Going nowhere fast

These doctors and politicians seem to forget, or just don’t care, that improperly treated chronic pain can have negative impacts on a persons overall health. Should we just accept that, too?

I am truly sorry for what you are going through. If this doc HAS been the prescribing doc for these meds, I would say let them know they are now responsible for withdrawal treatment. Are they going to pay for that?

Sarah

I’m in the process of calling around to covered pain mgmt clinics. It’s a catch 20 situation calling & asking if they only do injections since the two I’ve called immediately got snarky with me upon asking.

Regarding the antidepressant, I had filled the rx right as we moved. When I found this pcm & told her I had plenty at my visit, she said to call when I needed more. I understand if she’d want to see me but don’t outright refuse it! It’s been hard enough coming off pain meds, let alone Effexor. I’m getting the impression this doctor just lacks compassion of any kind; why would you stop a chronic pain patients ANTIDEPRESSANT? It’s mind boggling!

So, yes I’m looking for a new PCM and pain mgmt... talk about bad timing having this hit as the holidays start.

I am new to the site. I have suffered with this 'chronic pain' since 2004. I am sure we have all been the guinea pig for the doctors that we have seen over the years. I am a survivor of meningitis twice!! And of course mrsa too many times I stopped counting. The meningitis has left me with memory loss, no communication between my stomach and brain, migraines, at times unable to put words together in my mind and then to speech...I have other problems but I cannot recall them right now!!! Ha!!

I completely understand the problem you are having with your doctors and rx's. I too have had the run around, the attitude that the doctor cannot be bothered right now, the doctor refusing to refill and so on.

In 2014 my surgeon suggested that I look into getting a pain pump. I live in Maryland, there are only 5 doctors that do the surgery. The first doctor I went to would only do the implant for cancer patients. Soooo, I moved on to the next doctor on the list. I hesitated with calling, his office was 37 miles away.

His office is located within a hospital. I never experienced an office such as this. I went to the doctor and was completely blown away!!! The staff (employed by the hospital) was very organized, the office was ran very constructive. I met with a nurse who took all of my information from day one of my health problem. This took well over an hour of questions and answers all while the nurse typed all of my responses into his computer. Once this was done he told me to hang tight he was going to discuss my interview with the doctor.

The doctor came in and fine tuned my interview. He agreed with my surgeon and the first doctor I saw regarding the pain pump. I couple of weeks later I called and told the doctor that I would like to have the pain pump. The pre-testing was done, I was a perfect candidate. The implant was done, I passed all the hospital vitals and a couple of days later I was sent home.

I have not idea how many days I had been home in bed continuing the healing from the implant. I do remember the most horrible, horrible migraine. I recall getting out of bed and telling my son to call for an ambulance. He ask why and I told him I'm not sure why please just do it. Something is wrong!!

I was told I woke up 6 days later. I had total confusion and I mean total. After being awake for 2 days I remembered that I had family, MY SON!!!! Still to this day this scar becomes an open wound. I will never be able to rid myself of the feeling...what a bad mother...you don't remember you have a child????

Anyway, that is a great deal of detail. I have been with this doctor since the implant in 2015 and still every visit I am amazed with the staff. The hospital has their sayings (like most professions/businesses) and they mean every word...'our patients are our priority.' Something like that but they mean it, they show it an live it.

To this day, the male nurse that interviewed me keeps track of when I am due in for my check up, shots and rx's. He wants to be my nurse when I come in. When I last had meningitis and he knew I was awake he came to see me. He sat with me during his lunch and came back before he left for the day. He would ask if he could get me anything. He went out of his way and would buy me coca-cola and candy with his own money!!!

Sigh, I went years dealing with doctors that tried all kinds of things on me, doctors that played with my medications to doctors that thought I was there only for the rx's.

I know there are far too many people that suffer. When I think of things like this I get frustrated. I understand the drug problems of the world. We have real pain, we have real problems. This chronic pain controls our every move. This chronic pain will not allow us to live the life we want. This chronic pain keeps us incarcerated from life itself.

I truly wish and wish that everyone could be as fortunate as I am with my doctor. Having a medical staff/doctor behind me that fully understands chronic pain has made the fight for medications limited. I really believe most doctors do not know what it is like to live this way. Too many additional realities of chronic pain to discuss.