My continuing surgery saga

[Guest guest]

Hi all,

I hope this evening finds you well in spirit, if not pain free.

As many of you know, my ortho doctor decided not to give me any post-op pain

meds, feeling that I could get by wwith what I had at home. I have a very high

drug tolerance, and a very low pain threshhold, and even though I take some of

the strongest opioids, if I have a new pain problem come up, or get into a bad

Lupus/Spondylitis flare, my nine pain meds can't fight the battle...

An old doctor friend of mine Doctor Dominique, who is in my group and who has

agreed to take over my primary care, gave me some Norco. She gave me 100, and

she guessed, with me taking 12 a day, 2 every 4 hours, that I'd run out pretty

quickly. She hoped that my post-op pain would be somewhat diminished after the

first week and I'd be able to get by.

Saturday, I called her and told her just how bad it was. My knee was swollen up

to the size of a soccer ball, I couldn't walk on it and nothing, and I do mean

nothing, was doing any good. She commiserated with me, and told me as she was

on her way out to Quebec, where she is from and also has a practice, (she

rotates), to go to ER if I needed.

I, not wanting to bother anyone, just suffered. Sunday passed in the same sort

of haze, but today, the pain was even worse and my blood pressure, which tends

to skyrocket when I'm in severe pain, was in the stroke out region...

Reluctantly, I called in an ambulance crew.

Now, it's always been embarrassing to me, when a medic like me, and I'm a good

medic if I do say so myself, (my colleagues agree), has to call for a rig. My

friends were available and were going to take me but they were a few miles away,

so they sent a fire truck to sit with me and monitor my BP...

This was part of the same fire crew that had given me a hard time last time

about my service dog. I did have them written up. I apologized, and they both

agreed that they'd deserved the write-up.

As senior medic in our corps, I have some clout.

So, finally, the ambulance got there and Dewey and I were whisked away to the

hospital. I decided to go to the same hospital which had performed the surgery,

seeing as how they would have all my records and everything.

We get there, and they put me in the waiting room. I raise holy H*** . I say,

" No way are you sticking me in this waiting room to wait for hours when I could

have a blood clot. " My friend Jeff, one of the medics who brought me in, went

over to the desk and the nurse said to bring me to triage.

After giving me the third degree on why I took nine schedule II meds and why

they were not working for me, and why I didn't have most of my injectables, (I

am given a supply of injectables, if I use them as I normally do, I don't run

out early, but if I use them as prescribed, I run out a day or two early). I

don't ask for early refills. I explained that the reason I was out of my

Fentanyl and Demerol injections was that I am due to get them on wednesday, and

I had permission from my pain doc to up my dose if I needed because of surgery.

Finally, Dewey and I are taken into a room and another nurse comes in. She,

too, gives me the third degree. Then she rips the bandages off my incisions,

(nice of her), and says, " They're not draining, your leg is bruised but not that

swollen).

I said, " Oh yeah, watch this! " and I hopped off the stretcher. As soon as I

did, my knee began to swell, within a few minutes, it was the size of a

softball, that being the swelling. She said, " Oh my God, I guess you are in

pain, you poor thing. I'll go get Doctor J. "

She leaves and I wait a while. By this time, I'm slipping out of consciousness

and a man, who I assumed was the doctor, comes in and said he had some pain

patches for me, where did I want them. I said, " pain patches? What kind? "

Imagine a drunken slur and you've got it about right.

He said, " Fentanyl, you take fentanyl. "

I mumbled that I did but by injection. He explained that they didn't have

fentanyl injection in the ER. So, I got two 75 mcg patches on my right arm.

Then he taped them down. He warned me that they may take a few hours to really

kick in. I told him I was a paramedic and wasn't stupid. Thank God, he took it

with good humor.

Then, the doctor comes in, and he talks about giving me something for pain. I

explained that I had already been given Fentanyl patches, and then he said he

wanted to do an ultrasound of my leg to make sure there was no blood clot.

