one more pain doc

[alan]

Went to see yet another pain doctor at the neighborhood hospital (only a five minute ride, but even that was tough, as my stomach acted up more on the ride.) Guy was very nice, but didn't have any ideas - we discussed what's been tried, and the meds I've been on, and I've tried every med he'd have considered prescribing. We did discuss the pain pump (he doesn't put them in, but he knows about them), including the possible side effects, and he doesn't know if they help with central pain, but he'll look for docs that do install pumps and ask them if they've had any luck.

He didn't have any idea what to do about the popping shoulder blades.

So, I'm at the same place I was before I left for the appointment.

[arndog]

I struggled ( and still struggle) with chronic pain secondary to SCI and a bad pelvic trauma. The greatest thing that had the biggest effect for me was Biofeedback. I was able to relax through the pain and differentiate the afferent impulses from the emotional response to pain. This is a critical distinction that made me realize that the emotional reaction, the feelings, the disappointment, the sadness were the worse aspects of the pain and were things that I could control.
I can't control the neuropathic pain afferent impulses but they are not so bad once the emotional component is under control.
I still see the pain specialist and take elavil and lyrica for neuropathich pain and an occasional percocet for musculoskelatal pain , but nothing has helped me as much as biofeedback for chronic pain.

I hope this helps - I know what it is like when the pain specialist rattles off the usual modalities of treatment that you have heard and tried a 1000 times........

[dejerine]

Ninety nine bottles of pain docs on the wall
Ninety nine bottle of pain docs
Take one down and pass him around
Ninety eight bottles of pain docs on the wall

Alan , the following should make your pain a lot more bearable:

NASA has just allocated three quarters of a billion dollars to go out and study TWO of the 250,000 asteroids in the asteroid belt. This is routine and no real news. What is astounding is that NASA does NOT promise this shot will tell us the secrets of "how life began in the universe". How can this be? They have unwisely quit saying they will explain God and are merely saying their study of two asteroids will suggest secrets about "how the solar system began" They are risking everything by this shift in purpose and mission. The public doesn't give a rip about how the solar system began. They just want to know it will last until they get their Social Security cancelled over our War debt. In the meantime, the budget for basic pain research at NIH is now six million per year. What vision!

How do we know for sure that these pictures of asteroids arent' worth anything. Well, if they were worth anything, the recording industry (RIAA) would have the US ATTY General and the FBI going after those who tried to download them for free. You would have to pay a dollar to download them to your Ipod. They would probably rank somewhere below the Chockolate Gym Socks, maybe lower.

[alan]

Government loves to waste money. Asteroids now, then missions to Mars.

Meanwhile, I'm ready to euthanize myself. Guess it's a good thing I have no idea how I could do it.