Intervention - Brooke (RA patient) followup | Arthritis Information

the episode is on right now on A&E. Brooke's segment hasn't started yet. It will re-run later tonight. Thanks Jas I had been wondering how things were going for her. I would have missed it if not for your post.I had forgotten just how much I wanted to bitch-slap her mother and sister...
Totally! I mean if people had left me alone when I could not walk I would have probably taken too much meds also.

I never would take too much because my meds have to last me all month. I do not know how people do that. I need my pain meds everyday. So even if I am hurting i think wow if i take too much I would have to go without later in the month. I need my meds to walk. I guess she could not walk because of the knee so wow.

They just gave up on her. I mean how hard would it have been for someone to get her an MRI of her knee. She could have used some help getting there of course.

A knee replacement would not help me. I need a new feet and ankles and a shoulder or maybe two. I could use a new neck and back also. Bless that girls heart. I know she could not say taco bell. Sure she took way too many pills but in her case I can see how it happened. I wonder how her family will treat her when she gets brain fog and fatigue?

Poor kid a knee replacement at such a young age. I wonder what the future holds for her?

I have no idea what this is all about. Can someone summarize the show?

This is the show: http://www.aetv.com/intervention/int_episode_guide.jsp

This is Brooke's blog.

http://brookintervention.wordpress.com/

I missed the recap, Jas, Milly... What happened for Brooke?

She got a knee replacement and can walk. They changes her pain meds but did not say what to. They said she will always have to take pain meds. She seems to be doing pretty well. She did get into some pills she had stashed at ther parents once but said that will not happen again. It was Seriquil I think that is an antidepresant.

After they fixed her knee and relieved the majority of her pain she was able to see that she had a problem with the pain meds. Prior to them fixing her knee she said she was only trying to treat her pain. So once she admitted she had a problem she took things seriously.

I have been abusing fruit in recent weeks. grapes, cranberies and cherries. I moved up to powered capsuls yesterday.

I have been eating dried cherries and dried cranberries, and fresh red grapes. Then I moved on to cherry juice and cranberry juice. I can only drink it before bed as it gives me the farts. I figure if I have gas while everyone is sleeping no one will know.

Now I have moved to the powdered capsuls as well as still eating and drinking the fruit. I see a problem but I do not know how to stop. I am only taking what it says on the bottle. Plus I will get my blood checked in a few weeks make sure my potasium levels are alright.

Also I am drinking mostly water and an occassional diet rite cherry soda. I am allergic to nutra sweet and diet rite is the only one that uses splenda.

I am also back on the fishoil. I am doing fine. I was allergic to something about three or four weeks ago and thought maybe it was the fishoil. I guess it was something else but I do not know what yet. Glad it was not the fishoil. Anyway the rash is gone so hmmm I just do not know.

I am happy for Brooke she seems to be feelling better. Thanks Babs for posting Brookes blog.

I had my Mom and my sister sit down and watch this. I thought it might be enlitening to them. My sister was appalled by the behavior of the sisters and the mother.

Oh it was just enteresting to get thier opinion of someone elses illness.

I was glad to watch it again. Poor Brooke bless her heart. She gets as angry and frustrated as I do trying to explain things to people that do not understand. Honestly I do not always understand it all myself so I guess I will try not to judge people too much.

Its easy for us to try and identify with Brooke and want to smack the mom and sister for not being "supportive" but Brooke now admits she was addicted to the narcotics. Its the Brookes of the world that make it difficult for us to get needed pain medications. Do you really want her being the representative patient for pain med use in RA.

As I said it is easy to place a lot of blame on mom and sis but remember this show is called Intervention. Living with an addict is not easy and Brooke's family was at the end of their ropes. They watched Brooke get more and more strung out. They had watched Brooke spiral out of control. Brooke dr shopped and lied to those drs to get more pain meds...ALL WITHOUT TRYING TO ACTIVELY DEAL WITH HER DISEASE.

I feel for Brooke and her family and unless we have walked in all those shoes I withhold judgement on Brooke's family

Yes Brooke had a problem with her pain meds. Yes the show is intervention. Even the Doctor told the family that her addiction was different then heroin addicts. the Doctor explained things to the family. The Doctor explained to Brooke that they had newer pain meds to treat her with then wha they had in the past.

I think if more Doctors would treat fibromyalgia patients with Lyrica and other newer meds that there would be less of these problems. Brooke went willing when it was explained to her that they would treat her pain.

She had an addiction yes but she also needed a knee replacement and a shoulder replacement.

So we want to blame the addicts rather than the drugs? They have newer safer drugs that do not loose thier pain protecting power over time much as other meds do and alot of doctors are not prescribing them.

Brooke is not the spokes woman for RA. Yes she had an addiction. The lesson I see in this is that there is more that we can do for pain then take meds that do not help.

Instead of taking to many pills I went to a neurologist and told him that my pain meds were not working. He helped me but did not not give me narcotics. I tell him thank you so much everytime I see him. I am not even half way to the dose of Lyrica used to treat fibro yet and I feel so much better. Sure I had to get threw the side effects for a few weeks but I woke up at six a.m. today.

I understand the family's reaction or part of it. I will not say that they were perfect. I did like the intervention part when the pain doctor spoke to the family. Brooke is helping others now. That is part of the recovery. She was pretty young when hit with this so I give her props for admitting she had a problem.