In severe pain - any feedback appreciated!

Hi everyone.  A few years ago, I used to post on HW a lot.  But after beginning a demanding job that involves 60 hour work weeks, I have rarely found the time to post.  Right now, I really need feedback as I am in massive pain now and don't know what to do.  I have had to call out sick to work over the past 2 days due to the increasing severe pain, and I see my doctor in the morning. 

To give a brief history of my case, I have severe endometriosis, and I have had eight surgeries for it.  about six months ago, I began to suspect that I have an ovarian cyst on my left side.  I can feel pressure on that side along with pain, and also, I have painful sensations that shoot down my left leg along with numbness in the leg.  I used to have pain only during my periods, but ever since the cyst symptoms appeared, I have pain every day of the month.  I used to take Tramadol and Lortab during my periods, but lately, I have been hurting so much all month long that I have had to take the Tramadol almost daily.  I also take Lortab shortly before and during periods.  But it's failing to control the pain now, and in fact, it doesn't seem to work at all when the pain is really bad.

Today, I have been nauseated and throwing up all day, and the pain is so bad that I can hardly stand up.  My period is about a week late, which I know can happen with cysts.  Plus, I have developed an allergy to the progesterone that my own body produces.  I have several autoiummune disorders, and this progesterone allergy is considered autoimmune too.  about 4 days ago, I woke up with my eyes swollen shut, my face broken out in hives, and my lips swollen.  I was very short of breath, and I found an epi-pen and used it.  I also took some old prednisone I had left over from another illness and took that too.  Thankfully, everything calmed down, and I have been taking Benadryl and prednisone to keep the allergic response from re-appearing with such force.

The biggest problem is the pain.  I usually have a high pain tolerance, but this is just too much now.  I would go to the ER, but I'm so scared that they're not going to help me because of their past pre-conceived notions of people that come to the ER in pain.  (This hospital used to be famous for treating people in pain like they're drug seekers.)  I actually work in this hospital now, but not in the ER.  I haven't been a patient in the hospital in about 15 years, so it's not like I go a lot.  Plus, I don't have any health insurance, so I don't know how much they'll help me.  I'm actually supposed to get health insurance next week when my job changes to one with health insurance.

Also, this may sound crazy, but I don't know how I'd manage the wait to see a doctor.  There is always a very long wait time at this hospital, usually 8 hours.  I just can't sit in a chair for 8 hours with this much pain. 

I am having financial problems now, so I don't need a huge bill on top of everything.  But, at the same time, I don't know how much longer I can tolerate this pain.  It feels like someone is stabbing my lower left side with a very sharp and serrated knife.  It also feels like someone left a very hot curling iron inside of my pelvis.  I've tried heating pads, hot baths, etc.  I am so tired because I haven't been able to sleep.  In fact, I'm so tired that I'm unable to figure out a plan of action for now.  This is why I'm turning to HW.

I see my doctor in the morning.  But, he's the type of doctor that is reluctant to give pain meds.  And, it's not that I want the meds.  It's just that I want the pain to stop!  I'd be very willing to have a hysterectomy tomorrow if I had insurance now.  When my insurance goes into effect, and after the pre-existing clause goes away, I plan on getting my uterus and both ovaries removed because I can't take this anymore.

Any ideas on how to make it through the night?  If I take a Lortab, it doesn't do a thing.  And, if I can make it to the morning to see my doctor, any ideas on how to convey to him how much I really hurt and how much I need some help now? 

Thanks so much for any feedback.  I will curl up in my ball again.  Best of luck to all of you that suffer from the wicked disease of chronic pain.

Best always.

Post Edited (luvdogs) : 6/18/2012 4:19:55 PM (GMT-6)

Hi there....Welcome back to HW...but I'm sorry to hear you are having so many troubles...

I have a long history of having ovarian cysts rupture....Every month...and all sizes. The pain is definitely agonizing...

I have numerous surgeries for this but it got to the point that the more surgeries they do, the more adhesions you get, which then in turn would cause more cysts to rupture and cause more pain....A vicious cycle...

I wound up in the ER back in my early 20's when the first cysts ruptured because I didn't know what was happening and it was on my right side primarily so they ended up taking out my appendix then as well just for fun..LOL... as well as they diagnosed Endo too....But once I knew what the pain was I have never been back...even though it was extremely painful....I knew it wasn't emergent. So only you can make that decision if you need to go to the ER or not.

May I ask who is prescribing your Tramadol and Lortab now? It's unusual for one Dr. to prescribe two short acting medications...so that is why I wasn't sure if it's two different Drs. What type of Dr. are you seeing tomorrow?

In the immediate until you see your Dr...I found that putting a Thermacare or a heating pad on my belly just made it "feel" better..

You may need to find an actual Pain Management Dr. who will take over your care and medication and if they find you are going to have chronic pain...then possibly prescribe a nerve pain medication which is usually pretty helpful as the cysts when they rupture...the blood/fluid is hitting thousands and thousands of nerve endings...

I also ended up going off my birth control as this was causing more cysts to develop so this personally helped me as well...I also make sure I do yoga/stretching each day as well as exercise 45 minutes each day walking my dog. This helps keep adhesions from forming as quickly or as much....

The key is talking about what type of pain you have....Shooting, stabbing, dull, aching, sharp, etc. And then tell them what are the things that make your pain worse...or what time of day is worse than others.

Keep us posted on how it goes...