healthcare workers who don't understand pt's with chronic pain

By sherry Friday, February 29, 2008

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On 2/26 I had lap-band surgery. This is one more step that I felt I had to take to try to get my back and leg pain under control. For years everytime I went to a doctor he/she would always say, "you know...if you lost some weight it would probably help your back." I'm not arguing this point, at my heaviest I have weighed 238 and I'm only 5'6, but I do not believe that losing weight will cure my scoliosis or my DDD. I do understand that by losing weight it will put less stress on my back. I did lose 19# during the 12 week program they had me go through before my surgery and my leg pain actually seemed to get worse (could have been the increase in exercise during the program). The surgery went well and I have to say the first 2 days post-op really sucked. Mostly due to back & neck pain from the way they had me positioned during surgery and the co2 from the laproscopic surgery. I had talked to my surgeon and his PA on 2 seperate occasions pre-op. We discussed the fact that I have been taking neurontin, soma and percocet for 2 years. I explained to them that I was concerned about my higher tolerance for pain meds and of course they assured me that they would take this into consideration when prescribing my post-op meds. I tried Percocet post-op and that did nothing, so then they started a fentanyl PCA. This was fine until 3:30 am when I was so exhausted from not sleeping because I had to stay awake to push the PCA button. The doctor did not prescribe a continuous dose so I only recieved pain meds when I pushed the button. Well, the more tired I became, the less pain tolerance I had. When I asked for the continuous dose of fentanyl I got the "look." They did agree to give me torodol for the back and neck pain. When I asked the nurse for a back rub I could tell that she was not thrilled, but I did get a rub. It's funny, because I work at this facility and the policy is that hospital pts. are to get back rubs every 4 hrs. I got 1 in 36 hrs and I had to ask for it! When I asked the PA if they were sending me home with adequate pain meds I got the look again. Her standard response was, "you're not our typical lap-band pt" but she failed to explain to me how they were going to accomadate me. I know I'm sounding like a spoiled princess here but that is not what I was after. I just wanted them to acknowledge that I may have different pain relief requirements and I didn't want to come off as a drug-seeker. I think that when a hospital has a chronic pain pt they should consult his or her pain management physician to discuss post-op pain. Anyone have any input. I'm on the pain management committee at the hospital that I work at and I would like to have more ideas than just my own.

Comments (15) | Add comment

Vickie

2/29/08 9:25pm

I was told the same, that weight lose would help the pain. but how do you exercise without being layed out for 2 days after? I was hoping surgery would help the pain and I would be on my way to a healthy and happy life. Keep me posted on your lap-band proc. Vickie Big Smile

aka vegassunshyne

sherry

2/29/08 9:45pm

I struggled for the last 5 years trying to exercise, but when I walk for 1 mile and then end up on the couch for 6 hours I couldn't see the benefit. That is why I had the lap-band. They still want me to try and exercise and I hope that it gets better with the weight loss. Swimming is best, but I live where there is snow 6 months out of the year and indoor pools are very limited. I have been using the eliptical at the fitness center where i work and it's OK if I limit it to 15-20 minutes. I assume from your name you live where it is much sunnier. I'm 41 yrs old, married and have 3 kids. how about you?

Vickie

2/29/08 9:58pm

Las Vegas, M, 2 kids, 4 puppies, 38 in July. My puppies are my best friends. I have a pool and can hardly wait till it is warm enough to swim. Wish I had someone local who was at my same physical state to hang out with and get healthier. Its always easier with a partner.

Mari Lynn

3/ 1/08 6:38pm

Wow-I can really relate...I too am a health care worker, an Occupational Therapist and its true, so many health care workers do relate well to chronic pain pts. I too have chronic pain, have had 2 back surgeries and had them done at hospitals I had worked at. I know about "the look" when asking for more meds...right away they judge you (believe me, I've heard the talk from the "other side") and it seems they can be especially harsh with people that are employees of a facility. It is very accurate that their IS a pain tolerance with normally prescribed medication. I was told I need a 3rd back surgery but one of the concerns I have is getting proper medication post-op. I have always tried to be conservative with docs for fear of being labeled "drug seeking", even to the point where I clearly should've been given something stronger-this was in the early stages (right before my 1st back surgery) of my back pain saga. I just want to say that you did not sound like a "princess" at all, but like someone who was in the throes of needing post-op TLC. One big thing this whole back drama has done for me is increase my level of patient-care compassion TEN FOLD. I am not afraid to say too, that some of these young whipper-snapper-like therapists (esp.PT's) don't know a thing about pain or compassion.

