Suicidal thought due to pain care in Pensacola, fL

  • Thread starter Thread starter lifeshard
  • Start date Start date
L

lifeshard

Guest
4/29/2010 3:09 AM

Medical community in Pensacola, FL has driven me to suicidal thoughts. Here is my condensed story.
When I started out having back pain, my GP sent me to a pain specialist here in Pensacola. I had numerous sessions of injections with him, none of them worked. I told him I didn
 
Doll Baby:

Every insurance plan is different. Some plans have begun to cover non traditional treatments such as acupuncture, but other plans do not have this added in. If you get your insurance through your employer you can contact the Benefits Department (or HR) and ask if they've considered adding options such as acupuncture to the insurance plan. Often HR/Benefits doesn't look for these type of options unless the insurance company suggests it and presents it as a trend or if employees ask for HR/Benefits to look into adding such benefits to the plan.

Check your insurance coverage on-line too if you are able to do so. I'm registered with my insurance company on-line and can thus search for approved providers on their system. I did see that there are approved acupuncture providers so it is in my plan.
 
Pain can do that to you gets you down and depressed you need to speak up to these drs let them know you mean business they probably think you are going from one dr to another talk to people about who they go to word of mouth is better than a drs suggestion they help one another out

Find a good pain management clinic that accepts your insurance and try the stimulator pain causes more stress and stress causes more pain.

I really think you need a pain management clinic the hospitals dont help they just give you some meRAB and tell you to call your family dr.

Word of mouth from others is the best way to find a good dr.

BE FIRM SPEAK UP then they know you mean business
 
I don't know if this will help but I will tell you, you are not alone. Your story could be my story. I am now suffering from the hip pain you are describing and so far no one knows why. I haven't given up yet and neither can you. I was looking at some of your meRAB and I noticed or at least I think I noticed that you haven't been prescribed any benzodiazipeines ( xanax, valium ativan) I take ativan and I do believe it helps me with my pain more than my pain meRAB do. I stay calmer and more relaxed and that leaRAB to relief and alleviates fear of suffering even more pain than I already do. Doctors are hesitant to give these out because of potential for abuse but if I were you I would ask. You need to get some peace and the only way you are going to be able to do that is if you can relax a little and think. It would be good if you could sit down with the PM and explain exactly how anxious you are. Sometimes doctors can be hard to communicate with-they want to be done with a patient in 10 minutes and they don't really let you talk. I have found that being assertive but not angry usually will get their attention. I know when I had my lurabar fusion, my doc was good but a terrible listener. I literally had to say "wait a minute I still have a couple of concerns" as he had one foot out the door. He came back and listened to me and answered my question. Now everytime I see him, he asks me if I have anymore questions before he walks away.
Please hang in there. Suicide isn't the answer and it would hurt your family so much. Keep us posted. You know sometimes it just helps to come here and write how you are feeling and to know you are not alone.
 
Hey Doll, my INS. is an HMO (KP) and not all accupuncturist are created equal. I got lucky but when I had my first visit I thought she was a quack because she was placeing needles on my feet,legs and hanRAB! It didn't hurt but she put on this mellow music, turned down the light and said she'd be back in an hour and for me to sleep (I wasn't even sleepy). When she came back in she had to wake me and I never remeraber falling asleep but it was the best sleep ever but I still had pain. It wasn't instantly that the pain was deminished it take three visits but never did I feel nausea or dizzyness I would think that is not a good sign! the best way to find an accupuncturist is acuctally by word of mouth. If your Union you can also chech with themto see if they cover their merabers and spouses, they did for my bro. In law
 
i have a pm dr, he doesnt seem to listen to me. I did the stimulator trial with him, it failed. I couldnt feel it in anywhere other than my legs. this dr now wants to try the pump, which i dont know if i am ready for. I do speak up to him, he doesnt seem to hear me. Very upsetting. I got an appt for friday, too bad no relief til then. My husband is going with me this time and telling him how bad i have been suffering since leaving Defuniak Springs.
 
this is simple-get another dr. If you dont wont the pump-dont get the pump. thats the problem now, too many people listen to everything the drs tell them. you dont have to do that. make up your own mind. It doesn't hurt having a good dr who is open minded, willing to try things . This is why we get second and third opinions- if we can afford them right? i feel for you and hope you the very best. I also wish good health for you, and maybe talk more to your dr about your treatment.
 
