Re: Swearing vs Pain

[Guest guest]

I actually saw something about this on Discovery Health channel. Apparently, a

scientific study was done and according to that study and the channel, if

someone isn't a regular user of profanity, swearing when in pain helps somehow

lol. I don't know how true it is either, but it has helped me. Yes I think it

could have been sub-conscious, but it still helped lol.

Love,

Becky in NM

Lyndi wrote:

Sometimes, I get pain relief (real or imagined) from a few well phrased

expletives. I've often wondered why it seems to help.

[Guest guest]

Sometimes, I get pain relief (real or imagined) from a few well phrased

expletives. I've often wondered why it seems to help.

I believe that if it helps you vent your frustrations then go for it. As long as

it isn't swearing directly at someone.

It's essentially screaming at fate for a bit. Anger is a part of the grief

process, and we don't simply work through the stages then life is peachy. It's

on ongoing thing.

So go for it.

Kaylene

[Guest guest]

Kaylene wrote:

> I believe that if it helps you vent your frustrations then go for it. As long

as it isn't swearing directly at someone.

>

> It's essentially screaming at fate for a bit. Anger is a part of the grief

process, and we don't simply work through the stages then life is peachy. It's

an ongoing thing.

Kaylene All,

I believe that when we swear, we are frustrated and it increases our adrenaline

and in turn endorphins which reduce pain. People are surprised when they hear

me say those words and know I am feeling bad.

Bennie

[Guest guest]

LOl, thank you for these lovely clear explanations! I've noticed

the most appalling words coming out of my mouth when talking to

total strangers, including medical ones, and yeah it IS built up frustration but

it shocks me nonetheless.

What I routinely do however is groan a lot, primarily during the first hour or

so that I'm up and before the pain meds have kicked

in. The dog and cats are used to this, no sweat, but Monday, after I'd been

lying in that chemo chair for 3 hours or so, I was hurting badly and

automatically started groaning and listing to one side as

I walked from the chemo room out through the entrance.

I DID notice a very nicely dressed youngish man staring at me, obviously in

distress and wondering what HE should do for this poor

doubled over and groaning lady, to the point that I snapped out of it and burst

into apologetic laughter. I explained what I was doing, that I hurt a

LOT--turns out his sister was in the chemo room, and at the very least, he now

knows a LOT more about the pain degree she's experiencing.

You all are great people, and I apologize for not even responding a few months

ago. Since then I've had a lot to absorb, such as that my pain is from Stage 4

pleural cancer, probably incurable.

The need for lots of narcotics which I've been scared of and so have not taken

enough of until just a few days ago, but the resulting constipation is a horror

as I try to work THAT out.

I hope the chemo will at least shrink the tumors enough so that

there's less pain and more FUNCTION to my life--I've got a LOT of tidying to do

before the end, whenever it comes.

love,

Helena

[Guest guest]

--- Helena wrote:

>Monday, after I'd been lying in that chemo chair for 3 hours or so, I was

hurting badly and automatically started groaning and listing to one side as I

walked from the chemo room out through the entrance.

Hi Helena

I'm sorry that you have a nasty version of cancer. Have you just started listing

to one side? That could indicate that you have had a stroke. Please see your

doctor about this.

I hope you beat the cancer asap.

Kaylene

[Guest guest]

Helena wrote:

> I hope the chemo will at least shrink the tumors enough so that

> there's less pain and more FUNCTION to my life--I've got a LOT of tidying to

do before the end, whenever it comes.

Hi Helena

Getting the tidying done is worthwhile. It sure helps out those who

have to get all our final things in order. I've been through the

tidying up, and then fooled everyone, including myself, by not dying.

I've also been the executor of a couple of small estates. One was

tidied, the other wasn't. The tidy one was so much easier to deal with.

I said " thanks " so many times when I was getting the papers finished.

Please don't let the worries about constipation keep you from lowering

your pain levels. On recommendation from my pharmacist (who never

steered me wrong), I began taking Miralax once a day. I also take two

Sennosides tablets every day. (one's not enough, three's too many :-)

Sennosides is sold under all sorts of generic and brand names, so you'd

need to do some label reading.

I eat lots of roughage, but every third day, I also take a dose of

Konsyl. It has nothing added to it and it actually tastes not bad. I

sometimes add about a quarter cup of apple juice to the water. The

Konsyl has to be mixed in a shaking cup. If you stir it, instead of

shaking it, it goes lumpy.

Anyway, those are the three things my pharmacist recommended. The

Konsyl and the Miralax are not cheap, but for me, they are worth every

penny. (Miralax is sold under a few house brand names now). On my last

shop for both items, I bought them through Amazon. One of my feet is

swollen and black and blue and I just didn't feel up to walking through

a huge store that never has enough ride on carts. The amazon.com order

was supposed to take two days, but I ordered on Thursday morning and the

package arrived Friday afternoon. Now that's service!

Hope that helps and I really hope you are feeling better this afternoon.

Lyndi

Moderator

[Guest guest]

Helena,

My Doctor gave me a prescription for Relistor which is for constipation. It is a

small injection with a TB syringe and

it moves things along and out. It is the best thing I have

ever used along with a Breakfast Cookie made by the Oatmeal

company that has a lot of fiber.

I also groan and sing old hymns not on tune though. Helena,

my best girlfriend made it through stage four cancer and is

cancer free for fifteen years now.

