going to a new doctor and scared...

[Guest guest]

So I have been reading posts and learning through some of you and decided that

it was time for me to get a doctor since I moved. I finally got my state

insurance and called in and had them call and got me an appointment because I

didn't have any luck at all.. I told the lady that is with my insurance that i

needed to get refills and I was in pain. thank heavens all my meds are all

covered. I suffer from Fyrbromyalgia and back issues and anziety and other

stuff. so she said bring in your meds and come in thursday and I was happy but

so dang scared that the doctor will reject me like a few others have.. my last

doctor in California was wonderful and kind and made sure I was taken care of. I

pray this doctor is near the same or at least gets my refils or I am so in

trouble.

I need my Husband to come in with me just because he is so much better with

speaking than I am. I am much better on paper emailing some one then speaking

and problem is with me, I can go in with a smile while in the world of pain to

death.

so I take methadone for the long term pain, morphine IR for the break through

pain and valuim for the anxiety and that also helps me for the spasms.

with my insurance Health Choice Arizona I have to have a Primary care Dcotor and

they said I can go through all of their doctors until I finally find that one..

the primary care doctor has to give me the referal to see a pain doctor and any

thing else...

I have tried so many medicines and ended up having these meds that seem to

only work on me. my husband is afraid of the methadone with doctors but that is

a miracle life saver with my pain.

I am open to any feedback and advice on how to better myself with doctors and

what ever. I am new to this area and it took me since July to figure out how to

get a doctor and my insurance,,

my husband is help finding me a girl cat so I can cuddle with some cat.

by the way, I am 32 with 4 kids that help take care of each other.

in 2002 I was in a car accident that messed my whole body up.

my kids ages are as follws, 2 yr old boy 4 yr old girl almost 12 yr old girl and

almost 13 yr old girl. Huusband is very kind and is my sweetheart. I am using

his email..

we used to live in california around the salton sea where I hated it and now

live in Bullhead City Arizona.. with love, God Bless..

Be Blessed with a pain free day friends..

in Az

p.s Thank you all for listening. sorry my email seems a bit scattered..

[Guest guest]

(((((((())))))))

First I want to let you know that I am sending you lots of positive energy that

your doctor appointment with go well!

Second just a few suggestions. Take all your prescriptions in the container.

If you have any records from tests, doctor notes, etc. take a copy. Also take

your last doctor's name and address ( phone number and fax #) if you have it to

give to this doctor in case he/she would like more information. I would just

take the ones that were helpful.

Have a list of medications that you have taken previously and if you can

remember how long you were on them and what type of response you had to them.

if you don't have any records, take a list of any treatments you have had like

physical therapy, injections, nerve block, etc with approximate dates.

If you come with information to provide the doctor you appear to be a patient

rather than someone just complaining.

Hope this helps. Let us know how you make out. Huge gentle hugs, Tami

[Guest guest]

stephenajack wrote:

> So I have been reading posts and learning through some of you and decided that

it was time for me to get a doctor since I moved.

> p.s Thank you all for listening. sorry my email seems a bit scattered..

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Hi ,

Scattered, I followed your e-mail perfectly and welcome to our group. I am glad

you got care. I do a lot of research and some resources I found to help me

understand my condition and issues to deal with it , to include choosing a

Doctor are " Survival Guide for Intractable Pain Patients " by Dr. Forest Tenant

that can be downloaded from pain topics.org (which is a great website) and the

American Pain Foundation which has a section on this and other issues for a pain

patient.

The good part of the American Pain Foundation is the publications section and

they have resources to include a pain journal, choosing and communication with a

doctor checklist, a forum monitored by Physican Assistants and Nurses, and a

Resource listing of pain issues,organizations, on the resource page (they have

over two hundred listings). There is a section where you can contact point of

contacts to assist you with your pain issues and help you research for a good

Doctor and program.

I have Degenerative Disc Disease requiring a three level fusion of L-4 thru S-1,

with instrumentation (two rods and 6 long screws, and BAK cages used to replace

my three vertebrae) , fibromylagia, and then Sacral Iliac Syndrome (Piriformis

Syndrome,and Sciatica) from a auto wreck when a guy pulled out in front of me

and I pushed hard on the brake to avoid him (but didn't) and my leg jammed up to

my Sacral Iliac misaligning and no one found it for seven months when my

myofascial physical therapist assessed me and it took a month to put my sacral

ilac joint back in place.

Well, this causes me a life of severe cramping and muscle spasm and repeated

injections and procedures have caused me to get arachnoiditis which is very

painful.

Enough of me, you will find the members here very compassion and encouraging and

will share their experiences and I have found many resources through the group

and the moderations are great and helpful also. Welcome again. Bennie

[Guest guest]

,

This is where you can list all the things Tami is talking about in a Pain Diary

or Pain Journal. The American Pain Foundation has a great one you can type in

and print out and is set up to address all the things needed for your Doctor.

It is listed under the Publications section and is the Target Pain Notebook.

http://www.painfoundation.org/learn/publications/target-notebook.html

I have copied and pasted the publications page as you can see this better than

just giving a link and see that how nice the publications are and the areas they

cover. I hope you take the time and others to check this website out. Bennie

Explain Your Pain

This brochure, with its easy-to-use self assessment worksheet, allows you to

record and visually describe where your pain hurts, how it feels and when it

hurts to your health care provider so he/she can assess your pain more

effectively. Available in English and Spanish.

For professional printing, you must obtain prior written consent by completing

and submitting a reprint agreement. Upon approval, you may download the English

or Spanish version and print in compliance with the agreement.