There wasn't.

After that, they let me go home. It was obvious that I was still in pain, and I

didn't know this until I got home, but the doc had given Rod, who had come to

get me, some Fentanyl for breakthrough pain called actiq, which is a losenge on

a stick... Rod had two of them, since the doc told him it could be several

hours before the patch began to work...

Everyone there was so impressed with Dewey and how well he behaved. He made me

proud. I can't wait until my Dobermann in training, Demon, can be the same way.

So, that's my story, and...I'm sticking to it, or rather, it's sticking to me!

--

Dodge

Read my blog at:

http://jumpthis.wordpress.com

Visit me at:

http://www./group/a_different_reality

[Guest guest]

Dodge, you're the only one I know of that can put a slice of bread in the

toaster and it becomes the beginning of a dramatic soap opera! LOL

Maybe you've missed your calling, they pay well for the soaps.

Get better (and without the problems that have been),

Dennis in eastexas

On Tue, Feb 24, 2009 at 12:36 AM, Dodge Porter <medicdodge@...>wrote:

> Hi all,

>

> I hope this evening finds you well in spirit, if not pain free.

>

> As many of you know, my ortho doctor decided not to give me any post-op

> pain meds, feeling that I could get by wwith what I had at home. I have a

> very high drug tolerance, and a very low pain threshhold, and even though I

> take some of the strongest opioids, if I have a new pain problem come up, or

> get into a bad Lupus/Spondylitis flare, my nine pain meds can't fight the

> battle...

>

> An old doctor friend of mine Doctor Dominique, who is in my group and who

> has agreed to take over my primary care, gave me some Norco. She gave me

> 100, and she guessed, with me taking 12 a day, 2 every 4 hours, that I'd run

> out pretty quickly. She hoped that my post-op pain would be somewhat

> diminished after the first week and I'd be able to get by.

>

> Saturday, I called her and told her just how bad it was. My knee was

> swollen up to the size of a soccer ball, I couldn't walk on it and nothing,

> and I do mean nothing, was doing any good. She commiserated with me, and

> told me as she was on her way out to Quebec, where she is from and also has

> a practice, (she rotates), to go to ER if I needed.

>

> I, not wanting to bother anyone, just suffered. Sunday passed in the same

> sort of haze, but today, the pain was even worse and my blood pressure,

> which tends to skyrocket when I'm in severe pain, was in the stroke out

> region... Reluctantly, I called in an ambulance crew.

>

> Now, it's always been embarrassing to me, when a medic like me, and I'm a

> good medic if I do say so myself, (my colleagues agree), has to call for a

> rig. My friends were available and were going to take me but they were a few

> miles away, so they sent a fire truck to sit with me and monitor my BP...

>

> This was part of the same fire crew that had given me a hard time last time

> about my service dog. I did have them written up. I apologized, and they

> both agreed that they'd deserved the write-up.

>

> As senior medic in our corps, I have some clout.

>

> So, finally, the ambulance got there and Dewey and I were whisked away to

> the hospital. I decided to go to the same hospital which had performed the

> surgery, seeing as how they would have all my records and everything.

>

> We get there, and they put me in the waiting room. I raise holy H*** . I

> say, " No way are you sticking me in this waiting room to wait for hours when

> I could have a blood clot. " My friend Jeff, one of the medics who brought me

> in, went over to the desk and the nurse said to bring me to triage.

>

> After giving me the third degree on why I took nine schedule II meds and

> why they were not working for me, and why I didn't have most of my

> injectables, (I am given a supply of injectables, if I use them as I

> normally do, I don't run out early, but if I use them as prescribed, I run

> out a day or two early). I don't ask for early refills. I explained that the

> reason I was out of my Fentanyl and Demerol injections was that I am due to

> get them on wednesday, and I had permission from my pain doc to up my dose

> if I needed because of surgery.

