TabbyCat

Thanks. I looked it up a while ago...it sounds a bit scary!! But thanks for the suggestion, flower child!

I'm so sorry your dad has suffered, but I am glad to hear he's doing so much better now. And you are very kind to offer me such relevant encouragement.

I'm sorry...I guess I was unnecessarily touchy. Forgive me for snapping at you. Yes, I take both for my osteoporosis.

Thanks, and I am so sorry if you are also dealing with chronic pain. I think if you actually READ this thread before you offered useless advice, it would be quite clear what my pain is from. I have never questioned that you always mean well when you post, might I suggest that you might actually mean something as if you knew what the fruck you were talking about? But that's just me...I think if you wish to express some sort of STRONG opinion about what someone posts, you might ought to invest the 15-20 minutes it takes to understand.

And subject/verb agreement is just SO GREAT!!

Thank you for your suggestion. I really know you meant well, and I appreciate it. But really, uhm, in this case? You just don't get it. I was dealing with progressive pain for at least two weeks before I went to the Dr. and had the x-rays that led to my diagnosis. In those two weeks before I threw my hands up and said, "I CAN'T DO THIS ANYMORE, I NEED HELP!!!," my biggest wish and my focus was to find THAT position I could get myself into where it didn't hurt. THERE WAS NO POSITION I COULD GET MY BODY INTO WHERE I DIDN'T HURT. And THAT'S what drove me to the Dr. for some so

Gurl, I hope you know how much I respect you. I hope you would come over and just give me a come-to-Jesus meeting sometime soon. I knew you were going through some stuff. We even talked about it a bit. But I wasn't a very good friend...I didn't get it. (But in all honesty, you were a bit reluctant to share anything specific). Over this last week, as I realized what I'm facing is exactly what you've just been through...well, I hope we can meet up and talk. I'm glad you're doing so well, and I sure could use your insight. you! And thanks.

Thanks, my Internet friend. I might try that now. I have been doing JUST heat, because it does seem to help. Burt maybe a switch-up would be good. I'll try it...promise! It really does help keep me a bit grounded when I hear from folks who love and live with someone who is dealing with this. I sure don't want this to be any part of our life together. But I sure am unable to keep it from being a part. I know it's hard for the ones who love someone in pain, but trust me, it's really hard for the one hurting, too.

Yes, mold is everywhere. And while I love to eat mushrooms, I sure as he!! wouldn't want to live in a fungus patch. Flesh-eating bacteria flourish in the natural environment, but you'd be NUTS to swim naked with any open wound on your body where they were known to be. Such a really silly argument. Sorry.

Thanks Sweetie, and I did. I apologized not long after I made that post up there. He understood. And I understand that it's very stressful for him to see me in pain that he can't help me with. We'll be OK. He's the greatest. And I'm trying not to be completely self-absorbed. This is difficult on levels you'd never have thought of until you go through it. I appreciate your comments, because clearly you understand exactly what I mean when I say that.

We recently bought a home. I ADORE our new home. But if our inspection had shown mold and it was an as-is deal, I would have easily walked away rather than deal with a problem like that. As someone else said, there is the mold you can see, and then there's all that additional that you CAN'T see...all up in the walls and insulation and such...I have known people who have ongoing health issues that they and their children may NEVER fully recover from because of mold issues. I know people who have lost everything because of undiscovered/undisclosed mold. If you walk, you will be sad that

Again, thanks, everyone. It makes me so sad to read how so many of you have been dealing with this or something very similar for quite some time with little relief. And it scares me, too. I went to work today, and I did OK. My boss knows I'm taking meds, but that they don't make me whacky. He's been the best as I've tried to deal with this. I am so fortunate for that. I worked all morning, then when it got time for me to take my next dose of pain meds, I realized I'd LEFT THEM AT HOME! Oh, I was so worried. I could already feel the pain coming back, and the meds were 35 miles away.

I'd be so all over that if it was an option. I am not kidding.

