another new member

hi everyone.i have just joined this forum so i don't really know many users yet.this is my chronic pain story.i have suffered chronic migraines and headaches for the last 25 years.i have tried everything to ease these but everything has failed.i saw 4 neurologists,1 pain specialist,physio for a year straight,osteopath,natrapath,accupunture,remedial massage,normal massage,meditation classes,mri's and cat scans with nothing showing up wrong and lots of other things i have tried over the years.with my chronic migraines and headaches i have finally excepted that modern medicine and alternative medicine has failed me.

i am a codeine addict and have tried getting off this 4 times in my life but my body goes into super meltdown mode and i end up in hospital everytime having a nervous breakdown and in extreme pain.i also suffer chronic pain in my bladder and 2 days days ago i was diagnosed with intercystitis cystitis which is a debilatating problem which is making my life a whole lot worse.i have endured over 2 years of chronic pain in my bladder with frequency issues and incontinence issues.lets just say this on top of my chronic pain in my head is really,really getting to me.i also suffer severe sinus pain in my face which blows my migraines off the planet.i also suffer chronic upper stomach pains for years on end and i suffer terrible irratable bowel syndrome as well which is really awful and very painful to live with.

i have suffered a lot of depression over the years with my health issues and it has not been easy.through all of this i have been raising 3 kids but i have been unable to work for 12 years now and it has put a terrible financal burden on our family.my medical costs each week at the chemist are very high.i don't have any money to go to a private specialist anymore and have waited 3 years to talk to a uro-gynocologists about my bladder issues.needles to say my poor health and chronic pain issues have paid a bad price with my family.my kids hate me due to the fact i am always in pain and sick and i can't drive them everywhere they want to go.they can't play loud music at home and having friends over is always a big issues for me due to the extra noise.i can't even go to the beach because of my bladder issues or go for long bush walks or anything.i always have to been close to a toilet.i feel like life has been so unfair to me and it never seems to stop.just to have one day off from chronic pain would be so wonderful.

i have had to give up a lot over the years like reading books and going out to places like restaurants and travelling.i just can't do any of it.it hurts to be on the computor and watch tv and even go to the cinema which i try to do but i pay a heavy price for it.i have had 11 operations in my life so far so i know what pain is.it is always my constant companion and i have no support from my family which really hurts me.they always get angry with me if i can't cook dinner or something and no one ever asks how i am or can they do something to help.i am very lonely in my life of chronic pain.my parents will not accept that i am always sick and in pain.this has hurt me a lot too.my twin sister suffers chronic migraines and headaches too so at least i have one person to get comfort from in my life.i know what i have suffered is nothing compared to others but i just can't understand why people are put on this earth to suffer so much.

Edited for easier reading. Please take note and split your post into paragraphs of 5 to 6 lines if possible. It would be greatly appreciated for those of us that have poor eyesight and or tracking problems Thanks! SE

Post Edited By Moderator (Screaming Eagle) : 3/31/2012 2:15:00 AM (GMT-6)

Hello autunm!

A BIG "Welcome" to you from the members of the CP Forum! I see that you are making good use of the HealingWell forums, and hope you can find some suggestions to many of your health problems.
You also mentioned that you thought you are an addict to "Codeine". I wondering if you are addicted or Dependent?... as we would refer to it as Chronic Pain patients? Are you seeing a PCD (Primary Care Dr)….or a PM (Pain Management Dr)? In other-words, who is scripting your pain medications for you?

It's rare that a true Chronic Pain Patient will become addicted to pain med's. We take them for pain,... and only for pain,…and an addict will take them for recreational purposes. However; if we need to come off the pain med's for some reason, we will,... in many cases suffer withdrawals such as addict's do. There are med's that can help minimize this effect, such as "Suboxone"….which by the way in many cases may also be used for pain management and gives good relief to many that are on it.

Headaches are horrible, and can be caused by many things. I suffer from them because of my TMJ, that seems to flair every once in a while. We have a member here who suffers greatly from headaches…and receives no relief from any medications. It's just horrible to see her suffer like this. I will contact her and see if she will read your post here!

We all understand Chronic Pain, and are fully aware of friends,... and family members,... who do not understand what you are going through. This forum is the best place to share your rants of frustration,…questions,….and success of pain management that you may have. You may as well consider us part of your family now! We really do enjoy active members, so visit us as often as you wish to seek support,... or you may find that you are able to support and visit with our members and offer some experience on related topics that are posted.

Please feel free to use the search button up in the upper righthand corner of the page. It's a pretty handy tool when your looking for quick answers to your health issues. Some of the members are long gone in these search results,…but they left some wonderful insight and answers to many health issues related to chronic pain. Give it a try!

I usually always invite new members to take a peek at the forum rules. They are really common sense, and may help you avoid edits from those pesky Moderators! I also took the liberty of editing your post here at the top of the page into paragraphs. It really does help those of us with tracking problems and or poor eyesight.

Again!..We Welcome you!….and trust you will enjoy your time with us!

Take care,

SE

Hi autunm, we have had quite a few of the people in our chronic pain family from Australia, and allot from north of our borders in Canada, I think the majority are from the United States, but even then we are from all over this country. It makes no difference where we are from really, we are just a bunch of different people that all share that common bond of having and living with Chronic Pain. We support each other, especially through the hard times, and are there for each other.

 

Hope you keep coming back!

 

White Beard

Hi Autumn and welcome from another Aussie :)

Laura