Tell your story of living with chronic pain, by leaving a reply at the bottom of the page. Do not mention specific medications or dosages. Stories do not appear right away.
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Tell your story of living with chronic pain, by leaving a reply at the bottom of the page. Do not mention specific medications or dosages. Stories do not appear right away.
I am a 39 year old mother of five and I cannot get help anywhere. This last Saturday I was in the ER with a huge cyst in a very painful area, and they lanced it without pain meds or giving the numbing agent a chance to work. Then once it was done they told me they were getting me something for pain and gave me one hydrocodone. I have never in my life screamed and cried like I did then, but the woman just kept going.
Back in 2014 I was diagnosed with Diverticulitus and have had SEVERAL flare-ups to the point where I am in the ER in pain at least once every other month. They don’t want to operate on me because of scar tissue from my five C-sections and the exploratory surgery I had to have when I was diagnosed with Diverticulitus. But yet I cannot get any doc to give me anything for pain.
Back in 2008 I was in a car accident and vertebrae C2-C6 were crushed, and I ended up having a spinal fusion done. The pain and migraines I get now are unbelievable but yet no help with pain meds. I can’t even get into a pain management doctor to talk to them because nobody will refer me.
I just need help and I need someone to see. I am not just drug seeking and that the pain is real!
I’ve been suffering since 2012. But in 2019 my pain jumped significantly. I am in Einstein Network in Philadelphia PA. They will give you nothing for pain and if you want release you have to go to pain management. All they want to do is stick you with needles to the detriment of your health I believe. My story is very simple. I am suffering so bad every day. My will to live has been tested and is being tested. I cannot believe they treat us like this. It’s inhumane.
I find it unbelievable that the P.T.B. who haven’t a clue as to what someone who has been injured beyond medical surgical means or the ability to repair injuries of people who are being removed from necessities such as opiods without another proper means to help people like me is stupid, dangerous and scary. People who have been injured beyond surgical means. I myself have had five major surgeries in five years. Massive cranial nerve damage, damages to my entire body from my hips to my head, esophageal damage from the initial massive injury I sustained … that I’m only trying to survive. Everyone who knows me, knows I’ve almost died multiple times, during multiple surgeries of which the last one was seven weeks ago, with a 60/40 survival probability. But I’m still here.
Did I mention that my primary care provider notified me that she was retiring on December 31 2020, while I was in the hospital for passing out three times from extremely high blood pressure and a heart rate average of 110 bpm siting and 140 bpm when laying down at the end of November into December 2020 … from injuries I sustained years ago. The hospital, who didn’t want to give me my medication, and then discharged me after five days, to only have me find a great surgeon immediately … who also ended up being the student of my initial surgeon who saved my life … who with one look set up surgery and saved my life.
My last life saving surgery was March 19 2021. Massive scar tissue, adhesions from multiple massive surgeries was impairing my blood flow dramatically. It was a life saving surgery, but it was a bandaid, not a cure. I’m labeled an opiod addict and I’m currently in a severe insane position. Pain, withdrawal, migraines and more. I still cannot sleep as the damage to my throat and esophagus doesn’t allow me to lay down to sleep. I’ve seen six new primary providers with my records since January and I’ve never seen anything like it. “Run Forrest run” fits so well. The tracheotomy in my neck for the last three years is just jewelry. All I hear is how good I look, as it’s covered by the face scarf for Covid.
From now on I’m going to not shower, not shave, not put on clean clothes to see these so-called professionals who took an oath. I’m going to look the part of a traditional drug addict, unimaginable, pathetic, covering their azzes … the P.T.B. are causing more pain and unnecessary insanity than any person who’s not in my shoes could ever comprehend. Anyone who’s taken injuries beyond what most could survive and fight to survive haven’t a clue. Yes I’m an opiod addict for multiple insane medical conditions, but the P.T.B. haven’t a clue. We all know who is causing this crisis in America. Insanity on steroids, stupidity beyond anything ever seen before…
Currently living through this. Had surgery today. Walgreens is refusing to fill my post operative prescription for Percocet because I “have enough oxycodone.” Hey, @Walgreens Percocet is not the same thing as Oxycodone. This is all because of our government’s interference and general ineptitude. The statistics for drug addicts taking heroin and whatnot they buy illegally, their overdoses are lumped in with legal patient use. The result is that legitimate use is being denied by, not doctors, but by pharmacists. Pharmacists, while highly trained, are not doctors. They are, least of all, doctors specializing in pain management.
