I shouldn't be, but I am. Rheumy is supposed to call today. The meds my
GP gave me, well one wasn't covered under our insurance, and the other
the pharmacy had to order because of the doseage (I guess it was really
low...*shakes head in amazement at stupidity*), and it wouldn't be in
until today. So, I decided to just wait until the RD called today and
save some $$ on scripts. (It helped that DH stayed home with me and the
kids the past two days. heh)
I'm really going to fight for something that is NOT an NSAID. I took
some ibprofen last night (800mg...), and OMG, I was dizzy the rest of
the night. I nearly fell backwards going up the stairs last night. I am
now convinced that HAD to be what made me pass out...the Relafen.
Can I just make them call me in some vicodin and be done with it? I
KNOW that cuts the pain to a level where I can function, and it doesn't
make me stupid. Although, I will say, that morphine shot I got in the
hospital, (well, what I remember anyways. lol) that was the best I've
felt in MONTHS! (pain-free) Stupid, but pain free. (although the stupid
could have partly been because of the concussion)
I just had to tell someone my fears. I'm such a wimp when it comes to
standing up to Drs. I have GOT TO GET OVER IT, I know. Y'all come smack
me, please. :)
Also, if they ask me one more time if I'm depressed, I'm gonna smack
them. Yes, I'm sad about the fact that I'm in pain, but I'm not
depressed....me depressed was threatening to check myself into a mental
hospital a week after the baby was born when I hit the bottom. Once he
came home a week later I started going back up the ladder, and a couple
months after that the horror of the NICU went away, and I was okay with
everything that happened. (I'm sure the 25mg of Zoloft helped.....but
now that i'm on 50mg a day, I feel really mean, and I'm mad at my
mother. Thats a bad sign I think) Grrrrrrrr.
Okay, frustration vented some. Y'all don't even need to reply. The mere
fact that I have somewhere to write this all out works for me. I think
I need to start blogging.
I LOST it on the phone. I mean hysterical crying (okay, so it IS um,
that time....so I'm a little emotional, plus my hormones are a MESS
because of of weaning and new birth control...so I cry at the drop of a
hat), so they are getting me in to see the Dr on Monday, instead of Dec
5th. (I guess crying is a good thing sometimes???) He wants to see me
before prescribing any pain meds, IF he decides to at all.
I do NOT feel comfortable seeing my PCP anymore....after what he asked
me the other day (I know he meant well, but it was very akward when I
was there yesterday for a follow-up). I suppose I could go to another
Dr, but i'm so sick of Drs I can't see straight. It is just because I
don't look sick? Because what is swollen to me may look normal to
them?? (i'm a tiny person....5lbs of water weight looks GOOD on me.
breastfeeding made me skin and bones....) What, because I do my makeup
before I walk out of the house? (forget hair, I can't do that...but I
can stand to put my "face" on, it makes me feel human) Because I wear
heels? (hey, going from car to office and office to car is
easy....I slip them off in the car and have driving shoes) Because I
try to look nice when I walk out of the house??
Gosh, I'm sorry, I'm so upset. Thank God for my kids, they are keeping
me sane this morning. I have to go bawl a little more. Poor DH...he's
really upset.
Anyone know a good rhumatologist in the Dallas area who doesn't push
NSAIDs and SSRI's as their preffered treatment for pain???? Or doesn't
tell patients to "suck it up over the weekend". WTH?
Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr
Well, I think you already know this but, you need a new frickin doctor. What a MORON. I'm so sorry :( You really need someone who's going to LISTEN to you and understand that you have children at home and you need to be able to FUNCTION for them. I really can't believe your doc. I will say that whatever you do, do it quickly because you need to be treated. You don't want this to do damage that'll haunt you forever. :( Get it under control ASAP. I'm sure you've heard that all before! LoL Until you get to a new doc, just breathe hun! Relax and try to focus on the kids, they're great spirit lifters! We're all here for you *hugs*
Thats the thing......this is the NEW Doctor!!!!!
