Hey Lisa and Dean,
I truly hope the botox brings some relief and an avoidance of the pain clinic. Pain is a unique thing, nobody can feel your pain, your discomfort and some of the comments of "..well toughen up, princess.." to "...ohh you poor thing..." or "... we understand you pain..." are not very helpful. The last statement was said to me by a nurse in a hospital, whilst I'm curled up in bed, clutching my skull after a craniotomy. My first thought was "MURDER". Understanding and coping are two totally different things.
As for the meds, they can be NASTY. I've been on some real strong opiates which I quickly become addicted too and have awful withdrawals from when trying to stop use. I have some strong sleeping meds but again if I use them for a week each night, the following week I can't sleep without them. I was always in a cloud of drug, I wouldn't drive, it just wasn't safe. It was just yuck. I work with people with disabilities, normally. But I can't be responsible for another person, I'd be putting both my client and myself at risk.
Now, I've cut back on the strong opiates, I still need codeine to manage but at least it isn't oxy. I haven't returned to work and have been told by doctors I may simply not be able too. This I am less than happy about. I am SO, SO very lucky to have a loving and supportive wife, sometimes I wonder why she puts up with me, as when I'm in pain I'm not very nice.
I use alternatives to medical thinking. I walk daily. We bought a hydrotherapy pool, I tried different forms of massage and other alternative medicines. I have found a combination that works for me. I can now manage my pain at a level where I can at least function and not be curled up in a dark room. This is a plus because at one stage I couldn't leave that darkroom during the day. As I say I'm not back at work and somedays that room is till needed but it isn't my residence. I have been pushing myself to do more but end up paying for it the following day and 'slowly' is not a word I know very well, but I am learning to pace myself better. I've been off work for over a year now and although the first month was manageable, now I'm just going stir crazy. I try to give myself tasks to do each day, a goal to reach. Early on these goals were high, too high and I get annoyed when I didn't/couldn't reach them. So I've reduced the goals to sizes I can now manage. Not tasks I could manage prior to all this.
Its all a case of management and the team you have behind you. That's the medical team for the medical side but also your 'family' team, those close to you for the support you need. AND YOU DO NEED IT. I didn't think I did but I truly would be so screwed without my support team. As for the pain management, I need meds. I have cut them right back to 'manageable levels' now and they end up being useless if I take them for too long, so I alternate between alternate and pharmaceutical and sure when it gets unbearable I use an opiate, but I have other ammunition in my arsenal before I need to go opiate.
I hope all goes well with your treatment and please let us know how you get on. I'm very interested in all other treatment options. Heck, if standing in the corner on one leg singing Kumbaya works as a treatment I'd try it.

Merl1n