Lost a Great Pain management Dr

I'm new, and after reading all these forums and other sites, ya'll seem like good folks. I've been hit by 5 drunk drivers and I've had 7 surgs and need 5 more. My pain dr broke his back in Nov and retired. I've been on a strict plan that he got me on and now no other Dr will help me. I have neck surg next wk, ( It was scheduled for last yr, but I had a heart attack. I dont have a will to even want to live anymore. I'm to ill to even type all the bone n spine injuries i have, and drs take my money n im on disability, after owning a body shop in Va. I cant even remember April. went to er thrs, and she gave me 10/325 til my appt Tues. The appt was set up by my pcp who called him and told him what ive been on for yrs and all film n notes n mris have been sent to him. If Tues , OH, hes a cash only dr !!! 275 1st visit and Im on dis, like I can afford that. IM sooo sorry yall are in pain and i hope ur own personal issues get better. God Bless Ive coached baseball and softball for 17 yrs and owned my shop for 12 and now NO Dr to take over my care for my old Dr who retired. I've been turned away, laughed at, (yep) and told theres nothing wrong with me. I asked him to plz call my surg and make sure hes right, cause i dont want a cage in c5-c7 if i dont need it. He walked out, after making a RUDE comment to my daughter. 3rd pain dr in April 2 trips to ER and thats all i remember of April. No Hope-----Just a gut feeling. Even after my pcp talked to him, and my pcp came bk in and said he dont do shots he only does rxs. Which is what my old pain dr had me on for yrs, while operating in between. I found out Thurs that my future x-wife and kids are leaving, and she came in my room and said "I Really Hope U have a Place to go Live dad!!!?? I've once again pd all our, my, house bills, no 1 works or has an income but me, and I have just the 275 to see this Dr. My ins dr cant see me til June 3rd. I cant wait that long...... Im sorry for this long dragged out mess...vent session...i guess TY "Falln apart, Literally

Welcome to Healing Well Boutdun,

We are welcome to come here and vent when that's needed, so vent away if that helps. You certainly have enough problems to justify some venting! I don't have any solutions for you, just wanted to let you know you are welcome any time.

I think we all have incredible burdens to bear. It's easier to bear the bull when we come here and go aaaaasaaaaaas! Ding ! Ok . Pick up the bull by the horns and keep going. I too have pain in the neck ( literally ) I have endured things like this. I need my pain pills. They keep me going. I wish all doctors understood this. One doctor ( bless his soul he has passed) once told me ( about pain management) it's about quality of life, the benefits out weigh the risks sometimes. But we have the War on Drugs and now " they" decide what meds and for how long people can get. All because of a few ( very few) who have abused them. Doctors are beginning to be afraid of chronic pain patients because of stringent laws. I have been there in pain suffering because of a law forcing a doctors hand to do nothing. And yes life becomes not worth the fight anymore. I curse the pain pill because I need the pain pill. No one wants to live this way, but here you will find that we do, we continue to fight, we lay our burdens down for a moment only to find that after posting or replying we can get up and go again. You found a place for healing and wellness if only it's on the inside. I hope things turn out well for you. Keep trying. No one else has to feel your pain. Family can be the worst place to look for real support. Sad but true. But here you will find we all can relate on some level. Good luck. Welcome.

I'm sorry that your previous doctor retired. There is some good news, in that since you are no longer taking whatever meds at whatever dosages your previous doctor had you, that lesser doses may work far better than you think, or different meds.
There are a few things you need to keep in mind, the first being the goal of a good pain management program-to reduce the pain levels about 50%of your unmedicated pain levels, by using many different options and therapies, and to allow you to perform the activities of daily living, and some others.
You also can not expect that ANY other doctor is going to continue medications or dosages that another gave you. They will decide what medications, dosages ,other treatment options they feel are in your best interest and suggest a treatment plan based on your current status, not one from another doctor.
The lower you can keep your med doses now, the better off you are, both immediately and in the long term. Even though we need the meds to allow us to function, they do take a toll on your liver, kidneys, your intestines and other organs.
With you having surgery coming up, high doses of pain meds leading into surgery, leads to frequently difficult post op pain management both right after surgery but also once you are discharged post op.

Pain$herlock, I've met Leonard Nimoy, twice. What a wonderful man .... Saddened by his death. LLAP

I wish pain drs truly understood, for those who really need their help and are not abusers of pain meds Could simply say "The needs of the many, out weigh the needs of the one" The ones who abuse, make it difficult for the many who need their help and compassion and understanding, so i can lead a somewhat productive life, wheel chair or not, to try and go back to p/t work. Not to take ur pathetic disability ck and do nothing. That has happened 2xs in April and tomorrows appt is with a man whom my new pcp spoke to and read my notes and took 24 of the 482 notes pages and scanned them into my profile, and telling him whats goin on, and why. With my personal health the way it is now, I don't have a life at all. My spine surgeon will not do surg until i get a new pain management. I've had many surgs and I heal quick and he says at times Im over doing it, slow down. I dont take that much pain meds anyway. I have a feeling that sum of yall think Im on high doses of meds. I'm not. We had trial n error Until we got the right set up for me, and 17 yrs later Ive never gone up in strength or quantity, even during surgeries, and after. My pt lady tried to make me do 1 exercise, and I told her somethings NOT right!!! I cant do it.... I asked her to hold the area in both her hands IF she wanted me to do it, She was goin to call the surg bout me not wanting to do p/t, I explained why... I didnt argue, I said IF this is what you want me to do, I will, The 1st attempt, at her pace and holding me, my Rt leg dislocated at hip and tore 4 labrums. Surg again wow, some ppl. Thats 1 very small example and that was last yr after my heart attack. My surgeon wants or tells me that I need 5 more surgs. But wont, until i get a new pain dr. Ive had 4 other surgeons tell me same dang thing. Between my pain in other areas of my body that need attn later, and my new heart condition, and bad anxiety ive had since '94 He and cardio doc agree, I have to be on all my maintenance meds b4 any surgeries. So, i have to be in pain until someone will help me to get my body in healthy enough shape to have my 1st of the 5 surgeries. Confused........ ty again for the vent session Tomorrow will decide my future, since family is leavn as well. How to get to dr appts?? where to live?? We all have our own issues, i know, and I glad yall got help. I wish my situation was different, Ive also lost a job interview last week, while in the hosp. Everythings just goin to hell.... oops. TC

