Pain Clinic Visit

I will keep the good thoughts and prayers going out to you.

Specially with the spinal thing. shuddering
I had one several years ago (but won't go into what happened afterwards) Do
take the warnings they give you seriously when you have it. I didn't (which
will give you a clue why I don't like spinal things)

Gentle hugs,

--
Debbie (New Mexico)
Life is too short
"Kathy N-V" wrote in message
. giganews.com...
Today was the long awaited trip to the pain clinic, and I had high
hopes that perhaps there would be some way I could get my life back.
OTOH, I've been disappointed before, so I was prepared to hear that
I'm supposed to suck it up. Still, if I had heard that I probably
would have had to be bodily removed from the place.

I got there and the receptionist told me that I didn't have an
appointment - uh oh. But I've gotten past many medical receptionists
in my time, and whipped out the confirmation letter telling me that I
had an appointment today. Surprise, surprise, she "found" my
appointment in the computer. She was shocked when she tried to hand
me all sorts of questionnaires and I gave her the copies I had done
at home, along with copies of all the test results. (I don't trust
anyone to forward them to the specialists - I've been burnt in the
past)

Bob and I got to cool our heels in the waiting room for a little bit,
and poor Bob ended up with a migraine from some woman who apparently
bathes in perfume instead of water. I tried to read a magazine, but
the tension and the pain kept me from comprehending anything. Some
guy with no legs kept snuffling, but refused my offer of a kleenex.
A woman came in ranting that she wanted a prescription for Oxycontin,
and she wanted it now. About 20 minutes later, the nurse called my
name and we went into a little treatment room.

The doctor, who bore a striking resemblence to Bob's best friend,
came in a few moments later. He immediately commented on how rare it
was to have all the test results at the initial appointment, and
looked confused when Bob started laughing. Bob explained that people
with lots of medical problems get used to handling their own
paperwork, and the doc agreed. I'm surprised he even commented on
it, because I would have thought that most people going to a big deal
pain clinic are well versed in dealing with insurance companies,
doctors and records.

I got to have a long, painful physical exam, with much poking and
marking the painful areas of my body on a corresponding chart. Then
I got the standard neurological tests, and the doc commented that my
results today were even worse than the ones I had a few weeks ago.
feh. I got told I am overdue for a gyno exam and was reminded not to
forget to have a second muscle biopsy. (Like I am looking forward to
either of those two delightful adventures)

Then Bob and I got to wait a while, so the doc could consult with my
primary care guy and the physiatrist. Dum de dum de dum, wait, wait,
wait impatiently. Watch Bob snoop through all the cabinets and
drawers and blow up a rubber glove. Bob decided to leave the room
for a moment to get himself some Advil for his head and some juice
for me. Naturally, the doc and all the students (you knew there were
going to be students, didn't you?) came in three seconds after Bob
was gone.

The upshot is that I have steroid neuropathy (which we knew) and
several ruptured disks in my back, as well as fluid in my hip joints
(I knew that) and arthritis in my spine, hips and legs. My muscles
are weak to the point of being useless, at least on my left side.
I'll be a PT goddess once we get the pain under control.

I was given a prescription for pain patches, and I'm supposed to wear
them 12 hours on/12 hours off. Also, the doc recommended that I have
an epidural block procedure ASAP. This is a procedure where they
inject steroids and pain medicine into the dura around the spine.
It's supposed to be Not Fun, but worth it in the long run. The doc
warned me that the first couple of days after the epidural are going
to suck, but within two weeks I should be feeling a lot better. I'm
going to need several of these treatments, and if they don't work
we'll be looking at surgery.

I got my prescription and went out to make an appointment for the
epidural thing. Wow - ASAP really means ASAP at this place - the
appointment lady wanted me in first thing tomorrow morning! We are
unable to do that, so I'll be going in on Monday. I was told to plan
on the procedure taking two hours and being a mess for at least a day
afterward. They also warned me that unless I have a responsible
adult around to take me home and care for me afterward, they would
not do the procedure. (Guess that would have to be Bob. Glad they
don't know about the rubber glove thing.)

