How is everyone doing?

[Quahog]

Hello everyone.

I know it has been a long time since I last posted here but I wanted to pop in and say hello.

Since the last time I posted here I have since been hit with pain once again. I did manage to drop the pain med levels a little bit but it did not last for long.

The good news is I have gone back to school but it has been overwhelming at times. Lately, I have been incredibly fatigued. I have no energy NONE!
I have no idea if I am going to be able to continue and it is lousy because I do enjoy it.

Then on Sunday night I ended up in the ER dealing with increased pain and dizziness, nausea, hallucinations and fainting. So the unsual deal, chest X-rays, EKG, CBC, Cardiac enzymes etc. Everything checked out with the exception of low hematocrit and high lymphocytes. The Hematocrit is new but the lymphocytes have been chronically elevated since February of this year and perhaps even longer. I have no idea what is causing this. My neck is worse now than it ever has been with severe pain upon palpation, radiating pain into my right shoulder and arm with intermittent numbness. My face is also numb including my teeth and nose. If I move my head or put and pressure on my neck such as lying down it it gets so bad. If you remember I have a Central herniation at C3-C4 and possible issues at C5-C6 but even with these new symptoms no one is paying any attention. I now know for a fact that it is indeed my neck causing the pain and numbness. My doctors are worthless quacks (Most doctors are) who have no business practicing medicine or touching another human being There a few good ones that I see but the funny thing is that they aren't doctors. They are Nurse Practitioners and Physician Assistants go figure.

Today I had a follow up with my pcp because of the blood tests and increased pain. I was told I don't have anemia and even though I have the symptoms of it. The doctor was/is concerned with my Lymphocyte levels but is at a loss as to how to deal with it. Then she tells me that my opioid use should be stopped because it could be contributing to my problems. I was floored. She doesn't even Rx my pain meds so what gives her the right to comment on them? I don't abuse them, take them as RX'd by my pain doctor, and never run out early. She even went so far as to ask me what medicines I could stop taking today !!! Apparently at least according to her if you are on them for longer than 4 months they cause more harm than good. I can't believe the nerve of this person. Why I keep going back to her I will never know. If they truly want to help then these so called medical professionals need to fix my neck and/or find another medication that works as well as opioids without the nasty side effects and that includes Anti-Seizure and Anti-Depressants as they are not acceptable.

As time goes on the more upset I become over the medical establishment. There once was talk of sending me to a University health center in Boston or NYC but when I inquired about it I was told they decided not to. When I then decided to get my own records to send they refused to give me access. I am fed up. So without a court order I do not know what I can do.

If you have read this far I thank you.

So that's what has been going on with me. As you can see it been loads of fun.

Glenn

[cindybear]

Hi Glenn,
Nice to see you posting again,,they have to give you your records...They may take up to 30 days to get them copied etc..and they can charge you so much 10 cents ??? a page..But they are not allowed to refuse you your records..It is against te law..They belong to you..I think the only one that doesn't require this is a pysh Doc,,And that is only if there is something in there that might hurt the patient if he or she see's it..Someone , please clear me up if I'm wrong..But They can not rightly refuse you your medical records..It is against the law...I would pay for them and go to someone else..That is an old beleif about narcotics..That is based on addiction...If someone is chronic..Then they are going to need to use narcotics more than 4 months. Hell, I've been going to my Pain Doc for allmost 5 years,,,It will be 5 years this November,,Wow how time flies...You need to find you a compassionate pain doc..And keep him or her,,,Hugs, Cindy

[Peter B]

Glenn,
Ditto to everything Cindy said. Those records are YOUR property.

Pain free days,
Pete

[BrokenBladder]

Glenn,

It's so good to see you back posting!! I;m sorry for all of the problems you're having.

As far as your medical records you're entitled to them period. I know that they can and will charge you for them, but still they belong to you.

I hope you come back here more often and keep us informed on how you're doing as it was really great to see a post from you.

[Mark N]

Glenn, according to that doctor I must be dead and don't know it since opoids are so bad - she needs to become educated ad get her personal feelings out of her medical treatment with you.

The others are right about your medical records. It is good to see you posting again.