>

> Finally, Dewey and I are taken into a room and another nurse comes in. She,

> too, gives me the third degree. Then she rips the bandages off my incisions,

> (nice of her), and says, " They're not draining, your leg is bruised but not

> that swollen).

>

> I said, " Oh yeah, watch this! " and I hopped off the stretcher. As soon as I

> did, my knee began to swell, within a few minutes, it was the size of a

> softball, that being the swelling. She said, " Oh my God, I guess you are in

> pain, you poor thing. I'll go get Doctor J. "

>

> She leaves and I wait a while. By this time, I'm slipping out of

> consciousness and a man, who I assumed was the doctor, comes in and said he

> had some pain patches for me, where did I want them. I said, " pain patches?

> What kind? " Imagine a drunken slur and you've got it about right.

>

> He said, " Fentanyl, you take fentanyl. "

>

> I mumbled that I did but by injection. He explained that they didn't have

> fentanyl injection in the ER. So, I got two 75 mcg patches on my right arm.

> Then he taped them down. He warned me that they may take a few hours to

> really kick in. I told him I was a paramedic and wasn't stupid. Thank God,

> he took it with good humor.

>

> Then, the doctor comes in, and he talks about giving me something for pain.

> I explained that I had already been given Fentanyl patches, and then he said

> he wanted to do an ultrasound of my leg to make sure there was no blood

> clot. There wasn't.

>

> After that, they let me go home. It was obvious that I was still in pain,

> and I didn't know this until I got home, but the doc had given Rod, who had

> come to get me, some Fentanyl for breakthrough pain called actiq, which is a

> losenge on a stick... Rod had two of them, since the doc told him it could

> be several hours before the patch began to work...

>

> Everyone there was so impressed with Dewey and how well he behaved. He made

> me proud. I can't wait until my Dobermann in training, Demon, can be the

> same way.

>

> So, that's my story, and...I'm sticking to it, or rather, it's sticking to

> me!

>

> --

> Dodge

> .

>

> __

>

[Guest guest]

Nope, I'm happy as a paramedic, Federal Law Enforcment officer and firefighter,

but maybe one day, I'll sell my story to Hollywood.

Just kidding, would never do that...I'm actually a very private person, and

really drama free, promise...

--

Dodge

Read my blog at:

http://jumpthis.wordpress.com

Visit me at:

http://www./group/a_different_reality

And my adults only journal at:

http://www.my-journal.com/slaveheat

You can check out the progress of my new service dog in training here:

http://www.my-journal.com/demonsjournal

---- Dennis W <betnden@...> wrote:

=============

Dodge, you're the only one I know of that can put a slice of bread in the

toaster and it becomes the beginning of a dramatic soap opera! LOL

Maybe you've missed your calling, they pay well for the soaps.

Get better (and without the problems that have been),

Dennis in eastexas

On Tue, Feb 24, 2009 at 12:36 AM, Dodge Porter <medicdodge@...>wrote:

> Hi all,

>

> I hope this evening finds you well in spirit, if not pain free.

>

> As many of you know, my ortho doctor decided not to give me any post-op

> pain meds, feeling that I could get by wwith what I had at home. I have a

> very high drug tolerance, and a very low pain threshhold, and even though I

> take some of the strongest opioids, if I have a new pain problem come up, or

> get into a bad Lupus/Spondylitis flare, my nine pain meds can't fight the

> battle...

>

> An old doctor friend of mine Doctor Dominique, who is in my group and who

> has agreed to take over my primary care, gave me some Norco. She gave me

> 100, and she guessed, with me taking 12 a day, 2 every 4 hours, that I'd run

> out pretty quickly. She hoped that my post-op pain would be somewhat

> diminished after the first week and I'd be able to get by.

>

> Saturday, I called her and told her just how bad it was. My knee was

> swollen up to the size of a soccer ball, I couldn't walk on it and nothing,

> and I do mean nothing, was doing any good. She commiserated with me, and

> told me as she was on her way out to Quebec, where she is from and also has

> a practice, (she rotates), to go to ER if I needed.

