Replies to '02/06 Pill Popping Twins'

Quote From: lsscott

I drank heavily for many years. When my youngest children were 3&4 I stopped and never looked back. I don't miss it. I, in fact, was injured on the job 22 years ago and take pain killers. I don't get enough relief but still try to deal with it and work. At one time my physician  told me he was concerned about me being addicted. I told him, "Well Doc, if my options are to be in chronic pain that controls my life and prevents me from sleeping I'm not real concerend about the addiction". What a choice to need to make. The V.A. has been so good to me. They tried to find all sorts of ways to make it possible for me to work without the pills. My pain and disposition were horrible. They are now finding new ways to help me. I have a friend who was in a vehicle accident last year. She objected to the doctors giving pain medication to chronically pained people. She now understands it. I actually talked to a woman while I was in college who'd had a severe auto accident and she had a standing order at the hospital that she could go into the emergency room for a pain shot. She told me that it was either that or suicide because the pain was so severe. She said she hoped to be off of that medication as she becomes more well. Science has not come up with a way of connecting pain in all cases. I remember reading about a football player who this past season (Brian Urlacher) who began having pain as I describe mine. They couldn't find a corresponding cause with the scans but they KNOW he's in pain. So they treat him via his complaints. They believe him but not me? I"m the empty  nest father of five children and my wife is that of five diffferent children. I do what I have to do to provide and that's it. Now they're talking about a patch for me. I'm in favor of that because it would dispense the medication in such a way that I would be living pain free. When my kids were still at home I would lay and cry in my sleep and then pop the pills when I first got up so that I could make it to work. What a terrible way to work. I took any pain shots the doc would give me. I went to a chiropractor daily for a long time for short term relief. Now I'm 56 years old and live in such a state as to need chronic help with the pain. My wife is the bes and understands. I get grumpy and she is so loving to me. I also found out that I have other mental health issues. I take a lot of meds to help with that. Whatever is causing all the pain doesn't matter a whole lot to me anymore. What matters is that I get relief. I actually had to get a POB in order to keep people from taking my meds. I'm a lucky man because my children understand and love me and if something were to happen so that I needed them for complete support and living arrangements they'd be there for me. I went to NYC to see my daughter after TG last year. She is so patient with me. She's so loving and caring and treats me with such great respect. I see the turmoil that these people are in and I'm so grateful that we don't live that way. God didn't intend for people to live like that and finding a way out of that is so important. Linda and I set some ground rules when we got married. No shows R rated or above. No arguing about money and don't let the kids split us up. We've had some pretty bad financial situations and have yet to blame one another. We are on our 17th year of marriage and I hae the perfect wife for me and she says I'm perfect for her. It's taken a long time to gain the trust o some of the kids. It's working, though, and we're getting things worked out. My mental health issues have taken a lot of perseverence on the family's part. I don't hide my mental health issues because I want others to find hope. I'm not embarrassed by it because I see it as a stepping stone and encouragement for others. I'm not necessarily happy about all the decisions I made but as of now I'm so happy that I've overcome and I have a family who loves me. I don't abuse the drugs and don't share them. I have people trying to get me to give them to them. Since I first started getting the meds that's been an issue. I don't share. Doc gives me enough for me and I have to control the number of pills I take so that I don't run out. If I share them then I won't have enough for me. If the doc is giving too many for a person they should never give them to another. That's why we have the medical system we have. Docs should be concerned about giving out so many pills. :Pills aren't the only solution. I can tell you that I've had to make decisions that were contrary to my original thinking. I didn't take meds unless I absolutely needed to. When it came to a point that I could see that it was either the pills or chronic and unmanageable pain I finally took the drugs. lsgg