Introduce Yourself Here.....

Hi Jessie,

Welcome to the CPA Forum!

Good idea to not go down the path of narcotics if you can, but please remember you should keep something in the toolbox for first aid pain relief on the days you have a flare up.

Knowing that you are still on your feet, you must take this in the right direction. You need to get yourself in contact with the people at a nearby multidisciplinary pain clinic, so you can be taught how to self manage your pain condition, PLUS, you get access to the physios who will teach you the right way to keep your body as fit and a strong as you can within the bounds of your injury and healing.

OR

Ask your GP for a referral to a really good physio who is able to help you with this. Even if you cannot attend a pain clinic, you need to have some time with a good physio who has been trained in the area of treating people with chronic pain. Many sports physios who actually work with sporting clubs, are also good for this too.
The best one I ever went to, use to work with our state basketball club for several years, prior to starting her own practice. She was damn good too!

Get on the front foot and learn all you can about your injuries and your pain. You need to head off a future of chronic pain. So watch everything you do, from anything you stick in your mouth food and drink wise, to the amount of stress you are under, to keeping that black dog of depression tied up to a post and not around your ankle, to making sure you get the appropriate physio and do all the exercises you are prescribed.
Then you stand a good chance at getting past this hiccup in your life.

You can be tough and suck it up. But sometimes that can lead you to depression. You need to give yourself permission sometimes to just shut the door and scream, cry and/or swear, if that is what it takes to get the 'shit off of your spleen' so to speak. Don't be a martyr. You're not that tough. None of us are. We all need to allow the emotions to build, then release them so that they don't build up too high. This is how people come crashing down and end up in a heap of clinical depression with only one thought of suicide on their minds.

Have some faith!
Know that you will learn to self manage your pain and you will spend the rest of your life living a fairly happy existence, while suffering pain at the same time. It can be done. In fact, it is being done by millions of Aussies all the time. So make this your goal too!

Don't dwell on your spine. If the pain in the spine gets a bit too much, ask your doc to try Lyrica or some other neuropathic drug, because that will help, but make sure you start with a low dose and increase it slowly. These are not pain killers as such and are not narcotics. They are anti-seizure drugs that work on that part of your nervous system that helps diminish the neuropathic pain. I'm not a medico, so I don't really understand all the ins and outs of these drugs.

I have lived all my life with a stuffed spine and the only thing that kept me on my feet the most, was physical activity. So you do have your head in the right place. Just don't do anything stupid to cause further damage, but please remember that pain in your back DOES NOT mean you are damaging yourself.
You should know by now what 'doing something stupid' means.

Look after yourself. Have a good diet. Get to a good physio. And keep yourself fit and moving!

Oh, and keep talking to us, because you'll get all the support you need for free!

Peter

Welcome Jessie,

You seem to be really on top of things...
I must say, I find it rather sad that our emergency workers aren't up to speed on pain management techniques and explain pain research, in our front line areas or are exposed to comments from within the professional staff about chronic pain sufferers.

Not wanting to take narcotics is an individual choice. I decided the same thing six years ago and am still opioid-free in my pain management treatment of adhesive arachnoiditis. Not everyone opts for the same treatments... No need to beat that drum so hard !! :silly:

Some people do need narcotics, and with a good GP and proper management, these drugs can help and a GP can carefully manage the use of such drugs over a designated and monitored term. We support that too. 🙂

Sounds like you have a lot going on in your life with caring for your special needs child and working.
The extra stress of your own recovery, managing pain and learning how to pace yourself, properly. These are all area where this forum can help, or direct you, towards other suggestions... Stay with us and all the best, Jessie.

Hi FadingDreams29,

Welcome to the CPA Forum!

Unfortunately the stigma we all end up with suffering from chronic pain, often leads to being alone and loneliness. As Jo says, just remember you are now among family and we here all suffer just like you do, so there won't be any judging or doubting your word. Your pain is exactly the same as ours and many times it can drag us down into depression.
So remember, to keep a close eye on your mental health. Don't allow yourself to go down too far before seeking proper medical attention. There is nothing wrong with you mentally, but suffering so much pain for so long causes depression in every human being. It is only natural.
So keep talking to us, especially when you feel really bad. Just post. Someone will answer sooner or later.

One way of keeping the depression away, is to keep yourself busy. And get involved in activities that you like, that will also keep you as physically active as you can be. And when I say busy, I mean within reason. Don't forget to stop often and rest. Never go at it hard, because you will end up in bed for a week. Always just take small bites of the cherry and slowly teach yourself how to self manage your pain condition.

Have you been to a multidisciplinary pain clinic yet?

