Topic : Living with Chronic Pain

Hello everyone!

 

I'm back from Houston. Man the political crazies were out this weekend! Our poor little 82 year old super political genius  man almost got punched in the face at the convention!!!! Lots of excitement. I heard all the stories. The kids didn't actually get to go...but our hotel was attatched to the convention center so we got to see all the people in their american flag and elephant garb. Lol.

We went shopping at the galleria. AMAZING mall. It's like 3 or 4 stories and takes up both sides of the street.....we spent most of the day there then came back and passed out for a while. Lol.

 

Overall it was a good time for us. The drive wasn't even that long.....4 hours ish.

 

Dianah, I'm getting a little more than A LITTLE sun....You can't escape it down here. It's in the 90s everyday...by July/August we'll be able to fry an egg on a dark colored car at about 3 or 4 o'clock...sometimes on the sidewalk too! It's pretty cool.

 

Welcome to the Newbie! A little introduction: I'm Rebecca. I just turned 20 in May and I'm a junior in college as a psyc major. I have TMJ dysfunction as well as fibromyalgia and some stomach problems which have yet to be named....and anxiety....and suffer from a lack of sleep....seems we all have a laundry list eh?

 

Hope everyone had a good weekend and hope this week will be good as well! *BIG HUGS*

 

Becca

XOXO

I have quite a few illnesses, some are, epilepsy, bone degenerative disease, graves' disease, spinal injury, depression and have just been diagnosed with PTSD. I also have digestive problems, oesophegitis and stomach ulcers and bad anxiety.

 

I am a fighter and I write a lot and paint ceramics and have had my poetry published aswell as making greeting cards, I was donated a lap top as because of my spinal injury I was n longer able to sit up at the computer to do my cards, so the Lions Club donated me a laptop so I could do things sitting down which is amazing and my next card was for them...  The laptop is getting old now and it's not going to last me a lot longer so I am saving up as much as I possibly can as I simply rely on my computer.  I use it to keep in touch with friends because I can't drive, and I also found a lot of friends I used to have were scared of me having seizures as I have them a lot, and, they couldn't cope with it so they just stopped talking to me, nothing nasty, but I do miss them, it's the same with my spinal injury, I have to use a walker to get around and even I was embarrassed by it when I first got it but it meant I could get around by myself without falling down all the time.

 

I have just turned 40 and am far too young to just sit and feel sorry for myself so if I get down I write about it and if i get angry I do the same.

I am from Australia, so it's hard to have friendships overseas because of the time differences, but, there isn't much in Australia like this or any depression, illness sites.  I just hope I can make some friends here and truly hope I haven't written too much....

 

I'm not going anywhere lol.  I can't drive and at the moment I have just had another disc rupture, so i'm in a lot of pain and am not that impressed with it, but I just wish I didn't get depressed so much, I get so depresses and cry and don't know why..

 

I do as much as I can to keep myself busy and I don't sit around feeling sorry for myself, so why on earth do I get so down and have panic attacks??  Does anyone else get like this or am I the only one?? I hope you can help me...

 

Shelleyx

 

 hello and how are you? im just sick and tired of being sick and tired. im getting worried about my mom.
we'te still wating for the bone marrow biopsy results so she can start chemo. shes getting weaker and she didnt even start yet. i feel like such a schmuck some days because i cant move to help her when she needs it. how the hell are we gonna make it? shell be getting weaker when she does start the chemo, and half of the time i cant even get out of bed , let alone help her. i dont know what to do. anybody got any suggestions?

howdy --

 

i'm in a calling-all-angels state of being, right now.  you know:

 

<<Santa Maria, Santa Teresa, Santa Anna, Santa Susannah
Santa Cecilia, Santa Copelia, Santa Dominica, Mary Angelica
Frater Achad, Frater Pietro, Julianus, Petronella
Santa, Santos, Miroslaw, Vladimir
and all the rest >>

 

but i will get over myself.