He doesn't think I have RA at all, he's convinced it's Fibro, because I
don't sleep well (um, part of that is I have a 6-month old who likes to
see mommy every THREE hours during the night. I don't think they
understand that completely?? Giving me meds to knock me out at night
isn't doing me any good), and I need to sleep straight through the
night, and I won't have any pain during the day. (Okay, I did try it
the first weekend, DH took care of the baby.....I was in MORE pain in
the mornings after sleeping all night and not moving). He also thinks
it's Fibro because to him, I didn't have any swelling.
They also said I needed to get out and exercise, that will help. Okay,
how is going to the gym going to work when I get so exhausted and sore
after 30 minutes at the mall pushing a double stroller? Going to the
grocery store, I can no longer do it with both kids like I used too
(because the pain is just worse as the weather gets colder).
Ugh, I just feel like a freak. The assistant told me that the Doc said
I needed to call my PCP ASAP and go see him, and I needed to have
another adult with me today at all times because my "emotional state"
seemed dangerous. Ugh, I know she's doing her job, and that they worry
about pain causing depression and stuff....but if a patient is that
upset, you just tell them to "tough it out over the weekend" and call
your PCP so you can go in and "talk" to them? WTH?! I told her I fired
my PCP yesterday because I no longer felt comfortable seeing him after
he asked me if I was being abused, or if I had problems in my homelife.
I'm so ticked. I can't even begin to explain. This is the SECOND Dr's
office that has told me I have to "deal with the pain". What is wrong
with me????
If you can not handle the pain until Monday please go into the Urgent Care or ER. That is what they are there for. They can give you something there and a script for enough to last you until you get into your RD. Start researching new docs. Make appointments. Only you can advocate for yourself for good health care. Midge...you need to be in the best health you can be for yourself. Without you taking care of you first and foremost, it is hard to take care of those precious babies. And that tends to really hurt for us moms. Don't put yourself thru that. Snuggle with the babies today. They have such great healing energy that surrounds them. Alan I've read that they're actually more dangerous than the scary RA drugs. Apparently 16,000-17,000 people die each year from NSAIDs, mostly from unstoppable bleeding ulcers. Umpteen thousands are hospitalized each year for this. Lots of people have no symptoms until sudden problems and hospitalization. And a lot of people also have symptoms like you're having from taking NSAIDs. I'm not trying to scare you or say you should or shouldn't take them. I'm saying you have legitimate concerns and are right to stick to your guns if you feel you know something important about your body and a certain drug. I used to pop Motrin like candy too. And now I'm on Celebrex. I don't think it's any safer. Maybe it's less safe. But I don't have any bad immediate symptoms from these NSAIDS (though I had prescription for Anaprox once that I threw out the door fast beause of bad side effects). And I'm choosing to take them, knowing the risks, because it's the best option for me for now for pain relief. I tell myself it's like the risks I take when I get in a car or on a plane. I choose the risk over living my life between four walls. But for some people, it's a much bigger risk, maybe like getting in a car with a drunk driver. Good luck. Glad your husband is going with you when you see the doc. Anything to be taken seriously, right? MsMidge, you're right to question the NSAIDs. I've read that they're actually more dangerous than the scary
RA drugs. Apparently 16,000-17,000 people die each year from NSAIDs,
mostly from unstoppable bleeding ulcers. Umpteen thousands are
hospitalized each year for this. Lots of people have no symptoms until
sudden problems and hospitalization. And a lot of people also have
symptoms like you're having from taking NSAIDs. I'm not trying to scare you or say you should or shouldn't take
them. I'm saying you have legitimate concerns and are right to stick to
your guns if you feel you know something important about your body and
a certain drug. I used to pop Motrin like candy too. And now I'm on Celebrex. I
don't think it's any safer. Maybe it's less safe. But I don't have any
bad immediate symptoms from these NSAIDS (though I had prescription for
Anaprox once that I threw out the door fast beause of bad side
effects). And I'm choosing to take them, knowing the
risks, because it's the best option for me for now for pain
relief. I tell myself it's like the risks I take when I get in a car or on a
plane. I choose the risk over living my life between four walls. But
for some people, it's a much bigger risk, maybe like getting in a car
with a drunk driver. Good luck. Glad your husband is going with you when you see the doc. Anything to be taken seriously, right? I'm so glad you've calmed a little. :) Was worried about you all day! LoL As far as the NSAIDs...I dunno. I've been taking them hardcore since I was 3. So far, not even a TRACE of any stomach problems. (I do have acid reflux, but it seems unrelated, and mostly hereditary.) I AM SO GLAD YOUR HUBBY IS GOING WITH! BIG YAY! Tell him if he has to get a little ugly, he can and should! LOL Your kids sound great, and I'm glad you have them. :) Hope things get better for you in the near future!
