Chronic Pain members - Welcome, please introduce yourself

My hope for you...
Good things come to those who wait and
may you find over due, beneficial pain relief that you're deserving of.

Good morning everyone. My name is Jane, also known as Mamacita over on the Spectrummy page here on Mayo Clinic Connect. I felt like I needed to re-introduce myself due to my somewhat long absence from Connect.

I try to manage the kinds and amount of work that I do everyday so as to conserve the strength that I do have. DDD, Spinal Stenosis, Osteoarthritis, and Fibromyalgia try to slow me down with their flares and pain.

They had actually done quite a number on me, before I realised that I desperately needed to make changes. Now I am on generic Lyrica at night, along with Flexeril, as needed. The Fibro pain is gone, only the Arhritis to deal with. PT and warm pool therapy to follow.

My confidence level sank to an all time low during this time. I hesitated to write anything here. Took me a long time to realize that it was important that I reach out to the very people who had listened to me and encouraged me before.

Pain is a thief. Instilled in us all is a need for community to help one another, in large and small ways. This is my community. Thankful to be back.

Mamacita Jane

Mamacita Jane Welcome back, You were missed, I don't always share my issues, but always look on Connect for reinforcement and new answers to pain relief, I have pheripheral neuropathy, fibromyalcia, osteo arthritis, and am now dealing (or not dealing) with mortons neuroma, mortons neuroma is a very painful foot issue, Half the time (no most of the time) I don't know where the pain is coming from, One or two of the above, Lately is the foot pain, I even had a cortisone shot in my foot a week ago, Yup, still pain, Now lymphadema, What I am getting at is that I understand what you have been going through and welcome you back,

WELCOME BACK!!!!
I'm sad to read your words but, happy to read your words. Sometimes we just need time to take our own path. All is good that your path led you back to community and communication.
All the best to you!
Rachel

@summertime4 I have had two Morton neuromas removed.., back in 2012. Still hurt, but not as bad after surgery. It took a while to heal... about 6 months. Last year the same foot started hurting as before with the neuromas. I had an MRI done and it showed a small neuroma. I had gone to a new foot doctor because I had so many injections and they did nothing for the pain. This doctor suggested physical therapy. The first therapist really did not know how to do foot therapy. She knew who did and he is a man that has helped me get through other pains. He is constantly educating himself. He did several types of massages with some torture instruments. He also did another technique, but I have no idea what it is called. It helped tremendously. He used some pins... much like acupuncture needles and hooked a tens machine to them. That was a year ago. I am beginning to have some more pain and may soon go back for more PT. They told me it would need repeating. I will try anything not to have surgery again. Being off my feet for so long was torture.

I too have an abundance of pain throughout my body.

I'm Peggy, I have Axonal Sensory Neuropathy, well-advanced, those little needle sticks are now flaming swords and swarms of wasps. I take Lyrica at night, Gabapentin during the day, I take 1/2 of a Tramadol when pain has been breaking through for days and I can't take it any more. I'm glad to meet you. I've learned a lot about this condition from other members of this loop. Welcome to the gang! Peggy

@mamacita Hi Mamacita Jane, I’m so sorry that you are “bogged down”with pain. I was going to write “suffer” but I decided that I need to get out of that mindset. Thankful that Lyrica and Flexeril are helping. I can’t take Lyrica - it made me unable to speak clearly with memory loss (I even forgot my dog’s name). I have fibromyalgia and rheumatoid arthritis. I recently moved and have to wait 4 months before I can get in to see a rheumatologist here. My RA has gotten much worse. I just can’t believe what a shortage of rheumatologists there is. Your writings about community are spot on. We all need each other. I’m glad you have found something that has helped the fibro pain and that you are back! .............Karen

Hi, @karen00, I am so sad to hear of your recent RA experience. One of my dearest friends has that. We try to build one another up. Accentuate the positive. While at the same time, keeping it real.

Yes, indeed. Lyrica has its drawbacks. For me, I have to work at least five times as hard to keep up with a schedule that really shouldn't be that difficult.
I'm retired, and I am my own boss. That's my problem. I have so many interests and responsibilities that I feel pressured to do it all.

We CAN'T do it all. Never could. Not even when we were young and healthy.

Grateful to be here, chronic pain and all. It may be a roller coaster ride, but at least I get to show up. Meanwhile, let's talk it up amongst the medical students and point them towards Rheumatology! ( as I am presently without one, myself.)

Hope to see you around again soon!
Mamacita

I take Lyrica at night because it makes me sleepy and I don't want to be sleepy during the day. I take gabapentin during the day -- it is similar to Lyrica but it doesn't make me sleepy. I've always been a 'type A dynamo' but now I'm slowing down so I do as much as I can. I'm sorry that you have RA; my mother in law had it - it was very painful. I hope you find remedies. Peggy

I have tried gabapentin two times. It messed up my mind and did not help at all for any of the pains I experience. Four Advils help but they kill the kidneys. Using Advils I will die sooner but without most of the pain. Opioids do not help the pains and messes up my mind. So where do we go from here? ,I have RA and PsA and chronic venus insufficiency and alsoaa few others. When two of them attack at the same time it is horror.