Thanks for your post and my opportunity to vent!

Mari Lynn

3/ 1/08 6:47pm

oops, I meant CANNOT RELATE WELL...also, it doesn't seem to matter what you weigh-DDD, back and leg pain take all prisoners(haha). I 've been a steady 120-125# for the past 9 yrs, (until I started on Lyrica!) Yikes!! I've gained 15 lbs in the past 3-4 mos and I'll admit, its harder to hold my stomach in for back stabilization but no change in the leg/back pain. However, I want to also congratulate you on your weight loss ambitions-YEA!!! Its hard enuf living with pain and to add dieting too-of course at the rate I'm goin' lately I might need a lab band too!

Take care, ML

sherry

3/ 1/08 9:49pm

Hi. Nice to hear from you. I was just telling my husband that I am really enjoying talking to people who understand and are non-judgemental. You are right about health care workers. I especially laughed at your comment about PTs. I have a dear friend who is a PT and she is just now starting to understand...I think. Her theory is if you want to get better, you will work harder and it will happen. I also can relate to your comment about your pain making you more sensitive to your pt's pain. A few weeks ago we had a pt who was very uncomfortable and the doctor's couldn't figure out why he wasn't progressing. I pointed out to them that this pt was on Percocet TID and Soma BID for chronic back pain. Of course they did not think that was why the pt wan't doing well, they felt he just needed more time. Time to suffer was my response. How long have you been an OT? Isn't it strange having surgery in the same facility that you work? I work in a surgical ICU and we are a teaching hospital, so I work with all the surgical residents. My surgeon did not have a problem with me asking that the residents not be on my case, but the nurses on the floor did not like it. This meant that they had to call the surgeon on-call instead of the residents. How well does the Lyrica help? My pain doc told me that if the neurontin doesn't work for me or if I hit the max dose the next step would be Lyrica. Does it make you sleepy? Is it much more expensive than neurontin? I heard that it could cause weight gain. I wonder why..does it effect your kidneys? I would appreciate your insight on this drug. As for the lap-band I do have to say it is nice not being hungry. I've lost 4 # in the last 3 days. The main reason for the band was for my back, but as I told my friends, "who doesn't want to be sexy,skinny!" Actually, I'm just hoping to get down to an average weight. On 2 separate occasions my fasting blood sugar was 101. Not way out of range but enough to classify me as pre-diabetic. My husband is diabetic and I certainly don't want to go down that road. I felt it was time to finely do something a little more agressively about my weight. Nice talking to you, Sherry

Mari Lynn

3/ 2/08 12:58pm

Thanks for your response back-yes, its nice to discuss these things w/ like-minded folks. What type of health care worker are you? I have been an OT for over 23 yrs. and I had my 1st back surgery in '92, when I was a "young" 32, ie. very healthy, I was a former hard-core bodybuilder and though I was strict on proper body mechanics on my job (I started work in an acute neuro rehab unit) and I was otherwise very strong I blew out my L4-5 disc....then again, 9 yrs. later when I thought I was soooo done with back problems @ age 41 I blew out the L2-3 and L3-4 discs....again, previously I had been healthy, active and working full-time, but this time in an acute psych. facility!! However, I did fill-in work @ the hospital that I had my surgery, so my thought was, I was gonna be a "super" pt. (wow-my ego sure has gotten in the way!!) and though I was in mega-doses of pain post-op, I was astounded at how difficult it was to get the pain under control. I never had a PCA unit, but I was given 4 mgs of morphine and that was it...of course I was given this I think, q 2hrs or so.

However-the post/op pain was sooo not what I expected cuz I did not have that much at all after the 1st. surgery. I'm tellin' ya, if I did not have my own supply of pain meds with me 2nd post/op, I woulda never made it thru those 2 days....cuz, ya know-the "look" and the disbelief of how much pain one can be in seems inconceivable to other health care workers-esp. docs that are supposed "pain" specialists....that is what really gets me. I'd like to see these docs in some chronic pain...look at that show "House" and all the flak he gets for his poppin' of those Vicondin!! But, I was also told by a former pain specialist doc that getting pain under control via controlled opiod use can make one much more functional on the job than the debilitating distraction of chronic pain.

