Does anyone recommend a portable, rechargable TENS unit for pain?

@lorirenee1 @jesfactsmon my isolation is my own fault. I devoted all of myself to my jobs for 25 years and there are many tough situations to deal with in management and you can’t really share anything because of privacy concerns. I have no hobbies, worked 7 days week 12 hours/day minimum and then sleep. Some truly awful management situations were given to me to deal with and the last couple broke the anxiety/depression camel’s back. At the same time the sciatica was ramping up over 10 years and it wasn’t until the last couple years I could get a minimal amount of pain meds. I had to kneel at work, sit with a towel under my thigh, and sometimes just go cry in the bathroom or parking garage. Clearly physical therapy wasn’t helping or chiropractics etc. It hurt to have a sheet touch any part of my calves. I am so glad I met you both but realize I made bad decisions. Work should never be someone’s life. My psychologist said because of the number of years I dealt with this it would be very hard to heal to a normal level emotionally and I believe she’s right. I look forward to hearing from both of you and hope it continues. Need to ice down now. I took a Murphy for a short walk. My lichen planus is also acting up and I have to be careful with where the cream ends up as it slowly thins your skin.

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@bustrbrwn22 @jesfactsmon and to all my Pain warriors, I read your description of severe pain, panic attacks, agorophobia, and my heart breaks. I know pain all too well, and have learned that most people in my life just don't understand or don't really want to be involved. However, I do believe you have to really experience it, to really understand it. I tell my husband all the time about the severity of my pain, but he never asks. This is a reflection of lack of intimacy in my marriage, and there are so many reasons for that. I have a very forgiving heart, and think that most of us are on this earth giving what we have to give. We can't give, what isn't there. And if people have little or no empathy, they just don't have it. We can't give, what we don't have. I have to be emotionally strong with my Neuropathy, as I don't have many people to really share with, or frankly, people that give a damn. Sad, but true. Maybe I have done something wrong, in not getting the comfort from people that I need. But frankly, I doubt it. My problem has been being a poor judge of human character, and picking the wrong people in my life. Thankfully, I do have one or two very good ones. That is all I really need to thrive. I had a sense of isolation way before my Neuropathy. At my age, and with my illness, and Covid, I don't think meeting new people, really good people, are in the cards for me. But I am so thankful for all of you here. You get it, and you care. Lori Renee

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Jen, you said it so well! Absolutely there are many people who feel that way. This opiophobia out there now is causing some sub-standard care! We know that people who have legit pain do not get hight from these drugs. They only help us not jump! They don't take away the pain. I'm on morphine but my family doesn't know b/c some are so opinionated and judgmental and I don't want my grandkids withheld from me. I bet most if not all of us has been subject to other's harsh and ignorant opinions and judgments. Shame. Maybe someday they can understand. That's the eternal optomist in me talking. I wish! Try to behave you guys...LOL! Sunnyflower @jesfactsmon

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Your husband sounds a lot like mine when it comes to sympathy or empathy. I have come to the conclusion that men in general have a hard time dealing with other peoples' pain. Many men will not visit friends in hospital or even at home if they are sick or dying because they just don't know how to deal with it. My husband and I have been married 15 years and it was a second marriage for me and his fourth for him. I married him because he was and is a sweet person, affectionate, responsible, loyal, and up until recently hard working. He's 79 and I'm 76. In most respects our marriage has gotten better even as it has become more of a friendship than a love affair. I try not to say anything about my pain. He knows I have a lot of pain- sometimes it's under control but right now it's pretty hard to keep it that way. He suffers from terrible migraines so he knows about pain. he support me in the ways he can but he is not what I would call attentive. Probably 12 years ago I came to the conclusion that I needed to keep certain things to myself and in recent years that has included my pain. When he is having a migraine he goes to bed and takes pain medication and a sedative. When I can do something for him I will but for the most part there is nothing I can do to help him. I have become less sensitive to his pain, too. I think sometimes we expect too much from those we are closest to. Some people may be missing a gene that makes them more caring but others just don't have the energy to provide the kind os support we would like to have. I think it is a rare man who is able to give the kind of support we would like to have from them.

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@jesfactsmon @lorirenee1 @avmcbellar my fingers move faster than my brain. Wish it were a code word. Murphy is my beautiful 13 year old red Doberman we rescued from Missouri when he was 1. He usually weighs more than me but I’m still at that Seroquel weight and he’s 120. He’s starting to stumble a little and roll down hills when chasing deer and chipmunks. New neighbors sometimes look twice and ask later if I have a pet deer. When I look out our back window I sometimes yell at Murphy but it’s a deer. Experience tells me we’re lucky if we have another year with him. My husband Tim is the alpha and Murphy spoons with him in our king sized tempurpedic, he’s glued to Tim head to toe with no body space. The only time Murphy is concerned about me is his midday poo. Happy hippo powder has knocked me on my butt twice now, deep sleep for hours, but I don’t know if it’s getting rid of pain. Today only the prescription would take away the pain (I iced and TENS’d and McKenzied and lifted light weights) and I waited all day until just now to take it. I’m waiting for it to kick in. If you know any people the Pewaukee WI area that are couch potatoes that might be candidates as friends for me, please let me know.
Love to you all. Maybe we should have a virtual game of something? Just tossing it out there. Glad I met you all!

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Hi @bustrbrwn22 you don’t need to have a lot people in your life to feel fulfilled. It is important to surround yourself with people who care about you. It is not about the quantity. It is quality you want to pursue. Throughout the years I have had friends who I often spoke to but it is with my closest friends that I remained in touch with. Thanks to technology it has made it even easier and much quicker for us to communicate.

I believe having a pet such as Murphy is very important. While we are providing care for our pets, they in turn can distract us from our pain or ailments. I support having rescue animals. They can mean so much to us by bringing joy into our lives.

As for my friends, they don’t need to be “couch potatoes “. It doesn’t matter to me as long as we share common interests. Most of my friends are older than me and that is because we lived and understand “the old way of life” i.e. before technology came about. Not many people can relate to living without plumbing and electricity. For that I am grateful to still be able to find people with similar life experiences. Unique people are out there. Mayo Connect has given us the opportunity to make such friends. You just need to find them. Be patient and best wishes to you. Toni

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