see him.

hugs,
Skeye

Thanks, all.

The shots I got this time were steriod/lidocaine facet injections (worst of all, I'm allergic to lidocaine -- usually he uses bipivucaine, but I didn't find out about the switch until after I broke out in hives). The time before I got epidurals.

She didn't actually say the part about how many times I'd been there or what she suspected to me, she was talking loudly to the receptionist right at the front window (about 3 feet from me & the entire rest of the reception area), while sneaking peaks to apparently see how I reacted. So not only did I hear, but my mom, the rest of the reception area & the office manager & nurses for the other doctor who shares that same reception area (there are 2 practices with one waiting area). It was just ridiculous. She didn't actually say my name, but she tilts her head toward me ("this girl") and rattles off the dates of my visits. There weren't any other female patients in the waiting room at the time, so there wasn't any mistaking who she was talking about.

This after the last time I was there & after I asked her nicely to please let me talk to my PM because the script for the new medicine was not for the same amount I previously got, and she tells me that I should just "be grateful that I have so many blessings in my life & be happy about that I'm so well off". I don't know what the #$%^ that's supposed to mean, but darn it! if I'm at my PM's office it's because I'm having a really awful day. I'm not unhappy every day, but if I cannot even walk 15 feet without having to have a family member help me & if I can't afford my medication anymore & if I'm in so much pain I can't sleep and I'm PAYING MONEY to go to a pain specialist to do something about that, I don't want to be told to count my blessings!

Oh, this lady really gets under my skin. I feel badly because the last idiot I complained about got fired. I hate to see someone lose their job, but really, I doubt I'm the only one she's being mean to & I can't understand why you would work in a pain clinic if you can't stand people complaining about being in pain.

And you know that there can't be anything wrong with her or her family because no one who's been through anything remotely difficult in life would say such stupid things. Arrrgggghhhh! I think I will say something to my doctor at the next visit. Where does this nurse get off?

She didn't even have to do anything. She just was supposed to look up when my last visit date was & decided on her own that she was going to announce to the whole office that she thought I was coming too often. I know I shouldn't let things like that get to me, but I just hear stupid little comments so many other places & I just wish that at least at the pain clinic people would be understanding.

I'd like to just kick that crazy woman down the stairs a hundred times & beat her with every household object imaginable & then take out pieces of her skull & vertebrae & crush her little nerves with fake scar tissue (I'd do the real thing if I could), and then cut her open like surgery in several places & implant an unreliable SCS in her neck & back so that she never knows when it will help & when it won't. Then I'm going to make her pack up her whole home & move somewhere else. Oh, and I'm gonna make sure that stupid people make mean little comments almost everywhere she goes. I should make her lose her job to simulate what it's like when you have to take too many sick days, but I guess she'd stop making dumb little comments after all that so I'd be nice & let her keep her "blessing" of a job.

Good grief. What an idiot. When do we get to leave all these morons behind & go to our happy island with the electric fencing to keep all the dumb people (including dumb people in the medical profession) O-U-T!?

WB-
You don't think I should kick her down the stairs?
No, you're right, though. I think I do need so say something to my PM. It's just so frustrating. There are plenty of nursing jobs around here. If she doesn't like pain patients, why doesn't she just switch to another field? The whole thing is just frustrating. She KNOWS I'm moving. She was there in the room doing surgical prep when my PM asked me why I thought I was having such a bad time lately. She knows I'm being evicted & can't just take my sweet time packing stuff up.

I don't mean to say that all nurses are bad. In fact, the other nurse who was there that day has never said anything remotely awful. She's not nicey-nice, but even though she's VERY blunt, she's never said a mean or critical thing to me or, as far as I know, to anyone else -- not even to the people who fail their U/A & she has to call security on them b/c all they do is yell. If someone wants an interim appointment, she just leaves a note for the doctor & lets him decide what to do. She was the one who got my last appointment with my PM -- the one where the other nurse (the idiot) decided I was some kind of unmanageable patient.

I just don't get all the drama. Too bad my PM can't hire someone like you to be his nurse.

Frances I do hope you will speak to the PM dr about this nurse. Otherwise, she will continue to be this snide power hungry old bag that does not have a clue about CP. Reality is, if nothing is done, if you chose to ignore this, it will continue, not only with you but other patients and this is wrong, you know this. As a patient we are entitled to to be treated with dignity and courtesy. It does not matter that she did did not look you right in the eye when this took place, she needs a new job and being a nurse is not it. I have a mouth and I don't mind calling a nurse or dr either one to the mat, my health is far too important to me than to have to deal with idiots in offices.

I am so sorry that you are doing so poorly. It just seems like not long ago things were going great for you and you were doing wonderful. You felt good, you were exercising, work was going good, life was good, what happened Frances? I worry about you girl.

Frances,
Sorry I'm coming late to this thread, but I hardly know where to start. I think back of all you've been going through as someone who's struggled on her own to keep her home and to work, and I know that being evicted alone has to be adding so much emotional and physical pain. I'm so sorry you're having to go through this, but I am glad you have so much help.

Certainly the last thing you needed right now was what happened at your PM's office. Yes, I'd agree with others that talking directly with your PM or, even better (because it's documentation), writing a letter and marking it Personal and Confidential to him explaining all that happened, and how much it added to your stress and pain to have to deal with this on top of the moving, plus the violation of your privacy (names don't need to be used to violate confidentiality - it's anything that's identifying and certainly nodding to you, your being the only female in the waiting room, etc. are "identifying") would be the best - BUT I also understand you're probably completely overwhelmed right now and not going back for a month is the easier route to take - for now. That's really your choice, and I understand it, believe me. Overwhelmed has become my middle name. You can always do the letter later, after you've moved, but then you do miss out on some help with pain in the meantime.

