Changing Medications (Level of Trust Required)

[ProfessorTomoe 1,308]

This double vision is making things harder than I thought. I've got a ton of paperwork to fill out for the pain management doctor on Wednesday. How the hell am I going to do it? I can't see well enough to write. I might have to get Mrs. Prof to help me with it over today and tomorrow. Otherwise, I could be screwed.

[CritterKeeper 1,102]

Sounds like Mrs Prof will once again have to save the day!  Tell her her cats are gorgeous and she's a wonderful human being.

[mlooney 3,417]

A problem I have with my current brain drugs is that every once in a while, like say this morning, I get a crazy idea and the time between idea and hardware/software being ripped apart is way too few minutes.'

Today, for no reason I can really think of I decided that I wanted all my monitors on Godzilla, my primary machine.'

My primary, as in my life work is on it¹.

So, did I think about this and say, wait.  Zillas not broken, why dink?

Nope.

Some period of time later Godzilla is back to normal, but why?  Why the no filter between the back of the brain and the tool box?

Gah.

¹ I have backups. But still.

[ProfessorTomoe 1,308]

12 hours ago, CritterKeeper said:

Sounds like Mrs Prof will once again have to save the day!  Tell her her cats are gorgeous and she's a wonderful human being.

She's definitely going to have to help. Not only do I have double vision, it's blurry to boot. AAUUGGHH

[ProfessorTomoe 1,308]

3:01 p.m. CDT 20170801. Dear Lord, I think this is one of those transition days. I can see slightly better, but I'm losing words and not making as much sense. I'm going to sound like a zombie tomorrow in front of the pain management doctor.

She's supposed to help me fill out the forms for the appointment tomorrow.  I hope she stays home long enough tonight to fill out a medical Power of Attorney. That way she'd be able to legally speak for me tomorrow. God, I hate this. You don't know how long it's taking me to type this message.

[ProfessorTomoe 1,308]

4:48 a.m. CDT 20170802. My nerves are farking freaking out. Mrs. Prof said she doesn't need a medical PoA if we're both present in the room. So, into the room we'll go, hopefully with me being able to speak for myself and without me losing my cool.

I can't think. I'm too scared that I'll either get another UT Southwestern or a total rejection. I'm awake too damned early, that's what it is. I'm going back to sleep.

[The Old Hack 2,448]

11 minutes ago, ProfessorTomoe said:

4:48 a.m. CDT 20170802. My nerves are farking freaking out. Mrs. Prof said she doesn't need a medical PoA if we're both present in the room. So, into the room we'll go, hopefully with me being able to speak for myself and without me losing my cool.

I can't think. I'm too scared that I'll either get another UT Southwestern or a total rejection. I'm awake too damned early, that's what it is. I'm going back to sleep.

Sleep well, old friend. May your fears come to naught.

[ProfessorTomoe 1,308]

8:32 a.m. CDT 20170802. I had to force myself up—I was literally slipping back into sleep as I sat up. My head was falling out of my hands. I finally pushed my head upright with one hand and pushed my body up with the other in order to get vertical. It was about time, too. I needed a Crystal Light lemon tea refill and a good bomb of coffee. BTW, if you want to see what coffee I'm drinking nowadays, check out this link. You'll note I didn't give the product being reviewed a good rating, but if you mix it with another coffee they sell, ka-BLAMMO! Excellent stuff. I wish I could have rated the blend.

But I digest.

Thanks to @The Old Hack for his kind wishes. I certainly do hope they help today. It's another one of those "I can use all the help I can get" days. Still scared, though.

Haven't taken my medicines yet, partly due to late waking, partly due to hopes that the Lyrica's effects will hold off until at at least late in the appointment, if not after it. using the delay to have some Sam's Club "Pulled Pork Street Tacos." They taste about how they sound. Not bad for microwave fare, though. Needs sour cream.