What I can't get is how these "ya hoo" patients who get these supposed pain meds and SELL THEM!! C'mon, if they are sellin' these precious meds, they obviously don't have the supposed pain that they are complaining about and their "pain act" must be Academy award nominating-I don't know, I don't bullshit around about how much pain I am in (which is ALOT) and I seem to get the docs that are super conservative with their prescribing of meds. Like, I have never been given a regular, ongoing script of Percocet. The Lyrica allows me some light function around the house but there is NO WAY I can work as an OT right now, looking like forever. I get a very nominal amt. of Norco along with 200 mg. of LYrica TID. Yes, Lyrica does make me sleepy and I do believe the Lyrica use is partly the cause of my 15# wt. gain. That may not seem like much but even a 5# wt. gain puts double the load on the back. The more wt. in the front (abd.) it almost doubles if not triples the load on the back. Isn't THAT comforting?? But, it can provide more incentive to cont. on your wt. loss regimen. Good for you!!

Once again, nice chatting-Mari Lynn

(boy, I hope I don't "incriminate" myself with my disclosures!! Hell, I don't care, I need to vent. Let the chips fall where they may, micro managment is not my style anymore!~

sherry

3/ 2/08 4:47pm

Sorry to hear that you aren't able to work anymore. Did you hurt your back at work? Did you have to go through workman's comp? I've known a few people who have gone thru WC and regretted it. I've avoided them at all costs. With my pre-existing diagnosis (scolisis, DDD) I figured I came by my bad back honestly. I wore a Milkwalkee brace for 3.5 yrs starting at age 13. Now studies are stating that they have been shown to be of no use. GREAT! About 4 yrs ago I had a L4-5 and L5-6 foraminotomy. At that time the surgeon told me that 4 out of 5 of my lumbar discs were practically gone. He told me that I would probably need a fusion in about 10 yrs. I'm hoping to avoid the fusion if possible. Although, the success rates for fusions are pretty low, my father and a friend of mine both had fusions and doen very well with it. The doctor who does my epidural steroid injections is now suggesting a neurostimulator. I wasn't so sure about that but I do have to say about 90-95% of the info I've found on neurostimulators has been positive. I did talk to occupational health. They said that there are a few other employees at our facility that have had stims put in and they think that they are the "neatness thing since sliced bread." Also, she told me if I had the fusion I wouldn't be able to work as a nurse on the floor, but with the stimulator I could still work. They did suggest to me that I find a different job there that did not incluse lifting. Oh, I forgot to tell you...I'm an RN in a surgical ICU. I started doing ortho nursing in 1993 and did that for about 6 yrs. Since then I have been in SICU and love it. Most of my co-workers are pretty great about doing the lifting if I feel it is too much for me. That and I've been abusing the orderly as much as possible! What area of the country do you live in? Married? Children? Talk to you later, Sherry

Mari Lynn

3/ 3/08 12:18pm

Hi Sherry!

It sure is great communicating with you, thanks alot for getting back to me, I look forward to it when I check my e-mail. Well, in answer to your ??'s, I did originally hurt my back while bike-riding 2 mos. after starting work, after taking a job in San Diego. I have a bro and sis-in-law there too but I moved there to actually be an OT for a start-up pain mgt. program! That went defunct and they moved me to the acute neuro rehab unit. Yes, I know about the lifting and as I was transferring a "butter-ball" type pt. I had sharp, sharp pain running thru my upper back. I fortunately reported it to Occ. Health, but there was alot of discussion about this cuz of the injury I had with the bike ride that, the next day I could not stand up, walk or anything. So, there was this so-called "pre existing" condition. However, when this incident with the butter-ball pt. came about, and consequently walking became more and more compromised, a neuro-surgeon who worked @ this hospital said "ABSOLUTELY THIS IS A WORK MAN'S COMP. INJURY!!!"

So, actually it was a god-send. I too, wanted to avoid WC but my situation turned out very favorably, no need for legal help, etc. I was offered a settlement and in lieu of "lifetime" back care I opted for the $$ pay-out. My theory was at the time-I was young, healthy, got the back prob. tooken care of and I spent the addtn. $$$ going for "myofascial release' training, as I had also been also going to school to become a massage therapist soon after my arrival to San Diego.

