Share Your Pain Story

1,000 Replies to “Share Your Pain Story”

1. I have been a dialysis patient for 19yrs and I am only 36yrs old. I live with pain everyday besides the 4 hours I spend on a machine every other day Just to live. I cannot find a doctor willing to prescribe pain medication simply because they are scared of losing their jobs.
   -please help me-

2. I had broken my back I had two spinal infusions in addition I had broken my tibia my fibia my ankle my kneecap though they thought that my leg would be amputated and I would not be able to walk ever again due to my back also I am down here walking in severe pain. In addition to all of this I have anxiety problems severe panic and social disorder! I had to choose between pain medicine which was additionally cut due to people abusing it! I ask myself how is this my fault my problem? No idea what would the exact sense be of not being able to leave my house and the pain of not being able to walk around my house! These regulations and rules doctor restrictions need to stop! Want records want proof! Feel free to contact me. Stop making people suffer because of other people’s mistakes if they want to ruin their lives so be it!

3. Hi my name is liz ricci, my dr stopped my pain medication and my anxiety medication after years of being on them, it pushing ppl to go to the streets to but these pills and that’s where the bad things start to happen, fentanyl, robbery, all kinds of things can happen, this needs to stop and just monitor the ppl on the medicine, it’s that simple

4. I have nerve damage as a result of being electrocuted in 2002 the pain has worsened and become unbearable at times. Years later while working at the Postal Service, I was locked in a fence with 3 dogs and mauled obtaining numerous serious injuries. I battled with pain for years. I am older and the pain is unmanageable. I use over the counter creams, medicines and taken any list of remedies I have been prescribed resulting in severe stomach issues. I live all day every day in pain and at times I can not get out of bed for days. I have been begging for help. My Doctor’s office refused to give me pain medicine and has sent me to a Neurologist, Spine Center, Gastrologist, Physical Therapist, Counselor, Phychiatrist and still refuses to prescribe pain relief medicine. I have two MRI scans proving severe damage in my spine, discs and now I developed arthritis. No one will listen to my cries for help. I am constantly accused of trying to obtain medicine for addiction purposes as opposed to the documentation and lengthy medical reports. The opioid crisis has caused me to suffer. This sickens and saddens me. Forget going to the emergency room! There I am deemed an addict automatically even after blood tests prove I have nothing in my blood system. I am treated with distain and passed off and over looked. My Counselor and Phychiatrist are supporting the pain is not made up and I am not trying to feed an addiction. I have been diagnosed with PTSD and Severe Anxiety and have Panic Attacks. EVERY
   time I ask for help I panic….. I have valid injuries and because of this “Epidemic” I am not getting the help I need. I feel hopeless, depressed, sad, defeated….. I cannot live with the constant untreated pain…. I should not be cast out or accused of being an addict because of other people’s personal actions or self destruction. I would like to fight for MY RIGHT to NOT BE IN PAIN. I want to FIGHT so I DO NOT HAVE TO SUFFER.

5. I’m 60 years old. I was born with Crohn’s Disease. I have experienced pain almost daily. I have been prescribed pain medication throughout my life. I haven’t been addicted to my pain medication. I have lived a productive life. I graduated from college. I worked as a Social Worker. Now I feel as if I have done something horrible. I feel “less than.” To add to my physical pain, my emotional pain grows. I also suffer from depression and anxiety. The doctors are afraid to prescribe medications and if you are prescribed pain medications you experience the treatment of a second class citizen. This is a result of the Opioid Crisis. I don’t believe that this appropriate. I believe that my Civil Rights are being affected. As I experience pain, I’m not able to participate in my daily routine. I have to stay in bed. My depression increases and I suffer alone. Please listen to me. I don’t abuse my medication. Why am I being punished?

6. I have been on pain medication since 2005 after my back was broken and I required spinal reconstruction surgery. I have two metal bars, six screws, a metal plate at the base of my spine, three cadaver discs and cadaver bone. My surgeon predicted at the time of the surgery that I would be in a wheelchair full time within seven years. That was fifteen years ago. I can still walk with the assistance of cuff crutches to help with balance and on bad days I use my walker or wheelchair on really bad days. I was also diagnosed by a positive blood result with Lyme Disease three years ago. I have severe arthritis, systemic staph infections as the result of my spine surgery and an immune system disorder that causes my immune system to randomly crash. Two years ago, after a bad immune crash, I became allergic to all plastics, rubber and adhesives. I break out in hives and become very sick if I am in a room with carpet or sit on a sofa that has foam rubber cushions, if I wear my glasses for too long, if I use my keyboard without cotton gloves, need to wear a band-aid and the list goes on and on….In the last fifteen years that I have been on my pain medication, I have NEVER tried to fill my RX early. I have never lost my meds, had them stolen, dropped them down the drain, or any other of the hundreds of excuses I have heard other people crying about in line at the pharmacy. I take only what I am prescribed. I have NEVER abused my medication. I do not get “high” from them. If you are getting “high”, you are on too high of a dose or not in pain. I have been with my same doctor for 12 years now and currently not at risk of losing my meds but TERRIFIED that I soon will be if the government ties my doctors hands. I cannot change my dose any longer. I would typically go down in my dose during the summer and up in my dose during the winter but this is no longer an option for my doctor and myself to use as part of my pain management. I understand that there are a lot of people out there abusing these drugs but the government is trying to make their problem my problem and that is simply just wrong. It is like saying that thousands of people are killed by drunk drivers every year so we are no longer going to allow anyone in this country to drive a car. Everyone must take public transportation because these people over here are killing themselves and other people by drinking and driving. How does that make any sense? This has got to stop. People who live every day in excruciating pain and rely on pain medication so they can walk, function, get up out of bed, not become suicidal, to maintain some quality of life should not have to suffer because of the actions of others. I am not against monitoring doctors and patients or drug screening but the answer is not to take away the medication that allows myself and others to have some semblance of comfort and a little less pain in our daily lives. Trust me, anyone who lives with chronic pain would give up anything, including their pain medication, to have a life free of pain.