 

i am glad that hubby's mom made it, she sounded like she was world-weary, and probably suffering.  how is he doing?  and you?  be real about it -- don't get pushed or pulled into something that you can't handle.

 

with all the changing weather where you are -- it's no wonder you are having high pain days.  we can all testify to the power of the barometer.  is the pain any less if you can warm that arm up?

 

reading about morgan reminded me... i was gearing up to do some online shopping, but was able to talk myself down (off the ledge!) -- i had a nagging feeling that i would miss that money.  and...  my power cord to this bleepety-beep-beep dell fell to pieces again.  this is the FOURTH one i have had to buy.  i thought that maybe it was *me* -- maybe i am too rough on them, or something -- but as i read the couple of hundred comments that people had left after having to buy another cord, it was clear that it ain't moi, it's dell!  they have a crappy product and have made it so that no other cord will do -- planned obsolesence!

so... no new clothes for the moment, all my money is going to necessities -- from food to insurance to computer cables.  grrrrrr.

 

so... i got up this morning.  and then went back to bed about 10 minutes ago.  i simply "can't"  today.  everything hurts.  i haven't cried on the outside -- but i am wailing on the inside.  calling all angels... this is a carbon copy of yesterday -- i had hoped for some minor variations, at least!

 

i hope this week is kind to *you* -- i enjoyed my coffee this morning...

 

love, hope,

pro

hi shelley --

 

welcome to the wild and crazy world of drphil.com's chronic pain message board!  everyone here is familiar with pain -- and the different ways to go about living with it.  every "newbie"  that joins, though, has some new tricks to offer, so i hope you'll jump right in.

 

my first nosy question (forgive me) -- concerns your epilepsy.  why is it not controlled?  what is the longest period of time you've gone without seizing?  i am also epileptic -- pardon my curiosity.  it's just that "these days" -- control is usually not all that hard.  i am guessing that maybe your epilepsy is secondary to your spinal injury?

 

how cool that you are so creative!  can we see some of the cards you've made?  the writing you are doing is probably also worth hanging on to... you may end up with a masterpiece.

 

chronic pain/disease and mental stress -- they go hand in hand.  i have had just a few panic attacks but cannot relate them to much -- i had my first one while i was teaching!  talk about praying for the bell to ring...

 

anyway, welcome and please keep posting -- i'd love to hear more about australia and your life there.

 

prof

I feel like a whirling dervish...going from here to there...mostly for Scouting...we are trying to organize a carnival booth at our local community days in August...a fundraiser for the boys to earn their way to camp and pay for other troop activities.  I am working on getting prizes donated for the games...maybe the local dollar stores could each donate a little something.  I want to keep it with a low overhead, so the boys will be able to raise as much as they can. 

 

Tomorrow is the big youth group hike to Boulder Cave...it is a cave with openings at both ends...we will hike up to it, and the navigate through it in the dark...we have to remember to bring flashlights and walking sticks...plus our lunches and snacks...it will be fun!!  (but exhausting!!)  I hope that I am up to it...usually the kids make it through much faster than I do...there will also be some time at the river...there is a place to swim that fills up with water, separate from the actual river...no current...I'll be in up to my knees...the water is pretty cold!!  We'll have to find our aqua socks...

 

Also, our youngest son wants to earn his Scout religious knot...a big undertaking...it involves a church advisor (usually the pastor), an adult advisor (usually a parent), and the child...with workbooks for all.  It will take a couple of months to complete the program, if he works diligently.  It involves work from the Bible...reading and answering questions, plus a project for each of three sections.  Our middle son has also expressed interest...since he is in high school, his program will be more involved.

 

I have to clean the pond filter today...the fountain is barely putting out...

 

Well...have to get busy...Becky

Hi everybody,

 

Just checking in.... The last time was the 3Oth of may and was trying to put some pictures on the board, but did not work. I am sorry...

 

Have to catch up with the messages, but i will do that later. Just wanted to say HI, and saying i am not gone or death, but  the last few weeks, i have been sick like hell. And pain, enormesly, so you see prof, one Booster is not the other. Sometimes they work and sometimes they don't, my last one did not do anything but they say, it is like that... Tomorrow i have to go to the hospital again for the next one, yes, every 3 weeks, and i must say, i pray this one will give me relief.

