HealingWell
Search Close Search
☰

Pain Clinic Visit #1

Support Forums
>
Chronic Pain
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply
❬ ❬ Previous Thread |Next Thread ❭ ❭
Posted 10/4/2014 3:10 AM (GMT 0)
I had my first visit yesterday. As I mentioned in an earlier post, the doctor who did my injections at my surgeons office started there this week and I did not realize it until my appt. was scheduled. The visit went well. He knew my case well since I had seen him for 7 injections previously. I brought my wife, she cried a little but overall kept composed.

I am not good at communicating about my pain, I do not want to sound like a whiner. It came to a bad point last week when my wife asked if I loved her and was happy with our marriage. I told her I was happy and love her dearly, I just said that the pain gets to me and I keep it bottled up. We talked and things are much better. she asks every night how my back is and wants me to vent to her for 5 to 10 minutes. It seems to help me emotionally and physically. We talked to the pain doc about this. He said it is a big step and offered us counseling through their clinic. This will help me talk about my pain and help my wife understand.

Anyways I read and signed a pain contract. I did a UA right away. He doubled my gabapentin and changed my muscle relaxer to methocarb. He upped my oxycodone until after they finish my RFA. then hopefully lower dose until we find a sweet spot and then change to extended release. Might get a TENS unit and some more PT once we get me to that magical spot pain med wise.


Overall, I was happy. Oh, he was happy to see my wife. He said a lot of times they get better info from the spouse. I go back in 29 days.
Posted 10/4/2014 3:35 AM (GMT 0)
Sounds like you and your wife are working thru this pain together, as you should. Hope the new dr and the med changes work out very well for you.

Have you read the thread Argument with hubby over limitations? There's lots of good information there for both husbands and wives. I think if you would add your own thoughts there it could help others.
Posted 10/4/2014 8:34 AM (GMT 0)
Now that sounds like a good, productive and normal pm visit!! We have seen some nightmares lately! WB and myself are two mods with CP who lost the marraige when we gained the pain and both of us are constantly saying keep talking, don't, those communication lines are very important and although CP is a singular issue it effects those close to you. Your wife sounds as though she thinks your still worth holding into!! Lol

I'm the first to admit early out I was pretty attached to my therapist and had a lot of anger over my disability as well as depression. She probably saved my life in more ways than one, too late to save my marriage but it's been a long time now and that doesn't bother me anymore!

Sounds like you have a plan and a pretty good Dr to help implement it. Good luck and I hope together you get to a better place in the road.

Thanks for the update.
Posted 10/4/2014 11:31 AM (GMT 0)
Sounds like it went very well! I'm so glad you and your wife are able to bring the issue out into the open. I know that I am always very worried about how my disability affects my husband. He didn't ask to be along for this ride but we are truly learning what "in sickness and in health" means.

that's a good plan that you have in place!

Can I ask you, have you tried lyrica as well as gabapentin? My doctor wants me on one of them and I've been told that Lyrica is a better nerve pain med than all the other ones.

Oh, ETA - I got a TENS unit at my last PM visit. I've used it a few times and it really helps with spasms. I need to use it more!
Posted 10/5/2014 2:56 AM (GMT 0)
I'm on Lyrica and I can really tell if I'm late on a dose so I know it is helping.
Thanks for all the info on your first visit. Also, for the honesty about your marriage. I'm the one that started the Argument with hubby over limitations because my hubby is having a real hard time accepting my limitations. There is some great advice posted on that thread.The severity of my problems is new; just in the last 3 months. Its just going to take him some time and I guess I'll find out if in sick and in health applies to us.
Posted 10/5/2014 5:00 AM (GMT 0)
Never been on Lyrica. I was on gabapentin a few years ago, but I ran into some liver problems due to gallstones. This caused extreme swelling, now that things have gotten better I am back on it.

Communicating was my issue, I thought I was not burdening her when I kept it in. Reality set in and I realized by not talking I was distancing myself from her. Also, even though she does not understand what we go through as a CP patient, she wants to try to understand and help. I love my wife dearly and do not want to lose her due to stupidity on my part. I told her my pain scale and what I feel like and can usually do at each level. After work we quickly talk about pain so she knows where I stand. Then we moved a rocking chair into bedroom. When pain is bad I rotate heat and ice and lay down to get the pain down. With the chair in the bedroom we can watch TV, movies etc together and talk. It has only been about 2 weeks but things are already much better.

I also have been fortunate to get doctors lately who really care about patients. My PM will only see me once a year then I see his NP, but will organize my treatment. He was very understanding and only wants to change one or two things at a time. This visit was my muscle relaxer and gabapebtin dosage. after my RFA I will go in for my second visit with his NP. I will get a TENS most likely, hopefully a decrease in pain meds. Once we find a sweet spot, then extended release meds with breakthrough meds.

I feel bad for the bad stories I read, especially since my visit went so well.

All you can do is keep trying and eventually you will find someone.

oh yeah, I would recommend bringing a spouse. My doctor mentioned one thing to me. He tries to, listen to patient but he has found the best information comes from spouse. I think they also like having 2 view points, less likely that someone is lying to them.
Posted 10/5/2014 9:33 PM (GMT 0)
Hey SyXx.
I'm glad your appointment went well.

Last year I was seeing a PMD that ending up injuring me with a injection to the sciatic nerve.

Now I've been seeing the nicest,most helpful PMD and Staff.Like you,I saw the Doctor the 1st visit and have seen the Physicians Asst  since.

She's the 1st Doctor that has gotten me out of pain.

I'm glad you've found a caring Doctor that will treat you as an individual.

Take care,

Rick

✚ New Topic ✚ Reply