After stem cell and going through imagery training to think

of herself as a survivor and stay away from toxic people and relationships.

Bernie Segal video tapes are a good support

system.

I used to be a radiation therapist. Have you ever gone to the

Cancer Centers of America? They have an instant messenger that answers question

about their facility and I was quite impressed

that they use nutritional therapy, spiritual support, and holistic support along

with current therapies.

Bennie

[Guest guest]

Helena,

You can try to get your Doctor to write a prescription for Miralax

and hopefully you insurance might pay, mine did, but the Relistor helped me so

much better as I had to drink a lot of water with it.

My Cancer patients would always ask me if they should make their

will. I had one lady adk if she should adopt her grandchildren as

her daughter had run off and left them with her and they could not

get here as she did.

I would always say, " You could get run over by a car today or be in

an accident, so you should be prepared for what you want and not have others

deciding if you are in a state you cannot think of what to do. "

It was always the patient who was concerned and I tried to encourage them to do

what they would do while they were living.

Bennie

[Guest guest]

--- Bennie wrote:

>

> You can try to get your Doctor to write a prescription for Miralax

> and hopefully you insurance might pay,

You no longer need a prescription for Miralax - it's available over the counter.

And there are generic/store versions of it available for a lot less money. I

got a huge tub of the Walgreen's version for less than $10 on sale, and it's

lasting me three months (I only take it every other day or every third day,

because it works so well.) It's the exact same drug.

Miralax truly was a miracle for me - nothing else works as well as it does for

me.

Cheryl in AZ

Moderator

[Guest guest]

Cheryl

The four major causes of constipation found in the general population are:

a.. Lack of adequate water intake. The average person should drink six to

eight full (8 oz.) glasses of water or juice daily. It is important not to count

caffeinated drinks (coffee, tea, cola) as a part of this total.

Read more at the link:

http://doctor-gillis.com/constipation.shtml

Anyway, the benefits of the right intake of water are great.....BUT. Most

humans start and then stop after one or two months. Why? It is too hard to

keep up. Humans are the ones that love to be comfortable, me included. The 6-8

full glasses a day is very uncomfortable.

But there is a way........if you stay with it long enough, it will show you

wonderful results. At first (I read and hear about this) your body will not

know how to handle the increased water. If one has neglected water intake for a

long period, the body starts to " store whatever it can. " I don't know where it

stores it, but it does.

To get to a point where the " storing of water " stops might just take some real

time.

I once heard that most doctors, when they first see a patient, can tell right

off the bat if the person has been getting enough water or not.

So......the big question is: would a doctor tell you to drink more water, or

would he rather have you return again and again? My guess is that the doctor

would do whatever brings him or her more money.

Bill

[Guest guest]

--- " Bill Wiemann " wrote:

>

> Cheryl

> The four major causes of constipation found in the general population are:

>

> a.. Lack of adequate water intake.

Hi Bill -

This may be the problem for the " general population, " but for those of us on

opiates, you could drink gallons of water and it wouldn't help. The drugs

actually slow and stop the motion of the bowel, and that must be addressed

medically. Drinking water will just make you urinate more - it won't start a

bowel moving again.

Cheryl in AZ

Moderator

[Guest guest]

Hi Cheryl,

Okay, thanks. I did not know about that.

Bill

Hi Bill -

This may be the problem for the " general population, " but for those of us on

opiates, you could drink gallons of water and it wouldn't help. The drugs

actually slow and stop the motion of the bowel, and that must be addressed

medically. Drinking water will just make you urinate more - it won't start a

bowel moving again.

Cheryl in AZ

Moderator

[Guest guest]

Bill W. wrote:

> Hi Cheryl,

> Okay, thanks. I did not know about that.

Stick around Bill. We're have a veritable plethora of answers to

questions that are not normally discussed at public gatherings :-)

Lyndi

Moderator

[Guest guest]

I haven't posted anything in quite a while, but I thought I would share my

constipation 'cocktail.' Besides chronic nerve and muscle pain, I am 'blessed'

with Ulcerative Colitis (UC) AND Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)...fun, I know!

I had severe bouts of constipation before my injury in July 2008 (resulting in

vomiting and an ER visit to make sure I didn't have an obstruction), so being on

Dilaudid constantly has presented quite a challenge. My UC has been flaring,

which adds to the fun. I take 2 stool softener pills (brand name Colace, but I

get the generic as it's much cheaper in the strongest strength) every morning

and if I'm quite 'guck,' as my mom likes to joke, I take 2 more in the evening.

I also take one capful of generic Miralax (if you have a BJs near you, they have

the best price for a double pack) in a glass of chocolate milk. If I'm at a

point where I'm really in distress, I put in 2 capfulls of Miralax. Usually

that does the trick. I avoid laxatives as they don't always work and when they

do it's like giving yourself the stomach flu. Miralax works gently. You really

want to do whatever you can on a daily basis to combat the constipation as you

don't want to develop hemorrhoids. With the UC and IBS adding to the problem,

being severely constipated caused me to develop prolapsed hemorrhoids. I had to

have PPH (stapled hemorrhoidectomy) surgery in December 2009 and it was quite

painful. Do whatever you can to get yourself going regularly. I hope this

helps!

> Lyndi wrote:

> Please don't let the worries about constipation keep you from lowering your

pain levels.