Emily, it seems really soon after diagnosis for you to be taking schedule 2 narcotics. Have you tried low dose naltrexone? It works well for some, and doesn't have the side effects of opiates, and I believe it's fairly reasonable.

You're still in that "window" where you still have the greatest opportunity for remission. If you mask the pain with schedule 2 narcotics, you will lose some of the urgency to try meds and procedures that could potentially help you recover. It's like going to a dentist for a shot of novocaine everyday but not having him/her perform the root canal you're in Desperate need of.

You didn't like the SGB you underwent, which I can understand, but when done well they can give substantial relief for a few weeks. Ketamine is not something I look forward to for the experience, but the results have been remarkable. Can you get hyperbaric sessions approved? Have you tried warm water PT? Massage? Etc.

If your work has been reduced due to your injury, the hospital should be paying the difference. If you're working, but simply delaying the fact that you need a leave of absence, delaying will not help your chances for remission. And maybe this means collecting food stamps, cash aid, and Medicaid for 6 months to try and restore your health. If you're simply putting off the inevitable, your odds are much higher if you take time off now and focus on remission, than wait until your condition worsens and becomes permanent. And if you need a housing subsidy which means living apart from your bf temporarily, than that might be a sacrifice you both will need to accept. (If he really plans on marrying you, your urgent health needs should be a priority after he pays his child support and before he helps his adult child. Many college students don't receive help from their parents. And this can mean she takes out loans which he agrees to help pay, for example.)

There have been people that refuse opiates years after diagnosis, that I've encouraged to explore the options. You will come across my posts where I discuss my med combo, but I felt uncomfortable doing so in your other thread... Choosing to take Schedule 2 narcotics is a long term commitment that should not be entered into lightly. It's best to try the meds your doc has experience prescribing. You don't want to be your doc's first patient to try fenatynl patches! People do OD, and people do die taking these meds.

Driving safety becomes a serious issue on these meds . (You shouldn't be driving anyone else's children and you must be careful not to drive when meds are too low or too high in your system. This is difficult to do without help when you're working and/or have children. I drive infrequently and am unable to safely drive several times per week.) Usually those taking schedule 2 drugs have reached the point of permanent disability and can no longer work. (If you have a job with any safety concerns, you may not be able to.) The ability to have constant access to them is mandatory--if you can't afford meds that cost several hundred dollars or up to a few thousand, it's a bad idea to start them. Same with just the hassle of getting the scripts written and filled. (Methodone is inexpensive option though.)

Seeing a psych doc was a great step. It's you fortunate you have a short window in which to deal with all these issues. And there's no guaranty that should you make some tough choices, you will go into remission, but there is an opportunity for it.