Re: Facet injections/Deb

[Guest guest]

Hey Debs. Yes...I am feeling better today but kinda groggy. I

finally called the doctor's office yesterday and told them I was in

more severe pain than before I had the injections and they said

that's not what should happen. They said that sometimes the nerve

root gets too much irritation from the injection.

So guess what? They prescribed me flexeril and guess what else???

MORE STEROIDS!!!(In pill form of course) Crazy! More steroids to

take away the inflammation that the steroid injection caused? Makes

no sense. Yah...I think they are just " rolling the dice " as you say

and practicing on me.

Well, I took the flexeril last night and boy did it knock me out! I

couldn't have lifted my head from the pillow if I'd wanted. But rest

is what I think I needed. The pain is a little better today but I've

still had to take the vicodin. I am getting much better relief

though. Just hope it lasts.

(((Deb))) You poor thing! That's the worst injection story I've ever

heard! That even tops Jen's story. I don't blame you for not

wanting to take the injections again. Is your doc ok with that?

What other things have you done for pain relief?

hugs

He kept poking me with needles and

> lidocaine until I thought I would go crazy. I was screaming in

> pain and begged him to stop. He finally pulled the needles out. I

> was crying and couldn't sit down for a week because I was so sore.

>

> Sometimes I think these docs just roll the dice I know for me the

second time

> really turned me off from wanting to even try it again.

Are you feeling any better now? Debbie---

[Guest guest]

God , so sorry you're having to go through all this. I've

thought about trying those injections again because it's been a few

years, but my experience last time was so bad I can't even bear the

thought of it.

And that flexeril just knocks my butt out. You're right. You probably needed

the rest, but man that stuff just puts me out for 12 hours at a time.

I am actually feeling better. I went back to my therapist, and she asked me to

make a contract to take my pain medications on a regular basis and to stop

beating myself up about it.

I just get so shame filled that I need meds (I've been in recovery in alcoholics

anonymous for the past 26 years). So it's been rought trying to reconcile

chronic pain and pain meds and recovery all at the same time.

I tried Wellbutrin a few years ago, and that seemed to help my mood so the pain

lessened a little. I was actually able to take less pain meds - which made me

feel much better about the whole thing.

God, this juggling act just sucks sometimes. But I so understand how you feel.

Those injections can be so painful and make you feel so crappy.

And it makes no sense to me that they give you steroids to help with the

steroids. What the hell? Just hang in there, darlin' - just rest and let

yourself cry until you're cried out. Sometimes I just bawl and bawl, and I

actually just feel relieved.

Anyway, I'm down in Seaside Oregon taking a little break from work so I haven't

been online the past couple of days.

Talk soon.

Debbie

" " <cinderella6251@wrote:

>They said that sometimes the nerve root gets too much irritation from >the

injection.

[Guest guest]

debs216 wrote:

> I just get so shame filled that I need meds (I've been in recovery in

alcoholics anonymous for the past 26 years). So it's been rought trying to

reconcile chronic pain and pain meds and recovery all at the same time.

Hi Debbie

There is nothing in the Big Book or in any other AA literature, that says

members of AA should not take pain medications as prescribed by their

physicians. That nonsensical idea of " a drug is a drug is a drug " came about

when the fairly modern treatment

centres came into fashion. It has insinuated itself into many 12 step groups

and has caused a horrendous amount of unnecessary grief for people.

That idiotic notion is very dangerous and needs to be stomped out. People in

AA, NA, ACOA, etc. have died because they bought into that nonsense and didn't

take their medications.

Follow your therapist's advice. Stop beating yourself up over something that

has nothing to do with your long past alcoholic " behaviour. " If your reason for

taking pain medication is to improve your quality of life, then there is no

" shame " at all in

taking your medications as prescribed. ( " We are not doctors " immediately comes

to mind).

If someone at an AA meeting chastises you for taking your meds, tell them to

mind their own program. Better yet, tell them to take a flying leap.

--

Lyndi

Moderator

[Guest guest]

Thanks Lyndi,

But I just have one question -- how do you really feel )))) I guess

you have some pretty strong opinions on this whole subject. You are

absolutely right though.