You know I wonder if she was a nurse or just a medical assistant. She could have still been helping with prep for your injection, although it depends on exactly what she was doing. But whether she's a licensed R.N. or not, there are ethical and legal rules the doctor is responsible for him and his staff following and you know this. One thing I wouldn't do is worry about her losing her job, as you mentioned. If she does, SHE lost it by her behavior, not because of you. Remember that. And there's usually the option for an employee to be given a chance to correct their behavior, depending on how severe the violation was, so that's not your fault it's hers.

Whatever you choose, you'll have my support. I wish I could be there to offer you a shoulder and a hug, even though I couldn't lift boxes!

Remember to close your eyes periodically and think of that island with the electric fence! Who knows - maybe that's where you're moving!

And when that nurse hits that electric fence, look out!

PaLady-----> joining you on island

Thinking of you today, Frances... I'm so sorry for all the stuff you are having to deal with. Will keep you in my thoughts and prayers... and remember we are here for you. Hang in there the best you can.

--Tina

Wow, Frances, no wonder you feel like crap lady. But, remember this, you have already been there at the feeling good dept and you know how well you were doing and you had it going your way. It was a long hard struggle but you did it Frances, and you will do it again. You learned a lot along the way the first time, this time will be much easier for you. But in the future, no more getting greedy, ok, lol. Once the dust settles with the move and all, hopefully the stress level will go down and so will the pain.

You know going back to you handling this two week conference. All I will say is sometimes the grass is not greener on the other side. You found that out with the PT on your neck. With your health being where it is now, perhaps now is not the time to consider this conference deal. Get yourself back on track. I know you give 500% on anything you tackle, but right now I don't see that for you, not only that you may be setting yourself up for a very big fall that could have been avoided. Oh, darn, if things didn't have to be so dang complicated for us. Take care of yourself, I am so proud of what you have done, very proud for you.

Frances, lol, things will never be ok again for a CPer. Jeesh gal, thought you knew that one. You probably did the old, man I am doing so great lets try just a little bit more, lesson hard learned by most of us, me most of all. Just stick with your boundaries once you have have your footing back and you will. I have the most confidence in you in reaching this goal again, if anyone can do it, its you. I watched you flip & flop like a fish out of water for a long time, then slowly things started taking shape for you and you did terrific.

I have both a pool and a jacuzzi and let me tell you the pool can feel wonderful on my back just by standing in the water. Forget the exercises in water, you know those are hard on a body. I walk around in my pool, I sit in a float and do leg kicks, nothing really hard. I have done the actual water therapy and remember most of it, no way will I go there the shape I am in now. My jacuzzi is great for spasms now that I have been cleared to get back in it. My prior PM dr said absolutely no to my jacuzzi because of my pain pump. My new one said oh yes you can get in it. I only have my water temp at 98 degrees, anything higher sends my BP up. The jacuzzi was bought several years ago when my PM dr had me in water therapy. He said I could do in a good jacuzzi what he was having me do so we bought one. I did not have to pay sales tax on it because he signed a form and attached a letter of medical necessity. I loved it because I could come home from work and get right in it, before it was 9:00 at night after getting home from PT. Just get clearance from your dr on these two items.

I am glad you have someone working with you on this conference thing. Just be careful is about all you can do.

Snowy,
The thing is, I'm only in my early 30's & the nurse is a year younger than me. So it's not even that she's old & bitter, or tired from dealing with patients for decades of her life. She's been in the medical profession for less than a decade & has only been an LPN for less than 6 years. Gosh am I scared for her patients when she is actually old!

Thanks for the kind words.

Susie,
Thanks for the advice. I will check with my PM, esp. before getting in the hot tub. He's actually suggested trying water therapy (it helped my low back, to a point), but it's too far away & the commuting cancels out the benefit. I was sad thinking that once I start my new job I could actually go to a really great aqua therapy center (it's actually at a research hospital & is supposed to be good) except that I won't have nearly as good of insurance & my out-of-pocket will reset (currently I pay nothing for doctors, hospitals & rehab). But now that I find out I will have a pool in my building -- FOR FREE -- I am pretty excited. I wish it were a therapy pool, but this is almost as good. PM said just can't do nearly so much in the regular pool & that I need to go SUPER slow & pay attention to my pain. Hopefully things will start to turn around again.

Hope all of you are hanging in there & not in too much horrible pain.

hugz,
frances

Frances,

I am so sorry that the inhuman nurse was nasty to you. She has no right to judge, let alone tell a patient who pays to come to appointments how many times they are allowed to come to a Pain Management office. As to the counting your blessings bit, maybe a she should count her blessings that she still has a job. I agree that she is opening that office up to litigation. The only person who can tell you that you are coming too often is your physician. When I worked in a Cardiologist's office, we were told to keep our opinions to ourselves. We could be fired for that type of comment on the spot.

Have a heart to heart with your PM. Explain how it made you feel. Don't worry about the nasty nurse losing her job, she shouldn't be working a a nurse if she can't have some compassion. Obviously, she has never had anything happen to her or her family.

Congrats on the new apartment, but not the packing and moving part. I hope it all goes well for you and your pain lessens as you settle in.