Hi All,
I'm new here but have been lurking for about a week.
I am 51 years old and married but have 2 furbabies (a black cat named Gypsy Rose Lee and and a tabby named Atticus Finch) instead of kids. I work for an IT recruiting firm as a payroll specialist and am lucky that I don't have to sit or stand all day and can move arond when I need to.
My sister was also diagnosed about 6 months before I was.
I was diagnosed with Fibro in February of 2009. After having my ovaries and scar tissue removed in July of 2008, I developed a reaction, had a high fever and my incisions were inflamed. None of the cultures came back as infected but while in the hospital, I developed this horrible pain that radiated from my pelvic area down the front of my thighs.
After that, I had the pain all the time and incredible fatigue. I went to a Rheum on November of that year and he was reluctant to diagnose fibro because he said that I needed to have at least 6 months of constant pain.
Well, I did have that pain and more. Since I have a lifelong panic disorder with agoraphobia and am already on Lexapro and Klonipin, the doctor and I decided together that we shouldn't upset the delicate balance that I've found for my panic by changing to Cymbalta. He also told me, at that time, that Lyrica only works in about a third of the patients and that it causes weight gain. No thanks!
He gave me a prescription for 800 mg Ibuprofin, which frankly did nothing. I would have been better off taking an M&M. He then started giving me hydrocodone, 5 mg, 10 per month. I saved them for when I was really bad and most months didn't even use the whole 10. This was from April through November. When I called for a refill in November to get a refill, they told me that he wanted to see me before he would prescribe them again. Well, in addition to all of this pain, my husband has been unemployed for about a year and a half so I am the sole breadwinner and money is VERY tight (we came close to losing our home this last year). so I borrowed the $40.00 for my co-pay froma friend and went over there. I was in his office for all of 5 minutes and he told me that he wouldn't precribe the hydrocodone for me anymore because it doesn't help (has he ever had fibro pain before?) So I paid this guy $40 in order to have him tell me that basically, he wouldn't treat me.
I the went to my primary, whose MIL has firbro, so she gets it. She prescribed 2 hydrocodone a day as well at 4 mg of Zanaflex at bedtime. This was working great for me, although by this time, I was pretty much having to take them every day but my prescription lasted me almost 2 full months. I saw her again in January and found out that she was pregnant (couldn't tell by looking at her, she was so small) So we made plans for an appt on April 15th to get set for her maternity leave. Well, turns out, she went on early maternity leave and the doctor taking her palce - would not prescribe, again. They asked me if I would be willing to be evaluated by another Rheum and I said yet. I went to this doctor whoe was about 15 years old. She told me that fibro was mostly psychological! Then she handed me a prescrition for Savella and told me that they are a no-narcotic practice.
I went home and called my psychiatrist regarding the Savella and he told me that in no way was I to take that med with the Lexarpo! It would have been nice is the doctor who prescribed it had checked that out beforehand. It's a good thing I'm cautious! So that was another $40 down the drain. I then went to see the doctor who is taking my primary's place while she is out($20). He referred me to another Rheum, without giving me anything for my pain. They set up an appt for me for May 12th. At that point, this was about a montha and a half away.
So that Friday, I was in so much pain and didn't know where to turn, since my so-called new primary wasn't helping me at all. I made the HUGE mistake of going to the ER. I then got yelled at by the ER doctor, who made a predermination of me based on the medication I'm on (she said I was on too much). She told me that I shouldn't be wasting ER time on something that was chronic and already diagnosed and that I should have called my physician. I told her that I had and that he wouldn't help me. She was thoroughly disgusted with me and made me feel like a disgusting junkie. Then she went and called the practice and kind of sang a different tune. She said that my real primary care had a few patients on narcotics and that NONE of her patients had been getting anything so the practice left them hanging. They also told her that the practice did not want to work with anyone who had chronic pain. Nice doctors, huh? So, I was amde to feel like less than a human being and that cost me $75.00 for that day.
I have no idea what to do. I have an appt with a potential new primary on April 30th and then the new Rheum on May 12th. Who knows if either of them will help me.
I am in so much pain and fatigue it's ridiculous and the only thing that helps me is the hydrocodone. Does this make me a bad person or something? I never even could swallow a pill until I was 28 years old, I NEVER took anything, not even aspirin. I had to start taking the antidepressants then because I was unable to leave the house. When I've had surgery befroe, I've been given vicodin but ended up taking Ibuprofin after the first couple of days. But NOW I need it - so what the heck do I do?
On top of everything else, my poor husband was in a major car accident on March 4th. He broke his neck and luckily, he has no paralysis but has been told that he is extremely lucky and a rare case because most people with his injury either are quadrapalegic or die immediately. So it's been a long few weeks of hospitals, rehab and little sleep for me, while all this other stuff is going on. I need the strength to take care of my husband, go to work everyday and live a life!
I live north of Boston, does anyone know of any good doctors around here? I am so tired of going from one to the other, without getting the help I need. I also do not want to be accused of Doctor shopping. but frankly, if you go to a doctor and you don't like them or they won't help you, what are you supposed to do? I just don't want to throw another anti-depressant into my mix as I need to be able to function and cannot be housbound again.
Thanks for listening to my long rant. As you can see, I am at my wit's end here.
Suzanne