Can you tell I'm trying to take my mind off of the appointment? I mean, everything is together and in a folder, however I'm supposed to bring all of my medicine bottles. A list isn't good enough—they want to see the bottles (and probably count how many hydrocodone pills I have left—I'll be over by one since I missed a dose yesterday). Those'll have to go into a bag. Most of 'em are already in a shoebox (as in the freeform poem/whateveryouwanttocallit).

(Sorry, had to take a break to deal with a couple of cats for a few moments.)

The pulled pork "Street" tacos are gone, so let me take my medication. I'll write as the day goes on (and my neuroses continue to worsen).

[CritterKeeper 1,102]

You do sound more together!  I hope it continues and that you can be an active participant in your appointment.  I think you've put up with the Lyrica's effects better than I would have, but then again I don't have a Mrs. Prof to help me if I were to fall apart.  Here's hoping the pain management guru knows what to try next to get a more reasonable yet effective response!  *hugs*

[mlooney 3,417]

Not to take away from @ProfessorTomoe, who really needs good thoughts today, but I have a sinus head ache and the box I thought I had of pre-meth¹ was, in fact, empty.   Seeing if just analgesics will help with my headache.  I suspect they will, but I also suspect that I'll have to treat this like a migraine and walk up the ladder and back down a few times.  Will skip the final "rung" there is no reason to go that far. 

 

¹pseudoephedrine

[ProfessorTomoe 1,308]

Take care, @mlooney. A sinus headache is nothing to mess around with, even in comparison to the horrors of your migraines.

Much obliged, @CritterKeeper! Looks like I'm going to need Mrs. Prof's help today. The Lyrica hit me like a wall of bricks. I'm as double-visioned as I've ever been right now. I had a good argument on the discord EGS server #tech channel—that helped some, especially when I had to pull out my Facebook article to prove that I'm someone who knows what the fark I know what I'm talking about. I got both argument *and* abuse prior to that. So, at least my mind is working, but I'm not sure it's connected to my mouth yet.

I do know that I'm having the Lyrica coughs like crazy today. Why is it that practically every medication I take that has coughing as a side effect hits me with that very side effect? Give me a break, people!

Gotta go take a shower in preparation for the appointment. Let's see If I can handle it.

[ProfessorTomoe 1,308]

11:33 p.m. CDT 20170802. Never have I had such a strange doctor's appointment in the history of all of my doctor's appointments.

First things first, he accepted me! O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay! And other such exclamations.

Now, the story, which is going to take some time to tell.

Things started off bad when my left hearing aid "died" on me on the way there (I learned after I got home that the earplug tube was just plugged up with wax—a replacement fixed it, but I had no hearing aids during my entire appointment, since one hearing aid is worse than none). That meant Mrs. Prof had to make sure she got all of the info from the appointment, and believe me, there was a ton of it.

We get to the hospital and I'm walking for the first time in months without a walker. All I'm using is a cane. Of course, Mrs. Prof is yards ahead of me and complaining that it hurts for her to walk so slow. Whatever.

I check in and find out there was one more paper that wasn't in the phone book of paper they originally sent. Fill it out, wait almost an hour. During this time, I can feel the Lyrica stupidity kicking in. I warn Mrs. Prof.

They call me back and take my blood pressure. 148/80. I'm slightly freaked at this moment, but not terribly. Something must have my nerves calmed down somewhat, since I'm not wanting to get up and run out the door.

Finally, the doctor arrives. About that time, my Lyrica really kicks in. He talks very soft, very fast, and very technical. Halfway through the appointment, I tell him about the Lyrica situation. He checks the dose I'm on and is stunned by it. Takes me off it immediately. I apologize to him and tell him that I'm going to have Mrs. Prof advocate for me through the rest of the appointment. He understands fully and talks things over while I sit back wondering where my brain went.

In the first part of the appointment, when I was still lucid, he informed me that he's never seen someone with a back as messed up as mine. All of the amputated, squeezed, and other nerve problems? No wonder I'm hurting everywhere. They didn't even do diagnostics of my S1 nerve endings, which is where most of my severe pain has been coming through. I mean, he was on a freaking roll the whole time. Even in my brief moments of lucidity, I couldn't keep up with him. He even says the stone bruise pain in my foot, the ankle pain, and other pains are due to the nerve issues in my back. He rattled off issue after issue after issue after issue. I'm that bad off.

