← Return to Pain pump, I have one, how about one for you?

Discussion

Pain pump, I have one, how about one for you?

Chronic Pain | Last Active: May 4 11:25am | Replies (319)

Comment receiving replies
@pamevans

I had had Left knee replacement X2 within the last three years and there was still constant pain in my knee but had a pain pump before my knee surgery and my pain specialist told me it would help my knee but it never did. It helped my back and sciatica but did not touch my fibromyalgia nor my knee pain. it was later determined that my knee pain was due to nerves not from the knee itself. However, my pain specialist took me off the pain pump due to a bunch of misunderstandings and I am now in great pain in my back and my sciatica plus the knee pain. I am miserable but because I wrote too many messages explaining my predicament, my pain specialist took me off the portal so I could no longer talk to her that way. She is not going to put me back on the pump and I don't know where to go from here. I cannot do even light housework and am so very frustrated. She worked two hours away from us so having to drive for more than four hours was difficult for both of us; so I tried a local pain specialist in my small Arizona town. He recommended some long acting opioids for me and then denied that he had ever said that; in the meantime, I was being taken off gradually from the pump and in explaining what happened, I wanted back on the dosage I was on but she will not increase it again. In asking her for help with explanations of what had transpired, I wrote too many portal messages so was taken off the portal. What??? How am I supposed to get help?? Is there anyone in Arizona who manages pain pumps? Is that good healthcare to not let patients ask for help through their portal? I thought that was what it was for!
Or should I just go back on opioids again?

Jump to this post


Replies to "I had had Left knee replacement X2 within the last three years and there was still..."

I think it’s awful that your doctor blocked you from using the patient portal! Especially if you live 2 hours away. I know my doctors want me to schedule appointments to go over questions I have about my care. I’ve been able to schedule video appts and even phone appts since Covid quarantined everyone. Most of my doctors still offer those appts. Does yours? That might be a way to communicate your concerns directly. I always make a list of what I want to talk about prior to my appt and cover as much as I can.
Call your doctors office and see if you can schedule a video or phone appointment. Sounds like the only way you will get answers to your questions without driving to see them! If you can schedule a video or phone appt, tell them you will no longer use the portal to communicate with your doctor the way you have. You should have access to your medical records and other information found on their portal!