I have this argument every rhemy appt I have. She asks "How are you feeling?" and I say "Fine". Hehehe... She has to pry out of me that I'm in pain. Why? Because I'm just used to it. Its not till she goes poking around that I really notice how bad I do hurt.
I wouldn't say that I adapt my pain, its just my way of coping with my RA. I can't get rid of it, I can't control when its gonna pop up so I just ignore it. Plus, who wants to be in constant pain and dwell on it all the time. I notice that I'm much happier when I'm not dwelling on my RA.
I definitely do NOT pay attention to "the normal" pain. If I feel a new pain or different pain, I watch it. ;o) I go to the rheumy every month, so if the pain is still there when I see him, I mention it. With chronic pain, I feel you have to continue with life when you feel half way decent! When the pain slaps you up the side of the head, I listen. Brick walls are hard to ignore!!
That is a very interesting question you posed. My answer of course would reflect how I feel on the day I answered it. On a bad day I would rant & rave about how lousy the pain is.
However after a week of sore knees and ankles and wrists, I went to bed last night and do you think I could get to sleep....no because my middle finger was hurting.
Today at work my work mate did the ampoule cracking for me, and my hand writting in notes was pretty bad with on finger sticking out trying to hold the pen & write. When I asked what was wrong with my finger I just said I am having a break from my feet, ankles & wrists, and over night the pain moved out of all my joints into one finger. It was a good day, whats a little finger compared to the whole body.
Do We Adapt to our Pain? Yes our tolerance becomes higher.we get used to living with pain. I just take each day as it comes, because when I go to bed of a night, I dont know what I will be like when I wake up in the morning. or where the pain has shifted too. But I dont worry too much about it these days, I just tottle out to the kitchen and have a cuppa. Lell.
Definitely! When I first got sick I had a low-grade temp and intense aches almost every day for about THREE MONTHS. At first I stayed home or I'd go to work and come home and go to bed, but it just kept up and on dr. was helping and I had a LIFE to lead, so I adapted. I didn't know that was possible! lol I still couldn't do all I did before, but I did about half at least.
I think anyone with a chronic illness or chronic pain finds ways to adapt--whether it's the way we move, how far we park from the grocery's front door, or the time of day we choose for certain activities. I also think that our tolerance to pain increases so what is a minor or moderate pain to us might be unbearable to someone else. We all have our usual level of discomfort--the point that we consider to be "normal" for us, and I think we measure our pain up or down from that point. I sort of doubt that anyone with active RA ever has a completely pain free day, but I think we have better and worse days. Our better days might feel great to us, but to someone who does not live with chronic pain, our better day would be torture. I think those who most successfully adapt to their pain levels are also those who live most successfully with this disease.
I had an interesting conversation last week with a social worker/therapist friend of mine who had just attended a seminar at which the head pharmacist at Kaiser here in Colorado spoke. His topic was pain management and how little most doctors know about it and how they under-treat pain because of their mistaken belief that their patients will all become addicts. According to him, Kaiser's studies show that less than 5% of patients taking pain medications will become physically or psychologically dependent upon them. That's a really low number considering the type of medication.
Here's a companion question, Molly. How many feel that their doctors adequately address their pain issues?
As much as I like my rheumatologist, I think he was very reluctant to prescribe pain medications--liked to say that he treated the cause of the disease--not the symptoms. I finally convinced him of my serious doubts about his treatment by telling him that I had asked by family doctor for a referral to a pain management doctor. That got his attention, and he addressed the pain issue--to the point that I no longer felt the need to add another doctor into my mix. Maybe it's a matter of the squeaky wheel getting the grease.
When people are in acute pain the analgesia taken or given just releives the pain...."the pain just eats it up". When I was at my worst I was taking a scheduled drug every 3 hrs just to function on some level. If I take that drug now when I just have my little bit of pain I go to sleep, as my degree of pain does not warrant it.
