Chronic Pain members - Welcome, please introduce yourself

@jesfactsmon Hank, what a beautiful post and what a great love you and your wife must have for each other!
My husband is not so strong with expressing emotions but expresses great gratitude when I can give him a great back massage (I’m really good at it and they can last over an hour - he has a bad back) if I’m not in pain. Just because I’m agoraphobic I don’t want him to be but he always asks if he can go out on a particular day or if one day is better than another; it is so kind. If he sees I’m having a particularly bad stay, he stays home with me. He always brings a treat home for me if he does go out.
Marriage is a wonderful thing. I can only hope I pull even some of my share of the weight by the little I can do.

Thank you, @lorirenee1

I really appreciate your input in various discussions. I know that the neurologist will start me on Cymbalta, but I don't know if I can expect any more.

Constant, unrelenting ( @sunnyflower word) pain at almost any level wears a person down. I know that lots of people have way more pain than I do, but I'm the one feeling my pain. I try not to say anything about it to my wife unless she asks, but she can't miss the signs. I know I'm not the perfect companion. She doesn't understand why I still feel a need to have a therapist.

The first time we met the neurosurgeon we were delighted and impressed. I don't know what changed. She just seemed to want me to shut up and leave.

I've been moving toward getting off morphine, but I don't think I can stand the pain, especially at night. I'm going to take it tonight. And I didn't do anything outside today because of rain. I guess I should get back to the prescribed dose before I add Cymbalta to the mix. I've learned that it doesn't work to make more than one medication change at a time.

Until I was 60, I never experienced non-stop pain for very long at a time. I surely have a greater empathy for others in pain.

Gotta go take a couple of pills so they'll be kicking in when I get in bed in an hour.

Have rest tonight, Lori.

Jim

Hi Jim and @lorirenee1, hope today brings some relief and blessings for both of you beautiful people. Jim, I too am on Morphine. I 'm allowed to have more than I'm taking but have done several tapers, 5mg at a time, over the years only bc I've had such brutal post-op recoveries and I know I am facing more surgeries. They are too afraid of respiratory suppression so ehen patients are already taking morphine or other opiates they can't give as much as they would and what the patients really need for that specific post-op pain. I have textbook PTSD Sxs from being in the recovery room for up to 5.5 hours crying out and begging for relief. I am so afraid of having to go through that again. I cry thinking about it. There's so much opiophobia out there now that there is some degree of substandard care going on. Now that Gabapentin is being used in hospitals for pain relief, I think that will help me.

I can't even imagine what it feels like not to hurt. I study people on TV and everywhere trying to comprehend how they can be moving about doing all kinds of physical activities with smiles on their faces.

Jim I hope the Cymbalta works for you you. They say to give these type of drugs about 3 weeks to see how they work. Often doses must be adjusted. I'm sure you know this.

Ooops I forgot to see what the topic of this discussion is. Hope I didn't go off too much.

Take care and warmest wishes for you both, Sunnyflower

@sunnyflower

You were on topic. Antidepressants require a 6 week trial, and it took me a couple of years to land on the one that I still take, 15 years later. I don't know what Cymbalta is primarily prescribed for, but I think it's one of the standbys for pn pain. Another surgeon I'm seeing for an elective surgery (put on hold now because of Covid19) may do the surgery in the hospital instead of the outpatient surgery because of his concern for pain control. He said that I might need to plan for a couple of nights stay. I'm not arguing with him. We pain warriors are a challenge to our doctors.

I hope you have a good week.

Jim

Hello, you two night owls. Hope you are comfy this late. Maybe this will help. I have been on Cymbalta, (duloxetine) for a couple of years now. It is one of those newer combo medications. Helps you fight off anxiety and depression which cause pain and other unwanted symptoms like cognitive decline. Hope it works well for you.

May you be content and at peace.
Chris

@artscaping @lorirenee1 @jimhd @sunnyflower
I just clocked in a while ago for the night shift as well Chris. Always nice to see you chime in anywhere you happen to appear, I appreciate your wise inputs. Just wanted to throw that out there.

I am sorry Jim for your tribulations over drug availability. It makes me seethe to know of you guys being hassled over getting whatever you want or need for your pain. But that will just lead me into another useless political tirade, so I'll leave it alone.

