Introduction

[Guest guest]

Thank you for accepting me into the group. I am not new to pain since I have

had Fibromyalgia since before it had a name but it is really getting old to

have pain on top of pain. I am 62, an RN for 33 years that still works on

the floor 3 - 12 hour shifts a week, because I enjoy patient care.

I had been telling my doctor about how much pain I have been in when I walk

and he would tell me to change shoes, take NSAID'S and exercise. I finally

had to keep telling him I was hurting just about every week. I would call

the office and send emails and really bug the stuffins out of him.

I went in and he finally said he was sending me for xrays and an MRI. Great! Had

it all done that same day. Now 10 days later I had not heard a word from his

office. Again I had to call, this time 3 times to finally get an answer from

his nurse. I have severe degenerative facet disease and they recommend I see a

Pain Specialist.

OK, I call the office to make an appointment and they require a referral from my

doctor. My insurance doesn't require this,

the doctor does, So now I have to call my doctor to send them a referral. I

didn't hear back from the pain doctor's office for almost 2 weeks, then I had to

wait 2 weeks until he could see me. We scheduled a Rhizotomy, which I had Friday

a week ago. Now I have relief from one pain.

I have to wait 2 more weeks and we scheduled some injections for my sciatic

pain. Why all of the procedures couldn't be done at one time I don't know,

except now he can charge for 2 procedures and charge me for the 30% my insurance

won't pay, again.

I was almost to the point of having to check on getting disability before I

could get my doctor to listen to me. Why do they do that? I don't take pain

meds. I didn't go in asking for anything unreasonable so he certainly can't

think I am a drug seeker. I work with him so he knows me, but yet I had to come

to the point of crying before he would take me seriously. I can't imagine the

trouble that a stranger would have getting help when they are in pain if I was

treated this way.

I found out many years ago that nothing helps the Fibro pain, so I don't take

anything for it but I needed something done for this. I have to work. My husband

is on Social Security and I have to have insurance because I also have diabetes

and high blood pressure. So no matter what, I have to drag myself in to work. I

am looking forward to retirement but won't be able to until I can get Medicare.

This was longer than I expected an introduction to be, but this is what I am

going through and why I wanted to join. To see how others are handling what they

have to go through on a daily basis. There were times that I would ask God just

to take me, because I couldn't take it any longer. I wasn't thinking about

taking my own life, but if He wanted me I was more than ready to go.

Thanks for reading this. Made me feel better just writing it down.

--

Darlyene