>

> I, not wanting to bother anyone, just suffered. Sunday passed in the same

> sort of haze, but today, the pain was even worse and my blood pressure,

> which tends to skyrocket when I'm in severe pain, was in the stroke out

> region... Reluctantly, I called in an ambulance crew.

>

> Now, it's always been embarrassing to me, when a medic like me, and I'm a

> good medic if I do say so myself, (my colleagues agree), has to call for a

> rig. My friends were available and were going to take me but they were a few

> miles away, so they sent a fire truck to sit with me and monitor my BP...

>

> This was part of the same fire crew that had given me a hard time last time

> about my service dog. I did have them written up. I apologized, and they

> both agreed that they'd deserved the write-up.

>

> As senior medic in our corps, I have some clout.

>

> So, finally, the ambulance got there and Dewey and I were whisked away to

> the hospital. I decided to go to the same hospital which had performed the

> surgery, seeing as how they would have all my records and everything.

>

> We get there, and they put me in the waiting room. I raise holy H*** . I

> say, " No way are you sticking me in this waiting room to wait for hours when

> I could have a blood clot. " My friend Jeff, one of the medics who brought me

> in, went over to the desk and the nurse said to bring me to triage.

>

> After giving me the third degree on why I took nine schedule II meds and

> why they were not working for me, and why I didn't have most of my

> injectables, (I am given a supply of injectables, if I use them as I

> normally do, I don't run out early, but if I use them as prescribed, I run

> out a day or two early). I don't ask for early refills. I explained that the

> reason I was out of my Fentanyl and Demerol injections was that I am due to

> get them on wednesday, and I had permission from my pain doc to up my dose

> if I needed because of surgery.

>

> Finally, Dewey and I are taken into a room and another nurse comes in. She,

> too, gives me the third degree. Then she rips the bandages off my incisions,

> (nice of her), and says, " They're not draining, your leg is bruised but not

> that swollen).

>

> I said, " Oh yeah, watch this! " and I hopped off the stretcher. As soon as I

> did, my knee began to swell, within a few minutes, it was the size of a

> softball, that being the swelling. She said, " Oh my God, I guess you are in

> pain, you poor thing. I'll go get Doctor J. "

>

> She leaves and I wait a while. By this time, I'm slipping out of

> consciousness and a man, who I assumed was the doctor, comes in and said he

> had some pain patches for me, where did I want them. I said, " pain patches?

> What kind? " Imagine a drunken slur and you've got it about right.

>

> He said, " Fentanyl, you take fentanyl. "

>

> I mumbled that I did but by injection. He explained that they didn't have

> fentanyl injection in the ER. So, I got two 75 mcg patches on my right arm.

> Then he taped them down. He warned me that they may take a few hours to

> really kick in. I told him I was a paramedic and wasn't stupid. Thank God,

> he took it with good humor.

>

> Then, the doctor comes in, and he talks about giving me something for pain.

> I explained that I had already been given Fentanyl patches, and then he said

> he wanted to do an ultrasound of my leg to make sure there was no blood

> clot. There wasn't.

>

> After that, they let me go home. It was obvious that I was still in pain,

> and I didn't know this until I got home, but the doc had given Rod, who had

> come to get me, some Fentanyl for breakthrough pain called actiq, which is a

> losenge on a stick... Rod had two of them, since the doc told him it could

> be several hours before the patch began to work...

>

> Everyone there was so impressed with Dewey and how well he behaved. He made

> me proud. I can't wait until my Dobermann in training, Demon, can be the

> same way.

>

> So, that's my story, and...I'm sticking to it, or rather, it's sticking to

> me!

>

> --

> Dodge

> .

>

> __

>

[Guest guest]

OMG! Dodge, I am soo sorry to hear about your ordeal. I hate it when

docs think you will be OK w/ ypur current pain meds. Have they ever

heard of breakthrough pain?!?!? I used to work in pain management

and my caregivers are suprised when I talk to them. It's obvious

that I am just not some regular person who will be satisfied with

what they tell me.