Chronic pain together with regular analgesia does become a bit of a problem, not really as in addiction but it becomes less effective over time and when a persons pain is worse they need more of the drug or a different drug when they have acute pain.
Pain Management for people with chronic pain is an issue and I know my doctor has never even broached the subject with me, he just gives me a script when I ask for one, but I dont ask often, as I monitor and treat my own pain just with paracetamol, gentle movements, ice packs or the good old ignore it. and leave the other stuff for my worst acute pain......not because I fear addiction and dependance, but because I fear drug tolerance more.
My husband is a prime example of drug tolerance he has 3 ruptured disks in his back and still continues to work..over the years his analgesia use has slowly and surely increased, he needs to function and do what he does and the drugs he started out on are less effective now and more are slowly being added to his "regime" .
Do we sometimes expect too much from our doctors,??? in a 15 min consult can they really give us all the information and care :- we, the general public are now demanding. We want to know all the ins and outs of our disease, All the info on drugs what they do, how they act, drug interactions etc, drug advance info in the pipeline hints, answers and explanations on what pathologly results mean. Tips on how to cope with our life style, a bit of councelling and compassion to boot. I think this would be one reason why the medical industry has grown so much with doctors and health industry professionals specializing.......So we, the general public can get the correct answers from the people who specialze in that area. Our doctors are only doing their job to the best of their ability ( we would hope) in their area of concern, and if we need extra help of treatment then it would be simple really to see another person to help with that "problem".
I myself would have no problem in seeing a pain management doctor for that area of treatment for my disease,if I required it becuase I am pretty sure my own doc does not know it all, and he never has adresses my pain or asked me how I cope on a daily basis ( other than stick me in hospital when I am really bad,to get my pain and flares under control, even when I dont want to go)...GOD BLESS HIM.
Well thats it for me I am off to work........to deal with people with acute pain ( I have to let you know I am a bit heavy handed/generous with the pain relief I dont see any reason why my patients should go back to the ward with pain following surgery ) See ya later lell.
Rosemary, your companion question (along with all the points you made in your post) is a good one and I think needs to be addressed, so I am going to start a thread about pain management.
HI THERE MOLLY MAE:
that fits me to a tee. i seem to adapt to everything that comes my way. whether its a new diagnosis or my every day pain.
&nb
I have this argument every rhemy appt I have. She asks "How are you feeling?" and I say "Fine". Hehehe... She has to pry out of me that I'm in pain. Why? Because I'm just used to it. Its not till she goes poking around that I really notice how bad I do hurt.
I wouldn't say that I adapt my pain, its just my way of coping with my RA. I can't get rid of it, I can't control when its gonna pop up so I just ignore it. Plus, who wants to be in constant pain and dwell on it all the time. I notice that I'm much happier when I'm not dwelling on my RA.
But when I get a paper cut I cry like a baby!!!!
Smiles, Jen
I definitely do NOT pay attention to "the normal" pain. If I feel a new pain or different pain, I watch it. ;o) I go to the rheumy every month, so if the pain is still there when I see him, I mention it. With chronic pain, I feel you have to continue with life when you feel half way decent! When the pain slaps you up the side of the head, I listen. Brick walls are hard to ignore!!
Vicki
Dear Molly,
That is a very interesting question you posed. My answer of course would reflect how I feel on the day I answered it.
On a bad day I would rant & rave about how lousy the pain is.
However after a week of sore knees and ankles and wrists, I went to bed last night and do you think I could get to sleep....no because my middle finger was hurting.
Today at work my work mate did the ampoule cracking for me, and my hand writting in notes was pretty bad with on finger sticking out trying to hold the pen & write. When I asked what was wrong with my finger I just said I am having a break from my feet, ankles & wrists, and over night the pain moved out of all my joints into one finger. It was a good day, whats a little finger compared to the whole body.
Do We Adapt to our Pain? Yes our tolerance becomes higher.we get used to living with pain.
I just take each day as it comes, because when I go to bed of a night, I dont know what I will be like when I wake up in the morning. or where the pain has shifted too.