7. Our 40 y.o. son passed away about 1 1/2 months ago. He had severe back pain from a fall about 8 years ago. He could no longer get pain medication that would help. He unfortunately resorted to buying from “a work mate” it was laced with Phentenol. Two other workers overdosed 1 week later, they were lucky, they survived! He made a mistake, yes, out of desperation, he was trying to keep working to support his family. He leaves behind a Wife, 11 year old daughter, and devastated family and friends.

8. My name is Diann, I was in a car accident approximately 13 years ago and had to have my L4 and L5 replaced with morphogenic bone then stabilized in a titanium cage with rods and pins that sits on my sacrum and causes extreme pain I also have I left greater trochanter of my hip is messed up to the point I have to have injections or I can’t sit or stand for any length of time. My neck is messed up so bad I’m actually scared to go have surgery and both my shoulders have so much pain I get injections in one and try to avoid getting injections in the right one as long as I can. I still receive my medication and I do keep it as low as I can at 7.5 mg. They do offer to raise it I keep it where it is for my kidneys basically. However I now live 3 hours away from my doctor now for about 2 1/2 years, but I’m scared to change doctors because I’m afraid I’ll lose my medication so once a month I have to put my body through hell to go get my prescription 3 hours away. They’re nice enough to let other people pick it up for me most of the time and then I can meet them and save myself part of the drive. I shouldn’t be afraid to change doctors because I’m afraid to lose my medication that I could not function without.

9. Hi , I suffer from a debilitating form of Arthritis called Ankylosing Spondylitis, it attacks the hips and spine, I also have degenerative disc disease and have so far had 2 spinal fusions and one is needed as I write this . But I’m trying to hold off for as long as I can with my neuro surgeons help. But we both know it will be inevitable. VERY long story short, I suffer with chronic pain every day, Taking away my medication would be cruel at this point in my life. As you see I really don’t have much of a life right now due to the pain I wake with every day That is if I sleep at night. And every day I have no idea just how bad it will be. The arthritis affects my eyes as well and some days they just throb with pain. I have a different medication that helps with that. I’ve unfortunately had to stop working due to all of this. NOT MY CHOICE and not what I wanted to do. I had to for my own well being as I just couldn’t function any more. Until you have lived with a chronic pain condition , you have no idea just how challenging life can be. I didn’t ask for this and in my wildest dreams I never thought I’d be in the medical condition I am now. Now I push through days in a fog from the arthritis that is slowly taking my body, So if I can get some relief to make my day just a bit better and tolerable, allowing me to get the necessities done. what harm is there. I’m not addicted to my pain medication, I’ve never craved or felt withdrawals from the medication I take, as I have had sort periods of time I’ve not had to take it. So what is the harm. I sign a narcotics contract with my Dr. as well. People should not have to suffer when there are medications that can help one’s life a bit easier, And to help sleep, I can’t tell you how many sleepless nights I’ve had due to pain as well. Give relief where it is needed. Don’t punish people who are responsible. I know this sound off because I say I have pain medication and am in pain. I choose to live with some pain, and medicate only when it is not tolerable.

10. I am 61 years old and have had 5 back surgeries with 4 vertebrae that are fused. I am on fixed income and hurt all the time. Without medication I can’t function. I am having to spend money on a second Dr. that they say is a specialist just to get my medication. The price keeps going up and I need the money for other things. I do not get enough medicine to handle the pain well and they act like you are a criminal if you tell them you need more or something stronger. I know there are people that are taking meds that shouldn’t be but why punish the ones that do need it. It would be great if I could not hurt and not have to take the medicine but after 5 surgeries and it still isn’t fixed, what else do you do. I have heard that allot of the people they are counting as overdosing on meds are people that just can’t get the meds they need and have had to go to extremes to deal with the pain. I hope no one has to hurt needlessly.