I hope you will find some relief soon. You will be in my thoughts.

--- In , Dodge Porter <medicdodge@...>

wrote:

>

> Hi all,

>

> I hope this evening finds you well in spirit, if not pain free.

>

> As many of you know, my ortho doctor decided not to give me any

post-op pain meds, feeling that I could get by wwith what I had at

home. I have a very high drug tolerance, and a very low pain

threshhold, and even though I take some of the strongest opioids, if

I have a new pain problem come up, or get into a bad

Lupus/Spondylitis flare, my nine pain meds can't fight the battle...

>

> An old doctor friend of mine Doctor Dominique, who is in my group

and who has agreed to take over my primary care, gave me some Norco.

She gave me 100, and she guessed, with me taking 12 a day, 2 every 4

hours, that I'd run out pretty quickly. She hoped that my post-op

pain would be somewhat diminished after the first week and I'd be

able to get by.

>

> Saturday, I called her and told her just how bad it was. My knee

was swollen up to the size of a soccer ball, I couldn't walk on it

and nothing, and I do mean nothing, was doing any good. She

commiserated with me, and told me as she was on her way out to

Quebec, where she is from and also has a practice, (she rotates), to

go to ER if I needed.

>

> I, not wanting to bother anyone, just suffered. Sunday passed in

the same sort of haze, but today, the pain was even worse and my

blood pressure, which tends to skyrocket when I'm in severe pain, was

in the stroke out region... Reluctantly, I called in an ambulance

crew.

>

> Now, it's always been embarrassing to me, when a medic like me, and

I'm a good medic if I do say so myself, (my colleagues agree), has to

call for a rig. My friends were available and were going to take me

but they were a few miles away, so they sent a fire truck to sit with

me and monitor my BP...

>

> This was part of the same fire crew that had given me a hard time

last time about my service dog. I did have them written up. I

apologized, and they both agreed that they'd deserved the write-up.

>

> As senior medic in our corps, I have some clout.

>

> So, finally, the ambulance got there and Dewey and I were whisked

away to the hospital. I decided to go to the same hospital which had

performed the surgery, seeing as how they would have all my records

and everything.

>

> We get there, and they put me in the waiting room. I raise holy

H*** . I say, " No way are you sticking me in this waiting room to

wait for hours when I could have a blood clot. " My friend Jeff, one

of the medics who brought me in, went over to the desk and the nurse

said to bring me to triage.

>

> After giving me the third degree on why I took nine schedule II

meds and why they were not working for me, and why I didn't have most

of my injectables, (I am given a supply of injectables, if I use them

as I normally do, I don't run out early, but if I use them as

prescribed, I run out a day or two early). I don't ask for early

refills. I explained that the reason I was out of my Fentanyl and

Demerol injections was that I am due to get them on wednesday, and I

had permission from my pain doc to up my dose if I needed because of

surgery.

>

> Finally, Dewey and I are taken into a room and another nurse comes

in. She, too, gives me the third degree. Then she rips the bandages

off my incisions, (nice of her), and says, " They're not draining,

your leg is bruised but not that swollen).

>

> I said, " Oh yeah, watch this! " and I hopped off the stretcher. As

soon as I did, my knee began to swell, within a few minutes, it was

the size of a softball, that being the swelling. She said, " Oh my

God, I guess you are in pain, you poor thing. I'll go get Doctor J. "

>

> She leaves and I wait a while. By this time, I'm slipping out of

consciousness and a man, who I assumed was the doctor, comes in and

said he had some pain patches for me, where did I want them. I

said, " pain patches? What kind? " Imagine a drunken slur and you've

got it about right.

>

> He said, " Fentanyl, you take fentanyl. "

>

> I mumbled that I did but by injection. He explained that they

didn't have fentanyl injection in the ER. So, I got two 75 mcg

patches on my right arm. Then he taped them down. He warned me that

they may take a few hours to really kick in. I told him I was a

paramedic and wasn't stupid. Thank God, he took it with good humor.

