[john jeffery aka JJ]

Take my word for it, everybody around you is affected.

In my experience it is crucial that everybody without exception; parents grandparents children – (significant other) who ever is directly involved in your immediate life Have a sit down with your pain doctor and have them ask any question they want, and let the doctor answer, believe you me it carries a lot more weight if the same words came from a doctors mouth, then yours.
I remember some of the question; my parents both in the seventies asking the doctor if I’m going to become a drug addict, My son asked if I was going to die, my wife just simply asked;
“Please tell me when am I going to get my husband back?”.
I will be honest with you; it was not easy for me to sit back and listen to them, to see the desperation on their faces. I never realized how much it affected them.
You know something; at the end of the day, my pain situation did not change, however;
Now when I take my pain killers in front of my parents Im not questioned any more, when I have one of my flair ups and my pain levels are extreme my kids know, this will not kill me( leaving toys on the floor so I could trip over them will)
As for my wife, well let us just say; we are optimistic.
Understanding the situation with the “right” information is, one of the most important step in the recovery process
Remember; as bad as you feel a hug goes along way, they need it.

Keep smiling
JJ
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A little back ground;
I’m a 48yrs old male, I have moderate to severe chronic pain everyday of my life for the past10 years,
I was diagnosed with sever stinosis in the neck, severe D.D.D
At 37 I had to have a lamanectomy from C3 to C7 inclusive, do to herniated disc that affected my spinal cord. The doctors have made it very clear that there is real nothing left to try, medically.
Presently I can not feel with my hands, no sensation, I have pain from my head to my toes. I have been on every type of pain medication and all stopped working after a while
Now I take Lyrica and and medical marijuana
(My advice to the world ,” acceptance, never give up, keep your self occupied . get physiological help, just to put things into prospective. Try to smile)