We got to ride home over bumpy, bumpy Mass. Ave, and Bob was getting
greener by the moment. We made quite the pair: me whimpering in
pain with every jolt, and Bob half blinded by a migraine and
struggling not to barf in the car. Somehow, we made it home in rush
hour traffic, and Bob stumbled off to bed to sleep off the migraine.
(We never did get a chance to ask migraine questions, because they
were so spine focused)

I'll fill the prescription for the pain patches tomorrow, because I
haven't the heart to ask Bob to go out to the pharmacy tonight. I've
been in pain for over a year, one more day won't make a difference.
Manda was waiting for info, and interrogated me the second I walked
in the door. She is squicked out by the idea of a needle in the
spine, but is hopeful it might do something. Amusingly, the pain
clinic was all over my primary care doc and now he says he'll write
whatever prescriptions I need for the pain. (So I don't have to run
into the hospital every time I need a script)

So there we are - a little more information and a treatment plan.
Now for the weekend of waiting, and we'll see what Monday brings.
For now, I'm going to take some pain meds and zonk out on the sofa.
It's been a long, pokey and painful day.

Your intrepid reporter,

Kathy N-V

It sounds like a pain clinic I would go to. Yes the procedure is going to
be NOT FUN and you are going to be in pain. The last injection I got was
the worst but it is so worth it. Take it really easy afterwards, not that
you'll need to be prompted.

I'm glad the pain clinic doc got all over your regular doc. You shouldn't
have to go to the ER for pain scripts.

In the meantime bug hugs to you. BTW - did you get a package yet for Manda?

--
Starlia Klopman
www.klopmanstudios.com


"Kathy N-V" wrote in message
. giganews.com...
Today was the long awaited trip to the pain clinic, and I had high
hopes that perhaps there would be some way I could get my life back.
OTOH, I've been disappointed before, so I was prepared to hear that
I'm supposed to suck it up. Still, if I had heard that I probably
would have had to be bodily removed from the place.

I got there and the receptionist told me that I didn't have an
appointment - uh oh. But I've gotten past many medical receptionists
in my time, and whipped out the confirmation letter telling me that I
had an appointment today. Surprise, surprise, she "found" my
appointment in the computer. She was shocked when she tried to hand
me all sorts of questionnaires and I gave her the copies I had done
at home, along with copies of all the test results. (I don't trust
anyone to forward them to the specialists - I've been burnt in the
past)

Bob and I got to cool our heels in the waiting room for a little bit,
and poor Bob ended up with a migraine from some woman who apparently
bathes in perfume instead of water. I tried to read a magazine, but
the tension and the pain kept me from comprehending anything. Some
guy with no legs kept snuffling, but refused my offer of a kleenex.
A woman came in ranting that she wanted a prescription for Oxycontin,
and she wanted it now. About 20 minutes later, the nurse called my
name and we went into a little treatment room.

The doctor, who bore a striking resemblence to Bob's best friend,
came in a few moments later. He immediately commented on how rare it
was to have all the test results at the initial appointment, and
looked confused when Bob started laughing. Bob explained that people
with lots of medical problems get used to handling their own
paperwork, and the doc agreed. I'm surprised he even commented on
it, because I would have thought that most people going to a big deal
pain clinic are well versed in dealing with insurance companies,
doctors and records.

I got to have a long, painful physical exam, with much poking and
marking the painful areas of my body on a corresponding chart. Then
I got the standard neurological tests, and the doc commented that my
results today were even worse than the ones I had a few weeks ago.
feh. I got told I am overdue for a gyno exam and was reminded not to
forget to have a second muscle biopsy. (Like I am looking forward to
either of those two delightful adventures)

Then Bob and I got to wait a while, so the doc could consult with my
primary care guy and the physiatrist. Dum de dum de dum, wait, wait,
wait impatiently. Watch Bob snoop through all the cabinets and
drawers and blow up a rubber glove. Bob decided to leave the room
for a moment to get himself some Advil for his head and some juice
for me. Naturally, the doc and all the students (you knew there were
going to be students, didn't you?) came in three seconds after Bob
was gone.

