Big Chicken (cluck, cluck)

[Sarojini]

Hi all,

I am sitting here being a total chicken (*more clucking*) about calling my uro's office.

This weekend I flared, but am much better now... however, I'm going to have a DMSO instill on Wednesday, and those usually cause some pain for me for several hours after the treatment (they don't instill lidocaine, so my bladder yells and screams for a few hours until I've (a) guzzled enough water to help flush out residual DMSO solution and (b) taken a pain pill or two.

The problem is... I am out of pain meds! I had 4 Darvocet left on Friday, but I took them over the weekend to deal with my flare. And I am scared to call my uro's office to see if he will give me more... but I would like to have a few on hand in case I am hurting after my treatment on Wednesday.

This is the first time I've needed to ask for more pain meds for anything in my life, and I think I'm getting nervous that they will get mad at me (especially since I've read all the horror stories about docs refusing to do pain meds).

My husband thinks I am being totally irrational -- he pointed out that first of all, it was the URO who suggested Darvocet in the first place, and second of all, that back in February the uro prescribed 25 of them, which means if they are just gone now I am taking on average LESS THAN ONE pill a day and am hardly taking them recreationally ;)

So... I guess I should just call and ask, huh?

Thanks for listening to me complain and otherwise be a big old baby... :) :)

Jen

[Katrina]

:grouphug: First off I am sorry..I hate calling a doctor for any reason....(I often try to get my hubby to do it...so...cluck cluck...more of a chicken).

Second I do think your doctor will give you the pain meds..I agree with your husband.

Also, very sorry about your flare. :grouphug:

I am often low on strength that involves calling a doc...but I will try to send some of what I have to you through cyber space.......did you feel it?

Take Care,

[ICNDonna]

No lidocaine for DMSO? I don't think I could tolerate the DMSO without the lidocaine instilled first. (more clucking)

I agree that you should call for a refill on your pain medication.

Warm encouraging hugs,
Donna

[yvette]

http://www.computerpannen.com/cwm/ups/DeNiro/bird.gif I'd say call and ask for pain meds, I think if you explain to them your reasons and tell them about your flare from this wkend and your concerns about Wednesday....I think request sounds reasonable enough, and hopefully they are reasonable people and will be able to help you out.

Good Luck!!!

[SharonA]

Jen...

Go ahead, call. Your husband is right (as usual). Your uro was so helpful and proved that he wanted to help from the beginning, even before you met him. I honestly don't think he would want you to be in pain. Just tell him exactly what you told us.

If there is anthing I can do to help, you know how to get in touch with me.. :kiss:

[Sarojini]

HAHAHAHAHA! LOL! :lmao: :biglaugh:

First, thank you everyone for your support on this issue... it has been bugging me!! Because of all of you, I had steeled myself for the task and was literally lifting the phone receiver to place the call to the uro... and then an email from my husband popped up on my screen. It said something to the effect of "I called your uro for you during lunch, because if I am correct in my suspicions you chickened out and didn't get your pain Rx refilled yet..."

He was right... I hadn't called yet... partially because I am still over here clucking loudly, but also partially because I had meetings for most of this afternoon and hadn't gotten to it yet. :)

Still, despite being accused of being a chicken (oh wait, I already did that part myself!), it was sweet of him to go ahead and make the call without me asking him to.

So, Katrina, I guess I am in the same boat you are... I can have my hubby call the doc. ;)

Anyway, they took hubby's # in case the doc wanted to call, but he said so far nobody called back, so I have no idea whether they refilled it or not yet...

Oh well...

Jen

[Babs RN]

Jen,
I know how weird it feels to ask for more pain meds. From a rational perspective though 25 in 2 months time is not even remotely excessive. He should refill them for you. (I work in the office where my doc is so I have to ask face to face. I know the cluck cluck thing.)


Hugs,
Barb:thumbsup:

[Sarojini]

The pain Rx is ready at Walgreens... it seems my uro called it in right away, no questions asked.

Now, I feel really stupid for being so chickenish. :rolleyes:

Oh well... :)

Thanks for all the support :)

Jen

[Iris]

Hi Jen, glad you got your pain meds, will be thinking of you on Wednesday. I think at times we have all been clucking chickens, I know I was at first, then I decided, hey its my pain, and I need something to help me with it. Take care and hugs Iris.:thumbsup: :)

[Katrina]

Glad your uro and your husband helped you out. I hope your DMSO goes well for you.

It certainly was a laugh seeing your second post about being in the same boat as I, hehe.:)

Take Care,

[Dixiefireball]

i'm glad your husband called for you and your medicine is waiting on you:thumbsup: good job hubby.
i call for my refills every mth i use to be a chicken about it and kept getting my husband to call until he finally told me to do it my self:( but now every mth i call them to remind them to refill my meds and they do and if i have a uti they will help me out more. which i have one now.:( but i still have alot of pain medicine.
sending you hugs and prayers for a better tomorrow.
Rhonda

[Jeanine]

I am happy that your husband was so supportive during a flare. Knowing my husband is there to support me has really strengthened our marriage.

I was always frightened when I ran out of pain meds because I would feel guilty on the days I took two instead of one. Now my family practice gives me a script for 3 tramadol a day. I usually just use one at bed time because I get restless and seem to feel the pain more. It is just comforting to know that they are there if I need them. I hoard them in case I lose my bottle or run out on a weekend.