I learned all about “Pain Management”, they have managed to keep me in pain for years. Just one look at the Eiffel Tower of titanium in my neck would convince any rational human being that my pain was intensely real. I am very fortunate to have worked and saved all my life. I am also very fortunate to have moved to Portugal. My doctor is wonderful, he knows my condition will get worse and worse, but he does his best to keep me from going mad with pain. You don’t have to be wealthy to move here, but you must have some kind of pension or income. I have actually been called a traitor for leaving the U.S. No one can really understands our pain, except us. Best of luck to you all, Stan
I’m so tired of living in constant pain! Every doctor I see just says the same old crap about doing another procedure (that I’ve already tried a dozen times) and basically to just take two Tylenol and to suck it up buttercup!!!
My arm hurts 24/7 and sometimes I wonder if it was to get cut off, living without an arm would be less of a struggle than living with one that hurts so bad that I can’t sleep, eat, or live a normal life!
This opiod epidemic was caused by the same incompetent doctors who are now too scared to treat the patients they have sworn to heal!!!
If they could live a day in our shoes, this pain epidemic would disappear in record time!!!
Shame on the doctors and politicians who have allowed this chronic red tape of neglect to devolve to its current inhumane state of liable disgrace!!!
To hell with them all!!!
I came to North Carolina four years ago and they took me off my pain medicine cold turkey. I laid in bed for six months and could not eat and almost died; lost 40 pounds. I am back on pain medicine but it is not enough to control my pain. I need help but I cannot get the help I need, please help
I’m 38 year old mother. I’m a retired/disabled local government employee. I have multiple disabilities including Bipolar, PTSD, OCD, Agoraphobia, Epilepsy, Degenerative Disc Disease and Severe Spinal Stenosis. I have severe back/leg pain and now have to use a wheelchair. I can’t sleep because it hurts so much. When I can’t sleep, I have very bad seizures. My primary, surgeon and ortho doctors all refuse to prescribe pain medication or refer me to someone who can. With my illnesses, I have a high risk of suicide. This is inhumane. A risk of dependence is better than dead.
I am a 54 year old wife, mother of 6, grandmother of 12, and soon to be great-grandmother of 2. I have degenerative arthritis, gout throughout my body, and congestive heart failure with A-Fib. I have had two lumbar fusions, one neck fusion, both of my knees have been replaced, I have a TENS unit running up my spine and I have carpal tunnel and neuropathy in both of my hands and arms. I had been on pain medications since 2009.
Then in June 2020 in the mist of the pandemic my pain management doctor cut me off of all of my pain meds. He told me he will no longer be prescribing my pain medications because my test came back with another medication in it that another doctor prescribed for a cough. If I am not the definition of a person with chronic pain, then I don’t know who would be.
At this point I wake up and go to sleep the same way, in pain. Some days are worse than others. My husband is very concerned about my mental health. He is afraid that I may take my own life. I would not do that to my husband, but I would be lying if I said I haven’t thought about it. Anyway I’m glad I found you guys. Thank you.