The upshot is that I have steroid neuropathy (which we knew) and
several ruptured disks in my back, as well as fluid in my hip joints
(I knew that) and arthritis in my spine, hips and legs. My muscles
are weak to the point of being useless, at least on my left side.
I'll be a PT goddess once we get the pain under control.

I was given a prescription for pain patches, and I'm supposed to wear
them 12 hours on/12 hours off. Also, the doc recommended that I have
an epidural block procedure ASAP. This is a procedure where they
inject steroids and pain medicine into the dura around the spine.
It's supposed to be Not Fun, but worth it in the long run. The doc
warned me that the first couple of days after the epidural are going
to suck, but within two weeks I should be feeling a lot better. I'm
going to need several of these treatments, and if they don't work
we'll be looking at surgery.

I got my prescription and went out to make an appointment for the
epidural thing. Wow - ASAP really means ASAP at this place - the
appointment lady wanted me in first thing tomorrow morning! We are
unable to do that, so I'll be going in on Monday. I was told to plan
on the procedure taking two hours and being a mess for at least a day
afterward. They also warned me that unless I have a responsible
adult around to take me home and care for me afterward, they would
not do the procedure. (Guess that would have to be Bob. Glad they
don't know about the rubber glove thing.)

We got to ride home over bumpy, bumpy Mass. Ave, and Bob was getting
greener by the moment. We made quite the pair: me whimpering in
pain with every jolt, and Bob half blinded by a migraine and
struggling not to barf in the car. Somehow, we made it home in rush
hour traffic, and Bob stumbled off to bed to sleep off the migraine.
(We never did get a chance to ask migraine questions, because they
were so spine focused)

I'll fill the prescription for the pain patches tomorrow, because I
haven't the heart to ask Bob to go out to the pharmacy tonight. I've
been in pain for over a year, one more day won't make a difference.
Manda was waiting for info, and interrogated me the second I walked
in the door. She is squicked out by the idea of a needle in the
spine, but is hopeful it might do something. Amusingly, the pain
clinic was all over my primary care doc and now he says he'll write
whatever prescriptions I need for the pain. (So I don't have to run
into the hospital every time I need a script)

So there we are - a little more information and a treatment plan.
Now for the weekend of waiting, and we'll see what Monday brings.
For now, I'm going to take some pain meds and zonk out on the sofa.
It's been a long, pokey and painful day.

Your intrepid reporter,

Kathy N-V

You're in my thoughts, Kathy. I hope the epidural block is a huge success!

--
Jerri
www.beadbimbo.com

Wow Kathy...sounds like you had a LONG day...I hope this pain clinic works
out for you, and that this spinal block thingy works out for you too. I hope
Bob feels better tomorrow!

Marissa


"Kathy N-V" wrote in message
. giganews.com...
Today was the long awaited trip to the pain clinic, and I had high
hopes that perhaps there would be some way I could get my life back.
OTOH, I've been disappointed before, so I was prepared to hear that
I'm supposed to suck it up. Still, if I had heard that I probably
would have had to be bodily removed from the place.

I got there and the receptionist told me that I didn't have an
appointment - uh oh. But I've gotten past many medical receptionists
in my time, and whipped out the confirmation letter telling me that I
had an appointment today. Surprise, surprise, she "found" my
appointment in the computer. She was shocked when she tried to hand
me all sorts of questionnaires and I gave her the copies I had done
at home, along with copies of all the test results. (I don't trust
anyone to forward them to the specialists - I've been burnt in the
past)

Bob and I got to cool our heels in the waiting room for a little bit,
and poor Bob ended up with a migraine from some woman who apparently
bathes in perfume instead of water. I tried to read a magazine, but
the tension and the pain kept me from comprehending anything. Some
guy with no legs kept snuffling, but refused my offer of a kleenex.
A woman came in ranting that she wanted a prescription for Oxycontin,
and she wanted it now. About 20 minutes later, the nurse called my
name and we went into a little treatment room.

The doctor, who bore a striking resemblence to Bob's best friend,
came in a few moments later. He immediately commented on how rare it
was to have all the test results at the initial appointment, and
looked confused when Bob started laughing. Bob explained that people
with lots of medical problems get used to handling their own
paperwork, and the doc agreed. I'm surprised he even commented on
it, because I would have thought that most people going to a big deal
pain clinic are well versed in dealing with insurance companies,
doctors and records.

I got to have a long, painful physical exam, with much poking and
marking the painful areas of my body on a corresponding chart. Then
I got the standard neurological tests, and the doc commented that my
results today were even worse than the ones I had a few weeks ago.
feh. I got told I am overdue for a gyno exam and was reminded not to
forget to have a second muscle biopsy. (Like I am looking forward to
either of those two delightful adventures)

Then Bob and I got to wait a while, so the doc could consult with my
primary care guy and the physiatrist. Dum de dum de dum, wait, wait,
wait impatiently. Watch Bob snoop through all the cabinets and
drawers and blow up a rubber glove. Bob decided to leave the room
for a moment to get himself some Advil for his head and some juice
for me. Naturally, the doc and all the students (you knew there were
going to be students, didn't you?) came in three seconds after Bob
was gone.

The upshot is that I have steroid neuropathy (which we knew) and
several ruptured disks in my back, as well as fluid in my hip joints
(I knew that) and arthritis in my spine, hips and legs. My muscles
are weak to the point of being useless, at least on my left side.
I'll be a PT goddess once we get the pain under control.

I was given a prescription for pain patches, and I'm supposed to wear
them 12 hours on/12 hours off. Also, the doc recommended that I have
an epidural block procedure ASAP. This is a procedure where they
inject steroids and pain medicine into the dura around the spine.
It's supposed to be Not Fun, but worth it in the long run. The doc
warned me that the first couple of days after the epidural are going
to suck, but within two weeks I should be feeling a lot better. I'm
going to need several of these treatments, and if they don't work
we'll be looking at surgery.

I got my prescription and went out to make an appointment for the
epidural thing. Wow - ASAP really means ASAP at this place - the
appointment lady wanted me in first thing tomorrow morning! We are
unable to do that, so I'll be going in on Monday. I was told to plan
on the procedure taking two hours and being a mess for at least a day
afterward. They also warned me that unless I have a responsible
adult around to take me home and care for me afterward, they would
not do the procedure. (Guess that would have to be Bob. Glad they
don't know about the rubber glove thing.)

We got to ride home over bumpy, bumpy Mass. Ave, and Bob was getting
greener by the moment. We made quite the pair: me whimpering in
pain with every jolt, and Bob half blinded by a migraine and
struggling not to barf in the car. Somehow, we made it home in rush
hour traffic, and Bob stumbled off to bed to sleep off the migraine.
(We never did get a chance to ask migraine questions, because they
were so spine focused)

I'll fill the prescription for the pain patches tomorrow, because I
haven't the heart to ask Bob to go out to the pharmacy tonight. I've
been in pain for over a year, one more day won't make a difference.
Manda was waiting for info, and interrogated me the second I walked
in the door. She is squicked out by the idea of a needle in the
spine, but is hopeful it might do something. Amusingly, the pain
clinic was all over my primary care doc and now he says he'll write
whatever prescriptions I need for the pain. (So I don't have to run
into the hospital every time I need a script)

So there we are - a little more information and a treatment plan.
Now for the weekend of waiting, and we'll see what Monday brings.
For now, I'm going to take some pain meds and zonk out on the sofa.
It's been a long, pokey and painful day.

Your intrepid reporter,

Kathy N-V

Hi Kathy,

It sounds awful. Never-the-less it sounds like a successful appointment.
Hopeful. Better understood. Etc.

