Chronic Pain Whatever the cause, support for managing long term or intractable pain.


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Old 08-13-2017, 12:43 PM #1
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Default Relentless lower back pain

I'm at my wits end, I've moved from the Nevro Senza site as this has nothing to do with that, well it does a bit, but in the main, the unit is off and we are waiting on seeing the surgeons on the 16th. Neurosurgeon, General Surgeon & Orthapaedic Surgeon. Plus will needs to see the Anaesthetist sometime as well.

The pain was bad Thursday evening but I followed the new pain med regime and conquered it. All was good Friday & Saturday, so good I was able to go to the football. This afternoon, I walked in after filling the dogs water bowl and the right side flared - it's getting worse. I took my usual night meds and fell to sleep, came to bed and woken with pain. So far I've taken 2 sublingual, a 20/10 Targin with 5 mg Valium and just now 10mg oxynorm with another 5mg Valium. It's not working. I'm struggling to turn in bed again, experiencing difficulty in putting my right foot to the floor and in general beginning to fear this holiday next Saturday might not happen. Well no way, I'm going to drag my *** there to that plane, take as many of my painkillers as possible to endure the 2 hr flight and then relax in a 5 star resort in a warmer climate.

I've gone off of food, it's not tempting so I'm not to bothered about bowel obstructions and I'm taking 2x movicol sachets daily. Poor DB shattered after his 4 hr sleep last night, I'm trying to be quiet and not worry him.

My medicine regime is;
4am 1 x 10mg oxynorm, 1 x 5 mg Valium, 1 x2 mg progynova, 2 x Panamax
6am 1 20/10 Targin, 1 movicol sachet
8am 1 x 10mg oxynorm
10 am 2x temgesic sublingual
12 noon 1 x 10mg oxynorm 1 x 5 mg Valium
2pm 1 20/10 Targin
4pm 1x 10 mg oxynorm
6pm 2 x temgesic suboingual
6.30 1 x 10mg Endep, 1x 12.5 mg valdoxan 1 x5 mg Valium
8pm 1 x 10 mg oxynorm,
10.30pm 1 x 5mg Valium 2 x tengesic sublingual,
It's not working
Midnight 1 x 10mg oxynorm, 1 x 5 mg Valium

Please god let me lay down to sleep, I have work in the morning a GP consult with a very difficult WC claimant who fails to comply with the simplest request, fax your capacity certificate following your GP consult to the office so I can prepare your RTWplan.

She keeps changing her appointment date & time so I'll be ready to go & she'll ring & say I've been I'll fax the certificate. Not once has it arrived by fax & then I'm constantly chasing it, this last time she saw the GP 31 July. I had managed to schedule it so I could attend but was instead in hospital myself & couldn't go, the capacity certificate arrived by post from the GP with the invoice on the 10th August. I issued the RTWplan & said how disappointed I am she has been working all this time since 31 July without a plan & how I have a duty of care for her. By attending work without a plan she compromises my integrity & her safety. I said I'm confident we can work together & improve the current practice she has fallen into - forget to send the fax, goodness it's only 2 pages! But she prefers I'm sure to do nothing, say nothing & if something happens it is their fault not mine. Well, not on my watch!

I said I'm aware she attends the GP on the 14th & I told her I will be coming, at the very least I can get the capacity certificate & do a RTWplan hopefully for 4 weeks rather than every 2 weeks. GP's see WC as a money gravy train money for nothing I'm afraid. If I can get a 4 wk consult and prepare her RTWplan I can make it up to 14.September by which time I'll have had surgery and will be able to talk coherently to my colleague who will manage my 3 states WA, SA & NT while I'm off. So it's essential I get get this pain under enough control to attend in the morning. Tears are rolling but I'm going to do this....

Post edit, it's 5am, I am up, I've taken 1 x 10mg oxynorm & 1 x 20/10 Targin along with 1 x 2 mg progynova and vitamins D, zinc, magnesium, B6 & evening primrose oil.... I can and will succeeed!
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I can still remember what life was like before pain became my life long companion

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Old 08-13-2017, 10:52 PM #2
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Pam,
Don't know how you are even thinking of going in to work. I wouldn't be surprised if your boss will want you to go home.

How long is this medication schedule prescribed? The Valium is probably the only thing that is getting you some sleep; but each one only lasts an hour or so. Does it appear there is a cervical fusion in the near future???

I can't help but wonder if it is wise to push you body so hard trying to continue working. DB must feel helpless. (I do; and I'm not even there.)

Take care dear friend...


Gerry
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Old 08-14-2017, 05:20 AM #3
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My neurosurgeon phoned this morning said we've bought your surgery date forward to this Saturday, I blurted I can't where flying to Broome to celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary. He said ok, I still need to see you both on Wednesday.

