I've lived with Chronic Pain for 17 years due to a medical condition that I've lived with most of my adult life. There's no cure for what I have. My medical condition went totally out of control in 2001. When it went out of control, I suddenly found my self in excruciating pain 7/24. My pain was horrible, my sleep pattern went down to 10-12 hours of sleep per week. The 10-12 hours is not a typo. In the past I never had a problem getting enough sleep. But after my medical condition when out of control my sleep pattern changed dramatically. I can't even stand the weight of a blanket on my feet, since the pressure from that makes me want to scream.
I would sleep an hour each day for three days in a row. By the fourth day I would sleep 4 hours. By the 5 the day I was again back to the 1 hour of sleep a day for three days in a row. Pretty much it was called rinse and repeat from January of 2001- November of 2003.
Years ago when I had my daughter I gave birth to her naturally without a spinal block or pain medication, back then I had a high tolerance for pain. I no longer have that same high tolerance for pain, I seriously think that's due to my having lived with this pain for two solid years without any pain relief. My doctor tried all kinds of non-opioids on me, but nothing helped my pain. They even did a trial test where they partially implanted a spinal stimulator in my back, it really didn't do much to help me.
I have a condition called Raynaud's, and I get painful ulcerations on my feet that don't heal. When I become stressed out they actually become larger and deeper. That of course means at the nerves are exposed in my feet. I also have PAD in my legs and I get horrible painful cramps in my legs and feet that wake me up. I'm unable to have amputations done due to my doctor not knowing how far back he would actually have to cut to find an area where I would actually heal. Whenever the weather gets damp, from rain, snow, fog humidity and even cloud cover it pushes my pain level up. I usually know when ever it's going to rain or we're going to have any kind of dampness, since two weeks before it rains etc it feels as though someone poured gasoline on my feet and let them up with a blowtorch. My feet will burn for two solid weeks with this pain. I also get a sensation which I have all the time where it feels like I'm walking on shards of glass.
I've been on a very low dose of Percocet 5/325 for 15 years and my medicine still works to help control my pain for the most part. It isn't perfect, since there are times when my pain will break through and go over the top of my medicine. I was doing better until this "War on Drugs" started. Once this started they cut my medication, so now I live with more pain than I can handle. It's hard to walk as it is, but now my pain has become unbearable. I've never expected to be totally pain free, but I also never expected to have to live like this. I seriously now question whether I will make it through all of this.
Chronic Pain Patients don't seek a high, we seek pain relief. If were are prescribed an adequate dose of pain medication that actually curbs our pain and gives us relief, we don't take more medicine than were supposed to. We don't take more because we're not junkies looking for a high. We actually want to live. I've never overdosed on my pain medication in the 15 years I've been taking it.
There's a system called CURES where they can put what pain medication that all of us get into the system. Doctors, pharmacies and even the DEA can monitor the system. Every state needs to have this system. Every chronic pain patient has to sign a pain contract, they have to go through urine test and pill counts. They are only allowed to go to one doctor for their medication and to one Pharmacy for their medication.
Between the DEA, FDA, CDC and AMA all of these people need to stay out of how doctors treat
Jennifer Morgan - 6 years ago
To an extent there needs to be more control over who is receiving fentanyl, morphine and oxy. But there are legitimate people like myself that take the pain patch that need it after 23 back surgeries. Our law makers need to consider very well documented patients that truly need the medicine. Also, it a not always that the patient wants to meds to get a high, theor bodies need it. In those cases doctors should be prescribing suboxone. Problem is, like in this matter, those patients will seek the drug dealers. If you're a legit pain management patient we are drug tested regularly to make sure we have the correct amount of our meds in us. To stop over use and abuse of the drugs. You can't just stop everyone taking these meds. Start prescribing ONLY pain patches. They are very expensive to get. Insurance companies will not let you get them for cheap. If they do you have to prove that you've taken every drug before they will allow a lower copay. Not all Fentanyl users are drug addicts looking to get high. Theu legitimately have serious issues that require the pain patch. It is also safer than pills bc it doesn't release immediately.