If not, then please ask your GP to refer you to one as soon as you can. There will be a waiting list, so the sooner you get your referral in the better. They will teach all about your chronic pain and how to better manage it so you don't end up living a life of more pain while taking too much medication. There is another way and because you are young, you should respond to it very well. There is no cure, but there is a much better life to live than what you are experiencing now, even if you have to continue suffering this pain.

Anyway, stick around and read as much as you can to educate yourself.

Take care!

Peter

Wise words (again....). Without people like Peter, it'd be a really bad place......

Anyone seen any t-shirts where we take the "wee wee" on "normals."

I hate using labels for people...., but, I am "unemployable." :huh:

The "Letter to Normals" is great, but, can't fit all that onto a t-shirt.

I have been dealing with my nightmare since Jan 2010. I was a "normal" and now I am not.....(does that rhyme or am I imagining it?) :woohoo:

Anyways, I hope that all people who are like me (and to those who are worse) have a great day and week!

Don't stop fighting. Yep, some days are really bad and some days are just bad.

Hi Jessie and welcome
You sure have your hands full with your work and caring for your special needs child. I did the exact same thing for nearly 25 years and although a lot of my pain issues are due to this I do not regret a minute of it. You deserve a medal.
I hope you find what you are looking for here and your questions answered; even have a vent if you want, no one will judge you.
Take care
Gayl

Hi all,
I attended the CP Forum in Parramatta last week...I was the guy who looks ok but is so full of meds that I rattle. Oh buggar! That's most of us right?
I want to tell you a bit about me, and how I got here today. Its a bit detailed...but there are some funny and sad moments that reads like something from a Stephen King novel...So I thought I’d "just Do it" as the phrase goes (Copyright Nike US Inc.-cant believe I HAD to put that in there!")
I had a fall about 10 years ago...I was 42...I had a 2x21st party...I slipped on some wet grass and landed on my forehead. I heard what sounded like I'd been to the Chiropractor 100 times all at once. I laid there for a minute or two...wiggled my toes...my fingers... "Ok...I'm good!" and got up and walked away. I actually felt better than I did for a while!
Some time later I would find out that on that fated night I cracked a vertebra, C6, and ruptured discs at C5, 6 & 7. The CT's and MRI's show I was 4mm from becoming a full Quadriplegic!
About 6 months later I woke only to feel that both arms had gone to sleep...totally numb and it was as though I had burnt myself on my back.
Following months of scans, I got into see a Neurosurgeon. They did an anterior foraminotomy and discectomy on C5-C6. 6 months later no change!
Back to see the Neurosurgeon, Posterior Discectomy and Fusion of C5-6.
6 months later, back to see the Neuro again... This time he's unavailable! "But what do I do now?" I asked?
I was told that I could see someone else and my current Neuro was having some "personal time"!
Little did I know that, and later that day after some further investigations, I found out that "personal time" meant he was in gaol for dealing and using Cocaine and leaving an overdosing prostitute to die in his apartment. Not only that, but also that this was not his first offence. He was an habitual user, and whilst being banned from practicing at a local public hospital near where I lived, he was allowed, under supervision, to practice in the Private hospital next door!
You can imagine my Dismay. I later found out that it was not uncommon to see the Surgeon turn up to the OR with blood dribbling from his nose after being out on a 30hour bender the 2 days prior!
That aside my pain persisted. I was struggling with 8/10 pain day and night.
My 3rd visit to the neurosurgeon saw me having to have the plate and screws removed.
I had to undergo a 2nd posterior Discectomy, Replacement, fusion Plated/Screwed, 6 screws now, and a cage for stability.
4 years & 2 car accidents later I have ongoing Chronic Pain.
As a result of one of those car accidents my pain has flared up in my neck arms and hands where I have pins and needles and numbness 24x7.
I also have had to have a Total Right Hip Replacement and more recently a Right Shoulder “fixed”. Actually had a repair to my Rotator cuff tendons that had full thickness tears and an acromioplasty of my clavicle.
I have just moved to the south coast, in Moruya, a lovely place to live, but no pain services and very few doctors that will either want to be involved with a basket case like me or who knows enough about chronic pain to want to be involved. Having said that, I have a great GP here and she treats me with the respect and empathy I need.
I have previously been labelled by past GP’s as a doctor shopper even though there is no evidence to suggest this.
I am taking a cocktail of meds including Oxycontin (60mg bd) but have been on much higher. All those mentioned by Phillip Siddall last week … I take.
I have had 2 prior ketamine infusions under Dr Muir in Victoria who was amazing and got great results to reduce my meds in total…but like Christmas its an ongoing process.
I now see Prof Sundaraj in Sydney and he too has looked after me very well as my Pain Management Sponsor.
I see 1 GP and where ever I have lived that is what I do.
The real issue I have is when you have additional pain and have to go to the local hospital. I’ve been labled a drug seeker and not to go back. Despite my not requesting or asking for pain meds. My wife and I are generally concerned about what’s going on… And I can medicate at home…
This needs to be addressed at a State and Federal level. My wife and I have made a critical decision not to attend a hospital in my area for any emergency issue as I have been made to feel like a drug addict and drug seeker…which I am not and if there were pain services available where information of my whole story was available and understood by some local doctors, including my local GP, then treatment may be different.
Anyway I know I’ve rambled a lot here, so I apologise for this.
Thanks for listening and for a great Friday last week. I really enjoyed it.

