Chronic Pain members - Welcome, please introduce yourself

Hi my name is Carol, also known by summertime 4 in the depression and anxiety group. I don't know why I didn't just say Carol. Well anyhow I am Carol. Real name. I have been in pain for 5-6 years, maybe more. I have back issues and leg issues. Need new knees. I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia along with osteoarthritis. I have a pain management doctor who has ordered MRI's and various xrays. He knows I hurt. I have been taking percocet for 4 years. It has gotten me through alot of pain, but never takes it completely away, but does help me function. I have always had depression issues and anxiety. When the anxiety flares so does the pain. Percocet helps with the osteoarthritis pain but de nada for fibromyalgia. Gabapentin didn't seem to help so my primary care prescribed Elavil. Elavil is an old time antidepressant and is given for fibromyalgia pain. It is helping me sleep at night without severe pain. Then the anxiety wakes me up. My husband died a year ago on Jan. 7, 2019 and the anxiety is off the charts even when I think I have it together. I am taking 0.2 mg of Klonopin at night. A low dose because I want off. Maybe I can't. I also have my medical marijuana card and have used a variety of products. A tad too much THC and I get anxious. I am using just CBD oil in the evening and is a tremendous help in falling asleep. Seems to be a cycle of pain and anxiety. I want to also stop percocets. As I write that I have to laugh. I had several errands to run and was in and out of my car. By the time I came home I am was in so much pain I took one. My legs are swollen, y thumbs are swollen and the pain was awful. It has subsided some since I took the medication and I will lie down for a bit. I try to stay active. I do pool therapy 2 times a week. Weather permitting I walk my dog or maybe it is he walks me. I also try to keep humor, but sometimes I just want to cry. I feel there is more going on with my body than these issues. I am a young 73 but feel an old 100. I have a 2 year old great grand daughter that stays with me quite often. Sometimes when she leaves, along with missing her and her Momma, I am beat with pain. I look forward to be in this group and I will offer anything that might help someone else. Thank you.

Hi, my name is Tommy and I have several chronic diseases. I am not living in the US and am moving from Singapore back to my home country Sweden. I was first sick in 2001 in Sweden and got wrong diagnose and disability pension in 2004. In 2005 I moved to Singapore and the climate made it a lot better so I started working and cancelled my disability pension. But it got worse and I haven't been able to work for some years and I got help from the health care system here after ending up in the emergency.

It has taken time and the first diagnose was that my knees was worn out and that I had multiple polyarthritis and was put in a wheelchair. I got physiotherapy in warm water and it has helped me a lot. Now I am diagnosed with fibromyalgia, arthritis, chronic sinusitis and chronic pelvic pain syndrome as my prostate and urine bladder gives me problems. On top of that my left lung is collapsing, I have Meckel's Diverticulum (a pocket on the colon) and when they examined that, colonoscopy, they found the beginning to colon cancer. At this time it was benign but they could not see the whole colon clearly and want it to be done again in Sweden. Like that wasn't enough I also had a heart attack 26 August last year with following surgery and in the middle of November I was back to hospital with heart problems. My heart was beating to slow and irregular. Tomorrow I will be admitted for a sleep study as I suffer a lot from insomnia.

I also have an abusive marriage and starved so I lost 25 kg and was diagnosed with malnutrition. Thankfully I got help from the social welfare so I could at least eat one meal a day. I am very thankful for the help I have got here in Singapore; they have done a lot for me. After several years of struggle in court I finally got help from legal aid and am getting a divorce from my wife and can return to my home country. I have tried to leave before but my wife has stopped me and now I have to leave because I will lose my PR because of the divorce.

But I have nowhere to go. I am going back to a place I have lived before but because of the refugee situation in Sweden there is no housing available. Even the health care system is trying to make it hard for me to come there. I have a daughter and grandchildren there and my daughter is helping me but fighting with the bureaucrats is horrible. I just have to go there and just hope they will help me otherwise I will end up on the street without health care. The catch 22 is that I can't stay with my daughter because then they will say I don't need help. The Swedish system is for refuges not for helping returning citizens. And they misdiagnosed me before. I hope I at least can refill my medications as I am not allowed to take everything with me into the country and I so badly need a wheelchair. Hope I can get help with it.