>

> Then, the doctor comes in, and he talks about giving me something

for pain. I explained that I had already been given Fentanyl

patches, and then he said he wanted to do an ultrasound of my leg to

make sure there was no blood clot. There wasn't.

>

> After that, they let me go home. It was obvious that I was still

in pain, and I didn't know this until I got home, but the doc had

given Rod, who had come to get me, some Fentanyl for breakthrough

pain called actiq, which is a losenge on a stick... Rod had two of

them, since the doc told him it could be several hours before the

patch began to work...

>

> Everyone there was so impressed with Dewey and how well he

behaved. He made me proud. I can't wait until my Dobermann in

training, Demon, can be the same way.

>

> So, that's my story, and...I'm sticking to it, or rather, it's

sticking to me!

>

> --

> Dodge

>

> Read my blog at:

> http://jumpthis.wordpress.com

>

> Visit me at:

> http://www./group/a_different_reality

>

[Guest guest]

Boy you have all the experiences Dodge. At least you finally got some more

pain medicines. Knowing the crew helps I am sure.

[ ] My continuing surgery saga

Hi all,

I hope this evening finds you well in spirit, if not pain free.

As many of you know, my ortho doctor decided not to give me any post-op pain

meds, feeling that I could get by wwith what I had at home. I have a very

high drug tolerance, and a very low pain threshhold, and even though I take

some of the strongest opioids, if I have a new pain problem come up, or get

into a bad Lupus/Spondylitis flare, my nine pain meds can't fight the

battle...

An old doctor friend of mine Doctor Dominique, who is in my group and who

has agreed to take over my primary care, gave me some Norco. She gave me

100, and she guessed, with me taking 12 a day, 2 every 4 hours, that I'd run

out pretty quickly. She hoped that my post-op pain would be somewhat

diminished after the first week and I'd be able to get by.

Saturday, I called her and told her just how bad it was. My knee was

swollen up to the size of a soccer ball, I couldn't walk on it and nothing,

and I do mean nothing, was doing any good. She commiserated with me, and

told me as she was on her way out to Quebec, where she is from and also has

a practice, (she rotates), to go to ER if I needed.

I, not wanting to bother anyone, just suffered. Sunday passed in the same

sort of haze, but today, the pain was even worse and my blood pressure,

which tends to skyrocket when I'm in severe pain, was in the stroke out

region... Reluctantly, I called in an ambulance crew.

Now, it's always been embarrassing to me, when a medic like me, and I'm a

good medic if I do say so myself, (my colleagues agree), has to call for a

rig. My friends were available and were going to take me but they were a

few miles away, so they sent a fire truck to sit with me and monitor my

BP...

This was part of the same fire crew that had given me a hard time last time

about my service dog. I did have them written up. I apologized, and they

both agreed that they'd deserved the write-up.

As senior medic in our corps, I have some clout.

So, finally, the ambulance got there and Dewey and I were whisked away to

the hospital. I decided to go to the same hospital which had performed the

surgery, seeing as how they would have all my records and everything.

We get there, and they put me in the waiting room. I raise holy H*** . I

say, " No way are you sticking me in this waiting room to wait for hours when

I could have a blood clot. " My friend Jeff, one of the medics who brought

me in, went over to the desk and the nurse said to bring me to triage.

After giving me the third degree on why I took nine schedule II meds and why

they were not working for me, and why I didn't have most of my injectables,

(I am given a supply of injectables, if I use them as I normally do, I don't

run out early, but if I use them as prescribed, I run out a day or two

early). I don't ask for early refills. I explained that the reason I was

out of my Fentanyl and Demerol injections was that I am due to get them on

wednesday, and I had permission from my pain doc to up my dose if I needed

because of surgery.