The biggest problem regarding the whole shame thing is in between my

ears. I haven't had any (or I should say very few) criticisms from my

fellow recovering alcoholics. It's my own self being hard on myself.

In fact, my good friend that encouraged me to start this group has

reassured me over and over again that she's watched me over the years

and knows I'm not " using " . She's seen how I've struggled and how I've

tried to live without meds and how much pain I've been through and all

the procedures I've done. And she's in the AA program with 20 years.

So I know I need to just get off myself for this - it's just a

struggle. When I went back to my therapist last Wednesday, I was

crying (because I feel like I'm back to being dependent on pain

meds/valium again). I was crying and saying " I just want to be

normal. " And she said, " Well, you're not normal. " I just burst out

laughing... Guess I just have to accept I'm not normal - whatever that

means.

Anyway, just checking in before I go to bed. Thanks for the support.

I can use all I can get. My weekend kind of sucked. I went down to

Seaside to an AA conference wanting to get a spiritual/psychological

rejuvenation and ended up having a miserable time - fought with my

partner the whole time. Came back feeling worse than before I left.

The past couple of weeks have been pretty rough to say the least.

Lots of hurt feelings, problems with friends, stress at work. I'm

just hoping this new antidepressant kicks in pretty soon and I start

to feel a little better. I didn't do much of anything today but watch

TV and cry.

I'm a realtor so I work my own hours. And of course first thing this

morning everything I needed to work wouldn't work right. My laptop

couldn't find the wireless connection so I need to take it in to Best

Buy. My phone was dead so I needed to charge it and couldn't get

messages. The cradle that updates my realtor key card died on me so I

need to get that into the place where I need to replace it.

Suffice to say that after such a crappy weekend, I just didn't do

anything. I did manage to talk to a few people and go to an AA

meeting tonight. I guess that's something. Well, ta ta for now.

Thanks again for your encouragement. Deb

Lyndi wrote:

Follow your therapist's advice. Stop beating yourself up over

something that has nothing to do with your long past alcoholic " behaviour. " If

your reason for taking pain medication is

to improve your quality of life, then there is no " shame " at all in

taking your medications as prescribed. ( " We are not doctors "

immediately comes to mind).

[Guest guest]

Deb, " normal " people are *boring*.

Sometimes, life just sucks. And when you're bummed because things are going

the wrong way, that's actually a rational response.

So trust your friend, cry if you need to, and if you feel like unloading,

but you don't want to unload on-list, feel free to email me off-list.

LaughSingLive at gmail dot com.

--

Deb wrote:

> So I know I need to just get off myself for this - it's just a

> struggle. When I went back to my therapist last Wednesday, I was

> crying (because I feel like I'm back to being dependent on pain

> meds/valium again). I was crying and saying " I just want to be

> normal. " And she said, " Well, you're not normal. " I just burst out

> laughing... Guess I just have to accept I'm not normal - whatever that means.

[Guest guest]

Good one. Never heard it before. I'll have to use that sometime.

How are you doing? Deb

-- In chronic_pain , Gwen wrote:

>

> Deb wrote:

> <And she said, " Well, you're not normal.>

>

> Normal is just a setting on the dryer. Nothing to worry about!

> Gwen

>

[Guest guest]

Thanks ,

I loved what Gwen said " Normal is just a setting on the dryer " .

Good one, never heard it before. Anyway, I'm feeling better today.

Man, it's a daily thing isn't it.

Yesterday, I was so screwed up, I couldn't stop crying for more than an hour,

couldn't get a thing done. I'm a realtor, and every technological gadget I have

wasn't working. My computer wouldn't hook up to the internet. My realtor key

cradle wouldn't update my key I use to show properties, and my phone was dead

because I forgot to charge it. I just sort of went on an emotional vacation and

cried all day long.

Then I just pulled myself together today, dressed myself up, got a tech guy over

to fix the computer, exchanged my cradle for my key box and charged my phone.

My lender I team with to teach first time home buyer classes

took me out to a really nice lunch - so I feel like I at least got a

little sense of organization going here.

Anyway, thanks for your input - this forum really helps, especially at night. I

tend to be an insomniac and am up pretty late. That seems to be my hardest

time. I get pretty lonely. So it's nice to get on line and just blab away to

you guys.

Take care. Deb