Sorry for writing so long but I am in a lot of pain and the situation is desperate so I need all the input I can get. Thank you.

Hi my name is Carol, also known by summertime 4 in the depression and anxiety group. I don't know why I didn't just say Carol. Well anyhow I am Carol. Real name. I have been in pain for 5-6 years, maybe more. I have back issues and leg issues. Need new knees. I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia along with osteoarthritis. I have a pain management doctor who has ordered MRI's and various xrays. He knows I hurt. I have been taking percocet for 4 years. It has gotten me through alot of pain, but never takes it completely away, but does help me function. I have always had depression issues and anxiety. When the anxiety flares so does the pain. Percocet helps with the osteoarthritis pain but de nada for fibromyalgia. Gabapentin didn't seem to help so my primary care prescribed Elavil. Elavil is an old time antidepressant and is given for fibromyalgia pain. It is helping me sleep at night without severe pain. Then the anxiety wakes me up. My husband died a year ago on Jan. 7, 2019 and the anxiety is off the charts even when I think I have it together. I am taking 0.2 mg of Klonopin at night. A low dose because I want off. Maybe I can't. I also have my medical marijuana card and have used a variety of products. A tad too much THC and I get anxious. I am using just CBD oil in the evening and is a tremendous help in falling asleep. Seems to be a cycle of pain and anxiety. I want to also stop percocets. As I write that I have to laugh. I had several errands to run and was in and out of my car. By the time I came home I am was in so much pain I took one. My legs are swollen, y thumbs are swollen and the pain was awful. It has subsided some since I took the medication and I will lie down for a bit. I try to stay active. I do pool therapy 2 times a week. Weather permitting I walk my dog or maybe it is he walks me. I also try to keep humor, but sometimes I just want to cry. I feel there is more going on with my body than these issues. I am a young 73 but feel an old 100. I have a 2 year old great grand daughter that stays with me quite often. Sometimes when she leaves, along with missing her and her Momma, I am beat with pain. I look forward to be in this group and I will offer anything that might help someone else. Thank you.

@Hi Tairree and all those who responded to my post of yesterday. Tairree yes I can see the frustration from both of us. I smile about what you said about getting a think it's called a Life Alert. I was with friends yesterday and we were discussing the fact that my balance and pain sometimes frightens me because of the possibility of a fall. We talked about getting the "Red Button" thing around my neck. I joke, but I a seriously considering it. I think some of my anxiety at not is caused by fear. I am not afraid of someone breaking in. I am afraid that if something happens I cannot reach anyone. I was feeling very sorry for myself a few weeks ago when it snowed. I didn't hear or see anyone so , yup, I cleaned a path and cleaned my car and cried the entire time. Hated every one for not being here and blah blah. I afterwards, as I was driving down the road, thought wow if I fell in the snow no one would find me until Spring. That is probably not true, but it would be a few days. Of course no one thought I would want to venture out. I am 73 and they know me and they know when I want something I want it and do what it takes to get it. Al kidding aside. The pain is real. My thumbs hurt so much right now I keep them tucked under while typing. I have lived alone in the past for several years and had no problem. However, I was 23 years younger. You know I have been prescribed Lyrica and/or gabapentin. Not sure why I didn't stay with it. I may talk to the doctor tomorrow about trying it again. I have a question for the group members. Do you feel extreme pain when a fear or an anxiety comes over you. My body immediately feels like a fire inside. A feeling of burning from the inside out. When that begins I know I will be in pain and the anxiety and pain will take over my boy and mind. I just don't know if this is the way I have to live or is there something else going on that needs attention. I do see a psychiatric nurse and she has prescribed Effexor and the Klonopin. Thank you everyone. I did get to Church and the grocery this morning and am ready for a nap.