But I dont worry too much about it these days, I just tottle out to the kitchen and have a cuppa. Lell.
I think anyone with a chronic illness or chronic pain finds ways to adapt--whether it's the way we move, how far we park from the grocery's front door, or the time of day we choose for certain activities. I also think that our tolerance to pain increases so what is a minor or moderate pain to us might be unbearable to someone else. We all have our usual level of discomfort--the point that we consider to be "normal" for us, and I think we measure our pain up or down from that point. I sort of doubt that anyone with active RA ever has a completely pain free day, but I think we have better and worse days. Our better days might feel great to us, but to someone who does not live with chronic pain, our better day would be torture. I think those who most successfully adapt to their pain levels are also those who live most successfully with this disease.
I had an interesting conversation last week with a social worker/therapist friend of mine who had just attended a seminar at which the head pharmacist at Kaiser here in Colorado spoke. His topic was pain management and how little most doctors know about it and how they under-treat pain because of their mistaken belief that their patients will all become addicts. According to him, Kaiser's studies show that less than 5% of patients taking pain medications will become physically or psychologically dependent upon them. That's a really low number considering the type of medication.
Here's a companion question, Molly. How many feel that their doctors adequately address their pain issues?
As much as I like my rheumatologist, I think he was very reluctant to prescribe pain medications--liked to say that he treated the cause of the disease--not the symptoms. I finally convinced him of my serious doubts about his treatment by telling him that I had asked by family doctor for a referral to a pain management doctor. That got his attention, and he addressed the pain issue--to the point that I no longer felt the need to add another doctor into my mix. Maybe it's a matter of the squeaky wheel getting the grease.
Rosemary
Interesting to read Rosemary,
When people are in acute pain the analgesia taken or given just releives the pain...."the pain just eats it up". When I was at my worst I was taking a scheduled drug every 3 hrs just to function on some level. If I take that drug now when I just have my little bit of pain I go to sleep, as my degree of pain does not warrant it.
Chronic pain together with regular analgesia does become a bit of a problem, not really as in addiction but it becomes less effective over time and when a persons pain is worse they need more of the drug or a different drug when they have acute pain.
Pain Management for people with chronic pain is an issue and I know my doctor has never even broached the subject with me, he just gives me a script when I ask for one, but I dont ask often, as I monitor and treat my own pain just with paracetamol, gentle movements, ice packs or the good old ignore it. and leave the other stuff for my worst acute pain......not because I fear addiction and dependance, but because I fear drug tolerance more.
My husband is a prime example of drug tolerance he has 3 ruptured disks in his back and still continues to work..over the years his analgesia use has slowly and surely increased, he needs to function and do what he does and the drugs he started out on are less effective now and more are slowly being added to his "regime" .
Do we sometimes expect too much from our doctors,??? in a 15 min consult can they really give us all the information and care :- we, the general public are now demanding.
We want to know all the ins and outs of our disease, All the info on drugs what they do, how they act, drug interactions etc, drug advance info in the pipeline hints, answers and explanations on what pathologly results mean. Tips on how to cope with our life style, a bit of councelling and compassion to boot. I think this would be one reason why the medical industry has grown so much with doctors and health industry professionals specializing.......So we, the general public can get the correct answers from the people who specialze in that area. Our doctors are only doing their job to the best of their ability ( we would hope) in their area of concern, and if we need extra help of treatment then it would be simple really to see another person to help with that "problem".
I myself would have no problem in seeing a pain management doctor for that area of treatment for my disease,if I required it becuase I am pretty sure my own doc does not know it all, and he never has adresses my pain or asked me how I cope on a daily basis
( other than stick me in hospital when I am really bad,to get my pain and flares under control, even when I dont want to go)...GOD BLESS HIM.
Well thats it for me I am off to work........to deal with people with acute pain ( I have to let you know I am a bit heavy handed/generous with the pain relief I dont see any reason why my patients should go back to the ward with pain following surgery ) See ya later lell.
Molly