Chris Parrello
0439132427

Hi Pam, sorry for my late reply! I'm from the northern beaches!

Hi Jessie
Welcome to the forum. I agree with the others that you do have your hands full. Having a special needs child isn't easy. I use to work with special needs children before my accident I always use to say that their parents deserved a medal.
It's great that you can function without the higher dosed meds at the moment but unfortunately with others like myself the injuries are that extensive we need that extra oomph from the meds to get through our daily living. I understand about the stigma it would cause at work, which is pretty disappointing considering u work in ED, but it's just like the stigma of depression many years ago. People were ashamed to mention they had that because of what people thought but now it's a very openly talked about condition. Hopefully in the not to distant future, CP will be the same.

Anyway hun, I hope you find this forum as helpful and enlightening as I have.

Cheers Jacquie 🙂

Hi Chris
Welcome to the forum. All I can say is WOW! I was left speechless that I had to wait 5 minutes before I replied. Man you've been through so much and are continuing to do so. All I can say is I'm sorry to hear that both you and your wife have had such a battle, but I'll also say congratulations to you both for hanging in their and continuing to fight even though some days you may feel like you want to give up.
I'm glad you decided to join this forum. Here you will find the best bunch of people who know what your going through. You can ask questions, vent your frustrations or even to meet up for coffee.

Also you mentioned a Dr Muir. Is he based in Melbourne?

Welcome again Chris
Cheers
Jacquie 🙂

Hi Jessie here again,
Thankyou for all your very warm welcomes.

Sorry If I missed thanking anyone, still getting used to this site.

I have quite a long way to go so far,as I sustained a few injuries. Next stop is my knee with MCL and Stage V Chondomalacia. My leg has been blowing up despite returning to work 2 weeks after my accident. Am currently working on Triage in Emergency (so less running around).

Once again thanks for the warm welcome and will drop in more. Am a single mother working full time, I have leave but need to save it for my son.

I love getting up each morning (if I'm not working nights or evenings) around 3am. Only time besides sleep where I have peace and quiet. Does anyone else with crazy busy lifestyles do this as well?

Once again, thanks again. Will chat more.

Kind regards

Jessie

Hi Jessie,

Welcome to the forum it's nice to hear from someone who is in the game (so to speak), you see pain daily but a lot of the ones you help heal and are pain free.

I am in awe of any parent who is looking after a special needs child they are exhausting (we have close friends who have a son with special needs)but they are so full of love.

Pain medication and work the balancing act is very hard, you have to have enough to ensure you can last a day but you can't take too much to give yourself a mind fog,(especially in your job) I eventually was placed in a position of realisation that I couldn't work ,I dropped my hours to 20 hours a week and was still landing in a heap and having to damn near sleep my weekend away to get well for the next week even now if I do too much I have to have a nanny nap(every time Judge Judy comes on) bugger as I love the Judge.

Johnno

Hi Jacquie,
Thanks for your response.

Yeah Dr Andrew Muir is in Mt Waverley at the Rehab Clinic. I used to see him as I was travelling to VIC every week for work...a battle in itself. I found him amazing.
I never had a worry with him. My meds increased and when I asked to increase them it was never a problem. He/We did 2 ketamine infusions and I went from taking 160Mg Oxycontin twice a day back to 20mg twice a day. He explained it like the Christmas syndrome. With the ketamine working, I can reset my opiate use back to a lower dose and in 12 months, re-do the ketamine... This reset my dependence back to a much lower level.

He really was amazing.

Happy to discuss with anyone also... there were some Cons to the treatment...it wasn't all roses... but same with all meds I guess.

Sincerely

Chris P
0439132427

Hi Jacquie im on 200mg MsContin and 2 x 30Mg Proladone supp,s and i take Questran Lite with orange juice it lines my intestine tract to stop the Diarhrea. for 28 years now and i all i have 75 Mic Gram Fentyanol patches But i never take the tablets and patches together as they will Kill you ,I Find after a long time i stop taking my all my pain tablets and go onto the pain patches for a month and after one month i stop pain patch and go back onto tablets and they seem to work better is this in my mind or does it really work .Cheers every one .

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Welcome, great to meet you all

Posted by: @ucidity-dev-team

Welcome, great to meet you all

Welcome aboard John