Fortunately, there is something he can do for me. What it is I can't remember, because it was about that part that my mind started fuzz boxing up. Let's just say that this went way beyond a consultation appointment. He came in, ready to rock and roll. I'm scheduled for a back procedure already, after which I may have full-blown surgery.

A couple of notes from my visit:

• He knows my primary care physician and thinks highly of him.
• He thinks Spine Team Texas is a bunch of [expletives deleted].
• He can't believe I got referred to the pain guy at UT Southwestern, for many reasons which I will not spread here.

All in all, this is the first doctor to take the report from the lumbar myelogram seriously.

You want to know the weirdest part of this whole situation? It has to do with my pain medications.

Of course, he doesn't want me taking the Lyrica anymore, which means an immediate stop. I spent most of this afternoon sleeping it off. I've been fighting double vision to type this report. He's put me on a higher dose of hydrocodone due to my gastric bypass. And, dating all the way back to the beginning of this thread ...

 ... he's put me back on Cymbalta. Says it's approved for neurological pain.

Before we left, I told him about this forum thread and how the snake had now come around to eat its own tail. He got a laugh out of the situation.

So will I. So will I, my friends. So will I.

 

[The Old Hack 2,448]

1 hour ago, ProfessorTomoe said:

So will I. So will I, my friends. So will I.

Oh good Lord. This is one of the worst medical nightmare stories I have heard of for a long time. I so hope this guy can actually help you. Please keep us posted.

[CritterKeeper 1,102]

Sounds like a very productive appointment, with at least reason to be optimistic that you will finally get the help you should have gotten from the start!  Hooray!

I'm always amazed how many medications have widely varying uses and effects.  There's a wonderfully effective anti-vomiting drug which Ih have learned is also good for both pain and coughing.  there's a med good for nerve pain, storm phobias, and anti-epileptic.  Even valium, given I V to a cat, can stimulate the appetite!

[Pharaoh RutinTutin 1,586]

It's amazing what can happen when the Physician believes that the patient is a human being in pain and not a hypochondriac or drug addict.

[The Old Hack 2,448]

3 hours ago, Pharaoh RutinTutin said:

It's amazing what can happen when the Physician believes that the patient is a human being in pain and not a hypochondriac or drug addict.

Tell me about it. Spending seven years mismedicated because of a misdiagnosis that was never corrected or even questioned cured me of any faith I had in the medical system for long years.

[ProfessorTomoe 1,308]

11:10 a.m. CDT 20170803. Now that I can see what I'm typing (and halfway think straight as well, although that's still coming along), I can say that Mrs. Prof advocated for me quite well yesterday after I basically shut down. She's got experience doing that—for her late mother when she was in a nursing home, for me after I broke my ankles. This was a mere pittance by comparison.

I was given a choice between liquid hydrocodone or a higher dose of hydrocodone pills. Seeing as how the liquid hydrocodone would be a 5-day supply, and that we will have to drive all the way into the not-too-nice part of near-downtown Dallas to get refills, we're choosing the 30-day supply of pills. (At least we think it's a 30-day supply: that will be verified before we get it filled.)

We will be picking up the Cymbalta today. (right-click scroll up Add to Dictionary) It's still a bit (hell, a lot) ironic that a thread that I started years ago to help me deal with getting off of Cymbalta is going to live so long as to see me go back on it, although for pain management purposes this time. In no way does this signal the end of the thread—hell no. It's become a resource for others and a chronicle for my own problems (and for others' ) problems. It needs to continue.

[The Old Hack 2,448]

1 hour ago, ProfessorTomoe said:

In no way does this signal the end of the thread—hell no. It's become a resource for others and a chronicle for my own problems (and for others' ) problems. It needs to continue.

Damn straight. This thread has become a fixture of this forum and I am sure I am not the only one who is grateful that you have been journaling so patiently in it. Your new doctor sounds like he has his head screwed on straight. I am hoping for more good news soon.