What type of pain meds are you taking? I think all of us are aware of becoming addicted to scripts but on the other hand,
should we allow the pain to invade our lives and ruin them? I dont think so. That is why I am grateful that my doctor trusts me and communicates with me about my meds and my pain.

I just started acupuncture for the first time last week. I am amazed that it really works. I am usually at a 7-9 on the pain scale and after only 4 treatments I am at a 4 and have only taken one pain pill over the past two weeks. I have no idea how long it will last but I am thankful to have some relief from this univited guest.

Sweet Thoughts

Jeanine

[Mimi-in-Chicagoland]

I hope that you will get lidocaine before your DMSO. I think it would really help you. Or at least take a pain pill before your appointment. There is no reason to be in a lot of pain. Its not being a chicken. I know that if the doctor had IC...HE wouldn't be giving himself DMSO without lidocaine or pain meds. :rolleyes: :D

[ICchell]

Jen,
I know what you mean about the chicken thing,i would feel the same way myself!
That was so sweet of your hubby to do that for you.
Im hoping and praying that tomorrow goes smoothly and that you have a painfree day !:grouphug: :pray:
keep us posted.
Michelle

[SharonA]

:thumbsup: Way to go, hubby :thumbsup:
Glad it all worked out. :woohoo:
This uro is a keeper. :thumbsup:...
I will be thinking about you tomorrow...:kiss:

[rachelm]

Jen,

I'm glad that the dr. gave you a refill with no problems. I've heard so many people who are denied therepuetic doses of pain meds. I used to be afraid to take them but my uro and his nurse convinced me and then later I started seeing a pain dr. and he had to convince me to change from lortab 10 to morphine when it quit working as effectively. I'm able to go off pain meds. for months at a time but then I'll flare and I can't bare to walk across the room without hurting so then I have to take them again. I don't know what I would do if my pain dr. and uro didn't give me ample doses to get through the really bad times. I've been on up to 8 lortabs a day (maximum without hurting liver) and now I'm on 2tabs. of 15 mg. morphine every 4 hours. My nurse reminds me that I will be able to go off of it again but until then I've learned to get over the fear of asking for it. I say bravo to anyone who can go 2 months on 20 darvocet! I get 240 15 mgs. morphine monthly but hope to be able to go off of it soon. When I run out all I do is call my pain dr. and pick up the triplicate rx. My pain dr. even told my fiance that as long as it wasn't making me sleepy if I got into a bad pain cycle to take a dose early. This statement was made because I laid in pain one night refusing to take another dose because I wasn't due for a half hour. The dr. pointed out that by waiting it made it more difficult to get through the pain than if I had just taken the dose early which may have stopped the cycle before it got bad.

It's sad that we feel chicken to ask for something that merely helps us to get by and function.

Congratulations Jenine for having success with the accupunture. I'm considering starting that as well. I'm just worried about the expence of it.

O.K. fellow ICers no more (cluck clucking) you chickens! You have every right for pain treatment. and now I will get down from my soap box.

Rachel

[Sarojini]

Thanks for all of the support. :grouphug:

Rachel, I'm so glad you have a pain doctor who is helping you! And Jenine, congrats... so good to hear acupuncture has helped you! :)

Really, I am not sure why I was quite so chicken-y yesterday... I mean, my urologist has told me several times in the past that part of his treatment plan for IC is "adequate pain control" and, I suspect that even if I needed something stronger than the Darvocet he would prescribe it. So far, if I take the Darvocet right when I start hurting, it helps... and I can function on it, which is a big plus as I am still working full-time. However, there HAVE been a few times where I've waited way too long (refusing to admit I was not feeling well), and then the Darvocet doesn't work very well. I think it is like what you said, Rachel... I get too far into the pain cycle and it's harder to break at that point!

Anyway, I'm glad the Rx got called in too :)

Jen

[rachelm]

Sarojini,

That is exactly what I learned and that's the reason the pain dr. put me on something different when the Lortab quit working. I am trying to work but I've missed a lot even after I went back to work following 1 1/2 months of med. leave. I looked at my calendar and I was actually back at work more with my temp interstim so I hope after the permanent one this month that I will be back on my feel again full time. It sounds like you've got a great dr!! I wish more IC patients had dr. that believe the way ours do about stopping the pain cycle before its bad.

Have a great weekend! I will post again after my stage 1 surgery on Fri.

Rachel

[blue]

I didn't receive any lidocaine before my DMSO treatment. I was surprised when I didn't have much pain involved. Most of my pain was when I had to pee, and the burning really sucked. I'm assuming it was from the catheter. Just to give you a little good news!

[Julie Smith]

Jen,

There's no reason the dr. would not call in refill for pain meds. and you don't need to be afraid. If it happenns again, means you're in more pain than doc is aware of, that's all. If I were you I would demand from my dr. he use lidocaine first, it is common practice. Also, when I had my dmso My dr. suggested to me I take pain pill and valium 1 hr. prior to dmso in order to gain on the pain and that's what I did everytime. dmso were great for me.

Wish you all the best and I'll keep you in my prayers.:toosh: :angel: :pray: