A Pain Doc Who Gets It!

As some of ya’ll know & some don’t, I’ve been visiting the ER more than usual. In a period of about 6 weeks, I was in the ER *Five Times* due to pain flares of my fibromyalgia. Each visit they gave me demerol, but occasionally torodol. I have since gotten an emergency appointment with my fibro/pain management doctor. He told that torodol is an anti-inflammatory & wouldn’t work on fibro cuz it is not an inflammatory condition; I knew that, but it will help cfs inflammation. He also told me that demerol is an anesthetic, not a pain reliever that can treat the pain. This I did not know. He also told me that demerol could also be detrimental to my health and that if I do find myself in the ER, I should get morphine. Finally, he said that regular use of Tylenol 3’s is also detrimental to my health. He stated that ER docs should know all that. He did quite a few things for me. He administered local anesthesia to my lower back to help temporarily block the nerve receptors from registering pain for a few hours until I was able to obtain the rest of the medication. He gave me a prescription for the Fentanyl patch 25mcg/h. One patch lasts about 72 hours. This medication works with the pain centre in the brain. He also gave me percocet, but no more that 3/day. This is for breakthrough pain from the fentanyl patch. A change was also made from lyrica to gabapentin. They are apparently sibling medications, but the gabapentin is covered by my plan, lyrica isn’t.

 

OMG! A pain doctor who actually gets it and treats it!

When It Rains, It Pours

Why is it that when one person has a health issue, it seems like a dozen other people is your circle also have health issues? We’re been up to our necks in it lately..

It started with me on Christmas morning and my fibromyalgia pain getting the best of me (see here: http://bit.ly/AsUG8Q)..

Then 2-3 days later SO’s Best Friend’s SiL, who he is friends with, doesn’t wake up.. She had a brain aneurysm, went to a Thunder Bay hospital and was air lifted to Hamilton & a neurologist was brought in from Toronto to do the appropriate brain surgery.. Fortunately, surgery went well & she is doing well, all things considered. She still has a lot of recovery time ahead, but she is improving daily..

Then Thursday morning, my Granma (my Dad’s mum) is taken to Emerg in Toronto with GI & internal bleeding issues and was finally admitted to a room late Thursday.. They are still running tests, trying to figure out what’s wrong, what’s helping, what’s not.. She’s stable now and I think they are getting a handle on it..

Now, this afternoon, my sister calls.. My parents are still in St Martin in the Dominican Republic.. Apparently Mom blacked out after dinner last night, and fell face first onto the cement sidewalk.. So, she’s got one nasty looking face & her nose has been slightly mangled which they won’t treat down there .. I’m more concerned about why she blacked out, than the result of the fall.. Lucky her has been having her own GI issues this week & she’s got blood pressure issues… She has not been cleared medically to fly, but we don’t know why.. Unfortunately info on her condition is filtered from my parents to my brother who is also down there to my sister here in Ontario before it comes to me, so what info I get is watered down..

So, needless to say there’s been a lot going on.. If the rule of 3’s applies, we got two more issues coming, cuz we’ve got four now! All I can really do is pray & hope of the best.. I’d very much appreciate if you could include me, Catherine, Audrey & Judy in your prayers as well..

Do I Prefer Hot? Or Not?

Do I Prefer Hot? Or Not? If we’re talking weather, I am not a big fan of extreme hot (>40) or extreme cold )
As for personal environmental factors, my skin prefers a bit cooler, but the muscles underneath complain for warmth.. When I am on vacation, I can sit in the hot tub for hours, my muscles love it so, however, back in the room I take a fairly warm shower to rinse off the chlorine & stuff, but my body can’t sleep well warm, so I drop the temperature of the water and rinse off the skin in cool water, which feels nice and also closes you pores. Since it’s quick, my body tolerates it.. I’ve even come to adopt it at home, after a long hot shower, drop the warmer to cool, and rinse, especially in the warms spots.. In bed, we have a sheet, comforter & 2 blankets. He rarely uses his, but I use mine significantly more often.. With no fold, it cuts most of the cool air in the apt.. With one fold, I will snuggle in when a fan on.. Or for when my SO kidnaps the bedding, leaving me out cold.. So, I don’t mind being that I’m rare company.. Hopefully we have some news at home..