So, we know one the op is definitely going ahead no ifs or buts, it's just when. DB said cancel the holiday, & I said no way, it's $4778 non refundable, no chance. It gives me time to tie up loose ends, get mums hearing aids sorted and in general get myself just that smidge fitter. The better my heart is the better I will be. So the operation looks to now be mid September xx I will let you all know what Wednesday meeting holds
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Last edited by PamelaJune; 08-14-2017 at 07:17 AM.
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Old 08-14-2017, 04:44 PM #4
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I did it, and I got 4 wk rtw plan for the worker along with arrangements for a physiologist to become involved in assisting manage her wellness & a targeted approach to her injured muscle group in order to return to capacity. A really lovely GP, very keen to listen to what I had to say and apply it. So I don't think it's the GP that's been the issue, just the worker being slack. Don't get me wrong she has a genuine injury was in a MVA on her way home from work with another worker. It is very much like being on a hamster wheel when your on workers comp and I try to keep things as simple as possible for our workers. I can only guess I do a good enough job by the amount of flowers I get from staff who have endured the RTW and achieved & sustained capacity plus flowers from those who I've assisted negotiate the settlement route. I have a passion for my job and to see injured workers get well.

I reached the office about 10ish after the consult and somehow managed to stay until 4.30. So many things to do and if I don't do them they don't get done!

I'm only using that regime when the pain flares & I can't get it under control. Last night just my endep, valdoxan, 1 x20/10 Targin & 1 x 5mg Valium. I'm just going to move slower than I used to. The girls in the office are good, they get stuff off of the printer for me. I will go to the office today & if it gets worse I'll come home and just go back in on Friday for the management meeting. Then it's holiday, rest & relaxation in a much warmer climate which I'm hoping will help!!

And it will be a lumbar fusion. I will know more tomorrow x

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Originally Posted by ger715 View Post
Pam,
Don't know how you are even thinking of going in to work. I wouldn't be surprised if your boss will want you to go home.

How long is this medication schedule prescribed? The Valium is probably the only thing that is getting you some sleep; but each one only lasts an hour or so. Does it appear there is a cervical fusion in the near future???

I can't help but wonder if it is wise to push you body so hard trying to continue working. DB must feel helpless. (I do; and I'm not even there.)

Take care dear friend...


Gerry
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Old 08-14-2017, 10:37 PM #5
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Pam,
I think that was really a good idea to take this trip..The R & R will be good for you... Enjoy!!!!!! "Pain, pain...go away".

Postponing the surgery will also give you time to get things in order. At what level is the lumbar fusion going to done?

Looking forward to your Wednesday update....

Gerry
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Old 08-16-2017, 05:11 PM #6
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Saw the Neurosurgeon & he showed us the CT and Gallium scan results, all very pretty until it sinks in the truly lit up areas are where the problems lie. Lots and lots of problems.. the risks of this op are tripled due to all the stomach issues I have had, if they can get through the stomach then he will proceed to cage L3 which is disintegrated and L4, remove a screw embedded in the vertebrae and protruding into the disc space, attempt to get the old 1994 embedded one out and apparently the S1L5 fusion has failed. I had to have extra X-rays yesterday of the sacrum region, something wrong there as well. In general he is amazed my spine has held up as well as it has given all that's going wrong, he expressed surprise I can walk reasonably well on some days and even more so I can manage to work.

He truly outlined the seriousness of the operation detailing what can go wrong. Seeing as many of the what can go wrong has happened to me in previous operations DB was all ears and paid closer attention to the scans and paid far more attention than he has in previous years gone by.
We called into my office on the way home so he could get my laptop and carry it in and out of the house so I can work from home today after I've taken mum for her new hearing aid tests. The young admin girl enquired how the consult went, he met her the day the ambulance was called. DB bluntly said it's bad, it's big, dangerous but we've no option it has to be done. To leave it will result in the 2 problematic screws reaching the spinal cord. They have to come out.

Anyway the good news works electrician has picked up my printer and tray from the office and will install it this afternoon so I can get far more work done from home and will only need to attend the office to actually file paper away or attend office meetings.

The head of HR is coming to WA the day after I get back from Broome, I will still be on annual leave but she has said she hopes to catch up for coffee. Depending on how I feel maybe. My colleague and I still feel our jobs are not secure and last week we officially have been bought back under the HR umbrella again. I might cut my annual leave short from the 5 days to 3 seeing as I will need all the hours I can get post surgery. If I run out of sick pay and holiday pay my superannuation salary continuance will kick in so we will still have money coming in. Hopefully my really high medical and medication bills will be significantly reduced after this coming procedure. I've paid out over $5000 in the last week just in X-ray, ultrasound and imaging. I will get a fair amount of that back from my insurance once I claim it, I'm waiting on getting all the receipts back so I can put the claims in. They were supposed to email them but nope not arrived, I will have to ring them today and enquire where they have gone to. If they come by post the wet weather is really heavy atm and the letterbox fills with water and snails. Mail box has to be checked twice daily and with us going away on Saturday I am not confident I can rely on the girl house/pet sitting to clear the mail box. She's a good girl, but like most her age a letterbox is something antique and unattended.

