Hi Lauren—Archie here—
Well, I just had my daily oatmeal so I guess not everything is in a bundle. I get what you say about anxiety- „oh just take it down a notch“ friends say. Well, easy to do is easy to say. In the context of MY experience, what you’re going through is very unusual—that doesn’t mean unlikely, just unusual. When medical practitioners say that AA is progressive, in general they are talking on terms of over YEARS, not days or months.
There is a „psychological overlay“ to everything we experience. It seems you’re being told (subtly if not explicitly) that you are overstating your symptoms because of your worry and anxiety. Take a breath. What you’re describing may reflect an entirely different diagnosis from AA. At this point, it seems you’re going to have to wait for the consults they have set up, and look at them as an opportunity to understand your pain process from a different perspective. If possible, get some sleep. This can help you deal with all the other variables. It’s hard to be more specific without knowing deeply about you. But we’re here, we know pain, we know the unfairness of having intractable pain and no help on the horizon. Don’t give up hope— you have appointments coming soon. Best, Archie