I've lived with Chronic Pain for 17 years due to a medical condition that I've lived with most of my adult life. There's no cure for what I have. My medical condition went totally out of control in 2001. When it went out of control, I suddenly found my self in excruciating pain 7/24. My pain was horrible, my sleep pattern went down to 10-12 hours of sleep per week. The 10-12 hours is not a typo. In the past I never had a problem getting enough sleep. But after my medical condition when out of control my sleep pattern changed dramatically. I can't even stand the weight of a blanket on my feet, since the pressure from that makes me want to scream.
I would sleep an hour each day for three days in a row. By the fourth day I would sleep 4 hours. By the 5 the day I was again back to the 1 hour of sleep a day for three days in a row. Pretty much it was called rinse and repeat from January of 2001- November of 2003.
Years ago when I had my daughter I gave birth to her naturally without a spinal block or pain medication, back then I had a high tolerance for pain. I no longer have that same high tolerance for pain, I seriously think that's due to my having lived with this pain for two solid years without any pain relief. My doctor tried all kinds of non-opioids on me, but nothing helped my pain. They even did a trial test where they partially implanted a spinal stimulator in my back, it really didn't do much to help me.
I have a condition called Raynaud's, and I get painful ulcerations on my feet that don't heal. When I become stressed out they actually become larger and deeper. That of course means at the nerves are exposed in my feet. I also have PAD in my legs and I get horrible painful cramps in my legs and feet that wake me up. I'm unable to have amputations done due to my doctor not knowing how far back he would actually have to cut to find an area where I would actually heal. Whenever the weather gets damp, from rain, snow, fog humidity and even cloud cover it pushes my pain level up. I usually know when ever it's going to rain or we're going to have any kind of dampness, since two weeks before it rains etc it feels as though someone poured gasoline on my feet and let them up with a blowtorch. My feet will burn for two solid weeks with this pain. I also get a sensation which I have all the time where it feels like I'm walking on shards of glass.
I've been on a very low dose of Percocet 5/325 for 15 years and my medicine still works to help control my pain for the most part. It isn't perfect, since there are times when my pain will break through and go over the top of my medicine. I was doing better until this "War on Drugs" started. Once this started they cut my medication, so now I live with more pain than I can handle. It's hard to walk as it is, but now my pain has become unbearable. I've never expected to be totally pain free, but I also never expected to have to live like this. I seriously now question whether I will make it through all of this.
Chronic Pain Patients don't seek a high, we seek pain relief. If were are prescribed an adequate dose of pain medication that actually curbs our pain and gives us relief, we don't take more medicine than were supposed to. We don't take more because we're not junkies looking for a high. We actually want to live. I've never overdosed on my pain medication in the 15 years I've been taking it.
There's a system called CURES where they can put what pain medication that all of us get into the system. Doctors, pharmacies and even the DEA can monitor the system. Every state needs to have this system. Every chronic pain patient has to sign a pain contract, they have to go through urine test and pill counts. They are only allowed to go to one doctor for their medication and to one Pharmacy for their medication.
Between the DEA, FDA, CDC and AMA all of these people need to stay out of how doctors treat
To an extent there needs to be more control over who is receiving fentanyl, morphine and oxy. But there are legitimate people like myself that take the pain patch that need it after 23 back surgeries. Our law makers need to consider very well documented patients that truly need the medicine. Also, it a not always that the patient wants to meds to get a high, theor bodies need it. In those cases doctors should be prescribing suboxone. Problem is, like in this matter, those patients will seek the drug dealers. If you're a legit pain management patient we are drug tested regularly to make sure we have the correct amount of our meds in us. To stop over use and abuse of the drugs. You can't just stop everyone taking these meds. Start prescribing ONLY pain patches. They are very expensive to get. Insurance companies will not let you get them for cheap. If they do you have to prove that you've taken every drug before they will allow a lower copay. Not all Fentanyl users are drug addicts looking to get high. Theu legitimately have serious issues that require the pain patch. It is also safer than pills bc it doesn't release immediately.