Spoke with DH. We're both going to go in on Monday and talk to this
Doc. DH and I both want to make sure things aren't getting lost in
translation from Drs assistant to him. Also, DH wants to know WHY he
thinks I have Fibro, cause DH doesn't think so (his mother has
it....and my pain is SO much different from hers....yeah, we call each
other daily to compare pain. lol. I love my MIL...I wish she lived with
me, I'm serious) If this Docs ONLY option for pain is NSAIDs, we'll sa
"thanks, but no thanks" and walk out. I'm just not comfortable with
taking those long-term. I used to pop motrin like it was candy when I
was training, and I think I really screwed my stomach up. (we're
talking 1000-1200 ibprofen at a pop....had lots of injuries!!) I don't
like the way I feel when I take it now, and I normally don't take it.
Aleve makes my ears ring, same with Asprin.
THanks everyone...I do have some other Drs lined up...but with the
holiday, I'm just not in the mood to make appointments right now. I
will though,if I don't get the anwsers I seek. :)
Good luck Midge. You have good advice and a DH. Also a great MIL. Let them help you and hang tough girl - you know what your body needs and what you can handle.
Everything you said above is why I am extreamly hesitant to use NSAIDs
for any amount of time longer than 3 or 4 days. (The only time I have
used Motrin since I quit skating 6 years ago was after childbirth
because I was able to take that and not have to take narcotics for
pain. But only for 2-3 days each time. ) I know I have probably already
done some damage from all the Motrin I popped back when I was skating.
However because of all the rules, Motrin and Tylenol were the only
painkillers you could take (no prescription painkillers, even if you
had the script, they pull your number for a random test, you're
screwed) and finish out your season without any worries. I think it may
have changed now, but back then. *shrugs*
They actually wanted to put me on Celebrex, but lucky me, I'm allergic
to Sulfa. Breaks me out in a terrible rash, fever, and I look like I
HAVE scarlet fever!! (freaked me out!) I think the Dr wasn't to
thrilled to hear that, but I mean, sheesh. I have several drug
allergies...I can't help it!
Thanks everyone for just letting me vent. I'm SO much calmer this
evening. I did give myself a whopper of a migraine though. I've been
doing SO good too, this is the first one I've had in 3 months (gotta be
a new record for me!!!). Think the Ultram is making it worse. I think I
may have DH pick up the script for muscle relaxers they called in last
week...I'd better call and make sure they still have it. I'm telling
you, thats the BEST thing for a migraine....take 2 muscle relaxers and
go to bed. Better than any triptain I've tried. Cheaper too!!! haha
I'm going to get in the chat room one of these afternoons.....I need to
actually put both kids down for a nap. I let my daughter stay up, she
was the highlight of my day. When I was sitting here on the couch
bawling, she brought me the box of tissues, pulled one out, said "it's
okay mommy, I love you" and gave me a hug. (she's 2!!! How precious is
that?!) I want more babies. It makes up for me not really speaking to
my family.
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