Monday, December 8, 2008

Hello again


 Hi everyone. Sorry for the absence again.  I made it to Sask. To see my nurse. I had my first appointment today at 10 a.m. It sounds like a change of medication is in order. More on that as I get filled in myself. That won't be until tomorrow at 2:30 p.m.

  If you have suffered or on your way to suffer with chronic pain. You will be in a pain clinic at one time or another. Even my best pain specialist in my home town recommended it. He did help but knew that the rest would be up to the pain clinics and myself in learning what I can do. Do go if you have a chance. Does it cure you, no. What it does do is it fills your tool box up with tools that you will need down your path of chronic pain. You cannot have too many tools for this journey. Take from it what you can and leave the rest!
  Getting off the pain killers(narcotics) is another thing that I highly recommend ! Can we all stay off the pain killers for the rest of our lives ? I doubt it myself.  I was off all my pain meds. for three years. What it meant was I had to endure more pain. After three years or so I tired of the steady high levels of pain. What I wanted was some peace. Some peace means taking some Pain relief. It also requires a shift in the way you think about your pain. 
  During this time with out the narcotics I was taking Tylenol steady. I was also taking anti inflammatory medication on top of that. It isn't that good to take as many Tylenol as I was taking at the time. The oral anti inflammatory bothered my stomach. I think that it is good to try this method to gain some control over the pain and give oneself some quality of life. Try it for as long as you can. Don't forget to include a good attitude during this time.
  Danger is around the corner when using narcotics. It is especially bad for me or anyone with an addictive personality. What does this mean? Well we need to have satisfaction right away. We need to be rewarded immediately. This is the type of people we are. How does this tie into using narcotics. Well we get pain relief right away don't we ?
  Did I ever think that I was addicted to narcotics ? No I had no idea what it meant. After all I was not getting high with the medication. This is how narcotics can trick you. Narcotics are addictive. The way they are addictive is what I didn't understand. Now I do. If you suffer from pain and you take some narcotics and the pain goes away or lessens what just happened ? You got instant gratification. This is the addictive pattern that occurs with the pain meds. It is not about the High. It is about the instant pain relief that we get. Soon your body will need more and more narcotics to have the same affect. Later on your mind and body will get the narcotic by making you feel more pain ! This is one pattern of pain killers. This pattern is how it affected me. My addiction came from instant relief or just some relief.
  After saying that I am still taking Pain meds. I do not take the pain meds twenty four hours a day rather I take the meds when my pain is at it's worst. I take a fast but short acting pain medication for my break through pain. This type of pain med is even more addictive. It has the quick fix capability that an addict like myself gets addicted to.
  Here is why I take the pain meds. I made the choice in my life to not suffer so much pain. To help myself to live without so much pain. I felt I owe it to myself and my family after the suffering we endured during the time since my accident. I will deal with the addictive properties as life goes on. Be very careful with any pain medication. If worse come to worse and you do not get anymore quality of life from the pain meds. you can make the choice to get off the meds for a while at least.  
  Getting off pain meds is a frightening thing for people that suffer in pain. Don't be scared try it. Go to the hospital or a rehab institute to do it if you have to. If you take a large amount of pain meds and nothing is working then taper down and get off as many as you can. It isn't easy but you won't regret doing it. It will give you a clearer understanding of how it has been affecting you.
   Two theory's 
  When you take pain meds for so long it cuts off the brains natural ability to make the pain killers naturally for you. Another argument is that when you suffer for so long in pain the brains mechanism for making pain killer is over taxed and can't keep up. 
  If you have cut off the brains ability to make pain killer by using narcotics, then when you stop taking it the brain will start making pain killer naturally again. On the other hand if the brain cannot keep up to making as much pain killer for your pain  then using a narcotic to substitute  the brain's natural ability  will aid in controlling ones pain. Which theory is correct?
   It is a personal choice to use narcotics. Please use with caution and stay aware of it's affects on the body and brain. It really is up to you. I am letting you know some of the things I have learnt about pain medication. There is pro's and con's to using them and not using them. Choose wisely and do what is best for you and your family at the time.  
 I want to ask everyone to remind themselves of something positive that happened in their lives.  For me I make it to see my Nero modular nurses. Hopefully I will get some adjustments and get some better pain relief. That is what it is about isn't it some relief. That is all 4 now. 

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