Chartreux, my old pain dr has been out since Nov n closed their office. They have tried very hard to get me in with sum1 elses asap. No luck, or turned away, with them tlln me that nuthns wrong w/me. I've gotten 23 referrals to other drs and saw a new 1 today, not in my ins, but i had no choice. My ins appt is June 3rd, today was a cash only dr, which i didnt feel comfortable with that, he didnt remember me, I saw him at mcv hops in 99 when i was hit head on by drunk man, ended up in a 6 month coma, later treated by him, and I just kept that to myself today, he was horrible bk in the day. He cut my meds ive been on for yrs, after tons of trial n error by old pain dr, We finally got on a group of meds that did me very well, then 2 yrs later he got hurt n retired. Anyway, I'll go to my June 3rd appt whom is on my ins and see what he says. Today, the dr said I was in real bad shape, and after 7 surgs and 5 due WHY hadnt i been fixed and why so many?? Does the surg what hes doing or what. I told him it was simply my job, my trade is heavy, collision repair, and from 97 til 08 ( 5 wrecks later ) I went bk into the office to handle ins claims, til the owner said u gotta go, to dr, u look horrible, he did know my history. 6 months later dr told me NO more work!!! I was devastated. 32 yrs and now what.?? Heart attack last yr, and todays dr gave me less than 1/3 of my normal dose of 1 med and changed the other med completely. So I dont feel any better today than I did yesterday. I'll give it a few days. I'm not up on "Fentayl" patch, so idk how its supsoe to work, other than how he told me. But he knows i have heart desease, COPD, yet gives me this. It fell off after 45 minutes of having it on my Lt. Shoulder. I called em, im ta use clear surgical tape over it. wow ooook. Thank you for ckn on me. Chase sry so long

Yes, I have 482 pages of office notes and all my MRIs and x-rays and dates when all surgs were done and who did em. I've been thru all this, and I am very careful to make sure they ) New pain docs ) have everything they need from a past dr. Everything is recent and up to date film and notes. With numbers to all my surgeons. Sad my pain dr got hurt , ahd lumbar surg and retired, I pray his recovery is goin well. I do make sure that I ahve everything they need or want, and I make sure its current, not something 5 yrs old. All my records n film n notes are only 3 months old. My old pain center sent them all my stuff and a letter of recommendation, as a good and responsible patient since ive been seeing their practice for past several yrs. I also understand that docs wont just put u on what used to work for me, they want their own plan, even if its another trial n error process, I'll just have to suffer til they find the right combination, which is right in front of them. TY for ur concern, and God Bless ya

I'm jeleous jeleous x5 hundred million. You met Leonard Nimoy? Luck duck. You will get this figured out you just need to sit down and calmly talk to a doctor if you can get into see one soon. Your going to have to " bite the bullet" for awhile. I have been there. ( I hide pain pills now from myself.) this way I have to go out of my way to get them. Sounds stupid I know . But I have to go through a lot of trouble to get to them. I have a problem the ins only pay for 21 days not all pharmacy let you pay cash for rest so I don't get the amounts they write on script etc SO I can run out and suffer and after running out and suffering I know better now. You are in this really crappy place now. You have to wait to continue your regular therapy. I agree with the above tho if your off the reg dose then maybe a lower dose will help. Doctors will never do what " the last guy did" until he knows YOU better. Sad but true. Been there done that. A cash only pain clinic made me say WT$ ? I'm sorry that's separates them from the drug dealers ,how? I woukdnt go back there. I do hope you get some help soon. Mr. I met (my)hero Leonard Nimoy. ( pouting )
I posted a lot when he died. Threw me for a loop. Like a family member. Loved spok since I was literally in my high chair. And then just lost my friend and doctor , but mostly friend his funeral was Sunday. I hope we all can get to feeling better. I just had a steroid shot in my right ankle ...ooowwcheee but as soon as the ouch wears off it will feel better. But for tonight OUCH. Again hugs and healing to all, we need it.
Just a though but maybe your too organized ? Sounds nuts right ? But I was deducing your problem of a pipe of tobacco and Sherlock said to her self maybe when someone comes in and isn't a flaky squirrel chittering on about boo boos but an organized patient who has his diseases , dosages , x Rays , everything they need , but didn't get themselves perhaps they don't trust the evidence because it wasn't discovered by them but another. It is just a thought on why they are discounting your input on therapy. I am not saying it is right. But it could be what we all are going to face if we have to change Drs.

Post Edited (Pain$herlock) : 5/5/2015 8:22:59 PM (GMT-6)