I'm not sure you or anyone wants to hear my woes. I promice is long, 5 yrs. status post TBI with right sided weakness. Due to MVA, add RSD on awakening from coma just to keep it awful.
Now, I know what chronic pain is. Until then, it was only something I'd learned while in nursing school. For 5 plus years, my right lower leg and both feet has hurt. Despite,.P.T. blocks, morphine drips, meds of all sorts, hypnotherapy, SCS, I feel like if it's a treatment for chronic pain, I've had it.
I don't work now, with the brain a little slow and right side not working so good and the pain, I guess nursing is not an option anymore. I miss it still, I enjoyed my work. Being busy with friends is a thing of the past too, the clumsiness now makes others uncomfrotable. Thank God most of my immediate family is so suppotative. I do wish my younger son was a little more under- standing.
My doctors have been and are so very understanding. They know how affraid I am of becomming dependant on the meds. At times, I've been labeled noncompliant as far as taking as many meds as are prescribed, but the doctors are pretty understanding when I explain my fears.Though they assure it's not likely that I'll become dependant on them.
My oldest son told my husband, I needed the computer as a means of not feeling so alone. So last year for my birthday,enter one computer. Thank God I always tried to keep them up on what was happening in the world even if I didn't want to learn any more than necessary for my job. So, some instruction from him, and I'm on my way. I don't belong to any support groups as such, am on the computer daily, my husband works 10-14 hrs. a day, so am pretty lonely. I don't know if I think I have anything to pass on or not, but if there's something I could do to help anothers day go better or sometimes, when I'm feeling really awful, just to say it to someone who understands helps so much.
Ed, hope I've answered your questions without the info of others stories. Chronic pain is a heck of a thing to have to live with but I do hope now that I'm aware of support groups, I can find one.
Thanks much,
Marlene