Now rest.

Tina


"Kathy N-V" wrote ...
Today was the long awaited trip to the pain clinic, and I had high
hopes that perhaps there would be some way I could get my life back.
OTOH, I've been disappointed before, so I was prepared to hear that
I'm supposed to suck it up. Still, if I had heard that I probably
would have had to be bodily removed from the place.

I got there and the receptionist told me that I didn't have an
appointment - uh oh. But I've gotten past many medical receptionists
in my time, and whipped out the confirmation letter telling me that I
had an appointment today. Surprise, surprise, she "found" my
appointment in the computer. She was shocked when she tried to hand
me all sorts of questionnaires and I gave her the copies I had done
at home, along with copies of all the test results. (I don't trust
anyone to forward them to the specialists - I've been burnt in the
past)

Bob and I got to cool our heels in the waiting room for a little bit,
and poor Bob ended up with a migraine from some woman who apparently
bathes in perfume instead of water. I tried to read a magazine, but
the tension and the pain kept me from comprehending anything. Some
guy with no legs kept snuffling, but refused my offer of a kleenex.
A woman came in ranting that she wanted a prescription for Oxycontin,
and she wanted it now. About 20 minutes later, the nurse called my
name and we went into a little treatment room.

The doctor, who bore a striking resemblence to Bob's best friend,
came in a few moments later. He immediately commented on how rare it
was to have all the test results at the initial appointment, and
looked confused when Bob started laughing. Bob explained that people
with lots of medical problems get used to handling their own
paperwork, and the doc agreed. I'm surprised he even commented on
it, because I would have thought that most people going to a big deal
pain clinic are well versed in dealing with insurance companies,
doctors and records.

I got to have a long, painful physical exam, with much poking and
marking the painful areas of my body on a corresponding chart. Then
I got the standard neurological tests, and the doc commented that my
results today were even worse than the ones I had a few weeks ago.
feh. I got told I am overdue for a gyno exam and was reminded not to
forget to have a second muscle biopsy. (Like I am looking forward to
either of those two delightful adventures)

Then Bob and I got to wait a while, so the doc could consult with my
primary care guy and the physiatrist. Dum de dum de dum, wait, wait,
wait impatiently. Watch Bob snoop through all the cabinets and
drawers and blow up a rubber glove. Bob decided to leave the room
for a moment to get himself some Advil for his head and some juice
for me. Naturally, the doc and all the students (you knew there were
going to be students, didn't you?) came in three seconds after Bob
was gone.

The upshot is that I have steroid neuropathy (which we knew) and
several ruptured disks in my back, as well as fluid in my hip joints
(I knew that) and arthritis in my spine, hips and legs. My muscles
are weak to the point of being useless, at least on my left side.
I'll be a PT goddess once we get the pain under control.

I was given a prescription for pain patches, and I'm supposed to wear
them 12 hours on/12 hours off. Also, the doc recommended that I have
an epidural block procedure ASAP. This is a procedure where they
inject steroids and pain medicine into the dura around the spine.
It's supposed to be Not Fun, but worth it in the long run. The doc
warned me that the first couple of days after the epidural are going
to suck, but within two weeks I should be feeling a lot better. I'm
going to need several of these treatments, and if they don't work
we'll be looking at surgery.

I got my prescription and went out to make an appointment for the
epidural thing. Wow - ASAP really means ASAP at this place - the
appointment lady wanted me in first thing tomorrow morning! We are
unable to do that, so I'll be going in on Monday. I was told to plan
on the procedure taking two hours and being a mess for at least a day
afterward. They also warned me that unless I have a responsible
adult around to take me home and care for me afterward, they would
not do the procedure. (Guess that would have to be Bob. Glad they
don't know about the rubber glove thing.)