 

So , please, somebody, light a candle for me, i could use some less-pain days, after the last weeks.

 

My children are having exams and my daughter is study-ing hard for her senior year. Next september she is going to try nursing school in Bruges, and we have already a place to stay for her, a girls home and she is admitted for the school, we already paid for everything, keys, bycycicle-garage, home, internet, school etc. Opened an bankaccount for her, so she can pay her rent every month... quiet hectic, the last weeks.And surely, very expensive, as you all know but she wants to do it and that is the main thing. I am really proud of her.

My son is being difficult, going on 15, and the end of the schoolyear, no need to make a picture, i think, teenagers..... grrr

 

My husband is doing fine, working hard to make it at the end of the month, right now.... but we will survive, i hope, been trough worse before. He is very kind and gentle with me the last weeks, me in pain and having difficulty to coop with it for the moment but he puts up with me. That is the hard part for him now.... I was having better days before the last Booster and i was so glad to go out in my garden and so, and then i could not anymore, making me angry and stressed, so i worked it out on him, don't we all.... but he is even more understanding then usual. I think he is sad too for me, that i could do so much things that i have not done in years and now, with the last Booster not working, again in my wheelchair, in pain and crying,angry,feeling hopeless etc. But he stood by me in a different way, hard to explain. I just hope tomorrows-Booster, will be better, even for him.

 

Will read the messages, i have mist, and if not today, i will check in as soon as i can.

 

Love you all, sincerely,

sims

Hi Everyone

 

Wowza, had to be a work at 6:30 this morning. A friend of mine needed "help".. her Mother and Sister are coming this weekend.. So went and kicked some tail and got her all nice and clean and ready for her family...

 

Hubby came home at 10:30 last night and we were up until 1 this morning, talking.. So, nap in a minute and then BBQ-ing rib eye steaks and potato's on the grill when I get up..

 

HIGH PAIN.. seems to be the dirty word on the board.. what's going on here,, the weather is warm and some places HOT.. so whats up with us...

 

Me.. three days in the yard and working.. that's what has me off the charts...

 

Missy... I am so sorry about your Mom. This is a tough one and I am so feeling for both of you.. I'm wondering if maybe you could get some In Home Health Care to come in and help with the housework and grocery shopping and anything else you Girls need... ????????

If not, maybe a few people from a Church would volunteer their time to help....

 

Hang in there and sending you a HUG EASY HUG AND HOPE ....

 

Prof... I have my fingers crossed you are feeling better.. but not holding my breath.. but toes and fingers crossed...

 

I talked with Hubby last night and I will NOT be going to the service over the weekend.. He was fine with it and no questions asked.. it was a great talk and no pressure and no hard feelings.....

 

Hang in there my Friend.. HUG HUG HUG...

 

Sims.. How wonderful to see you and I hope the shot goes well for you.. HUG HUG HUG....

 

Becky.. I got wore out just thinking about all your ruining around.. HA HA HA.. HUG HUG HUG..

 

Becca.. I am so glad you did not end up in Jail and that your weekend was so great.. HUG HUG HUG..

 

Okay.. nap time.. Love Dianah

 

 

 

 

Hi again,

 

I quickly red the mesages and i want to say a few words about them...

 

First of all, nice you keep the board running, in good and bad days.....

 

Dianah, i am sorry for the pain that your Hubby is going trough for the loss of his mom. Be there for him, he will need you. I remember the support and love i was given by my husband when i lost my father, it is priceless in times like that. But one other thing, please, my sweet friend, don't feel quilty that you can not cry, she must of hurt you very much, that is the only reason. Sometimes there are things you can not forgive a person. One time prof asked me, last year, about the same month, "What did the boy do that was so wrong, he was then the boy-friend from my daughter?" I could not answer her then but now i can, he raped her, abused her, hold her troath scweezed etc... I can not forgive him either, certainly not since she still can not have sex anymore and is in therapy, i was loosing her in that time and won her back now but some wounds never heal*. So, please, don't feel quilty for not feeling anything, love, sims and a TLC

 

Prof, i am so sorry about your fall, i hope, you recovered from it without further pain. Had to smile with your expression "aka boom-boom".... Hope you already could go to the gym, and if you did not, try going tomorrow, after all, tomorrow is another day, scarlet. Cross my fingers for you, good luck.

