Pain Management 'Step Meeting" ... ?

[lizw]

Has anyone thought of starting a 'support group' for a pain management group NOT based on the 12 steps? I ask because I am attending a 'pain management' group at my local hospital that two nurses run. It follows a certain format and provides information as well as a chance for us to share our expereinces...

[Alera]

Originally Posted by lizw

Has anyone thought of starting a 'support group' for a pain management group NOT based on the 12 steps? I ask because I am attending a 'pain management' group at my local hospital that two nurses run. It follows a certain format and provides information as well as a chance for us to share our expereinces...

We have a couple in town where I live. They are wonderful.

[ksos]

I never even thought of starting a Pain Support group based on anything until I read this thread! Heck, I am open to anything!

The other day when I was truly in either a pain state or a methadone withdrawal, I could have seriously used a supportive forum.

However, if I view that entire experience objectively, the pain was very short-lived and all I had to do was to wait a few hours for my prescription.

Which brings me back to Mike's point that the pain I did experience, could have been the trigger for something else-like my addiction. I even expressed that I was on the precipice of using dope to get through a few hours of moderate pain.''

My pain is real. So is my addiction to most drugs. The two almost co-mingled with each other on Saturday night, and the fact that all of you provided support and comfort to me, truly stopped me from doing something that I would regret.

That is support that wasn't 12-step oriented. It did offer me the aforementioned purpose that we are all discussing, albeit in dfferent ways? Right?

[kj3880]

Not trying to beat a dead horse here...and I can certainly understand a support group for those on pain mgt. There are varying degrees of pain. If you have a chronic dull or medium pain it can really screw with your mood and support might help that. But for acute migraines, you wouldn't even be able to sit upright in a meeting and you throw up constantly. It's like labor pain to me, I can't help myself when I get to that point.

What scares the heck out of me is that I can invision nurses and doctors who've never suffered from acute pain that you cannot see, like migraines and some other disorders, referring me to Pain Anonymous when I eventually have to go in for pain mgt treatment, instead of treating me for the pain.

I can hear them in the ER talking about it now "I knew it all along, it's a mental disorder, those migraineurs have made up this pain all along just to get medication!" As though being in the ER is a treat that they would like to take away. It isn't. If I want to abuse drugs there are more efficient and cheaper ways to get them than to go to the ER. I think all addicts know those ways. The ER is $50 even on the best insurance in my area. I can get lots more opiates on the street for $50 than they are ever going to give me in the ER. I go only when I can't cope with a migraine, a couple time a year. I've had varying treatment, from respectful pain relieving treatment, to "I'm can't see any pain, why are you here, you must want opiates, I'm doing a CBC on you, junkie" type of attitude. I'm a 40-something, well-dressed, well-fleshed-out, healthy-looking gal. I don't even want to think about how they treat young skinny types who come in with dirty sweats on when they have a migraine because they threw up on their good outfit. I actually have to dress well and put on make-up when in horrific pain just to up the odds that I'll be treated seriously.

So my reaction to this Pain Anon. idea is because of that. I'm scarred and I'm scared. I don't want it to get worse for me when I get a migraine. There is so much prejudice from the medical community anyway. I hope that a pain sufferer put up the notice you referred to and not a medical proffessional.

Couldn't we call it something else? Like Sick of Pain, or Coping with Pain? SoP has a nice ring to it.
kj

[ksos]

KJ...

Your post really rings true with me, and I would have no problems calling it another name. I also do believe that a support group can be fully functional and helpful without the biases that many medical personnel hold true to their name tags. The stigma attached to pain control is so oppressive, even with people who are trained in pain management, let alone the vast ignorance exhibited by those who really should spend 20 minutes in each of our bodies.

I have experienced both extremes of attitudes concerning medical staff's reactivity towards me, due to my pain condition. I am not a skinny, 20 something herbavore beauty nor am a well-dressed, "fleshed out", nice looking 40ish lady, but I just believe that this ignorance about medication and addiction by MDs or other medical staff, is due to a lack of trainiing in this area, as well as a learned behavior either viewed by seeing addicts using illegally obtained medication or by antiquated academic programs which simply cause predjudice against anyone who requires a medication other than Tylenol. However, I do not dismiss your statement that appearance may and does play a role in how someone is treated. Especially concerning pain treatment.

I have a female friend, who sadly, is actively using prescription pain killers to get wasted, and thus, I no longer can see her because of her behavior. However, when I was active and ran with her, she would walk into a physican's office and come out with prescriptions with almost unheard of amounts of opiates and sedatives. She once told me that being a runner-up in a well-known beauty pageant, had more benefits then I could ever imagine. Of course, she now looks like a runner-up for a rehab stint, but she obtained whatever medications she did want, based even on what were even then, fading looks. So, I do know what you are saying...

I think we sometimes get caught up with "names" of this proposed supportive group idea that Barb initially presented when she saw that flyer on a door. I know that some of us, including your's truly, were trying to adapt the 12-step Disease Model to thsi idea. Personally, I do think it would work with some variations on words and concepts. However, some other member posted a beautiful set of "secular" thoughts on pain and its impact on people in this forum, but on another thread. I think that if you read that particular set of suggestions or thoughts, you, as well as many others, would find it devoid of any possible negative connotations. It is really a very nice, calming set of belief statements which do not have the "rah-rah" feel of what some consider N.A. or A.A. to possess.

