how to talk to dr.

HELLO .WELL THIS HAS BEEN THE MONTH FROM NOT HEAVEN LOL
THE PAIN IS UNVEARABLE .I CAN DO ANYTHIN G EXCEPT GET UP WALK AROUND MY HOUSE AND SIT BACK DOWN OR LAY DOWN.I HAVE HAD A TOTAL OF 8 HRS SLEP IN THREE DAYS MY PAIN IS SO BAD.
OF COURSE MY FAMILY IS TIRED OF LISTENING BUT WHOSE FAMILY ISN,T? I LOVE WHEN THEY CALL AND SAY WHAT YA DOING.LOL PAINTING MY ROOM WHAT YOU DOING? ALWAYS GETS THEM.
ANYWAY NEXT TUES .I GO BACK TO PAIN DR.MY PROBLEM IS I DON,T KNOW HOW TO APPROACH HIM.I DON,T WANT TO MAKE IT LOOK LIKE I AM A DRUG SEEKER .I AM VERY SHY AND WHEN THEY COME IN I CLAM UP. THE DR I SEE I HAVE TO PAY CASH MY KIDS ARE PAYING FOR ME RIGHT NOW. HE IS RUDE AND ABRUPT TOLD ME TO SQUEEZE HIS FINGER AND SAID HE BE BACK IN 2 MINUTES AND NEVER RETURNED.
I,M AFRAID IF I DO GO IN WITH AN ATTITUDE HE WILL TELL ME TO JUST LEAVR THEN AND I DON,T HAVE THE MONEY FOR ANOTHER INITIAL VISIT.
I WAS ON HYDRO 10.S X 4 ADAY AND THIS KEPT ME COMFORTABLE AND ABLE TO GET UP. I CAN,T KEEP GOING LIKE THIS I AM JUST A PERSON TAKING UP SPACE RIGHT NOW.I WILL NEVER BE A BURDEN TO ANYONE I REFUSE!
SO IF ANYONE HAS ANY ADVISE ON HOW TO APROACH HIM I,D LOVE IT.
THANKS HAVE A GOOD DAY YOUR NEW FRIEND
KATHY

Kathy, I have been in your boat too many times. You must be bold and tell them your pain control is pushing your buttons to a limit. Sounds like the pain is playing with your mental status also. I know when I get in pain for a long time it really puts me in a bad place in my mind. This is the reason I use to see a psy. often. I no longer have to chase my pain away with lots of pain meds anymore. I finally had to make a change because it seem the more narcotics I got the worse my pain got. I always needed more. I finally was offered subutex because the narcotics drove me totally nuts chasing them to get relief that I never really got. Maybe for a few hrs. at a time. Subutex is a powerful narcotic but works totally different. I only need 1 to 1/2 a day. I sometimes forget to take it until late. It works that long in your blood stream. It gave my life back to me. I can't remember when I was in bed for pain. My heart hurts for you because I know how you are feeling. Did your Dr. change your meds?

Sorry to hear that you are in so much pain! I hope that you can get a good visit with the dr. I am a firm believer in making lists for a dr. visit. I also have no problem with letting the dr. know that I have tried everything that I can think of and in my fibro fog, maybe he/she can suggest something other than meds or I am open to their suggestions. Hopefully they can see that I am not drug seeking (because I can not stand the stupified feeling that narcotics make me have..... I have a hard time taking many medications because I always have side affects.)

Maybe if you can write a list of how your pain level was on such and such a day you did A, B, C and or D...........make a side note of how that worked for how long it worked (if it worked) or if taking your medication on Monday was like chewing M&Ms, yet on Tuesday when you had done the same thing it worked. (or however it worked out for you.) Then he can see a pattern that maybe you can't see (or that you already know).

I found when my kiddos were little that I could 'tell' the dr the same thing, I did not get the same reaction as if I had written it down showing them that Tylenol was given at 8 and fever was back at 9. (usually they would even add my charts to the dr. visit notes.

This might 'show ' a clearer picture of your pain levels at any given time of the 24/7 time frame.

Be explicit in stating that you are not seeking meds if he has a miracle in his pocket. (I have even told my dr with a smile that I was willing to bury a chicken at 15 past midnight if that would work, just tell me when and where.) LOL I just wanted him to see I was at the end of what I could think of to try on my own.

That approach usually works well for me and a dr. to work out what to do until the next visit. I hope that helps.

Post Edited (Mrsppmrxky) : 5/10/2012 7:49:40 PM (GMT-6)

Kathy I am shy when getting to know a new doctor as well. you don't want to storm into his office and scream that will not work. I like the list because it works for me. my doctor knows when I am having a problem when I pull out the list. He also does not like me to cry and I have had to resort to that a couple of times. Do what you have to do to be heard after all its you in pain needing help.

My rheumatologist said that if I don't want to take any medications at all for Fibromyalgia, I don't have to -- it's just a matter of how much pain I can tolerate. So I just take medication when I just can't stand the pain anymore. FMS doesn't do any actual damage to organs or joints, it just feels like it is. But she said all this in a sympathetic tone. Your doctor doesn't seem like much of a communicator! I'd be looking for a new one, personally.