I received wonderful training and also extensive post-op bodywork, not the "rub-a-dub-dub" kind, but full-on therapeutic bodywork. VERY HELPFUL!! This all happened in the 90's and it took me very deep into somato-emotional healing which MFR is very good at accessing the "deeper" issues related to back stuff....cuz, you may well know, there is alot of "stuff" we can store in our body tissues that have origins in our emotional and mental selves.

Anyway, to make a long story short, in 1999 I took a job in psych-thinking this would be "less" physical stress on me-though at the time I was pretty much over my back drama and pretty active. However, in 2001 I slammed my tailbone on a file cabinet @ work-soon after I started getting leg pains down the backs of my legs....I went to an OCc. Health doc and he (of course!) attributed it to my pre-existing back condition....and so, GOOD THING I had health ins. at the time cuz I typically did NOT have that thru most of the 90's. Anyway, within less than 2 mos. time I went into COMPLETE paralysis from my R knee all the way down to the toes. SCARY!! My Neurosurgeon at the time (different than the first one) was aiming for a decompressive lami vs. a fusion.....he figured I was too young and active for that!! This, BTW-was not WC, I coulda fought that but opted NOT to.

However, though he finally cleared me for all activity after the surgery/healing phase was complete (and encouraged me even) I resumed all prior activity full tilt!! I went roller-blading one day and slammed down in a fall that rocked my world, but NOT in good way!! I had been living in San Diego this whole time, from '92-2002.... mid 2002 I needed to move back home to Milw. WI cuz my back got so bad that I could no longer live alone....I have no children, no husband and so I moved in with my 85 yr. old father. Well, now my Dad is pushing 90 and he is more active than me!!

I still do bodywork on the side and work on "other levels" with people...I no longer WANT to work in those grueling OT jobs anymore....I have tended to work therapy pools or registries so I have worked ALOT of places, not only all over southern CA but now in the Milw. area. So many places focus too much on this outrageous level of productivity, and now my body is saying "NO MORE!!" I can't keep up, nor do I even want to anymore. Though I am broke, at least I have a roof over my head, and no children to raise. Now, I am contemplating disability, but I am not sure if I'll get it.

I too, have been told a full fusion from L2-S1 is needed. That is major, to me. Many people have partial fusions and can function fairly well. I declined the surgery at this point because I too, have seen, worked with and heard of not so good results in the radical fusions. I have received injections to no avail. At present I have herniated discs, spondylothesis @ L3-4, slight L sided scoliosis, stenosis and DJD and DDD. Because I declined the fusion I don't know if that will jeopardize my getting Disability. Right now I am 48, so age does play a factor in all this too...like its only gonna get worse with age!!

I have heard a little about those neuro-stimulators, but I no longer have private ins. so its not likely I could get that with Milw's version of T-19 like ins. called GAMP. I'm kind of in a wait and see mode right now.

It sounds like you are back at work, yes? And good for you about GETTING HELP with lifting!! That is one of the common threads with folks that have back prob. in that is-ASKING FOR HELP. Right?? Maybe not for you-but I know that is one of my issues I had to get over, that it is OK to ask for help. But healthcare work is demanding work but its really good to know that you LOVE what you do. That is so impt. in the over-all healing process. Hell, most of us that get these injuries do not get them by sittin' on our *****!! We work HARD for the money!!

Anyway, I know this was a long post but thank you so much for allowing me opportunity to share with someone who's been there. Tell me, what part of the country do you live in?

Have a great day!
~Mari Lynn

sherry

3/ 3/08 10:03pm

Thanks for your story. Sounds like you've been though the mill and back again. Wow! L2-S1 fusion...that's huge. The surgeon that suggested a fusion never went into great detail about how many levels I would need fused, because at the time he was talking about 10 yrs in the future (that was 4 yrs ago). I talked to my boss today about my lifting restrictions when I go back to work on 3/18. My surgeon says nothing over ten pounds for 8 weeks because he repaired a hiatal hernia. Before I had my lap-band surgery I was on a 30# lifting restriction for life. My boss is being great about this because she could say that I couldn't come back until I could lift at least 30# (that's the requirement for floor nurses at our facility). She just reminded me that is my responsibilty to govern this myself and make sure that i don't overdo it. I hope all my co-worker's who have to pick up the slack are as understanding. I had my 1 week post-op appt today and everything is going well. I've been losing about 2#/day for the last 4 days. It's great...I never feel hungry and I do not feel deprived at all. On March 28 i go in for my first adjustment. This is when they add saline via the port into the band. The band creates a small pouch at the top of my stomach and when they add saline to the band it creates a smaller "funnel" for which the food passes through into the larger stomach. The food stays in the pouch longer creating a feeling of fullness. Can you tell I've been through a 3 month pre-op program...I sound like a textbook. Anyways I'm really excited about the weight loss and I've already started a box of clothes in my closet that I've "outgrown."

