thank you Redbird and Michael! I really appreciate your honesty. I have abused vicodin and valium in my past as well.. using it to "cure" a hangover or to come down off stimulants. I have gone thru withdrawels from vicodin and that was no picnic either. I am in pain and just because I'm a drunk and an addict doesn't mean I have to be in agony. I will continue to take it easy with this drug cuz the alternative will land me back in detox. thanks again for your help and suggestions.
I gotta tell you this story tho.. when I went to see the doctor a couple months ago for pain medication I was quite honest with him about my alcoholism and past mis use of vicodin. He listened to me then took his pen out of his pocket and started drawing me graphs of how different pain killers worked. He then suggested I take methadone for my pain! Did he even hear what I was saying??? Blew my mind but I have to say that the addict inside me was saying to myself "man, I like the way this guy's brain works" I took the Ultram and signed up for Pain Management classes.. whatever they are I don't know, but I hope they include massage.