Yes, I've had "pain brain" way too often. My fatigue and mental fog gets much worse when the pain gets worse. I think the only way some of us is taken seriously is to bring an advocate in with us to the doc appts. I tend to type things up as well, but one can't do that at 2am in the middle of a flare!!

Has the pain doc given you something for breakthrough pain? What are you doing for the myofacial pain? PT, accupunture, etc?

I had been medicated the entire time til apri of this yr. That's when my dr told me he thought I had been making up the pain and I was accused of being a drug seeker. I was taken off everything immediately.

Im so sorry! My friend in a small midwest town cant get a new dr because theres not that many pain drs, So, ER not helping, you poor thing, thats horrible! Im racking my brain trying to think of a way to help you get more good days! Have you read " what to do while looking for a good pain dr? " by dr forest tennant? It has alot of do it yourself with all kinds of his favorite products,great ideas etc.

Dr. Tennant has a couple of websites, and writes a lot of articles for/on Practical Pain Management

http://www.foresttennant.com/

http://intractablepaindisease.com/

I've been exploring some of his ideas on pain endocrinology with worthwhile results.

Doc

Funny (funny—odd, not funny—ha ha ) you should mention that; 2 am flares are when I do a lot of typing here. ...But I get your drift.

Doc

HI Fixmeup, You are not selfish - you are like all of us suffering with pain. We would like to be able to enjoy simple pleasures like we used to! I'm sure you're not thrilled with having to live with your parents but you are very lucky to have them! I'm glad that you have their support. Try to savor those moments you are pain-free enough to enjoy the simple pleasures! I just wish there could be more of them! Hang in there!

Most of us know the feeling and the frustation of invisible pain. When I hit those pain level 10's, I get a frantic type feeling. Yes, it is very difficult to "think" at all. The pain overrides everything. The brain function returns when the pain levels drop. The frustration of getting people that are NOT in your (our) position to understand our pain is just further insult to our suffering.

You are among friends and people that DO understand. Wishing you more "good" days.

Hence, Pain Awareness Month!

I once discussed an idea I had (I think it was on the RSD forum, but I can't recall/locate it) about printing up some "business cards"—with chronic pain factoids on one side and links/resources on the other—to pass out to people who express an interest (but not to push on anyone who doesn't) to educate normies about the epidemic and politics of chronic pain...

I still think it might be an interesting idea, but I'm not sure it would have any/much impact.

Doc

Just had to share with y'all.

My mom is 82 and comes to my house everyday from 11 to 3. She has been doing this for years and washes my clothes and dishes and just generally straighten up. It gets her out of the house. I was laid off a year ago and bam....the medical issues set in. I have SFN and one day I was in the recliner "dying" from the pain and my mom comes in and looks at my feet and said "Well they look ok"......lol

Bless her heart.....I try to make her understand what I have but I look fine so who would know ?

When my pain is 11+ I absolutely cannot understand conversation. None of it makes sense and I just want them to quit talking...lol

Oh the joy !

Take care.....Debi

Well.... do they?

I was just thinking how nice it must be to have free maid service for 4 hrs every day to wash [our] clothes and dishes and just generally straighten up.

...Then it occurred to me that since my mom has passed, it'd have to be my MIL... On second thought, I guess we'll stick with the mess!

Doc