Con la ayuda del cuestionario que se adjunta, usted puede probar formas

prácticas y satisfactorias de hablar con su médico acerca del dolor crónico y

manejarlo según sus necesidades. Usted tiene a disposición muchas opciones para

tratar las afecciones relacionadas con el dolor y junto a su médico pueden

analizar cuál es el mejor tratamiento para usted.

Fibromyalgia: the Information & Care You Deserve

Living with chronic widespread pain can be tough. But the more you learn, the

better you will feel. There is hope for people with this kind of pain. Read the

fibromyalgia handbook and talking points.

Finding a Health Care Provider for Your Pain

No one should have to live with pain, and ignoring it will only lead to more

suffering. Finding the right health care provider to treat your pain is an

important step in getting relief. Take the time to find a health care provider

who has the education, skills and willingness to work with you to manage your

pain.

Is Fibro the Cause? A Toolkit for People Living with Fibromyalgia

Fibromyalgia: the Information & Care You Deserve

Living with chronic widespread pain can be tough. But the more you learn, the

better you will feel. There is hope for people with this kind of pain. Read the

fibromyalgia handbook and talking points.

Finding a Health Care Provider for Your Pain

No one should have to live with pain, and ignoring it will only lead to more

suffering. Finding the right health care provider to treat your pain is an

important step in getting relief. Take the time to find a health care provider

who has the education, skills and willingness to work with you to manage your

pain.

Is Fibro the Cause? A Toolkit for People Living with Fibromyalgia

Do you or a loved one have pain all over? Do you feel overly tired or have

difficulties concentrating? If so, fibromyalgia may be the cause. The American

Pain Foundation (APF) developed this toolkit to help you learn more about

fibromyalgia, how to recognize signs and symptoms and seek treatment. This guide

is full of helpful articles, tips and resources. Use our new worksheet, Is Fibro

the Cause?, to help track your symptoms and talk with your health care provider.

Don't forget to use APF's Targeting Chronic Pain Notebook to keep track of your

pain and how it affects you each day.

Online Manuals & Toolkits

Back Pain Online Guide

Breakthrough Cancer Pain Online Manual

Health Decision Making Online Manual

Fibromyalgia Online Toolkit

Pain Care Bill of Rights

The Pain Care Bill of Rights is available in English, Spanish and Chinese. A

poster version in English is provided.

Pain Resource Guide: Getting the Help You Need

Our booklet is designed to help you take charge of your pain care. It provides

important information about pain and tips to assist you in getting the quality

pain care you deserve. Also included are pages to help you list your health care

team and record your questions and concerns for appointments with your

healthcare provider(s). We hope this will be an invaluable resource for you.

Reporter's Guide: Covering Pain & Its Management

The Guide serves as a primer on pain and pain management to help meet the

informational needs of busy reporters, editors and producers covering the pain

story. We know it's a complex topic, and hope you will find this to be a useful

resource.

Research & Practice Update

The Research & Practice Update translates some of the latest pain research and

management practices presented at select scientific meetings, as well as those

published in reputable medical journals. The Update features Q & A-style articles

on emerging and promising areas of pain research and other hot topics and

showcases the accomplishments of up-and-coming researchers and treatment

clinics.

Summer 2009: Issue 1 (PDF)

Summer 2010: Issue 2 (PDF)

Summer 2010: Issue 2 (ePublication)

Target Chronic Pain

Target Chronic Pain publications are easy-to-use practical tools for pain

assessment, management and communication. The Pain Notebook helps you maintain a

record of your pain and communicate your experiences. It's extremely useful when

discussing levels of pain, response to treatment and improvements in functioning

and side effects. Additional pages are available for printing and include Daily

Log, Easing Pain, Healthcare Team, Medications, Pain Scale and Questions &

Concerns worksheets.

The Target Chronic Pain Card is designed to give healthcare professionals a road

map to providing quality chronic pain assessment and relief. The card contains

useful resources, including protective strategies to guard against addiction,

abuse and diversion, and graphs to help explain components of chronic pain.

Tools - Chronic Opioid Therapy

Chronic Opioid Therapy: Preparing for Your Appointments

If you are prescribed an opioid to help manage your pain, there are many things

you need to know. This new worksheet will help you prepare for follow up medical

appointments. Use this in combination with APF’s Targeting Chronic Pain

Notebook.

Opioid Dos and Don’ts to Help Avoid Problems

Opioid Dos and Don'ts can help you stay safe and avoid problems when taking an

opioid. For more information about how to safely use opioids and other pain

therapies, visit www.painsafe.org.

Chronic Opioid Therapy Worksheet: A Companion to Chronic Pain Treatment designed

for health care providers is an easy-to-use worksheet that delineates key

components that should be included in each interaction with patients receiving

chronic opioid therapy.

SIX OPIOID SAFETY (SOS) STEPS that everyone needs to follow when using opioids

to treat pain.

Topic Briefs

Topic briefs provide an in-depth look at critical issues in pain management:

Breakthrough Cancer Pain, Chronic Pain and Opioid Therapy, Integrative Medicine:

Non-Drug Treatment Options, Pain Facts and Statistics, Pain in Specific

Populations, Pain Management and Disparities and Primer on Pain Management.

Treatment Options: A Guide for Living With Pain

Treatment Options: A Guide for People Living with Pain is an invaluable

resource. Written and reviewed by leading pain specialists, our guide provides

credible, comprehensive information about medications, psychosocial

interventions, complementary approaches, rehabilitation therapies, surgical

interventions and more.

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