Feeling at my wits end with Chronic Pain and Fibromyalgia

Can you please tell me if you had any side effects from Methadone? Today is my first day on Morphine, it's not helping my pain at all. I had a Morphine drip in the hospital but pill form is so different. My brain has so much energy and my pain controls me.

@sandytoes14 As @parus said, we each experience pain differently, and process it in our minds in various wys. I recall someone telling me "well, it lets you know you are alive". "Yeah, yeah, I know I'm alive, don't need more pain to tell me that" was my response! For me, getting my focus onto something else [visualization, Zentangle, crochet or quilting] helps. CBD oil helps. Will look in to medical marijuana if need be. I am glad you chose to share, and I honor everyone in pain and discomfort.
Ginger

Rachel, good afternoon. Your post was amazingly thorough and genuine. This is what I learned. You want to be free of any adherence to medications and their side effects. You want to be as pain-free as possible to enjoy your family and activities that have meaning in your life.

If I could offer the choice of a plant-derived treatment to assist you with your daily pain challenges and a promise to always care about your progress from afar, what would you choose? If it is medical cannabis then here is what a typical day might be:

Morning: Tincture 1:1 CBD/THC Topical: 1:3 or 3:1
Afternoon: Tincture 2:1 CBD/THC Topical: 1:3 or 3:1
Evening: Same
Bedtime: Same

While there hasn't been enough time to design and develop longitudinal studies, there may be some clinical trials. Initially, you would be an experimenter....noting your responses and reactions. For example, I acknowledge and note those times when I have a 100% pain-free moment. It just happens and stops me in my tracks.

Do you have legal access to medical cannabis now? I notice that you didn't mention Yoga. Are you able to stretch comfortably? Have you tried restorative yoga? At this time, do you practice mindful meditation? I hope you sleep well again tonight with an appreciation for how far you have come in acknowledging and accepting your medical challenges.

What’s Zentangle?

Greetings everyone. I have been scarce here at connect as of late. I recently had sedation for a bladder biopsy a couple of days ago. I have had this raging sore throat and the feeling of phlegm stuck in my throat. I finally took a flashlight and took a look. OMG they murdered part of my uvula!!! Necrosis of my uvula. I have also been experiencing so much more pain which is worse today. Now a severe sore throat and knowing part of my uvula (little hangy down thing in the throat) will rot off-I could choke to death and no one would know why. I requested to have the biopsy done under a local and it was not allowed. I know how the body is treated once the patient is out. A biospy of my bladder has cost me part of my uvula. Will this cause other problems? Opposite end of the poles...laughable if it were not so painful.

Hi. I am a 62-year-old male living on Long Island, NY. I suffered a fracture & spondylolisthesis @ L5/S1 in 1998 & had fusion in 1999. After the surgery the pain never went away & at times was worse. I started pain management in 2001. They gave me different meds that didn't work until I was on the maximum dose of both Oxycontin & Oxycodone. When that wasn't helping, they added Fentanyl patches until I was maxed out on that. Lived like that until 2008. In 2006 I had a spinal cord stimulator (SCS) implanted. I lived this way until 2008 when my family decided I couldn't live like this anymore. Went to The Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) in June 2008. They did an exploratory. They discovered that the fusion failed, even though numerous surgeons told me all was fine. My exploratory turned into a 6-hour PLIF. Ten days later I had ALIF. They also removed the SCS. It was discovered that I suffer from a severe case of osteoporosis (-3.2). Rehab was tough. Felt better but not great. Was still on all the meds. I retired from my job on disability as I could no longer work. In April 2011, I started having severe pain. Back to HSS. A MRI was done and the diagnosis was a fracture @ L4/L5. Back in the OR & another fusion. In November 2011, the pain was worse. It was discovered that the fusion failed so I had a revision. Fifteen days later I experienced the worst pain so far. It was a cyst @ L4/L5. Emergency surgery. In January 2013, it was discovered the fusion @ L4/L5 failed again. Another revision. Did relatively well but still lots of pain until November 2014 when L3/L4 went. Had a good 2015 but in February 2016 L1/L2/L3 went. They fused T12 to L3. In December 2016, guess what, L1/L2 failed and another revision. Moving on to September 2018 when C3 to C7 went. Had 4 level Anterior Cervical Discectomy (ACDF). Please don't question my surgeon's abilities as he is one of the top spinal surgeons dealing with diseased spines and IT IS HSS! I have had 2nd, 3rd, 4th and even 5th opinions from some of the top spine surgeons in the US including The Mayo Clinic. This brings me to the present day. I have been having in pain in my lower lumbar and hips for months and it has escalated to the point I can’t walk my dog. Had an X ray taken and sent to my doc. He said my Sacroiliac (SI) Joints and right hip are completely shot. I did an Epidural Steroid Injection (ESI) & then RF nerve ablation. Followed by (after the proper waiting time) a series of 3 more ESI’s over 6 weeks as I need a week in between to go back on my blood thinners. The shots did not help at all. help. My surgeon has asked me to come in for a chat this week. We all know that when a surgeon calls you in, he’s gonna tell you that you need surgery! In addition, I have had 2 heart attacks and a mini stroke which is why I need to be able to walk every day. I have a Service Dog (yes, a real 1) to help pick up the numerous things I drop (due to cervical fractures), retrieve things and the best part, he keeps me smiling. As this disease eats my bones, I will eventually need a bigger dog to help with my balance & then later down the road, to pull me in a wheelchair.
My advice to all in pain:
1) Pain is here forever
2) Opioids will rarely help the pain
3) Go to the best surgeon even if you need to travel
4) Get a 2nd & 3rd opinion as this surgery will affect your life
5) Do any and everything possible not to have a fusion unless it is a must
6) If nothing helps, try marijuana (in legal states) as I have found that this is my best pain relief
7) Most of all, find happiness in anything.
Thanks for reading. I feel better already.
I am reading lots of posts and can’t believe how many people are hurting. Thanks Mayo for making it possible. If anyone has had SI Joint surgery, please let me know about the surgery, postop & if it helped. Thanks. 😊

PS – I got off all of meds at the end 2017 when I fell & broke my nose.

@persist Zentangle (r) is a meditative art form of drawing. To quote from the founders of Zentangle, "the Zentangle Method is an easy-to-learn, relaxing, and fun way to create beautiful images by drawing structured patterns. ... Zentangle art is non-representational and unplanned so you can focus on each stroke and not worry about the result." [Rick Roberts and Maria Thomas] See http://www.zentangle.com I use this art method to focus my mind and by doing one line at a time, I can lose myself and retrain my mind to not see the pain so much. I became a certified teacher this past June.
Ginger

Greetings everyone. I have been scarce here at connect as of late. I recently had sedation for a bladder biopsy a couple of days ago. I have had this raging sore throat and the feeling of phlegm stuck in my throat. I finally took a flashlight and took a look. OMG they murdered part of my uvula!!! Necrosis of my uvula. I have also been experiencing so much more pain which is worse today. Now a severe sore throat and knowing part of my uvula (little hangy down thing in the throat) will rot off-I could choke to death and no one would know why. I requested to have the biopsy done under a local and it was not allowed. I know how the body is treated once the patient is out. A biospy of my bladder has cost me part of my uvula. Will this cause other problems? Opposite end of the poles...laughable if it were not so painful.