litehorse

i came to sr because of my AS but i have a new concern - my brother is a quadrapeligic (sp?) - he dove into a creek when he was 14 and broke his neck - he has lived an amazing life - married, worked for the post office for 20 years, lived on his own for a while, played tennis, rugby, basketball, scuba diving - very active - he is 59 now and is having more problems (as most of us 50 year olds do!) for the last year or so he seemed to be depressed but he's not much of a talker so we just kept praying for him and hoping things would get better - well- last week he was in a wreck - someone pulled out in front of him and he hit them at 45 mph - it broke both legs, cracked three ribs, and one of his lungs was collapsed - while in the hospital they started him on percoset (again sp?) he started asking for it religiously from everyone- he came home last night and he insisted that the prescription get filled immediately because he needed that medicine - my sister-in-law said he was very agressive about it (not like my brother at all) - before she ever let him see the pills she switched them out for a generic otc pain reliever that looked like the other tablets and she is going to call the doctor today - that prescription was for oxycodone - my question, can he get addicted in such a short time? and just for the sake of venting - here is the maddening thing - now he has been paralyzed since 1966 with no feeling in his legs, when he broke his knee 2 years ago he was not given any pain medication, at one point during the days he was in the hospital the doctor came in and stuck him in the foot and asked him if he felt that (of course he didn't) then he poked him in the other foot and asked the same (of course he didn't) then he asked -how long has it been like that? and my brother looks at him and said since 1966 - the point - i don't think this doctor took the time to understand his patient he didn't know he was paralyzed from a previous accident!

cece1960

Hi Litehorse,
I can't answer your questions in regards to how rapid an addiction can set in, but I do know there are times that a person needs the medication that is prescribed. I would be very upset that someone switched up the meds that my doctor had planned for me, even if was with all good intentions.

I understand your concern, but this is between your brother and his doctor.

JMO of course...I hope he's back up and around soon.

(((Hugs)))

Kindeyes

litehorse
Cracked ribs hurt......really bad. Every breath hurts. Since it's only been a week, he may be aggressive about the medication because he's in pain. And (speaking for myself here), pain can make a person pretty edgy and unpleasant.

I can understand your concern about the doctor though. I've had some pretty unbelieveable treatment by hospital doctors on their rounds. Some of them don't read the charts or make assumptions. That's why they tell us to take a stand for ourselves and take our medical care into our own hands. My bowel surgeon gave me a write up to carry with me in the event I wind up in the hospital ER so that I can get a doctor up to speed quickly. It could be a matter of life or death. I loved your brother's answer though.....it was perfect.

I agree with Cece......right now.....the pain killers are legit and it's between him and his doctor. Time will tell whether he's addicted or just trying to cope with the terrible pain of cracked ribs.

I'll keep him in my prayers. He sounds like an amazing man.

gentle hugs

litehorse

i do understand that cracked ribs are painful if you have feeling in that part of your body - which my brother doesn't (he's paralyzed from his shoulders down including his diaphram which makes his breathing difficult anyway) and after talking to someone at the Shephard Center which is the rehab. hospital in Atlanta that took the place of the Warm Springs Rehab. that FDR founded - they said he should have been brought to Shephard immediately - thank you all for your comments - right after i wrote my concerns this morning my SIL called to say he was back in ER in local hospital - they sent him home after checking everything but his breathing was still real bad - so SIL talked to case manager at Shephard she said get him up there but they just sent him back to the original hospital - anyway - he is back in hospital where his breathing can be better monitored - we will just have to wait and see

Impurrfect

(((Litehorse))) - I can understand your concerns. Any chance they can get him into Shephard's, anyway? I dealt with them, a lot, when I worked in the neuro ICU and they know him.

I do agree that broken ribs hurt, a lot, but if he has no feeling below his shoulders, I see what you're saying. I also would be concerned with his breathing. Most people have trouble breathing after broken ribs because it hurts too much.

I do know that if he's been depressed, and suddenly he's gotten pain meds that make him feel "emotionally better", yeah, he would want them. I wouldn't say he's addicted to them, in this short of time, but I dealt with a lot of patients who took pain meds, initially for legit problems, then still wanted it because they were in a hospital, miserable, and didn't want to deal with it emotionally.

I would be concerned, and very angry at the doctor who didn't even know what he was dealing with, but I do hope he can be seen at Shepard's as this is what they deal with all the time. Saying prayers for your brother, you and the rest of the family.

Hugs and prayers,

Amy

litehorse

thank you, impurrfect, for your kind and understanding words, that means so much to me - i do hope that he will be able to get to Shephard's soon - right now he is still at Atlanta Medical - they are doing a ct of his stomach area to try to find why he is having such a hard time breathing - my SIL requested that he not be put back on the same medications so at least that concern is not an issue at this point - you all are so wonderful - thank you for your compassion and care -

Impurrfect

((Litehorse)) - I'm also familiar with Atlanta Med...worked in their ER until my addiction got too obvious. It's a pretty good trauma center, from what I saw. I'm glad he's not getting the meds, and it sounds like they are doing the right stuff to find out what the problem is with his breathing. My prayers continue, and please do keep us posted.

Love, hugs, and prayers,

Amy