By the way, the house you saw on TV, we had the same images, i think, was it a big grey house in L-shape, black roof, first standing along the waterline and then floating to the left? Did it not have white windows?? It was like cut of by the ground and was swept away like a toy-house?.... I did see that here and then i was praying, it was not the house of anyone here, cause i can not remember where everybody lives here. Terrible images, terrible.... When i see that, my hair in my neck rises...

Also, prof, i am glad you will see a doctor about your breathingproblem, let us know as soon as you can if it was indeed n°1 and nothing else. A very big aka-boom-boom-hug, sims

 

Becky, hi girl, how are you??? Don't overdo yourself with the rocks, it will take its toll, you know that too. I promise, i will find a way to put those pictures of the snakes in a post. When i posted them, THEY WERE THERE. Next day, gone, it is only the last that stays on the board. But i will re-read the message you posted and profs, how to do it, and then try again, okay? Big kiss, sims

 

Becca, hola amiga, como estas? Bien? Por favor, estudias mucho, muy importante!!! My spanish is not that good, just speaking, my grandmother was spanish and my mother used to live in Tenerife, Islas Canaria. So, i went many times for a holiday there. Keep up the good work, honey, you can be proud of yourself. Huge hug, sims.

 

And Dianah, thank you for the times that you update us about Lashy and Morgan, God bless you.

 

For the ones, i forgot, Karen and Pickels too, how are you all, please, give us some news.

 

Love you all, sincerely, sims

Hello Missy,

 

Nice to meet you, i am sims, from Belgium and you are the one person on the board now with who i can compair myself with for the moment.

 

(Please, my dear other message-board-friends, i don't mean to be rude by the upper-sentence, indeed PAIN IS PAIN, like prof said, but i mean what she has is very much similar like my condition)

 

I am 46, mother of 18 and 15, happy marriage for 22 years but sick since my 31. I was a full-time working night-shift-nurse, studied psychiatry, build a house, and speaking 5 languages, but a donkey in math :-)).

 

Like you, i have DDD, Fybromyalgia, Cröhn-disease, and Allergy. These are all auto-immune diseases.

I had back-surgery in 1995, Type Graff with screws on L4-L5-S1 but failed. I also took tons of different medication and pain-killers But never Morphine, patches yes, but never tablettes. I have Chronic Artritis too and with Cröhns-disease, i can never take Anti-Inflammationmeds, to dangearous for the Colon.

DDD also heavily on T6-T7-T8-T9. I prefere lower backpain than Thoracale. Most days i feel like 86, 4 years younger then you(smile) but God, it hurts, doesn't it?

 

Like you, i had a period, that i drank away too the pain, but never alcoholic, especially in the WE, but it gives no relief, does it, the next day, you are punished anyway. Mostly, it was cause i could dance after a few drinks and i loved to dance but since a couple of years now, i am in wheelchair most of the time. I don't go out anymore, and i became afraid of the outside world. My hips are hurting since a long time and now my right knee is giving up. But that can maybe be cause i put on 10kilo's in weight, the last year, eating chocolate, i go from one depression to another lately. But that will pass, that i am sure off.

 

Also, i had a Hysterectomy about 8 years ago, i think, but i am ok now.

 

Like you said, everything that a normal person does without thinking, we can't.... But that stands for everyone on the board here, so please, stick around, Missy...

 

Yours sincerely, sims

 

PS. If you can, please stop with the Morphine and find a decent painDR. Neurotin does not help our pain, have you tried TRAMADOL? JUST a question.