Over the last week, I have found that the WORST thing I can do is sit around when I'm not hurting so much and anticipate when it will start hurting again. If I'm up and moving, it hurts less. I have hung pictures at my new house, unpacked boxes I didn't need to unpack, rearranged closets, moved light furniture--ANYTHING I could do to keep moving between medications so that I could extend the relatively pain-free hours. It's worked OK...but...like last night? After I laid down and the pain came back and I wouldn't take the meds until time to take them...I was BEAT. I wasn't going to go unpa

Thanks, darlin'. I'm sorry we share this...I wouldn't wish it on anyone. S&D's Nana...my husband has asked me if I might consider acupuncture or therapeutic massage as I wait for the PM appointment...I have and I do consider it. He asked me today if I thought it might help if he sent me for a 90 minute deep tissue massage...and I told him quite honestly, a massage would be AMAZING, but it wouldn't address the problem that's causing the pain. I might still take him up on the offer...how great is a deep massage, right? I just don't want him to think it will change anything. It won't

Yes, and thanks. I have and I am. It's not easy to know what to do. I also have severe osteoporosis...have since I was in my early 30's...so any manipulation becomes more complicated when you already know you have bones like brittle glass. Trust me when I say I am exploring many options. It's not easy to know the right thing to do, and how what one thing you might choose could exclude something else under your insurance. If there was an easy way through this, I'd be all over it. I want to be done with this mess.

Last night was just AWFUL. I was staying on top of the pain by taking the pain meds (Hydrocodone 5/500 tab) EVERY 4 hours. It was working... I woke up at 3:00 am, 1.5 hours from my next dose, in so much pain I CRIED. Again. But I propped myself up on the heating pad, and I dealt with it until it was time for my next dose. It wasn't pleasant, but as I determined I would, I made it through. I took one double dose today, at 9:30. I took the dose I was supposed to take at 8:30, but by 9:30, I KNEW there was no way I'd make it until 12:30 without another dose. It's 8:30 now, and

Sincerely, thanks. And, I'm looking for the alternatives. I'd rather skip this whole thing, but seeing as how that's not an option now, I just want to get through this and feel better, and I'd rather it not involve drugs. I fear becoming dependent on them if they're made easily available and I have such pain, so it's easier if I just don't go that route at all.

Thanks. I understand what you're saying. I think we all suffer because pain meds are increasingly difficult to get even when you need them due to the high number of folks who abuse them. It pi$$es me off to no end that folks who have a need are measured with the same ruler as those who abuse.

Thanks. I'm sorry if I failed to recognize your niceness. It felt like an insult to me, and I'm in no mood for crap. Why would I not be able to get pain meds? I just don't get that at all...I have meds, they just aren't very effective. As I said, if I take them every 4 hours ON THE MARK, I can stay ahead of things enough to get through for now. I have no idea why you have such animosity towards me? We've never met that I know of, but we know and enjoy a number of mutual folks. Shrug. That's what I get when I make a sincere post for advice.

Your sentiment annoyed the crap outta me, but thanks for the comment. Hydrocodone sucks, but being what it is, I'll take it. I have no idea why you would feel the need to come in here and cheeze on me when I'm in pain, but I suppose that speaks to your character and has absolutely nothing to do with me. Have a wonderful night.

I was unable to do any of the things anyone suggested in this thread today due to a number of things that were WAY beyond my control, but I appreciate everything that everyone has offered. I'm no better than I was yesterday, and no better than I will be tomorrow...BUT...I have made it a point to take my prescribed med every 4 hours ON THE DOT, and I am managing the pain. I even set my alarm to wake up to take it during the night, because if I've learned nothing else, I've learned that I MUST stay ahead of the pain. I'll be working on the long-term solution immediately. But I made it th

Thanks, darlin'. And thanks to everyone else, too. I'm going to try to figure out a different plan tomorrow. Waiting a month for any kind of relief just ISN'T an option.

It does. Thank you! I can't get a next-day appointment...I've been in touch with my PCP since they opened Monday morning...that's how I got the referral and the appt 1 month out! Have you been to the TP facility?

Thanks, everyone. We're prepared to go outside of insurance if needed. Completely prepared...it was the first thing my husband suggested when I called him in tears this evening. A month just seems like a ridiculously long time to wait for pain relief. I'm not all about doing the mind-numbing drugs either, tidonald. It wasn't my understanding that that was what I was expecting to receive when I get there. My understanding is that they will start with the injections. If that fails to bring relief, we'll move on to the epidural. If that fails, we'll be scheduling surgery...I still have re