eprice
Registered: 11/09/07
Posts: 1
|
|
|
| #1 |
reaaal bad from my point of veiw .mental heath still has for to many stigmas on it back.this cause great pain andfrustration tothe family unit. |
| |
kriya6
Registered: 06/25/08
Posts: 4
|
|
|
| #2 |
I live in CT, and I'd say on a scale of 1-10, 10 being optimum care, we are somewhere between 1 and 4, depending on variables like individual Dr, hospital, and personal history. In addition to having the pain from a spinal cord injury at L5, I'm diagnosed Bi-polar, and I cant tell you how many times depression has been blamed for my various pain, and it seems to be generally assumed that it's more in my head than in my body. Here's a story:
Last winter ('06-'07) I experienced pain as bad as the pain 6 months after my injury, after living with chronic pain for 7 years without much help from medication. I still don't know what was wrong, cuz they never took me seriously enough to investigate (or they'd order tests that I couldn't do because I'd have to be still and my legs were in constant spasm). I saw doctors who wrote me off as "drug-seeking" right off the bat. (I have facial peircings, tatoos, and tend to dye my hair some pretty unnatural colors) Towards the end of the winter, it got so bad that I often couldn't get out of bed, or even up to pee in a can. My darling boyfriend would have to turn me on my side, stick a folded towel under my bum, turn me back, let me pee, then turn me again to take the towel out. I spent weeks in bed just screaming and screaming, to the point of losing my voice many times. When I finally broke down and went to the hospital, they refused to give me even a Percocet! Not one, my only option was ATIVAN, I assume to try to calm me down. I was mortified by the looks and attitudes that I was given by hospital staff. ANyway- after trying both hospitals I gave up and tried to accept my fate. One day coming out of the bathroom, I was screaming, and my mom came out of her room, where she was jolted by a ripping sound and then ringing and pain in her ear. She went to the hospital and was treated for a BLOWN EARDRUM, from me screaming so loud. Of course, she was given pain medication. I was shocked. Confused, disillusioned. I thank God every day that my pain level has drastically reduced and I no longer am in bed, screaming, trying to figure out a way to off myself without being able to get out of bed!
__________________
Never underestimate the power of the mind in coping with chronic pain. (and all it's wonderful side-effects!) |
| |
101
Moderator
Registered: 10/25/07
Posts: 35
|
|
|
| #3 |
kriya6
Thanks for the post. Yeah, sometimes it's a lot like being in the "Twilight Zone," or better still, "Aliens." You can scream all you want but nobody will hear you in that dark "space" or dimension of pain.
"Thank God" is right that there is improvement with you situation. |
| |
