Cancer treatments and dealing with pain..

Hey all!
I just got back from my cancer treatment. And it hit me hard as per usual. Making my pain worse. Yada yada.

I've got nothing to take for it because I've yet to receive that darn letter from my previous pain management doc to release me from his practice. -sighs- It's just not cool that I'm suffering like this.

My roomie has offered to get me pain medications the illegal way. From buying off the streets or from a friend that charges way too much for the pain medications that she gets. I'm not going to have her do that for me. I'm just going to wait for my letter, and go to some pain management doc here in Garland.

No it's not fun to suffer like this. With the cancer pain. And the chronic pain.... But it's like I've got not the choice. Because the cancer doc can't get me anything because I've not yet been released from the practice from my PM doc. And my neuro can't get me anything because of the not being released from the practice either. -sighs-

This just isn't the way to live. I frigging hate this. I really do. The pain and the cancer frigging sucks. I can't believe it came back.... And I can't believe the chronic pain hasn't gone away even after the like 5-6 preventives that I am on as of now... I'm on too many medications. Plus the try to kill the cancer meds. And the meds to try to get me to eat more. Or try to keep my weight stabilized... I forget which kind of drug it is for/described as.

I just frigging hate this. I wish that this would all frigging stop. But I've survived so frigging so much from the past. And in the present from dealing with my parents and dealing with some other stuff. SO I CAN deal and survive these damn cancer treatments. Not to mention deal with these 12 freaking years + of chronic pain issues. I'll survive just as I normally do. Live life normally? I'm not sure yet.... But I will survive and do my best to live.

There's just too much going on. And... blah... I just don't know how to handle this shit any more.
Sorry if this is repeating some of the stuff from the last post that I wrote. I just vent here. Sorry.
So done ranting.
Thanks for reading.
~c

Hi winterfea,

I agree this totally sucks. I do admire you for wanting to go about things the right way even though I can only imagine how bad it is. I have loved ones who lost the battle with cancer and I know it was agony for them and I can't imagine what it would have been like without anything to relieve the pain.

I only have to deal with the M monster with limited meds.

Hope you feel a bit better as the day goes one.

Becky

Winterfea- so sorry to hear of your dilemma. I admire you for your patience. I don't think I would hold out. I would probably just go get what I needed however that would be. My co-worker is also a cancer patient. He finally bit the bullet and is taking Oxycodone. What a difference. He was trying to hold out but is much happier now.

Dear Winterfea,

It's appalling that bureaucracy is getting in the way of treating your pain. I am truly sorry that you are not adequeatly being treated for your pain. It's not right.

I hope your situation gets straightened out quickly. I can't imagine that they can't do something for you in the meantime.

Do you have someone who can advocate for you? RE: Do some serious wringing of some necks? I'd be flipping out on your behalf.

Hoping things change for the better soon.

Winterfea

""SO I CAN deal and survive these damn cancer treatments. "" What an excellent attitude. It must be hard keeping that mantra all the time but I'm glad you have that today. When this is all over you will have become such a strong, wise and confident person and no one can take that away from you.

Gain support where you can, be kind to yourself and hang in there, this has an end, and you are closer to the better days than you were yesterday.

Sending you prayers.

Angela

Winterfea,

Keeping you in my thoughts and prayers. Hang in there and hold on to your indominable attitude.

Becky

I wish we didn't have to live like this. It is so hard to stay postive when you feel like crap and hurt all the time. But it is amazing to me how many of us do. Even when it seems like life is all pain, we can see that there are positive things to life.

I hope your doctos get your pain treatment figured out soon. You deserve better.

Hugs
Alli

Winterfea,

What has your oncologist said regarding your pain treatment?

winterfea,

that sounds like total and complete BS to me. how can this system be so broken?? this is ridiculous. other posts were right.
one or two about getting a support system and someone who can kick some butt for you, especially.

is there any patient advocacy system you can talk to and get an advocate to do some of the hard work for you so you can focus on the imp. stuff -- your recovery. not dealing with soul less bureaucrats.

thinking positive thoughts for you. do not give up.

rose

I am so sorry to hear what you are going through right now Winterfrei - no wonder you are raging. Dealing with pain is bad enough, to have to deal with cancer as well, seems so unfair, and to be refused pain relief at a time like this, sounds criminal.

I am sorry, I do not understand your system (I am in UK) and here we have NHS and the system is different where each patient is fully entitled to medical help in such situations, so I really have no practical suggestions for you, or how to deal with your kind of beaurocracy. But I just wanted to say that I was moved by your story.

It sounds to me that you are strong woman, and we are here to support your - we understand what it is like to live with all kinds of pain, your will get through this dark period.
I hope your medication situation will be resolved soon, and that you will get some relief so you can concentrate on recovering from cancer.
Senna

Hi,

I am so sorry that you are going through this. I will certainly keep you in my thoughts and prayers. I do have one idea about dealing with the pain doctor. Is there any way that you could have your oncologist speak or write a letter to your pain physician explaining your diagnosis and situation and informing him of the fact that treating the pain is a part of the regimin for treating the cancer. I have found that sometimes doctors are more willing to listen or converse with other physicians than with patients. This way, everything is clear and you may be out of the fight.

I hope you find some relief soon.

Pain free days,
sailingm

Your suggestion is excellent, SM.
Specialy the reasoning that pain is a vital part of cancer treatment. This really makes sense. Mind you what makes sense to us, is not always the way the doctors will react.
But it is worth a try. Definitley.
Senna

Winterfea I really hope that you are able to coordinate treatment efforts between your physicians, which is so important during this time of treatment. It makes you want to call a mandatory meeting for all health professionals treating you, so you can get in their faces and force everyone to work together for a better plan. You need an advocate, whether it's one of your physicians or family member, to work through the red tape so you can concentrate on your body rather than those issues. The stress alone of navigating the bureaucracy will bring on the migraines and make healing from treatment harder. I really feel for you and wish you the very best. I am one year and two months in remission and I was fortunate that my two doctors communicated and kept me out of pain. Reading your post, I realize it's not always the case. There was a huge bureaucracy to get through in the system for other issues, which I was just not strong enough at the time to take on. I was always under the false impression that if ever diagnosed with cancer that there was some heightened level of sympathy bestowed upon a patient ,that at least I would be able to get scans and routine tests scheduled. It took changing doctors three times and numerous angry phone calls to get results sometimes. All of this while the surrealism of a diagnosis is swimming in your head everyday. I thank my wife everyday for being there for me and being my advocate.

Your doctors should make every effort to keep you comfortable, they owe you that. We're with you all the way.

Hi,

Again, I am so sorry about all this. However, I have found that doctors often listen to other doctors more than patients. (Both parents are physicians and, on rare occasions have had to use that knowledge to help get me to the right places or to a doctor to respond.} It is worth a shot.

The only other option I can think of with regards to the pain doctor is to write him a letter clearly stating the situation, asking for records and to be released as his patient so you can get the care you need through your oncologist. Send it return reciept- this way he cannot deny that he recieved it.

I hope you are hanging in there. Please know that we are all thinking of you and wish you the best.

Pain free days,
sailingm