Posted by floatingbridge on April 24, 2010, at 17:44:32
So I'm off for x-rays and more lab tests. Physiatrist seems smart, competent, and interested in actually figuring out what's creating pain.
For now, in holding pattern of low dose, preemptive vicodin. Yesterday had a terrible flare-up. Four tabs (the most ever taken in one day) barely dented it--and created cognitive dulling to boot. No high there.
Doc says what I take right now is "chump-change". That made me laugh. Said something interesting that I thought I'd pass on regarding pain meds. He described a negative reinforcment pattern: when one has a pain flare, they say (subconsciuosly), okay, I get to take my pain meds. (A danger, I suppose esp. if pain is not managed successfully.) Very interesting to me. This guy is no pusher.
An important tangent: my mood has been really good. I might freak out about autoimmune testing, pain, seeing yet another and another doctor, however, bounce-back time is swifter.
go figure. let's hope it lasts.
(And if you're thinking it's because I'm high as a kite, I'll say this: when I have my health issues managed, go off low-dose vicodin, and if my depression worsens, I'm getting my shrink to restart the vicodin. If it works for me, med category is secondary.)
poster:floatingbridge
thread:944908
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20100416/msgs/944908.html