Readers. I have so much to say about chronic pain and the difficulties and frustrations and trauma of trying to manage it. I will do my best to condense it for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
First, let me try to put into words what it\u2019s like living at high pain levels all the time. It\u2019s indescribable really. But again, I\u2019ll do my best. Right now I\u2019m sitting in my wheelchair at my kitchen table writing this blog as I\u2019m literally shaking from my current pain levels. They are so high at times like this, it leaves me breathless. I can\u2019t stand in one place for too long because my knees, feet, back, hips, and butt ache too much. I can\u2019t sit for too long in the same place either because the pain becomes unbearable. But obviously constantly moving is not really an option either. My wheelchair has been such a gift to me, but even that hurts my shoulders and neck from pushing the wheels. And don\u2019t get me started on how expensive an electric wheelchair would be for me (I\u2019ll devote a whole blog post to that dilemma.). The only time I\u2019m able to almost completely block out my pain is when I\u2019m meeting with and helping my clients and their families. Because I can solely focus on them and their needs. My own move to the background. And play therapy allows me to move around just the right amount. My job is my lifeline. I love it sooo much.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I have and am trying many things to relieve my pain. Steroid injections, high doses of prednisone (I\u2019m still recovering from those side effects.), NSAIDs, nerve ablations, acupuncture, massage therapy, physical therapy, diet changes (I\u2019m still working on getting better with that.), and my only source of significant help \u2013 biologics and other immune suppressants. On good days, those life-saving meds take me from a 10 to a 6 on the pain scale. My body hates me and is constantly attacking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When received regularly massage therapy really helps. But it\u2019s not covered by insurance, so I can\u2019t afford to go any more than once a month. And even that hasn\u2019t happened during the pandemic. Physical therapy on an ongoing consistent basis is also really helpful. But again, insurance. I\u2019ve been discharged for lack of progress. Insurance companies don\u2019t like for physical therapy to be a maintenance strategy. In the past NSAIDs were also marginally helpful, but I can no longer take them because of my ulcerative colitis. Everything else provided such temporary relief that it wasn\u2019t worth the time or money. Well except for steroids, but with the side effects, I hope I never have to be on them again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Soooo… I say all that to say that opioids have most definitely been a last resort. And as it is, I\u2019m on such low doses (50 mg. tablet of Tramadol twice a day), that it really only makes my pain manageable enough for me to somewhat function and sleep (mostly) and still work full-time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The opioid crisis is legitimately a crisis. As a psychotherapist, I have seen the devastating effects on those addicted to pain medications and their friends and family. In no way is this post meant to minimize the crisis and the mismanagement of opioids by the medical community that greatly contributed to it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But we\u2019ve swung way too far the other way. And I am shamed on a regular basis for needing Tramadol to function. And sometimes denied the pain meds I need. Often this is unintentional \u2013 it\u2019s very much a systemic issue. And medical professionals in my life are usually just following the laws and regulations. Well except for the pharmacy that deleted my prescription from their system \u2013 that\u2019s a whole other thing. Medical negligence and trauma for sure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
During my first really severe ulcerative colitis flare, I legitimately thought I might die. And I was in so. much. pain. Eventually and reluctantly I went to the ER. I chose Johns Hopkins because I thought for sure being one of the most renowned hospitals in the world, they could help me. I arrived at the ER to see signs posted everywhere that they don\u2019t give out pain meds to chronic pain patients. What was I offered as an ulcerative colitis patient after waiting a really long time? A high dose of ibuprofen. Ummm. Ok. First I could have just taken that at home. Second as a UC patient, I can\u2019t take NSAIDs. I was eventually sent home with no help. Probably more on that horrendous visit in a later post about medical trauma.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After having to already jump through numerous hoops and protocols to simply be offered even minimal opioid meds from my pain management physician, I have also had much difficulty getting my prescription filled almost every single month. First no refills are provided, so every month I have to schedule another appointment with my pain management physician in order for him to send another 30-day supply to the pharmacy. This part (other than the time and effort involved) I don\u2019t mind so much because I have a highly skilled and compassionate pain physician. And I enjoy my visits with him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Every month that he sends my prescription to the pharmacy, I get a text telling me I have to wait for my prescription to be filled because of state regulations. Often I have gotten an additional text from the pharmacy after waiting patiently for the day to come when they will fill it, saying that my prescription isn\u2019t in stock and I need to transfer it to another pharmacy. However, the other pharmacy won\u2019t allow me to transfer it (even within the same company \u2013 CVS for example) because it violates state regulations. If this happens on a Saturday, I have to wait until Monday to call my physician\u2019s office and hope that he will send another prescription in for me to the other pharmacy. He always does because again he is kind and compassionate. Then I have to hope that the new pharmacy has Tramadol in stock to avoid repeating those steps. I then have to check back numerous times to ensure that the prescription is filled so that I can go to the pharmacy and pick it up. Regulations and laws prevent pain meds from being shipped to my home (even during a pandemic). Sometimes I skip taking my needed pain meds so that I have a few extra available for these circumstances. I just plan on not being able to sleep those nights.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In addition to these hurdles, my pain management physician\u2019s office is required to subject me to random urine tests. During these tests I\u2019m not even allowed to flush the toilet or wash my hands until my urine is handed over to the staff waiting right outside the door.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Again, I totally get it. There is a real crisis. But, there has to be a better way of treating chronic pain patients.\u00a0 Because all of this is not only shaming, but it keeps me from getting the treatments I need to function. I suffer needlessly on a regular basis. The pendulum needs to swing back more to the center.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So, please stop shaming chronic pain patients. I am not addicted to my pain medication, other than simply needing it to function and continue helping my clients and my own family. Not everyone becomes addicted. I am under the care of a very careful and compassionate physician who regularly monitors me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And for those chronic pain patients like me needing opioid meds to function: I see you and I hear you. Taking your meds is not shameful. You are not an addict. You are not a drug seeker. You are a warrior.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Readers. I have so much to say about chronic pain and the difficulties and frustrations and trauma of trying to manage it. I will do my best to condense it for you. First, let me try to put into words what it\u2019s like living at high pain levels all the time. It\u2019s indescribable really. But … Continue reading “The Opioid Crisis and Chronic Pain Patients”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":175,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[44,46,41,45,43,42],"class_list":["post-174","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-chronic-pain","tag-chronic-pain-patients","tag-opiods","tag-opioid-crisis","tag-pain-management","tag-pain-medication"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chronicallyfabuloustherapist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/AD9BC2DF-0611-4FBB-9C3F-C5EE38DA45F8_1_105_c.jpeg?fit=768%2C1024&ssl=1","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/chronicallyfabuloustherapist.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/174","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/chronicallyfabuloustherapist.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/chronicallyfabuloustherapist.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chronicallyfabuloustherapist.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chronicallyfabuloustherapist.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=174"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/chronicallyfabuloustherapist.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/174\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":176,"href":"https:\/\/chronicallyfabuloustherapist.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/174\/revisions\/176"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chronicallyfabuloustherapist.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/175"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/chronicallyfabuloustherapist.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=174"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chronicallyfabuloustherapist.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=174"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chronicallyfabuloustherapist.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=174"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}