CP, unrelated surgery, pain management

Chronic illness/CP patient several years now and coming across something haven't experienced. Had surgery--unrelated to my illnesses, my luck--almost two weeks ago. My pain MD decided to let my surgeon handle post op pain management and I see him for my two week f/u this Monday, thing is I'm still in quit a bit of pain and would like to ask for more meds b/c I ran out of the meds he gave me today and had to "dip" into my CP management meds. I want to keep these two issues separate, CP meds for CP and post-op meds for, well, post-op.
My CP MD is generous w/my management meds and I'm afraid my surgeon will just tell me to take CP meds--how best to address this?; I'm probably feeling nervous b/c I've had lots of experience w/ MD's, pain, and years of convincing people how bad I feel.

Has any CP'ers on pain med management had surgery and how has post-op pain been handled? Does anyone know if surgery takes longer to heal from if you are a CP/illness patient?

P.S. I didn't take more meds than prescribed BTW. I should have wrote this post earlier.

Post Edited (BigLucy) : 9/14/2009 12:16:23 AM (GMT-6)

Yeah, PA Lady, kinda having a challenging year physically and keeping up with work FT is taking all I have......same old, same old. I stop by the forum and read posts, but for some reason I get soooo overwhelmed by peoples stories I have a difficult time interacting, plus they added chronic fatigue to my list of health issues, so that could have a lot to do with my lack of motivation. Anyway, I take Morphine SR 15 mg am and pm and Endocet 10/325 for breakthrough; surgeon kept the meds same by giving me 2 week "extra" supply of Endocet to address post-op pain. Thing is I want to ask him for additional post-op supply of Endocet tomorrow b/c pain is still pretty bad and I have to go through 2 months of rehab (surgery was 4 hours, removal of bone and repair of tendon and muscles). I just don't want to use my CP meds b/c what happens if I need those for a flare up thats bound to come, it always does after extreme stress. I also don't want to present as a, dare I say, drug seeker. Funny how I can have major surgery, a legitimate issue, and still worry how the MD is going to perceive me--classic conditioning, if I do say so myself.

What you simply need to do is tell your doctor that your current pain management regiment is not working and ask him what do we need to do now.

about a year ago I had carpal tunnel surgery and at the same time I have an ulnar nerve transposition done. I was in a lot of pain at the surgery sites. So much so that not even the morphine I normally took for my back would touch it. The surgeon had prescribed me Percoset for the post op pain and when I seen him the next day to have the drains removed I told him how the percs were not working and that I took a morphine pill and that didn't work. He looked at my chart and literally smacked himself and admitted he screwed up a bit in that he didn't think about how long I had been on the morphine. Anyway we talked it over and I got some different meds and he put me back on my morphine for BT pain.

Back from the post-op appointment and all went well, but not without firm advocacy on my part. MD did want me to wean off the Endocet and "deal" with the pain more and I reminded him of my long HX with chronic illness/CP and how I don't want to have to "deal" with pain if I don't have to--I've had my share of dealing with it. It also helped that I explained that pain=stress=fatigue=susceptibility to (my) illness. I also addressed what was probably on his mind--I told him I am not a drug seeker just after years of CP I now know what I need to make it through my day and that I'm trying to avoid further problems. Someone gave me a book, How Doctors Think, and I just happened to start reading it last night and one of the first things it illuminated for me is a MD's cognitive process and how a patient can address their concerns to their advantage, not manipulation, but clarification. For example, I worried about him perceiving me as a drug seeker and I just right out stated (literally), "I'm not a drug seeker, this is why I believe I need......" Interesting book, so far has given me some practical things to think about, like seeing the MD's perspective and how I need to be as a patient to get the care I need. Has anyone read any other books on this topic?

Wow Big Lucy it really has been a long time since we have heard from you. I am so sorry to hear about you needing surgery. Just take good care of yourself and remember its a big hurdle. I wish you had more time to pop in more often. I think I like how your book sounds, seems to have worked just fine for you at the dr appt. That was crappy of him starting to tell you to just deal with the pain, they just don't get it sometimes. The rats lol. Take care and let us hear from you please.

Thanks all for your comments and good wishes; sometimes I forget, even though this site is exhausting at times, it is also very supportive and validating. I feel at a loss for words a lot, especially when someone is truly suffering, but I've realized any acknowledgement is better than complete silence--maybe my tag line can be "I hear you" when there's not much I can say to an overwhelming situation/emotion.