[ProfessorTomoe 1,308]

9 hours ago, The Old Hack said:

Damn straight. This thread has become a fixture of this forum and I am sure I am not the only one who is grateful that you have been journaling so patiently in it. Your new doctor sounds like he has his head screwed on straight. I am hoping for more good news soon.

Thank you, thank you, good sir. Your moderatorly support has allowed me to hijack a forum thread to post the details of my screwed-up physical life, and everyone's support (yours definitely included) has given me the strength I've needed to go on when things looked most bleak. There will never be any way I can fully repay either, yet I hope that I can still count on everybody's support in the future when it's needed.

In the fullest sense of the phrase, thank you, one and all.

[ProfessorTomoe 1,308]

And, in the fullest sense of the phrase, I'm a clumsy oaf. I had naught but socks on my feet last night, and I managed to kick the hard rubber tip of my cane. Something felt like it went out of position.

Damnit.

Well, at least I'm going to the podiatrist tomorrow. The bad part is that I'm still going to have to have Mrs. Prof explain what's going to be done to me in early August by the pain management doctor that will directly affect the podiatrist's area of work. (I've been told that it takes several days for Lyrica to leave one's system, and it's just now getting out of mine. Mrs. Prof is still sort of advocating for me.)

Thinking back on the pain management appointment from Wednesday (and cross-correlating with Mrs. Prof), I get the following picture of what he's going to to do me:

• I'm going to get another lumbar caudal epidural injection again.
• This one will be targeted to the zones that actually need the pain medicine.
• Catheters will be involved to guide the medicine to the crushed and amputated nerves.
• Multiple procedures may be required.
• The procedures may lead to back surgery, of the regular of the minimally invasive type (or both).
• I'm going to have another "stop list" of medications that I'll have to quit a certain number of days prior to the procedure.

I need to get the stop list and the procedure date from Mrs. Prof so I can coordinate the two. It was hard enough last time, so I imagine it'll be even harder when  dealing with a real hospital.

[The Old Hack 2,448]

6 hours ago, ProfessorTomoe said:

Thank you, thank you, good sir. Your moderatorly support has allowed me to hijack a forum thread

Hijack? I seem to remember you creating it. And that others have benefited from posting about their troubles in it, too.

[mlooney 3,417]

1 hour ago, The Old Hack said:

Hijack? I seem to remember you creating it. And that others have benefited from posting about their troubles in it, too.

No carp.  There have been several days that my sanity was really helped by venting about what my drugs were or were not doing to me that day.

[ProfessorTomoe 1,308]

1 hour ago, The Old Hack said:

Hijack? I seem to remember you creating it. And that others have benefited from posting about their troubles in it, too.

Well, you let me. you big Danish butter cookie. You had the chance to shut me down before I even got started , so everyone who has anyone to thank has you to thank as well.

21 minutes ago, mlooney said:

No carp.  There have been several days that my sanity was really helped by venting about what my drugs were or were not doing to me that day.

You have @The Old Hack to thank for this as well, O sausage connoisseur. He let me get away with the harebrained scheme that has become this thread.

[ProfessorTomoe 1,308]

* burrrrp*

Oh, God, I forgot how bad Cymbalta (excuse me, generic duloxetine) tastes on a burp. Bleaugh.

Still also getting Lyrica coughs. That doesn't help.

[ProfessorTomoe 1,308]

I just went through my pre-op "stop list" for my pain management procedure, and it's freaking spartan compared to the one that Spine Team Texas had me on. Basically, it amounts to no blood thinners and no anti-inflammatories, neither of which I take in the first place. My procedure is scheduled for two weeks from today, Friday, August 18th, at 12:20 p.m. CDT. I get to have a light meal and clear liquids 8 hours before the procedure, and I can take my other medications as usual, even on the day of the injection (including my pain medication), with a small sip of water only.

That's pretty damned liberal when you compare it to the stop list that STT gave me. Makes me wonder why STT was so worried about things.