My 21 yr old daughter has been working as a nurse's aide in the hospital I work while she has been trying to get into the rn program at our local university. She called me a couple of days ago and said that she didn't think she wanted to go into nursing. She was thinking of either going into OT or RT. I told her I didn't think that she would like OT, but I could see her doing well with RT. I'm trying to set her up job-shadowing with a friend of mine who is an RT.

Oh, I live in upper northwest Minnesota. I am married to a farmer and have 2 daughters, age 23 & 21, and a 16 yr old son. I am 41 years old and most days feeling every day of it! I have a sister-in-law in Madison,WI. My husband & I have been married for almost 23 yrs. I got married 9 days after i graduated from high school! We had dated since I was 15. I believe we have totally beaten the odds for being married so young, and the best part is I still like him. Actually, I think we get along better now than we did in the beginning of our marriage. My oldest daughter is married and lives in Minnepolis.

Anyways, enough about my history. I need to go put ice-heat-ice on my shoulder. The way they had me positioned during surgery completely wreaked havok with my upper back (which I warned them not to do). My shoulder has been bothering for about a month and my massage therapist had worked in it, but now it seems so much worse. Today I went to my chiropractor and had an adjustment. He didn't think that it was a bone spur, but wasn't sure. he suggested an x-ray. I feel like I am slowly falling apart one piece at a time! Do you see anyone for alternative treatment? I talked to one lady who was getting botox injection in her upper back for spasms from her scoliosis. I have another friend who is an NP specializing in healing touch...I have to admit I'm a bit skeptical about this, but she states that she has been able to reduce the amount of insulin some of the diabetic pt's she sees. That is impressive. Today was my first day on the pain management committe at my hospital. My boss had asked me to do this and I think I am going to enjoyit. It is a bit odd though, there are women on this committee that I have dealt with personally through my own pain management journey. Should be interesting. Well, goodnight, talk to you another day, Sherry

Mari Lynn

3/ 4/08 11:27am

Thanks for y

our reply! Wow-long time married to the same man, THAT is impressive!!

I wanted to mention that I think alternative treatments are very helpful, esp. types that are relaxing; like Reiki, cranio-sacral tx, and I don't mind telling you that I am really good with shoulders....wish I could work on yours. MFR stuff is EXCELLENT for what you have going on, as is e-stim, ultrasound, etc. I could fix ya up in know time!! hahahaha....I love doing shoulder treatments-there is so much complexity to that joint.

BTW-in re: to your daughter and her schooling: (IMHO) Having worked ALOT in acute care, OT in that realm is, well...boring. There is not much that you can do with pts. in that setting, however rehab OT is very interesting, challenging and very rewarding. It is very valuable and highly regarded. Also, out-pt. OT is very, very interesting. There are so many cont.ed classes too, which makes the clinician that much more knowledgeable. This past summer I was working in an out-pt. facility and I loved it-the only thing is, the pace/productivity level was just too much for my back. Because I am trained in doing manual therapies (massage, MFR) it becomes a highly useful and very effective (and billable) form of TX.

However, schooling for OT's nowadays is GRUELING. It was when I was in school, and highly competitive. But, I have found myself creatively approaching my career-first started in psych (which there are few psych places left these days...but I have a reserved room!!) and then which working registry so much, I got exposed and proficient in a huge number of facilities...not many OT's work that way but I get bored easily and like the challenge of learning something new. I'm a jack of all trades, mistress of a few!!

