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"It's just arthritis," she said.

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Chronic Pain
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Posted 8/21/2008 8:29 PM (GMT 0)
Today an acquaintance yakked to me on the phone.
I've had Chronic Pain for 6 years.
The rather long neck-breaking conversation boiled down to this:

She said she had Arthritis in her hip and knee but she used her recumbent bike and
read scriptures and her pain is totally over. She told me if I would do the same and
drink grape juice I could cure myself. She told me all about the runners high, and
Endorphins and how they could coure Depression.(Before this I walked an hour a day,
and did Aerobics about six days a week. I had never complained to her about Depression)
She doesn't know my faith. She hasn't seen my MRI's. The comment I really didn't
like was: "It's just Arthritis"

I boil.
I posted this on the Arthritis board and no one responded. Maybe they're out buying
recumbent bikes! I've used a Recumbent bike. It brought on so much pain.

Pamela Neckpain
Posted 8/22/2008 12:13 AM (GMT 0)
Oh Pamela, i feel your pain! (Literally)...i posted recently about my arthritis being so active that i could hardly lift the milk jug out of the fridge...

As for others comments , i feel u there to...When i was diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis, i had so many people tell me how they HAD colitis and became CURED by _________(fill in the blank). I heard everything from "stop eating meat" to "exercise more" to some other really crazy stuff.

Anyways, im sorry you had this experience. I hope this person's recumbent bike breaks! LOL
Posted 8/22/2008 4:12 AM (GMT 0)
Shannon ...
Your post made me laugh out loud. I have had a horrid day because of that Recumbant
Bike lady.
You had problem with the milk jug and I have problems if I try to carry two Fiesta
plates or MY CAT.
I don't know many people because I'm kinda shut in. The biker was a sort of relative.
Since I'm out of the loop out there in the big wide world, I come here where
people understand.
Wouldn't it be just unthinkable that the biker fell asleep while she was peddling
and bruised her foot really bad. I could, of course, say more and make this much
more interesting.
Did your foot injury cause your Chronic Pain? If so, you've had quite a life.
Pamela
Posted 8/22/2008 2:55 PM (GMT 0)
Pamela,

I would get ticked off too. I even posted a thread once about having to deal with others "cures" for fibromyalgia. My girlfriend watched a show on a health channel on fibro and then started to tell me where I went wrong, right down to the percocet that I am taking for pain. And why wasn't I going to a specialist? I think a pain specialist qualifies for a specialist, don't you?

Just come on here and complain. There are plenty of us who have been there/done that, who are willing to give you support!

Gentle Hugs,

Lindaloo
Posted 8/22/2008 7:23 PM (GMT 0)
Oh Linda, the very worst are the folks who tell you you're taking the wrong medication. Or too much. Or those
who fear addiction and don't understand that some of us just wouldn't make it AT ALL without pain medication.

I boil as I type this. Ohhhhhh to make them understand. How? It is a particulary bad situation if a Pain Doctor
doesn't believe in pain medication. Plenty of these guys exist.

I told my husband I was writing a "Thread" on the forum.
He made a funny noise in his throat. I turned to look at him and found his hair was standing on end and his eyes
were big and round.
"What's wrong?" I asked
"Did you say you were sending a Threat!, he asked.

har de har har har............................................................................I gotta GO right now!!!!!
Posted 8/23/2008 1:40 AM (GMT 0)
Is one expected to read scriptures while riding the recumbant bike and drinking grape juice in order to get the full effect? Or can these three treatments be performed separately? I know some medication interventions rely less on the individual medication and more on the interaction between the drugs (much like peanut butter, jelly, and bread taste differently when eaten individually rather than in sandwich form), so I want to make sure I completely understand.
Posted 8/23/2008 4:33 PM (GMT 0)
Welcome BionicWoman ...
Why is it I never ask the right questions.
Of course I need to know how to get the full effect!
If she had e-mail, I'd post immediately.
Pamela Neckpain
Posted 8/24/2008 1:22 AM (GMT 0)
I don't blame you for boiling Pamela.
What was your response to her??

During the last 2 years I have had so many comments and "cures"
like: you should see this therapist she does "tapping" and it really
helped my friend, I know it would work for you.
Grrrrrrrr
Like I want to have a person tap on my painfull neck! ! !

I am sure they all have good hearts but do NOT understand chronic
pain in the least. Like you say have they seen the MRI's.

Yesterday at work a man mentioned he had just had a fusion at C4-5
So I started talking about it to him. He only had pain in one arm before hand
and they operated. Wow. He did not even know what he was talking about! !
Said to me oh yes go and get the plates and screws next time it is easy! !
?what planet was he operated on??

I know everyone has some great stories.
Posted 8/25/2008 11:36 AM (GMT 0)
Take this from someone who has had a chronic illness for a very long time in addition to the pain that accompanies it - when you come across someone who is insensitive to your feelings; ignore them. I know it's hard and you want to sometimes slap people who just don't GET it, but really by getting upset over a situation that you have no control over will do nothing but prey on your mind and heart.

Trust me, I've had my own share of insensitive jerks that now I try to shrug off whatever it is they try to tell me because it is just NOT worth it. Like my SIL for instance; see I am thinking of having surgery next year to remove my large intestine because of my Ulcerative Colitis. She thinks that by going to a chiropractor that it will help get rid of my symptoms of my UC. She doesn't understand that I have suffered for 16 years with this disease that I am tired of dealing with it all. She is a highly insensitive person and can be quite rude. So I ignore her the best as I can because I know that she will NEVER understand so why waste my time.

You are always going to have someone who doesn't understand. But don't let it get to you. YOU know that there is something wrong with your, YOU know that you are in pain not someone else and YOU know what it is and what it isn't. So who cares what others think.
Posted 8/26/2008 4:23 AM (GMT 0)
I have come across a good response to the recumbant biker chick.
(The one who said, "All you have is Arthritis.")
My pain will never go away.
At 55, I won't live long enough.
Chronic pain alone will shorten my life.
However, I might get in on the tail end of a solution for Chronic Pain. I believe the government is working on
solutions for soldiers who will carry their pain for life if something is not done. I think I've read this. If not, just
chalk it up to intuition.
Until the time that medical science can ease my pain(and yours) I will call my condition INTRACTIBLE CHRONIC PAIN.
Arthritis can be chronic pain. Headaches can be chronic pain. But most of us are not dealing with pain that
will be helped by an occasion Vicodin.Some of us have pain that has required us to totally change our lives.
I used to call it "Intractible Chronic Pain." I don't hear that term used
often so I just went back to calling it plain ole' Chronic Pain.
BionicWoman woman gave us information on a book we can look up. For free!
I HAVE INTRACTIBLE CHRONIC PAIN.
Pamela Neckpain cry cry

P.S. Up to now, when I speak to an acquaintance or friend, I have always played down my
pain. Like this: "I'm fine. I'm fine. I'm perfectly fine. And you?" No more of that! Where does
that get you. You just have to sneak around in deception hiding your pain when you can. Today
I spoke with my daughter and when she asked "How are you?" I told her! Yay for me. I kept
my conversation very short. I don't know what her final reaction will be. I'll let you know.

Post Edited (Pamela Neckpain) : 8/25/2008 10:30:53 PM (GMT-6)

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