We got to ride home over bumpy, bumpy Mass. Ave, and Bob was getting
greener by the moment. We made quite the pair: me whimpering in
pain with every jolt, and Bob half blinded by a migraine and
struggling not to barf in the car. Somehow, we made it home in rush
hour traffic, and Bob stumbled off to bed to sleep off the migraine.
(We never did get a chance to ask migraine questions, because they
were so spine focused)

I'll fill the prescription for the pain patches tomorrow, because I
haven't the heart to ask Bob to go out to the pharmacy tonight. I've
been in pain for over a year, one more day won't make a difference.
Manda was waiting for info, and interrogated me the second I walked
in the door. She is squicked out by the idea of a needle in the
spine, but is hopeful it might do something. Amusingly, the pain
clinic was all over my primary care doc and now he says he'll write
whatever prescriptions I need for the pain. (So I don't have to run
into the hospital every time I need a script)

So there we are - a little more information and a treatment plan.
Now for the weekend of waiting, and we'll see what Monday brings.
For now, I'm going to take some pain meds and zonk out on the sofa.
It's been a long, pokey and painful day.

Your intrepid reporter,

Kathy N-V

Kathy:
The epidural block will likely be a godsend. I was hit by a car a few years
ago while rollerblading, and broke just about every bone from my tailbone
down to my toes.
I had several over the course of 5 years while I went to PT. Now the pain
is manageable, so I only get shots of cortisone in my heel (I feel like
Achilles), but when my back and hips and knees were unable to be pain free,
the epidurals were a godsend.

Good luck...here's to pain-less days ahead.

Lisa
"Kathy N-V" wrote in message
. giganews.com...
Today was the long awaited trip to the pain clinic, and I had high
hopes that perhaps there would be some way I could get my life back.
OTOH, I've been disappointed before, so I was prepared to hear that
I'm supposed to suck it up. Still, if I had heard that I probably
would have had to be bodily removed from the place.

I got there and the receptionist told me that I didn't have an
appointment - uh oh. But I've gotten past many medical receptionists
in my time, and whipped out the confirmation letter telling me that I
had an appointment today. Surprise, surprise, she "found" my
appointment in the computer. She was shocked when she tried to hand
me all sorts of questionnaires and I gave her the copies I had done
at home, along with copies of all the test results. (I don't trust
anyone to forward them to the specialists - I've been burnt in the
past)

Bob and I got to cool our heels in the waiting room for a little bit,
and poor Bob ended up with a migraine from some woman who apparently
bathes in perfume instead of water. I tried to read a magazine, but
the tension and the pain kept me from comprehending anything. Some
guy with no legs kept snuffling, but refused my offer of a kleenex.
A woman came in ranting that she wanted a prescription for Oxycontin,
and she wanted it now. About 20 minutes later, the nurse called my
name and we went into a little treatment room.

The doctor, who bore a striking resemblence to Bob's best friend,
came in a few moments later. He immediately commented on how rare it
was to have all the test results at the initial appointment, and
looked confused when Bob started laughing. Bob explained that people
with lots of medical problems get used to handling their own
paperwork, and the doc agreed. I'm surprised he even commented on
it, because I would have thought that most people going to a big deal
pain clinic are well versed in dealing with insurance companies,
doctors and records.

I got to have a long, painful physical exam, with much poking and
marking the painful areas of my body on a corresponding chart. Then
I got the standard neurological tests, and the doc commented that my
results today were even worse than the ones I had a few weeks ago.
feh. I got told I am overdue for a gyno exam and was reminded not to
forget to have a second muscle biopsy. (Like I am looking forward to
either of those two delightful adventures)

Then Bob and I got to wait a while, so the doc could consult with my
primary care guy and the physiatrist. Dum de dum de dum, wait, wait,
wait impatiently. Watch Bob snoop through all the cabinets and
drawers and blow up a rubber glove. Bob decided to leave the room
for a moment to get himself some Advil for his head and some juice
for me. Naturally, the doc and all the students (you knew there were
going to be students, didn't you?) came in three seconds after Bob
was gone.

