Originally Posted by
MaryB
They tried to implant one on my spine... way to many bone spurs and they can't get the leads in where they will work. So it has been narcotic pain meds for the last 14 years... pain meds dull the pain, they do not remove it. If you get total pain relief you are a junky and should seek help!
My spine doc asks me to give a talk twice a year to his patients on use of meds. I have never crept my dose up, in fact I cut one in half and the other by 1/3 on my own because I was tired of being constantly tired.
First thing I tell new groups, if you expect 100% pain relief get up and leave. Usually lose about 1/4 of them. Use the minimum to get some relief, pain is a reminder you are not only alive but that you have an injury that can get worse if you are not careful. Do NOT work and push through the pain! That is a recipe for spending the next 3-4 days in massive pain and tying to get it back under control! And some ask if they could save meds and skip taking them some days, use them on really bad pain days. Bad idea! Take your minimum dose every day because once you start chasing the pain you are in for a bad week!
Living with disability is a lifestyle change. I do a lot less than I used to but I still stay active. My first back doc told me I would be in a wheelchair by 2013... nope! I am to stubborn to give in to that and staying active is crucial! Quit moving and things will go bad fast. I plan 2-3 hours a day of doing bending, lifting, twisting... keep the back moving! Includes the neck where I have a 3 level fusion and a titanium plate holding things together! Use your arm muscles, stretch them, exercise them... despite having rotator cuff surgery twice on the right! 80% tear on the left I never had repaired. Surgery didn't help the right side.