Memory and PT

[Guest guest]

Hello - Because my medications have made me both sleepy and " foggy " , my pain

specialist has prescribed vyvanse. It is an ADHD medication. He also prescribed

it because it gives me more energy to deal with the pain.

Before that he prescribed Provigal* so I would stop falling asleep during the

day. That was a life-saver!

When I started working with my pain specialist more than ten years ago (sigh),

he introduced me to the physical therapist who works in his office. She deals

with all the most difficult to treat patients. She has been my greatest help

throughout these years.

I have chronic neuropathic pain caused by jaw surgery. In response to the

surgery, my body turned into one big muscle spasm. When I first met her, she

had to spend a long time " peeling the onion " so not all my muscles were in

spasm.

I've also seen a massage therapist regularly, sometimes as often as 3xs a week.

In the past 2 years, my PT has has worked with a dentist specialist to relax my

jaw muscles so he can move my jaw.

We continue to work together to get my body more " functional. " I still have

excruciating pain, but I also have exercises to keep me functioning.

She's always balancing how much work she can do with my reaction. Too much work

and everything goes right back into spasm. A good PT will give you exercises to

work on - all day, every day!

I recently had to go on disability retirement. I needed more time for myself.

Before I would run from one treatment to my office and then off to kids. I felt

like Sisyphus rolling up hill, but slowly falling down the hill.

I KNOW that I'll always live with some level of pain. We finally identified the

" cause " of the pain. Hopefully, with much " work " by my pt, new cranial sacral

therapist (who is also a trained pt), pain specialist and my new ability to take

yoga, I will be able to get to a point where I can manage my pain without

spending so much time.

This list serve has helped me make the transition. I'm going to look at the

books recently recommended -- and hope I can concentrate long enough to read

them!

* I'm laughing because I had to go check the bottle because I forgot the name of

the medication.