Hi Pete,
My hubby used to drive a truck but that was before he was diagnosed with RA, now he takes care of me---which is a full time job. I really feel bad that its so hard on him especially when it rains--we both hurt.
Im glad that you got a good doctor, it sounds like you've been thru the ringer with them. Its so extremely hard to get a "good" doctor around here---Im actually surprised that my PM doc was able to diagnose me at all. I was diagnosed with rsd 7 years ago in my right ankle. The pain doc I had back then after trying the nerve blocks finally injected directly into my spine morphine, it helped me walk but I lost the feeling in my toes.
For some reason this PM doesnt want to increase my perocet stronger than the strength that he has me on now.
He thinks that opana 20 mg twice daily with the 7.5/500 perocet twice a day should be good enough for me, even though Ive told him that its not. Ive only seen him 3 times the rest of the time I see his idiot staff who doesnt know anything. I asked for something for the spasms & the swelling in my leg & thats when they told me that the doc had written in my chart that if there wasnt a siginficant change with my pain. I dont see what asking for something for the spasms or the swelling would make them automatically put me on the schedule for the SCS surgery. I know that when my back was bothering me the other PM that I had told me that a SCS wouldnt help my back & I trust him more than I do this PM doc. The only thing is that he doesnt take my insurance anymore so I cant go back & see him.
Im on other meds for my other health problems but what I listed above is the only things that Im on for pain. The opana is new but the perocet Ive been on for 2 years, at first they were giving me 2 perocets every 4 hours,then it went to 2 every 6 hours, then when I went to the PM doc it was the patch & 2 perc's a day. When the patch wasnt working he switched me to opana.
It dang near kills us to travel the 54 miles to the PM's office & thats only 1 way, then you got that plus going into town to get the meds filled, which is another 22 miles there & back to the house. Insurance wont pay for me to go out of state. So its a doubled edge sword---I cant pay for it out of my pocket as I havent gotten approved for disability yet. Even thou it says on their website that crps is an automatic for disability. I have no idea what the hold up is there. I sent them some new information so hopefully that will speed things up a tad. I fired the attorney that I hired--they absolutely refused to do anything, so now Im handling it on my own.
The doc knows that more needs to be done, he just refuses to do it because he wants that 30 grand. It strikes me as odd that everyone knows I need help---the nurses that come to my house, my pcp, the pm doc but no-one wants to do anything. My pcp hands are tired as far as what she can do. Every pain clinic around here does the nerve blocks first---or they wont treat you. If they worked it might be a different story, but all I get from them is the headache afterwards. I dont know how the pm here works but I do have yahoo messenger if that helps any. I dont have long distance on my phone so Im unable to call anywhere outside my local area.
I know that Ive said it before but I cant tell you & everyone else here how much it truly means to me that you all are so helpful to me & answers my questions. Im so used to being ignored by everyone that I ask---its like I dont exist & that I dont matter. After awhile you tend to stop asking. I cant tell you how many times Ive cried after leaving a doctors office. It takes longer for me to get into the car & ride down there then they take to see me & thats even filling out their papers.
It truly means more than my words could ever say---just know that you & everyone else here has been my savior & you've given me some hope that maybe one day my PM doc will get a conscience & actually help me. I know there are people who just want the drugs but you would think that a doctor would be able to tell the difference, but its obvious with what they put me thru that they dont have a clue. Ive told them to come to my house any day of the week & see how I spend my day----needless to say they havent done that---or would that make them human.
I know that I have rambled on enough because my hands are getting tired. lol lol
Thanks so much Pete---I cant tell you how much it means that you answered me. If you have yahoo then we can pm other than that I dont have any other way of doing that. Hope that you had a good day. Thanks again.
Janet