Just my 2 cents...

[barb dwyer]

kj - your post really hit a recent experience with me.

Like - yesterday.

I was sitting outside the pharmacy, INSIDE, just the actual PHARMACY wasn't open yet - and I could hear the pharmacists talking to each other, and they were discussing someone who'd called in to get a refill of their migraine meds - a month early. This person had, apparently, exceeded their legal allowance of the medication thirty days early.

The speculation was that the person was abusing their pain meds for migraines, and the reasoning I listened to got me curious about my own reaction to hearing it as well.

The first thing I thought was - yup- eating 'em like candy.

Then after a minute to think about it, I thought - the person could be eating these pills in the anticipation of a headache, like the fear of migraine pain made them eat so many so early....and now they can't get ANY for 60 days.

The pharmacists were debating WHO was going to make the call to the person - because apparently they have a history of coming down to the pharmacy to argue about getting their medication.

wow.

and me sitting there, waiting for them to open so I can get my FIRST pain medication prescription .... knowing my OWN tendencies ...

something to ponder for me, during next p*m.
And I will.

[barb dwyer]

It made me glad I'm doing all I can to stay on the 'no nar' side as long as I can with my own problems.

was the point of all that.

LOL

[barb dwyer]

I don't know how - but the computer skipped several posts - I want to thank you for the encouragement, and the pm's I received after my post the other day.

A very bad day, obviously, LOL because I actually TALKED about it.

ummm... I get told a LOT that I don't get full lenghtwith my own struggles, and pain is simply something I was taught from childhood that is a 'silent suffereing' thing.
Then my most beloved vocation fell apart, and pain had a good deal to do with that as well.

I remember when I apprenticed to a particular 'old' horse trainer, who couldn't get out of bed without an injection of phenobutizol (called 'beaute' in the horse business) because of numerous back surgeries and life time injuries that were horse related.
I remember thinking I'd never let it get that bad for me.

It's the very same drug given to 8 belles the day before the kentucky derby and she literally ran her legs off. Horses CAN run on broken legs when on that drug. I've been around it all my horse life.

ANYWAY-

(back to the point)

pain - I was raised not to talk about it.


I DID talk frankly to the doctor - a DIFFERENT doctor, because my 'regular' is on vacation, but I'm seriously considering taking this fella on permanent - like. He agreed that it was foolish to have me try to exercise when I can't walk, and he said I've got an 'extreme' case of edema going on in my legs, so now I've got a fistful of pills to take throughout the day to hopefully ease that.
He said quite frankly that that kind of swelling WOULD cause amazing pain.
And difficulty getting around.

Unfortunately, I left them upstairs, and can't remember the name of them at the momnent. There's a diuretic, potassium, an anti-inflammatory that isn't OTC, and something for pain. It *may* be tramadol, I don't know.

It's only day two, so so far so good for 'taking as prescribed' and all that.

he took another blood thing ... felt like a GALLON (lol)
and all *I* could think of was the expense of the tests, but I just felt more SECURE that HE would give me the complete results, unlike ... um... others.
I specifically asked about finding out about vitamin deficiencies, and how to supplement if needed.
He's supposed to call me today. So I'm downstairs at the neighbor's with the phone right beside me.

[barb dwyer]

thank you again for your caring and posts.

I'm NOT going to 'jump off' ...
I just know where I am usually, even though I don't sound like it.
And that last day I posted - I was 'there'.
So I knew it was time to see a doc.

ksos - Noelle - Desert Eyes - Historyteach - thank you.

ksos wrote-

but I just believe that this ignorance about medication and addiction by MDs or other medical staff, is due to a lack of trainiing in this area, as well as a learned behavior either viewed by seeing addicts using illegally obtained medication or by antiquated academic programs which simply cause predjudice against anyone who requires a medication other than Tylenol.

I like that.

That's why I think a support group format, but the exclusion of medical and 'technique trained' people is vital.

They can't understand ... because they haven't GOT the pain.

[barb dwyer]

LOL

ok - I went upstairs ang GOT the names of the meds - and Tramadol *is* the other one.

That's the one, then, I'll have the neighbor monitor me with.

Like I say - day two, of course there's no probs.
ETODOLAC - is the anti-inflamm.
never heard of it.

but then I've never GONE the 'legal' route before this, either - LOL

[historyteach]

Keep on talking, Barb...
Now that you've started...


Shalom!

[ksos]

Hey Barb!

Just lil' ole' me checkin' in, since I haven't heard a whispa from ya in a bit...Hmm, enjoyin' the weatha?

Special Ksos

[barb dwyer]

HI! Yes, the weather has bee BLISS here - not too hot and not TOO cold ... ok there was the whole snow thing, but that only lasted a coupla days

My new diuretic has made me terribly photosensitive ...
I went to a bbq and in fifteen mins had a rash from sitting out on the deck.

So - I went and bought some of that fake suntan stuff...
woke up today -

ORANGE.

Yes.

ORANGE.

*sigh*

so after three showers I've gotten MOST of it gone

only looking slightly jaundiced - LOL!!!