The upshot is that I have steroid neuropathy (which we knew) and
several ruptured disks in my back, as well as fluid in my hip joints
(I knew that) and arthritis in my spine, hips and legs. My muscles
are weak to the point of being useless, at least on my left side.
I'll be a PT goddess once we get the pain under control.

I was given a prescription for pain patches, and I'm supposed to wear
them 12 hours on/12 hours off. Also, the doc recommended that I have
an epidural block procedure ASAP. This is a procedure where they
inject steroids and pain medicine into the dura around the spine.
It's supposed to be Not Fun, but worth it in the long run. The doc
warned me that the first couple of days after the epidural are going
to suck, but within two weeks I should be feeling a lot better. I'm
going to need several of these treatments, and if they don't work
we'll be looking at surgery.

I got my prescription and went out to make an appointment for the
epidural thing. Wow - ASAP really means ASAP at this place - the
appointment lady wanted me in first thing tomorrow morning! We are
unable to do that, so I'll be going in on Monday. I was told to plan
on the procedure taking two hours and being a mess for at least a day
afterward. They also warned me that unless I have a responsible
adult around to take me home and care for me afterward, they would
not do the procedure. (Guess that would have to be Bob. Glad they
don't know about the rubber glove thing.)

We got to ride home over bumpy, bumpy Mass. Ave, and Bob was getting
greener by the moment. We made quite the pair: me whimpering in
pain with every jolt, and Bob half blinded by a migraine and
struggling not to barf in the car. Somehow, we made it home in rush
hour traffic, and Bob stumbled off to bed to sleep off the migraine.
(We never did get a chance to ask migraine questions, because they
were so spine focused)

I'll fill the prescription for the pain patches tomorrow, because I
haven't the heart to ask Bob to go out to the pharmacy tonight. I've
been in pain for over a year, one more day won't make a difference.
Manda was waiting for info, and interrogated me the second I walked
in the door. She is squicked out by the idea of a needle in the
spine, but is hopeful it might do something. Amusingly, the pain
clinic was all over my primary care doc and now he says he'll write
whatever prescriptions I need for the pain. (So I don't have to run
into the hospital every time I need a script)

So there we are - a little more information and a treatment plan.
Now for the weekend of waiting, and we'll see what Monday brings.
For now, I'm going to take some pain meds and zonk out on the sofa.
It's been a long, pokey and painful day.

Your intrepid reporter,

Kathy N-V

Kathy,

Jon's grandmother gets epidural treatments for her (very bad) osteoporosis,
and they help her quite a bit. She is usually up and around later that same
day, not 2 days later, but ymmv. Hope it works well for you and I'll be
thinking of you this weekend and on Monday!

Barbara

Why is about places like that - they always "lose" appointments etc. The
first time my Mom went for Chemo they tried the same thing. I put a stop to
that (Mom would have, but she was a bit pre-occupied with why we were
there) - pulled out the appt card etc. We also learned (the hard way) to
have copies of all the tests, reports, etc. We got burned with the "of
course we faxed it" only to be told at the receiving end - "no we haven't
received that"

Glad to hear that you got some prescriptions that may help. Best of luck
with the procedure Monday. I'll be think about you.

Kathy K
"Kathy N-V" wrote in message
. giganews.com...
Today was the long awaited trip to the pain clinic, and I had high
hopes that perhaps there would be some way I could get my life back.
OTOH, I've been disappointed before, so I was prepared to hear that
I'm supposed to suck it up. Still, if I had heard that I probably
would have had to be bodily removed from the place.

I got there and the receptionist told me that I didn't have an
appointment - uh oh. But I've gotten past many medical receptionists
in my time, and whipped out the confirmation letter telling me that I
had an appointment today. Surprise, surprise, she "found" my
appointment in the computer. She was shocked when she tried to hand
me all sorts of questionnaires and I gave her the copies I had done
at home, along with copies of all the test results. (I don't trust
anyone to forward them to the specialists - I've been burnt in the
past)

Bob and I got to cool our heels in the waiting room for a little bit,
and poor Bob ended up with a migraine from some woman who apparently
bathes in perfume instead of water. I tried to read a magazine, but
the tension and the pain kept me from comprehending anything. Some
guy with no legs kept snuffling, but refused my offer of a kleenex.
A woman came in ranting that she wanted a prescription for Oxycontin,
and she wanted it now. About 20 minutes later, the nurse called my
name and we went into a little treatment room.

