Aint it awful!

[Guest guest]

Hello All!

Well, I finally got a good dose of what so many of my pain friends

here have been putting up with.

I get most of my meds through the VA. It's cost effective, and I

don't need to subject myself to the hazzardous treatment of

their 'medical team'- no! no! never again!!

Well, on January 20 I called to have my Rx refilled. My Baclofen

did just fine. My Hydrocodone Rx was expired and I was told to

contact my doctor for a new Rx. OK, I can do this. I called the

local clinic, talked to the nice folks and was assured the Rx was

forthcomming. Two weeks later, I called again- yeah, same story. I

called again on Monday (Feb 13) and was very-reassured it would be

filled with an expidite order. Wow! My meds would be here by

Wednesday! Oh, goodygoody. Yeah, right!

I'm just a little flustered, rattled, angry, depressed (OK, so who

isn't?), so MDW called the clinic Friday morning and was told the Rx

was filled and 'should' arrive that day. The mail comes around1:30

pm- no show!

I have been in the habit of breaking my Hydro in half and taking

that. Wait 2 hrs, and if pain is somewhat OK, I don't take the

other half until I REALLY need it. That was when I was Rx 2 per

day. It just wasn't getting me through the month. After 18 months

of this, I finally got my doc to go to 3 per day (6 months ago/2

Rx's)- oh, great day!! I kept doing the half-pill thing anyway. In

the meantime, I did all the PT type stuff I could to stay ahead of

the cramps/pain.

Between my ESI's in Nov and Dec, and rigorous at-home PT, I was able

to not need the 3 per day. Soooo, I was able to use those 'extras'

to get me through this month- I have ONE pill left. (yeah, I've had

several 3-pill days

The moral? I was able to reduce my meds by being VERY careful of

my 'activities', and rigorous dedication to my PT routines. My pain

has been 'tolerable' for a lot of the time. However, that brain-fog

thing has been more severe.

Before you ask 'why didn't you just go to your regular doc and get

him to write a new Rx?'- my regular doc skipped town just before

Christmas and I'm too stubborn to go back to the previous one-

for a lot of good reasons.

There! I vented!! Gosh, this is weird- I don't usually vent. Get

sarcastic- well.... maybe, but not so you'd notice

So, what do you think of this arctic express? Finally 'hello

winter'!

GBY