On Wednesday I’m going to the introduction session for the Angliss Ambulatory Pain Clinic.
What can I expect to happen on that day. I’m worried, because some people have said they change around your medications. How can someone, who’s never seen me before, do that?
I’m hoping to learn new coping techniques. But after 3 years of suffering, I know that I need to be on some dose of pain medication. I’ve gotten my dose down from 40mg of oxycodone, to 30mg of oxycodone. I could work really hard to get it down to 20mg. I could possibly even try to get down to 10mg, if I really tried, and did a lot less. But the concept of being on NOTHING. Doesn’t seem feasible.
I have a herniated disc. When I had a manipulation done on my back, it aggravated sciatica on my LHS. One night, I felt like cold water was being poured down my left leg.
Then last November, I had an epidural steroid injection. It must’ve nicked a nerve, because I felt like my sides were being torn apart. Even with the local anaesthetic. I was an emotional wreck for months, and could barely sit or stand. I’ll never do one of those again.
I’m so angry that my condition can’t be fixed with surgery. Well it could, but spinal surgery is so risky. I’ve been told that I’m too young for it to be considered.
So now I’m on 5mg OxyNorm, every 4 hours. It helps me walk around 6,000 steps on a good day. That means I can travel into the city for university study. I can live a semi-decent life. I don’t constantly feel like I’m suffocating from contracting muscles and awful pain in my back.