Finally, Dewey and I are taken into a room and another nurse comes in. She,

too, gives me the third degree. Then she rips the bandages off my

incisions, (nice of her), and says, " They're not draining, your leg is

bruised but not that swollen).

I said, " Oh yeah, watch this! " and I hopped off the stretcher. As soon as I

did, my knee began to swell, within a few minutes, it was the size of a

softball, that being the swelling. She said, " Oh my God, I guess you are in

pain, you poor thing. I'll go get Doctor J. "

She leaves and I wait a while. By this time, I'm slipping out of

consciousness and a man, who I assumed was the doctor, comes in and said he

had some pain patches for me, where did I want them. I said, " pain patches?

What kind? " Imagine a drunken slur and you've got it about right.

He said, " Fentanyl, you take fentanyl. "

I mumbled that I did but by injection. He explained that they didn't have

fentanyl injection in the ER. So, I got two 75 mcg patches on my right arm.

Then he taped them down. He warned me that they may take a few hours to

really kick in. I told him I was a paramedic and wasn't stupid. Thank God,

he took it with good humor.

Then, the doctor comes in, and he talks about giving me something for pain.

I explained that I had already been given Fentanyl patches, and then he said

he wanted to do an ultrasound of my leg to make sure there was no blood

clot. There wasn't.

After that, they let me go home. It was obvious that I was still in pain,

and I didn't know this until I got home, but the doc had given Rod, who had

come to get me, some Fentanyl for breakthrough pain called actiq, which is a

losenge on a stick... Rod had two of them, since the doc told him it could

be several hours before the patch began to work...

Everyone there was so impressed with Dewey and how well he behaved. He made

me proud. I can't wait until my Dobermann in training, Demon, can be the

same way.

So, that's my story, and...I'm sticking to it, or rather, it's sticking to

me!

[Guest guest]

You know Dodge, this is how Captain Ahab got his start. He actually suffered

from RA and gnawed his leg off himself at the knee (I think it was in the

footnotes), you could be headed for fame! Er...let's not talk about how the rest

of the story went for him.

Stan,

Seattle, rainy.

Re: [ ] My continuing surgery saga

Nope, I'm happy as a paramedic, Federal Law Enforcment officer and firefighter,

but maybe one day, I'll sell my story to Hollywood.

Just kidding, would never do that...I'm actually a very private person, and

really drama free, promise...

--

Dodge

Read my blog at:

http :// jumpthis . wordpress .com

Visit me at:

http :// www . groups .com/group/ a_different_reality

And my adults only journal at:

http :// www .my-journal.com/ slaveheat

You can check out the progress of my new service dog in training here:

http :// www .my-journal.com/ demonsjournal

---- Dennis W < betnden @ gmail .com > wrote:

=============

Dodge, you're the only one I know of that can put a slice of bread in the

toaster and it becomes the beginning of a dramatic soap opera! LOL

Maybe you've missed your calling, they pay well for the soaps.

Get better (and without the problems that have been),

Dennis in eastexas

On Tue, Feb 24, 2009 at 12:36 AM, Dodge Porter < medicdodge @charter.net >wrote:

> Hi all,

>

> I hope this evening finds you well in spirit, if not pain free.

>

> As many of you know, my ortho doctor decided not to give me any post-op

> pain meds , feeling that I could get by wwith what I had at home. I have a

> very high drug tolerance, and a very low pain threshhold , and even though I

> take some of the strongest opioids , if I have a new pain problem come up, or

> get into a bad Lupus/ Spondylitis flare, my nine pain meds can't fight the

> battle...

>

> An old doctor friend of mine Doctor Dominique, who is in my group and who

> has agreed to take over my primary care, gave me some Norco . She gave me

> 100, and she guessed, with me taking 12 a day, 2 every 4 hours, that I'd run

> out pretty quickly. She hoped that my post-op pain would be somewhat

> diminished after the first week and I'd be able to get by.

