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Acupuncture worked but unlike everything else insurance or Medicare won't pay for it. In this small town it's $30 for a 15 minute treatment and I just don't have that kind of money so it's back on big dose Morphine. I can't imagine what it would cost elsewhere. I finally found a doctor that is compassionate enough to give me enough pain medicine that I can function fairly well. Not good enough to work 8 hours but good enough to take a week to mow the lawn and vacuum up the dog hair every couple of days. I miss what I used to be able to do but I am very grateful for every little thing I can do now, with the help of my doctor's compassion. My pain specialist stopped at what he considered enough and wouldn't increase the dose no matter what was happening in my life. This doctor is taking care of all of me, including the times when I fall down or I lift something too heavy, not just the every day chores person. I am so grateful to have finally found him and something that is working enough that I can sleep and get up without crying.
Funny that you should mention a cardiologist and maze in the same paragraph. I had AFs. Was told the mini maze would have me home in four days. How about a month? I started bleeding - 7 transfusions - a pacemaker, start of renal failure and something down my throat to get the blood out, I guess, and I wasn't allowed a drop to drink for two days and I now know what dying of thirst is. (try getting a nurse to bring a tiny chip of ice!) plus feeling like I was choking to death.
I told the male nurse in ICU I wanted to go home and he said, "You almost did last night." Now isn't that funny. I have had the traumatic stress syndrome since then - terrified of hospitals (couldn't find my veins but that didn't stop them from jabbing at my hands 5 or 6 times a day and they puffed up like frogs).
I went in a strong, young, active 59 and crossed the invisible line into old lady-hood and I still have trouble walking after 2 years. I don't know why I'm writing this out into the ether, as it were. Good health to you, my friend. 
I prefer to stay with my family physician and groan mightily if he perchance wants me to see a specialist. He knows this and I only use one pharmacy as I do not want to take interacting drugs. Recently, we chose to up the ante from hydrocodoen to oxycodone. Also found out I have a hiatal hernia which is just constant discomfort. Last year's out of pocket expense was over 10,000, so my obvious goal is treat the pain at the lowest cost possible. I believe that the pain, in my situation, is stressing me out both mentally, physically, and financially. What was the question? Have I found an answer to pain? Somedays it's yes and somedays it's no. The beast is upon me.
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Thank you for this-Nine years ago after being injured on the job, and being told that my right knee had CRPS/RSD.
I started researching this thing called CRPS/RSD, and also found out that seeing a doctor that knew how to treat pain, could be a good thing! Who would of thought of such a thing! When I found a pain doctor I wanted to see, I went to the doctor that had been treating my on the job injury. I asked her to sign the referral I needed to see this pain doctor. At first she agreed with everything he had recommended for my treatment. Then, she read that I could not return to work, and that he recommended, I take 20 mg. of Oxycontin twice a day every other weekend. She did not like this-she was sure I could return to work, and was really pushing this, she also did not agree with the Oxycontin. She wanted me to continue with Darvocets, taking 1-2 every 4-6 hrs for pain as needed.
Finally after becoming very frustrated with this, I said Dr. XXXXXX, if I had heart disease, you would send me to a heart specialist, she said nothing, and left the room. A few moments later the nurse returned with the signed referral.
Heart problem, see a heart doctor, pain problem-see a pain doctor.
To me it was elementary, like 2 + 2 = 4!
Carol Rains
POPAN-WA
509-966-4593
carol@rainsalot.org