RA in Kansas/My story/part 3

[Guest guest]

I seen the neurologist who said that my neurological was in tact? He

did put me on Neurontin (mass dosage)for chronic pain and naproxen

due to my stomach irritation. Both meds turned out to be no goes. I

also had started keeping a journal of my health. I was paying closer

attention to whatever was going on as it was taking control of my

life. Problems with standing, pain after sitting, stairs, not knowing

where my legs were, muscle spasms, fatigue, lower immunity to colds,

tremors. I went from walking over a mile with all my fishing gear to

lucky to get out of bed. So I was back to square one except he gave

me a copy of my MRI reports that were " unremarkable " . They stated in

my C-spine there was occasional disc desiccation w/o significant loss

of disc height. At C5-6 a mild diffuse posterior disc osteophyte

producing mild right foraminal narrowing. At C6-7 a posterior disc

osteophyte producing mild right foraminal narrowing with no

significant central stenosis. IMPRESSION: Mild disc deterioration

and spondylosis at C5-6 and C6-7 which produces some right foraminal

narrowing. T-spine showed a benign hemangioma within T4, with mild

concentric disc bulges at T8-9,T9-10 and T10-11. IMPRESSION: Minimal

degenerative disc deterioration at T8-9,T9-10, and T10-11 as

described. L-spine not done with sagittal to conform 6 functional

lumbar segmants. It showed some flattening of the L5-6 disc with

mild left neural foraminal narrowing. L6-S1 were unremarkable. There

was some mild disc disiccation of L5-6 disc. IMPRESSION: Mild

desiccation of L5-6 with mild neural foraminal narrowing on the left

at L5-6. This was all sorta interesting and got my attention even

more as in 2000 or 2001 I hurt my lower back and had a MRI that

revealed the 6 lumbar segmants and a bulge at L5-6. I also had knee

surgery that year for a meniscus tear with synovial cyst. Didn't

think much of it back then. I then was sent back to Dr. Celebrex who

put me back on hand fed Celebrex and that there was nothing more he

could or would do. It was basically all in my head and I should

pursue counseling. I was livid as he couldn't explain how my top # on

my blood pressure would go sky high when I was in pain and how could

my head control that? I then informed him that he was fired. I then

contacted Medicaid and filed a complaint and a request for a new

doctor. I had a bad flare and went to the ER. I of 2 trips. The

first visit I was given a non-narcotic shot and prescribed flexeril.

The second I was given Dilada or something like that and prescribed

10 oxycodone and a regiman of prednisone. I did seem to get better

for awhile. It might of been that I was delirous from the 70-80 hour

days and didn't that I was in pain? It didn't help the all over

fatigue type feeling though. I then while feeling better called the

facility manager or director to inform him that I didn't like being

treated worse than a dog, that I was a human being! He informed me

that there was nothing that the clinic would do further for me and

that my MRI reports showed nothing, that there was no pregnancy, and

that the clinic would not give me narcotics. I was stunned as I

never asked for narcotics and hardly took any over the last two years

considering. I told him that there surely was types of non-narcotic

meds other than celebrex and explained how my stomach was. I then

received a certified letter stating that I was dismissed from Dr.

Celebrex's care and could not see any other physican or visit the

sister facilities like a no-appt. minor er clinic and stated finally

that I had exhibited drug seeking behavior. BAM!!! Label for life.

Then I sat without doctor waiting on a response from Medicaid and

what a response it was. Yes I could see a doctor at the only other

facility here in town and that Dr. Celebrex did nothing wrong and

that I was not to go the hospital anymore because there was nothing

wrong and that celebrex was the best thing for my " condition " . I was

so happy to get approved to see a new doc and wondered what

my " condition " was and then proceeded to crack up as they denied my

benefits to cover celebrex as I has no conditon for it? I'm gonna

wait until tomorrow to post the next part about my rapid decline,

lack of help, my new label in my last year and 1/2 or so with my new

doc.

[Guest guest]

Kim,

Please write a book, please.

My heart aches for you and your experiences yet your delivery of

what happened is absolutely hilarious, and I know you are upset and

at your wits end, so I am not taking it lightly, but if you can get

a book out of it, why not? I am sure you have a best seller! I am

thinking maybe Montel show. You know he has MS and does a

lot of shows where people are severely ill and not given good care

by their doctors. I'll go on there with you, ...maybe. I don't

know what it is about doctors labeling people in severe and chronic

pain as " drug seeking. " Don't believe it and you can dispute that

label. I cannot even tolerate narcotic-type drugs and I was told

that by one doctor after asking for information on GLA and its

effects on RA. He told me that was like a " plumber coming in from

another state to tell a plumber in this state how to do his job. "

He said the only thing he could give me for the pain was

prednisone. I have only taken ibuprofen the entire time. He

didn't even bother to offer ibuprofen. I was given hydrocodone 9

years ago by a doctor I can trust, and still have the same pills in

my cabinet -- if I haven't thrown them out. I took one before a job

interview because I wanted to believe in these pills, needless to

say, I did not make it to the interview due to severe nausea from

the narcotics. My husband had to drive me. I was hoping the nausea

would wear off before I got there. It got worse and I stayed that

way the entire 24 hours. I was floored from 1 tablet by the

nausea. I missed out on a very good job too, at least one I could

do with RA.

I hope things get better for you soon. Take care, Ebony.