RT I believe, is still a 2 yr. program, so yeah, you can get out and work quicker. For some reason though, messing around with sputum has felt yucky to me (though I've done it) but the scary thing about RT is you really have someone's life in your hands...one mistake with some and whew! I know in your job you also have someone's life in your hands, so maybe it really isn't as bad as I think. What I do know is, after an RT rx with some patients I've had, it made a world of difference in their response to whatever I needed to do with them. One thing I really do want to stress is, if your daughter has creative energy and desires to help people, I have found OT to be a profession that seems to allow for that if not promote creative use of SELF first, creative use of modalities second. Hope that info helps.

Wow-pain mgt. committee!!! YEA!!! Thank God someone like you is on that committee. Let me know how that goes! And, congrats on that wt. loss.....wow, you're gonna feel like a million bucks by spring/summer, are U feeling a half million now??!!!

Oh, one more thing...I have had the pleasure of having a wonderful, very awesome gifted healer therapist work with me....now, since my private ins. is no longer and with the help of tax refund $ I have been able to see her privately...she is a Reiki master and also does MFR/cranio-sacral tx. I believe its helpful not only on the physical level but she also works on the energetics of the body-very impt. cuz trauma is trauma, and we can store soooo much junk in our bodies which translate to pain, stiffness, etc. If I could be so bold as to recommend something to you-as you progress with your weight loss, receiving some form of energetic work would be emensely helpful. With wt, loss, there are issues, toxins, 'gunk" you are gonna shed. Wt. is often a protection from further pain, trauma, etc. As you become freed up, our physical self does not always keep up with our energetic self, and there really is validity to this. That's why it so often is recommended to get regular bodywork or something to help move our physical, slower, denser body to the place our mind and heart are. It sounds weird but really, its true.

Hope this helps! Take care and once again, NICE chatting!!

~Mari Lynn

sherry

3/ 5/08 6:00pm

Sorry it took so long to get back to you. I've had a busy couple of days. Thanks for the input about OT, I just think it's something my daughter would not be interested or enjoy. It has to do more with her personality. She has actually been talking to a transfer counselor about going into the RT program at a local college. I've been to the chiropractor twice so far this week. I'm still trying to deal with the muscle spasms in my left neck and shoulder. This morning the spasms woke me up at 4AM. I talked with my pain management doctor today and he prescribed Flexeral. He had suggested this drug before for my leg spasms, but I told him I didn't like how it made me feel. Tofay I called his nurse and said I've changed my mind...I try anything to get rid of this pain/spasms. I been streching and applying ice a few times a day. tomorrow I have classes at the hospital I work at from 8-4PM. Should be interesting to try to stay awake with flexeral! How are you doing? It's freezing here. Are you staying warm? I can really feel the cold in my bones! Maybe I can talk my home-bound hubby to snowbird somewhere warm next winter. Probably, not much luck with that. Take care, Sherry

Mari Lynn

3/ 8/08 2:27pm

Hi Sherry,

Sorry I didn't respond as quickly as I woulda liked, but I've been at another 'puter checking mail and I had forgotten my password. I had typed up this post to you (thank goodness it wasn't as long as some of mine to you were!) and alas, couldn't send it. Oh well.

I mentioned in my letter to you that wasn't able to be sent something about Brett Favre, his retirement and well-on that day I allowed myself some grief time. I know this may sound strange but I am hoping for a couple things here 1) you are a football fan yourself and 2) whether its for the Packers or for the Vikings you may very well get a sense of what Brett Favre did for midwestern state football watching!! He made a HUGE impact on WI and well, he's been a hero of mine, and I mean in re: to chronic pain.

The day of his retirement speech to the press, I had allowed myself my own grief time with no judgement or censorship, and so I had a good cry. Mostly, I was just so impressed with how he shared himself, even his tears with others. I feel like in that process I must've moved thru some other stuff, cuz that evening I was aware of how little pain I had in my body. Evenings are typically a painful time of day, 2nd only to first thing in the morning.

A few years ago I had the pleasure of going to my one and only (to date) game @ Lambeau field, and I had run out of pain meds the day of the game. My friend and I had to park some 3 blocks away from the stadium and I was more than a little concerned about my being able to do that and enjoy the game OUTSIDE for 3 hrs. This game was when Brett had injured his thumb and knee and was expected to start despite word that he was not completely healed. We all know what he went thru with his Vicodin thing so pain pills were not an option for him that nite either. All I kept saying to myself that nite was "well, if Brett can do it tonite, so can I"!!!! In reading his hx of injuries thru-out his career, its amazing that he did so well in keeping off the narcotics. Frankly, I don't feel the desire to be so noble in handling pain with my own injuries but hats off( or cheeseheads!!) to him for choosing to put his addictive med use in check.