Linda has had a rough last 3 days/nights. Usually she somehow manages to get to sleep but now it seems her feet hurt so badly she can't remain asleep. I just kissed her goodnight a little while ago so hopefully she can catch up a little tonight.

Lori, your sweet words are appreciated more than I can tell you. But don't think that I have it bad. It's all of you who are suffering the worst. Mine is just the frustration of not being able to do more than commiserate. The life you pain sufferers live is a type of hell. I know in my deepest heart that souls continue their journey after this life but that does not mean you do not have an extremely onerous situation right here right now. It has to be faced and I do not know how some of you manage to do it.

Sunny, your situation is beyond belief. You seem to live a life that remains in a crisis mode of sorts. I can't believe they let you cry out in pain for 6 hours in pst op. Our health system is so arbitrary. Your as likely to be tortured by that gang as helped in some way. My deepest sympathies for all that you endure.

Welcome all to a new week. I wish and pray that all of you receive some well deserved comfort and solace from somewhere.

Best, Hank

Thanks for your kind support always, Last night was the first time I couldn’t sleep off and on all night because of the sciatica pain in my feet. No amount of anything stopped it. I cannot imagine how you all deal with that. It’s awful.

@sunnyflower

You were on topic. Antidepressants require a 6 week trial, and it took me a couple of years to land on the one that I still take, 15 years later. I don't know what Cymbalta is primarily prescribed for, but I think it's one of the standbys for pn pain. Another surgeon I'm seeing for an elective surgery (put on hold now because of Covid19) may do the surgery in the hospital instead of the outpatient surgery because of his concern for pain control. He said that I might need to plan for a couple of nights stay. I'm not arguing with him. We pain warriors are a challenge to our doctors.

I hope you have a good week.

Jim

Hi Jim and @lorirenee1, hope today brings some relief and blessings for both of you beautiful people. Jim, I too am on Morphine. I 'm allowed to have more than I'm taking but have done several tapers, 5mg at a time, over the years only bc I've had such brutal post-op recoveries and I know I am facing more surgeries. They are too afraid of respiratory suppression so ehen patients are already taking morphine or other opiates they can't give as much as they would and what the patients really need for that specific post-op pain. I have textbook PTSD Sxs from being in the recovery room for up to 5.5 hours crying out and begging for relief. I am so afraid of having to go through that again. I cry thinking about it. There's so much opiophobia out there now that there is some degree of substandard care going on. Now that Gabapentin is being used in hospitals for pain relief, I think that will help me.

I can't even imagine what it feels like not to hurt. I study people on TV and everywhere trying to comprehend how they can be moving about doing all kinds of physical activities with smiles on their faces.

Jim I hope the Cymbalta works for you you. They say to give these type of drugs about 3 weeks to see how they work. Often doses must be adjusted. I'm sure you know this.

Ooops I forgot to see what the topic of this discussion is. Hope I didn't go off too much.

Take care and warmest wishes for you both, Sunnyflower

@artscaping @lorirenee1 @jimhd @sunnyflower
I just clocked in a while ago for the night shift as well Chris. Always nice to see you chime in anywhere you happen to appear, I appreciate your wise inputs. Just wanted to throw that out there.

I am sorry Jim for your tribulations over drug availability. It makes me seethe to know of you guys being hassled over getting whatever you want or need for your pain. But that will just lead me into another useless political tirade, so I'll leave it alone.

Linda has had a rough last 3 days/nights. Usually she somehow manages to get to sleep but now it seems her feet hurt so badly she can't remain asleep. I just kissed her goodnight a little while ago so hopefully she can catch up a little tonight.

Lori, your sweet words are appreciated more than I can tell you. But don't think that I have it bad. It's all of you who are suffering the worst. Mine is just the frustration of not being able to do more than commiserate. The life you pain sufferers live is a type of hell. I know in my deepest heart that souls continue their journey after this life but that does not mean you do not have an extremely onerous situation right here right now. It has to be faced and I do not know how some of you manage to do it.

Sunny, your situation is beyond belief. You seem to live a life that remains in a crisis mode of sorts. I can't believe they let you cry out in pain for 6 hours in pst op. Our health system is so arbitrary. Your as likely to be tortured by that gang as helped in some way. My deepest sympathies for all that you endure.

Welcome all to a new week. I wish and pray that all of you receive some well deserved comfort and solace from somewhere.

Best, Hank