And finally I should have added before, because of the seriousness of this operation and the amount of surgeons and staff required to assist, the gap between what my insurer Medibank will cover will be significant - even though I have top cover, he emphasised twice significant!. He suggested I get the nevro reps to contact the general surgeon to discuss the diothermy to be used in the procedure, apparently only one kind can be used on account of the SCS unit, the other kind will cause significant problems.

So much to do and in not much time but I am glad both DB and I have the chance to have a holiday break before the serious stuff starts. This Saturday will have been far to soon, not to mention Sunday will be 6 years since dad passed away. So no, mid September is looking better for me all round.
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Last edited by PamelaJune; 08-17-2017 at 01:20 AM.
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Old 09-08-2017, 05:11 PM #7
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Still no surgery date, we're living on eggshells in case the fragile routine I have with my pain under control fractures. I'm seeing the General Surgeon on Thursday 14th, we know the op isn't the 16th or 19th so perhaps it will be the following Saturday. It's hard for these surgeons to free their time up so I just have to be happy with how things are going. There are days when I wonder do I really need it, I can't recall how bad the pain was, or much about the difficulty in walking, I just know it happened & it was bad. And I know the scans don't lie, there is a real danger of the spinal cord being compromised should I even fall over. I feel giddy a little when I think of the number of falls I've had these past 12 months...
I do have some good news, my job brings me in close contact with many treatment providers, one group has offered me FOC post surgery recovery program it's worth considering in the big scheme of things, a physio & physiologist will work with me & develop an exercise program to will help me all they can achieve maximum medical improvement. I am a big fan of their serivices & refer my clients to them all the time. I feel quietly chuffed because I was going to ask them would they consider doing a non WC patient & was I able to pay for their services. Of course I will have to declare it and go through the clearance etc with corporate office (it's a gift) and even if I can't take them up on it at least I know it they will be willing to assist me and I can pay them.
So it's just a waiting game here, got mums hearings aids on trial, wow technology is amazing. I can ring mum on the phone and talk to her, I haven't been able to speak with her on the phone in over 3 years. I cried the first time we tried it in the hearing aid office.
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Old 09-14-2017, 06:27 AM #8
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Met with the General surgeon, proposed date is Monday 25th September. Have to confirm with the Neurosurgeon & make arrangements to meet with the anaesthetist next week. Explained I've had heart arrests, over 27 blood transfusions in previous surgeries, a botched hysterectomy, peritonitis twice, MRSI, bowel resections & I'm feeling very nervous. He seems to think it will be all ok and he will go slowly. I told him the surgeon who botched the hysterectomy said my major blood vessels were not where she was expecting them to be....
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Old 09-14-2017, 10:36 PM #9
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Pam,
Glad you have been given a date for the surgery. It had to be even more difficult the not knowing, etc. It appears you are in "good hands" for the surgery, as well as having good insurance coverage for the surgery and recovery with the help of a physiologist.

If I understand correctly, you will be having fusions as well as repairs of past fusions?

Much to do to prepare for surgery as well as time during post surgery/recovery.

Thoughts & prayers are with you.


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Old 09-16-2017, 02:19 AM #10
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Right, it's time. With next Monday being the big op and it having been spelt how serious & dangerous it is, it is time for me to be the bigger person and phone SIL K and apologise for any perceived wrong doings or sayings I have said or done which she uses as justification to vilify me. This time in 10 days, DB may have need of any or all family support he can get. While he may get little from his big sister, at least I will know I have done all I can to clear the air and should he ever talk to her again he can do so knowing I have apologised and attempted to right any wrongs, to accept fault in anything that has occurred. Do I feel nervous, yes, do I feel sick, yes. But needs must. What's the worst that can happen, she can hang up on me without speaking, she can say get lost, she can abuse me. I've had that and more from others. I can and will take on the challenge of being the better person. So be it.

Post edit
No answer, I waited until it be 9am thinking it's a Saturday morning, don't want to be too early. Feel ill, hands shaking, feel like I'm phoning to speak with the devil himself. Our lodger asked am I ok, I'm white, shaking, got a bucket in case I vomit, 2 heat packs to soothe my head and a towel for either wipe tears or spew.... will keep trying. I have the Goddess of wisdom and courage Athena by my side. I can do this.

Still no answer
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Last edited by PamelaJune; 09-16-2017 at 04:51 AM.
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