So, how was your 8 hr. day?

Take care, Mari Lynn

say, I was wondering, do you think we could email each other directly? I sometimes get carried away when I write to you and would rather not be so candid in my self-disclosures for all the world to see. I am mly926@yahoo.com

sherry

3/ 8/08 9:46pm

Sorry to disappoint you, but the only football games I watch are my son's. Although I wouldn't mind going to a Viking's game. A lot of my co-workers are vikings fans, but I have never gotten into it, I should by a "Football for Dummies" book so I can understand my son's games. The coaches love having my son on their team. He's been over 6 foot tall since 8th grade. Now he is 16 and is 6'4 and about 235# He is very broad and muscular like his dad. The funny part is when he tries to be intimadating. Everyone who knows him knows that he is a big teddy bear! Up until this past season the other teams would double team him (he's a lineman). The other kids are starting to catch up to him now and I haven't seen as much doubleteaming. I'm not back to work yet. It amazes me how little I've gotten done while on break from work. I planned on catching up on some of the things at home, but that hasn't really happened. Tonight I had my first real meal since surgery (roasted chicken, mashed potatoes & gravy, and broccoli). Of course it was a 1/4 of what I usually would eat. 32# and counting down. My e-mail is janasherry@msn.com Feel free to e-mail there. We have had a ton of snow this winter and today was no different. Snow,snow,snow. We were leaving to go to a funeral this afternoon and my car got stuck in a pile of snow. We did eventually get it out with the pick-up and made to the funeral on time. I can't wait for summer. I used to like to go walking early on summer mornings but I haven't bee able to much for the last few years because of sciatic nerve pain. I'm hoping that walking might be easier with a little weight loss. What do you do to keep yourself busy. Hobbies, other than greiving for retired football players? Sorry, had to get that in while it was still fresh! Just kidding, really what are your hobbies? Talk to you later, Sherry

Mari Lynn

3/10/08 12:25pm

Hi~

I used to have an active lifestyle but can't seem to walk very far. Good thing that shopping is NOT a hobby-going to the store, even with a cart to lean on is very hard. I do enjoy reading, doing artwork (tho haven't done much of that for several months) and I recently joined in on the Oprah book group for this book called "A New Earth"....its a world-wide internet class that gathers every nite @ 8:00pm. Both the author and Oprah are co-facilitating this class. I found a Milw. based class here in Milw. and I stepped out of my comfort zone and joined the gathering for the first class last week Monday. There are 4 other women-none of us knew each other before last Friday and it was fabulous! I have owned this book for over a year, read parts of it but it is taking on a whole new meaning for me-its a life changing book. I am particularly excited about the topic and the fact that this "tele-class" is being offered around the world. The audio/video thing took a nose dive last week so the "class" part went south but for 5 women that didn't know each other we were all talking and exchanging stuff like we were all old friends!!

One woman shared that she has been bed-ridden for 10 yrs and has only recently been out of the house....so she truly was leaving her comfort zone!! I am not sure what her illness is, only that its something neurological and that she has trouble walking. I immediately felt a kinship with her but the other women are just as warm and engaging.

So, I am so far, excited about this group.

I also like to make my own incense, started making some face and body lotions and recently got a a lead on a website that sells products to "make your own" concoctions; my boyfriend is a massage therapist and so I'd like to make some products along those lines. I recently made a facial scrub with all natural products and I do know quite a bit about aromatherapy, herbs, etc. so hope to do some more of that.

I had to laugh-when I was working @ this nursing home last year at this time but UP NORTH (it was a 3 mo. travel assignment) there was this nurse there that has a little shop in Crystal Falls, upper MI called "guns and gifts"....only up in the UP would something as dis-simiar as funky, home made soaps, candles and other "foo-foo" stuff be paired up with GUNS!! I'm not ready to open up a store, but if so I'm not gonna be pairing it up with guns!! hahahaha

How about you? Do you like to do anything that, now with pain you've had to stop or at best, modify it so you could continue? BTW, we here in WI have had the 4th snowiest season to date, yikes!!! I can't wait for summer, or at least SPRING!

take care,

healthcare workers who don't understand pt's with chronic pain

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