>

> Saturday, I called her and told her just how bad it was. My knee was

> swollen up to the size of a soccer ball, I couldn't walk on it and nothing,

> and I do mean nothing, was doing any good. She commiserated with me, and

> told me as she was on her way out to Quebec, where she is from and also has

> a practice, (she rotates), to go to ER if I needed.

>

> I, not wanting to bother anyone, just suffered. Sunday passed in the same

> sort of haze, but today, the pain was even worse and my blood pressure,

> which tends to skyrocket when I'm in severe pain, was in the stroke out

> region... Reluctantly, I called in an ambulance crew.

>

> Now, it's always been embarrassing to me, when a medic like me, and I'm a

> good medic if I do say so myself, (my colleagues agree), has to call for a

> rig. My friends were available and were going to take me but they were a few

> miles away, so they sent a fire truck to sit with me and monitor my BP ...

>

> This was part of the same fire crew that had given me a hard time last time

> about my service dog. I did have them written up. I apologized, and they

> both agreed that they'd deserved the write-up.

>

> As senior medic in our corps, I have some clout.

>

> So, finally, the ambulance got there and Dewey and I were whisked away to

> the hospital. I decided to go to the same hospital which had performed the

> surgery, seeing as how they would have all my records and everything.

>

> We get there, and they put me in the waiting room. I raise holy H*** . I

> say, " No way are you sticking me in this waiting room to wait for hours when

> I could have a blood clot. " My friend Jeff, one of the medics who brought me

> in, went over to the desk and the nurse said to bring me to triage.

>

> After giving me the third degree on why I took nine schedule II meds and

> why they were not working for me, and why I didn't have most of my

> injectables , (I am given a supply of injectables , if I use them as I

> normally do, I don't run out early, but if I use them as prescribed, I run

> out a day or two early). I don't ask for early refills. I explained that the

> reason I was out of my Fentanyl and Demerol injections was that I am due to

> get them on wednesday , and I had permission from my pain doc to up my dose

> if I needed because of surgery.

>

> Finally, Dewey and I are taken into a room and another nurse comes in. She,

> too, gives me the third degree. Then she rips the bandages off my incisions,

> (nice of her), and says, " They're not draining, your leg is bruised but not

> that swollen).

>

> I said, " Oh yeah, watch this! " and I hopped off the stretcher. As soon as I

> did, my knee began to swell, within a few minutes, it was the size of a

> softball, that being the swelling. She said, " Oh my God, I guess you are in

> pain, you poor thing. I'll go get Doctor J. "

>

> She leaves and I wait a while. By this time, I'm slipping out of

> consciousness and a man, who I assumed was the doctor, comes in and said he

> had some pain patches for me, where did I want them. I said, " pain patches?

> What kind? " Imagine a drunken slur and you've got it about right.

>

> He said, " Fentanyl , you take fentanyl . "

>

> I mumbled that I did but by injection. He explained that they didn't have

> fentanyl injection in the ER. So, I got two 75 mcg patches on my right arm.

> Then he taped them down. He warned me that they may take a few hours to

> really kick in. I told him I was a paramedic and wasn't stupid. Thank God,

> he took it with good humor.

>

> Then, the doctor comes in, and he talks about giving me something for pain.

> I explained that I had already been given Fentanyl patches, and then he said

> he wanted to do an ultrasound of my leg to make sure there was no blood

> clot. There wasn't.

>

> After that, they let me go home. It was obvious that I was still in pain,

> and I didn't know this until I got home, but the doc had given Rod, who had

> come to get me, some Fentanyl for breakthrough pain called actiq , which is a

> losenge on a stick... Rod had two of them, since the doc told him it could

> be several hours before the patch began to work...

>

> Everyone there was so impressed with Dewey and how well he behaved. He made

> me proud. I can't wait until my Dobermann in training, Demon, can be the

> same way.

>

> So, that's my story, and...I'm sticking to it, or rather, it's sticking to

> me!

>

> --

> Dodge

> .

>

> __

>