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Simply discouraged by chronic pain
Chronic Pain | Last Active: Mar 21, 2020 | Replies (34)Comment receiving replies
Hi Rachel, I wanted to let you know that I have arthritis all over my body. I also have fibromyalgia & ankylosing spondylitis. I have 5-6 vertebrae in my neck that needs replaced. I also have an extremely curvature of my spine. I have my spine pressing on my spinal chord. I have had both knees replaced, both hips replaced, and my right shoulder replaced. My left shoulder is permanently out of its socket and cannot be put back in its socket. It is also "too far gone" or messed up so badly that the surgeon can't even do surgery on it. I also get headaches everyday from my neck and shoulder pain. I had reverse shoulder replacement in my right shoulder about 1 1/2 years ago, and I still have horrible pain in the front of my arm right by my arm pit where I try to move it. I asked the Dr's assistant if I could get a cortisone shot in my shoulder and she said she would normally put it in the front bicep area, but then she told me that I didn't have a bicep to put a shot into. I also know that they were not able to fix my rotator cuff tears, so I still have a lot of pain in that shoulder, and there is nothing the doctors can do about it. I use a fentanyl patch (25mcg) changed every 72hrs. I also take oxycodone (around 30mg) everyday. I take neurontin also cld gabapentin (2400mg) everyday). I also take pramipexole also cld mirapex (.25mg) everyday. I have had fibromyalgia for about 40 years. It started slowly and then just kept getting worse and worse til where I am today, where my pain does not go away-ever. If I am going out during the week, I have to plan ahead and pick and choose what I can & can't do. I have had to turn down get togethers with friends, going to church, and going places with my husband because I am in so much pain I can hardly get out of bed. I do know that I am a Christian and He will NOT give me more than I can handle, and He is always with me. I pray for God's peace and wisdom to help me keep my focus on other things besides my pain. Sometimes this is very hard to do, but with God's help and Christian friends I can keep my focus on other things. I hope this helps you realize that you are not alone. If you ever want to talk you can private message me. I hope this message helps alleviate some of your concern or worry and maybe even some pain. God bless you!!
Replies to "Hi Rachel, I wanted to let you know that I have arthritis all over my body...."
It always saddens me when I read the stories of pain as severe as yours. I have a taste of chronic pain from sfpn, but it seems insignificant when I hear about your pain and Rachel's @rwinney .
Like you, there are many of us who put their faith in God and his unending love and provision for us. He will never abandon us, nor will he ever change.
There's a saying most of us know, "It rains on the just and the unjust." Being a person of faith doesn't insulate us from things like chronic, intractable pain. The difference is knowing we don't have to face it alone.
Sickness, pain, poverty, famine, crop failure and pandemics happen for a number of reasons. It's my belief that, while God allows such things, He doesn't have it in for us, and it's not his will to have anyone suffer. Now, I know that there are many people who would debate that truth, it's something that I hold on to. Job, a wealthy man familiar to Jews and Christians and perhaps Muslims, (long story short) was inflicted with disease, death of his children and loss of all that he owned by the hand of Satan, who was given the go ahead by God. Through all of that, Job's faith in Jehovah God stayed strong.
One lesson I read from the faith of Job is that all of the things that happened to him were not caused by God's hand, but by Satan's. My belief system doesn't buy the view that pain and sickness are inflicted on us by a vindictive God. Rather, we are assured that God will walk through everything with us. The 23rd Psalm is a good narrative for this.
The most significant moment in the bottom of the deep, dark hole of depression was the awareness that God hadn't abandoned me. That faith is a key component of my support system guiding me along the road to recovery. My wife, therapists, my kids and grandkids, and my service dog have all contributed to my being in a better place today. I love them all.
So, we can have peace of mind in the midst of terrible storms. That's not to say that we'll never be discouraged, and ready to quit. But, at any time we have instant access to the Spirit of God.
This discussion isn't about religion, but it IS about dealing with discouragement, and there are many ways to do that, one way being faith.
I also find relief from discouragement by interacting like minded people here, who understand our feelings. I'm sure that you've found some understanding people here. We get it. Chronic pain is the pits!
God bless you and give you peace.
Jim
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@shrinkerbell Hello. By all means, yes, it does!
You know...sometimes it helps to hear of others worse off than myselfand you my dear, are. I'm sorry for that. Also, I feel that you being able type out your pain and struggles to a stranger can be a release of tension and stress...an exhale, if you will.
All in all, chronic pain equates to the need for guts, faith, perseverance and a whole lot more. For the most part, I have these essentials to survive what has now been handed to me but, it's those days when Im exhausted from it that I know enough to reach out. Bottling it is self destructive.
I very much appreciate you reaching out and offering to connect. What a blessing you are as a person, pain or no pain. Be well.
Rachel