Sickening. I am a chronic pain patient. I have very severe fibromyalgia and I have arthritis in my back where I had a spinal fusion. I have problems in my mid back and neck. They eventually want to do a fusion in my neck but because of the problems that will cause I'm trying my best to live with the pain for now.
Physical therapy does help. It both helps and for a few patients it might even cure them but for complicated patients like me it will only help some. I know because I have gone 3-4 different times. They can't cure me. Period.
To say that everyone can have their pain problem fixed with phystherapy is just plain wrong at best and negligent and harmful at worse.
I literally can't function without pain meds to full the pain. I am in pain 24 hours a day 7 days a week. Pain meds do not get rid of the pain but they do dull it enough to be able to function more or less.
How many people have to be punished with cruel and inhumane treatment. Or worse how many have committed suicide because they could no longer take the intense pain and their doctors wouldn't listen. Why.
I completely support alternative pain treatments. Including physical therapy, acupuncture, manipulation, chiropractor,yoga,tai chi, swimming, facet injections, nerve ablation, trigger point injections, tens and ems units, massage and lots and lots of others. I will seriously consider trying anything.
But all of those only work to a certain point.
To be able to even go to physical therapy I would first have to take a pain pill. Otherwise I would be in so much pain that the physical therapist would send me home. Or more likely the er.
This war on the rights of chronic pain patients to receive adequate relief is wrong. Very wrong. And it has cost people their life.
Why do I have to suffer so much? Why?
I'm not asking for pain pills to completely take away the pain. That's impossible. I'm just asking for enough to be able to partially function. Without the meds I'm unable to, clean house, cook even instant food, go grocery shopping, walk for exercise, take care of personal hygiene, take care of cats.
Just basically day to day life.
Even with pain meds I have to watch it. I can only do a little at a time. Then I have to rest. And for those that have told me to just push through the pain. I can't. Because if I do the flare-up it causes literally puts me down for days. For some it can even be weeks or require being admitted to a hospital until the pain can be brought under control. Under control also does not mean that the pain goes away. It just means that the pain has been brought down to a level that you can bare. Somewhat.
Why am I and countless others forced to suffer?
Why am I, we, being punished?
Why am I treated like a criminal because I'm in pain?
I live in fear of the day my pain meds are taken away.
I don't know what I would do then. For almost a year I went without and even taking Tylenol and Advil I was unable to go places or participate in activities. I finally couldn't take it anymore and went back to pain management. Now while still in significant pain, which gets progressively worse with more activity, I can go to the store, walk for exercise, shop for my own groceries, feed myself, and other things of basic living.
I have a life now. I have even been going to GED classes.
Without the meds dulling the pan I would be unable to do any of that. Even with the meds it's still very hard for me to get things done. And there are a lot of times that I can't do anything because of the pain and fatigue.
Why should I have to suffer because some people pain meds to get high?
That's not my fault. I agree that use should be monitored but I should still be able to get what I need without being treated like a criminal.
This is so frustrating that I just want to cry. And have.
Why am I treated like filth for having health problems that are not my fault? I was born with these problems. I didn't do anything to cause them. In my spine there's spots with cartilage instead of bone. At 18 I was told I had no choice but to have a spinal fusion. I was forced to wear a hardshell brace for four months. The surgeon told me this was why the physical therapy wasn't working.
Don't you think I suffer enough already?
I'm only 34 years old and the way things are looking when it comes to pain medication I will be in a nursing home by 50 because that will be the only place I could get it. Even then they would probably restrict it to the point I just want to end it.
Having to take pain meds is not fun. I have never once felt high on them. They make me nauseated at times. I feel I have to hide that I'm on them or people will either treat me like I'm a hard core drug addict or they will tell me that I shouldn't be taking them because of how bad they are. Even though they don't know what's wrong with me medically. Nor are they even doctors. I once took some Advil and a complete stranger asked me if I ate them like candy.
In anyone but a chronic pain patient the pain I'm in would have them calling an ambulance while crying.
I know that pain medicine can only help so much. I accept that. And I live with the flare-ups to the best of my ability. I do numerous non drug things to get through the pain. Even with meds I'm in pain twenty four hours a day, seven days a week. If I'm extremely lucky then the pain will ease up to where it's only there if I pay attention to it. I spend a lot of effort trying to ignore the pain.
Once again I ask why am I being punished? Do you want me to get to the point that I would prefer to end it over being in unbearable pain? Please tell me.