The doctor, who bore a striking resemblence to Bob's best friend,
came in a few moments later. He immediately commented on how rare it
was to have all the test results at the initial appointment, and
looked confused when Bob started laughing. Bob explained that people
with lots of medical problems get used to handling their own
paperwork, and the doc agreed. I'm surprised he even commented on
it, because I would have thought that most people going to a big deal
pain clinic are well versed in dealing with insurance companies,
doctors and records.

I got to have a long, painful physical exam, with much poking and
marking the painful areas of my body on a corresponding chart. Then
I got the standard neurological tests, and the doc commented that my
results today were even worse than the ones I had a few weeks ago.
feh. I got told I am overdue for a gyno exam and was reminded not to
forget to have a second muscle biopsy. (Like I am looking forward to
either of those two delightful adventures)

Then Bob and I got to wait a while, so the doc could consult with my
primary care guy and the physiatrist. Dum de dum de dum, wait, wait,
wait impatiently. Watch Bob snoop through all the cabinets and
drawers and blow up a rubber glove. Bob decided to leave the room
for a moment to get himself some Advil for his head and some juice
for me. Naturally, the doc and all the students (you knew there were
going to be students, didn't you?) came in three seconds after Bob
was gone.

The upshot is that I have steroid neuropathy (which we knew) and
several ruptured disks in my back, as well as fluid in my hip joints
(I knew that) and arthritis in my spine, hips and legs. My muscles
are weak to the point of being useless, at least on my left side.
I'll be a PT goddess once we get the pain under control.

I was given a prescription for pain patches, and I'm supposed to wear
them 12 hours on/12 hours off. Also, the doc recommended that I have
an epidural block procedure ASAP. This is a procedure where they
inject steroids and pain medicine into the dura around the spine.
It's supposed to be Not Fun, but worth it in the long run. The doc
warned me that the first couple of days after the epidural are going
to suck, but within two weeks I should be feeling a lot better. I'm
going to need several of these treatments, and if they don't work
we'll be looking at surgery.

I got my prescription and went out to make an appointment for the
epidural thing. Wow - ASAP really means ASAP at this place - the
appointment lady wanted me in first thing tomorrow morning! We are
unable to do that, so I'll be going in on Monday. I was told to plan
on the procedure taking two hours and being a mess for at least a day
afterward. They also warned me that unless I have a responsible
adult around to take me home and care for me afterward, they would
not do the procedure. (Guess that would have to be Bob. Glad they
don't know about the rubber glove thing.)

We got to ride home over bumpy, bumpy Mass. Ave, and Bob was getting
greener by the moment. We made quite the pair: me whimpering in
pain with every jolt, and Bob half blinded by a migraine and
struggling not to barf in the car. Somehow, we made it home in rush
hour traffic, and Bob stumbled off to bed to sleep off the migraine.
(We never did get a chance to ask migraine questions, because they
were so spine focused)

I'll fill the prescription for the pain patches tomorrow, because I
haven't the heart to ask Bob to go out to the pharmacy tonight. I've
been in pain for over a year, one more day won't make a difference.
Manda was waiting for info, and interrogated me the second I walked
in the door. She is squicked out by the idea of a needle in the
spine, but is hopeful it might do something. Amusingly, the pain
clinic was all over my primary care doc and now he says he'll write
whatever prescriptions I need for the pain. (So I don't have to run
into the hospital every time I need a script)

So there we are - a little more information and a treatment plan.
Now for the weekend of waiting, and we'll see what Monday brings.
For now, I'm going to take some pain meds and zonk out on the sofa.
It's been a long, pokey and painful day.

Your intrepid reporter,

Kathy N-V