[Kathi49]

Glenn,

I am glad to see you posting as well. :) And ditto on the medical records and the anti-convulsants and anti-depressants. Well, you know my story, and it took 3 years before anything was done. For whatever the reason that first group I went to and I am talking a teaching university medical center did NOT want to cut! I told one NS time and time again...the pain is NOT in my arms...it is UP my head! But still he refused. So, I got the heck out of Dodge (that particular center) and went elsewhere! You may have to do the same thing. And, hey, I know how bad this can get! As far as the medications go, I am not going there only because you have other things going on. Only you know what helps and what doesn't. And maybe they think it isn't bad enough....I just don't know. But based on your symptoms alone, yes, I would definitely be looking for more opinions.

[gambles]

I hate hearing about people that encounter ignorant medical professionals. It is just so wrong that you were put through that. When I first found my pain doc, I was in tears because I had finally found someone that understood pain management instead of being so afraid of addiction. It seems to me that doctors and nurses fall in two categories: they are either compassionate or narco-phobic. For you to be put through that when you were already dealing with so much is way out of line.

On a totally non related topic, I just have to ask: Ever since I saw your user name way back when, I've wondered about its significance. Is it Family Guy related, about clams themselves or something I haven't thought of?? I know it is none of my business, but I thought I would ask anyway since you can certainly just ignore the question if you prefer. :)

Is there still a list somewhere linked from here of compassionate doctors? I know there was years ago. Maybe someone can point you in the direct of someone decent somewhere near you.

Good luck,
Suzanne

[Quahog]

Thanks as usual for the replies. I am so fatigued today I can barely do anything. Here it is 2:30PM and I just got up !! I never sleep like this but have been lately. It's all I can do. I haven't been able to go to class (I am about to hang it up )or to PT which I have been having done on my feet. It hasn't really helped.
The thing is I am not depressed not even a little bit. A bit angry and upset over the fact that I can not find a competent doctor.


This pcp doctor I have been seeing has only been for a limited time. When I first saw her she even said she didn't think she could do anything to help me. Of course she agreed after I told her I needed a primary care doc. BIG MISTAKE ! The good news is that she doesn't Rx my pain meds thank God for that. I go to a decent pain clinic in Central Maine and have been going for years. The doc is a nice guy but I think my other doctors have been getting to him over this hyperalgesia thing. Personally, I don't understand where it is coming from. The pain meds work and I don't fit into the category. I have read and studied so much on this area I could do my own research paper. As far as I am concerned the studies are flawed and are not good science. I doubt however that if I tried to explain this to my pcp or even to my pain doc that they would believe me as I do not have an MD after my name. Now don't get me wrong the pain doctor is a nice guy but he doesn't always listen. The real shining star at the clinic is a Nurse Practitioner she is wonderful. At one time when the pain doc tried to lower my meds she saw how much pain I was in as a result she decided to go against the doctor and raise them. The good thing is I can talk to her. She treats her patients as if they are equals. I have talked with her about many things and she knows what is up. She however doesn't think my neck is causing all my problems. Well maybe she is right and it isn't but it is causing some of them. I remain adamant that my neck is the cause of some of this despite being told no. Now with these new neck symptoms I am almost certain. I am getting this shooting stabbing pain IN MY NECK and that radiates into my right shoulder and upper arm. It feels as if some of took a knife and is pushing it into my neck. If I push on my neck at the C3-C5 area the pain gets worse. If I move my head the same thing happens and when I put pressure on my neck while trying to sleep my face, nose, upper teeth go numb. It feels like someone is pouring cold water on me.
With these new symptoms you'd think someone would help. My pcp thinks that it could my Peripheral Neuropathy. Maybe it is but with a CT scan, MRI scan, X-rays showing a central herniation I wouldn't think it would take a medical degree to figure out. Have you ever heard the saying can't see the forest for the trees? I think that saying fits perfectly. These people have tunnel vision the very thing I was warned about when I went through my Paramedic training. It is DISGRACEFUL Of course because it isn't happening to them why worry about it.

I am a firm believer that when a person goes to medical school they do so at a cost. You can't cram all that knowledge into your brain without losing something else. Most of the time that something else happens to be COMMON SENSE.

Gambles: Yes my user name has something to with family guy but it also contains part of my name. :)

[Boxerlover]

Glenn, good to see you back. I got sent to a doc like that when we first moved back home. He had never seen me before yet in his records he questioned why I was on these meds. He treated me like I was exagerating, at least until he saw my cat scan. Then did I get an apology from him, ha. Those with God complexes never apologize. When I got my records from him on my way out his door, I just blacked them out.

I'm sorry you are having a rough go of it and hope they can figure out what's going on.

Take care
Melissa