Hi @mojoearle, I'm sure @briansr @19lin @sharonmay7 will join me in welcoming you to the Chronic Pain group

This is briansr and would gladly welcome you. Mojoearle mojoearle

Welcome mojoearl! Jump on anytime one of us is usely up. When in pain as u know some nights are long. Sharon

mayo in Rochester has a Pain Rehab class that helped me get off Opioids and manage my pain. I would strongly recommend it for anyone with chronic pain.

I would appreciate hearing more about the Mayo Pain classes/workshops! I<br>tried the one day class when it was first offered and was not happy..we sat<br>on hard folding chairs and watched PowerPoint presentations!!! UGH! Has it<br>improved? What is covered? Thank you in advance!<br><br>

I went through their Pain Rehab program last year. it helped me a lot in "managing" my pain and I would heartily recommend it for all dealing with chronic pain. It was a three weeks, 8 hrs. per day. It taught me ways to avoid painful activities/ situations and to change my ways to avoid more pain. It also got me off Opioids which I would recommend for all who suffer. They present a real "slippery slope" in your life. I was technically driving under the influence for about 10 years. Thankfully I never got caught.

May I ask what was the cause of your chronic pain? Thanks

Hi, mojoearle. I, too, grew up in Idaho, and I also go to Mayo AZ when I need to. But you and many of the others remind me to put in another note about amyloidosis. (amyloidosisfoundation.org or Mayo.com) It is a broad group of diseases coming out of screw-ups of the protein pieces in our bodies. They die, then some are kicked out of the body, and other pieces are deposited by the blood in different places around the body, anywhere from the toes to the brain. They form little tubes (fibrils) filled with water between existing cells, and create havoc with whatever tissue they get into, and they can get into any. So the diseases are all forms of amyloidosis, and include: Alzheimers, Crohns, Multiple Myeloma, other dementias, lots of pain, bone pain, eye pain and disfigurement, urology pain, heart arrythmia, multiple organ failure (rheumatoid or psoriatic arthritis, lupus, crohns, tongue, larynx, heart, lung, brain, esophagus, stomach, spleen, pancreas, liver, intestine, kidney, prostate, and assorted other and glands and tissues). It is, in most types, always fatal. The point is this: if you have multiple tissue failure, or unknown pain, get yourself tested. Do a 24-hour urine/protein assay, a serum FreeLite chain protein assay, some simple biopsies, and other tests. You may save yourself and the insurance people lots of money and pain. The biopsy is required for Medicare or other insurance, It is not a true diagnosis, as it produces some false negatives. But it is something of an indication of how long you may live, if it does show up. There are a hundred markers, plus symptoms and signs. So if you have any of these things, find a good hematologist/oncologist, and look up the web site. DO NOT LET THE DOC SAY "THIS DISEASE IS SO RARE I AM SURE YOU DO NOT HAVE IT." If they do, find another doc. Call Mayo or Sloan or Brigham, Stanford, MD Anderson, City of Hope, etc., and ask for a reference.