Hello my name is Lisa, I live in Syracuse New York. We have not one intractable pain center, only a few chronic ones. A surgeon left broken hardware in my cervical spine. Since he did not install it. He made me wait long on an emergency surgery list. It plunged though my right ventral thecal sac. It began to saw my bone out. One private pain doctor was shocked. Only because the pain was unlivable. He increases it until surgery. The surgeon did a seven-hour revision. My tech told my parents something’s very wrong. Revisions for this should take four hours. So when I thought I had healed, she had a new surgeon take me. When he heard the story, he didn’t want to get involved. He told me to go cold turkey off all meds. If you do, come back in a month. I did it. I felt a plate hanging off inside my neck. My pain specialist was mad. He didn’t believe me; the surgeon told me no help unless I follow his directions. I knew he didn’t think I would, so after I seen him he walked out of the room. Sent his desk worker with a bottle of red soap for surgery.
She said to me, “Are you going to sue the neurosurgeon? Because this surgeon does not want to be forced in a law suit.” I knew I needed help. I knew other surgeons here refuse to take someone who had surgery by another surgeon. And after this revision I found out why I was in pure agony. The tech in the room helping with my case. My child’s great coworker friend. So this surgeon knew. And didn’t want to be blamed for my severe injuries?
My cervical facet bones looked like mashed potatoes, he told my child. From trauma, being sawed constant. Blood supply could not reach it. So I was closed up and told I would need one more revision. He forced an ACDF post and inter. He should have put a rod. But he was making contact with the neurosurgeon, who was pissed I reported him I told everyone.
My child did. How he covered up my injuries on my medical report too. So on my record. The neurosurgeon has say still. He told this surgeon I would greatly benefit from ACDF. When he was going to have me come back and get a rod. Since I didn’t, he was pissed. He had this surgeon cause me more pain. He fused my entire neck. I didn’t understand, now I do.
He took my range of motion away. I have to flip my entire body around. No facet bone. The rest of it all fractured, and he severed all my medial branch nerves. He told my child I would not have nerve injury. Two years later, I woke up with my arms on fire. The center of my spine feels as if I have been shot, like electric agony pain.
New surgeon helped me. I was vomiting. My pain is unlivable. He placed a nerve stimulator in my neck. He was very honest. He said all the pain would stop in both arms. But he could not direct it to my main injury were the pain comes from – the medial facet bones. The machine is so powerful, it would blast more spine bone out. So I was placed back on pain medication.
Stable for four years, I never asked for an increase. Because this is a female doctor. She offered me methadone for pain four years ago. I pleaded not yet doctor please. I asked other doctors about it, and they said it’s too hard to titrate for extreme injuries. Because nothing short-acting holds up to methadone. So she did something sneaky and horrible.
In 2012 the big pharma wanted to make huge money. She changed my medications to tamper-proof. For three months I cried. Told my family I was amunded to my medications. So I search the web constantly about my injuries. Help, any new up and coming medications? These abuse-deterrent ones look the same, little different. So my pharmacist said different generic one. They are allowed to tell us. Tamper-proof is way less. No euphoria also. My head was a mess. Constantly her nurse would call me right back. So I knew. When I complained to my doctor about it. She said, “Well at least you’re not tampering with it, or you would have called the very first day.” Three months later she has forced me in the corner. I am so afraid. Told me Methadone for pain or stay on the tamper-proof. I was stable under the 90 MMLs for years. She had forced me in a dirty way. She told me methadone is pennies to the dollar. I cried, “A surgeon left me for dead!”
I have fought so hard. I never sued. I was promised kind de ent cate. That I would never have to plead. I called a mental office. I work with a therapist. I told her my pain is one hundred percent dangerous without proper treatment. This pain doctor told me, “You better hope the methadone helps.” She also told me her patients want to hug her after.
Let me tell all this. A girl I know, her dad at sixty was put on it for pain. After twenty years. They refuse to increase it for pain. He went though perpetual withdrawals constantly. It took him forever to get off it. At a drug center they raised it to 200 MMLs. In pain management 10 MMLs. I know people whose loved ones were forced off opioids ten years ago. Those people I knew after many spine surgeries sad took their life.
Please come to Syracuse New York – we need a rally here. We have so many dangerous spine surgeons. This group is everything to us. I want to tell my story publicly. I want to help save a life! I am here. Thank you so much. Sorry my texting stinks