Some Damage Can't Be Undone

I have chronic pain, I was giving facts. Doctors are not prescribing narcotic medications the way the did 10 years ago, because there is an epidemic of people addicted to them; and the government is cracking down on doctors that over prescribe them. Narcotics are no longer the preferred treatment.

I take a NSAIDS daily. I need to. I was taking tramadol for years....then it started giving me migraines. Unfortunately, what I have found and everyone that deals with chronic pain will find is that there is not a lot of pain management options out there.

Scott

Well good for you for taking your NSAID.  Glad that is an option for you. It absolutely is NOT AN OPTION for every person.

I don't give a flying **** that there is some kind of consensus somewhere that narcotics are not the "preferred treatment".   I'm pretty sure that most of us who must use narcotics just to function some days would gladly give them up if their pain was relieved.

The doctors made the initial mistakes by over-prescribing.  The patients should not be the ones who suffer those consequences. 

Addiction aside (and I am by no means minimizing it) I find it reprehensible that the many  must suffer because of the few.  Personally I'd rather have patients treated as individuals.   Wouldn't be able to live with myself knowing I had mandated that 90% of my patients would suffer needlessly simply because 10% might develop a problem.

I am sorry that you have  chronic pain.  I'm glad that for this period in your life you are able to manage them without narcotics and can take NSAIDS.  Are you not aware of anyone who has done all the shots/steroids/PT/pain pumps/and yes (in many cases even multiple) surgeries and STILL HAS DISABLING PAIN?   Maybe narcotics shouldn't be the preference for new patients presenting with unidentifiable pain.  I would agree with that.   But do you really believe that the cases I've mentioned on the opposite side of the spectrum should just shut up and suffer? 

I will never ever wish the hell on earth that can be chronic pain on anyone.  And I honestly belief that no other human being, doctor or no, should be able to choose a currently compromised lifetime of suffering on behalf of someone else just to cover their own ass.

PS - I'm exhausted and sure this is full of typos.  Currently on almost hour 48 with no sleep.  Please bear with me and I will correct grammar and spelling tomorrow.  Maybe.    Mu-wah! to everyone who has slogged through my last few posts!

 

Thanks for sharing, I hope as your body adjust to your current weight some of your pains goes away too.  I attempted my first WLS at 30 and my second at 40.  I'm in good shape joint wise and I'm fortunate for it. I certainly wish things would have gotten right in my head the first time though.

Mary,

I saw my first bari doctor at age 6 and fought obesity my whole life and finally had wls at 57.5.  I have some of your issues, but not nearly as many and i am into the recovery from the shoulder surgery, but, like you  i had the mourn what could have been. Then get along with the rest of life - i;m glad that you spreading the word about the life changing/life saving nature of wls.   

I'm so sorry.  I wonder this often with my own life.  Yes, things are so much better now, but how much damage did my decades of morbid obesity do to me?

Mary, I am so sorry for the physical pain you are experiencing.  I totally agree with @seattledeb, a referral to a good Pain Management Clinic would help a great deal.  It took me 7 years to find a good clinic, I didn't give up and so glad I didn't.  After numerous joint replacement surgeries and proper pain management, I went from a daily pain scale number of 9 to about a 4.  With the help of the clinic we are now looking into transdermal cannabis patches as well.  There is help out there, it just takes finding the right kind.  Good luck to you Mary, my thoughts are with you!