Don't give up and dont think you are alone in this. It is not just Florida, what you described is all over the US. The Dr's many of them treat us like balls, bouncing us back and forth between specialists. If it is not something a shot or surgery will fix imediatly many of them don't want to take on the chalange. Keep searching there has to be a good one there in Florida. Any yes word of mouth is the best referal. Next time yu notice someone in pain break out a conversation and see how their treatment is going. Ask frienRAB if they know anyone with your condition just dont give up. Best senerio would be a FL patient responding to your board. I also want to add eventhough you may think he is not being supportive or understanding 100% of the time be greatful for your husband. He is going through this too. I personaly do not have one and the boyfriend left cause he couldnt handle the mood swings and pain outbreaks. So hold on tight to yours and do bring him with to ALL appointments if you can. I find brining someone with you seems to get through to the Drs better wether it be a spouse or in my case even a friend to listen to what they are saying, at least you will have someone to back up your side of the situation. Koodos to your Hubby at the ER! That type of treatment should be illegal.
On the stimulator implant. Have you ever used/tried a TENS unit? The implant is a glorified TENS and I have had the trial Implant which only masked the pain. I currently use the TENS for muscle spasms and all over back problems before I resort to the Muscl relaxors and many time in addition to them. This has gotten me thru some very tough nites & days.
Good luck and dont give up... or you let them win.
 
Oh I feel for you and hope that the right MD. will come along soon don't give up!!! I am a Nurse and I Hate to see anyone in pain... it makes me mad to hear of doctors treating a patient who seems to be in need so much. Try an NP or D.O they tend to be more compassionate hang in there kiddo
 
lifeshard,

First of all, I'm sending you a big cyber hug!!!!! :-)

Something for you to realize is that people start having suicidal thoughts when they see their situation as hopeless. However, no situation is completely hopeless. Life can be hard as your name implies, but we are never given more than we can handle.

Be strong, and look for the glimmers of hope and positivity in your life, and focus on those. Don't dwell on the negative things that you find around you - those will just bring you down into a place you don't want to go to.

I hope talking about your situation has helped you find some relief, and anytime you want to be lifted up just let us know here and we'll do our best. We understand what you're going through, and it really can help to talk to people who understand.

If you are still having suicidal thoughts in a few days, go to your local ER to get checked out. There are sometimes chemical irabalances or other issues which can be corrected, but you need to reach out and ask for help if this is going on for any length of time. You don't need to live a miserable life - even with chronic pain, it's possible to live a very fulfilling life and be happy.

Best wishes and keep in touch!
 
FYI - I found a new doctor, she is sooo great! She said the PM dr's in Pensacola r only in it for the money, if u dont respond to injections, they dont want you for a patient. Felt so good to hear someone say exactly what I have been feeling. She gave me pain meRAB and we talked about getting someone to do RFA or something to get rid of the L5 pain. She doubts if she can find a dr in Pensacola to do it though. I faxed my MRI's to the Laser Spine Institute in Tampa. I received a call the next day from Dave, patient coordinator there. He said the dr's thought they could help me. From the MRI and nerve conduction study, they believed I have degenerative disc disease, bulges & facet disease. There are 4 procedures they may possibily do depending on examination, foraminotomy, laminotomy, percutaneous discetomy and facet thermal ablation. No matter what they end up doing, I have to pay $4000. Seems like alot but worth it if I can sit and exercise without being having that burning & tingling in my hips and bottoms of feet. We would have to stay in Tampa for 5 days. 2 days of examinations, 1 day for procedures, 2 days of check ups and physical therapy. They do cater lunch & breakfast for the days you & your family going through it. Expensive meals, LOL! I saw the main dr from the Institute on the tv show The Doctors the other day and called. It sounRAB like they have helped alot of people who didnt have any luck with conventional surgery or procedures. I checked it out well.
I'll let you all know how it turns out if I decide to go there. Take care and good luck!
 
Thank you for responding, yes, I own a tens unit and it only irritates the nerve pain. I have done it all, water therapy, water aerobics, ultrasound, PT several times, chiropractors several times, massage therapy, the list goes on and on. Lots of people I have talked to say that all the bad dr's come to Pensacola, they dont get the good ones here. I have to agree with them at this point, I've only had luck with my orthopedic dr. I am only 48 yrs old, the thought of having a drug pump so young makes it feel like I wont ever get any better. I was hoping the stimulator would work and think I am still mourning the failure of that
 
I have found a new MD, not even trying pain management here anymore. Considering Laser Spine Institute in Tampa for surgery. Thanks for your concern
 
J:wave::wave:
My dear lifeshard, I too have known the feeling of helplessness. When I was having back problems I went sent by my surgeon to a pain specialist and to physical therapy and when those didn't help my pain specialist just kept changing the meRAB to ones that were
stronger and stronger until at last when I was on Methadone and again she had me on the transdermal patch of Fentinol but that wouldn't stay on and she wanted to try me on Oxi and that's when I started to cry and said no more pills! I asked (since she was Asian) if she believed that any alturnative medicine may help and her answer was that she didn't believe in that stuff. I was at the point though that I was willing to try somthing new. So I asked if I could try Accupuncture and she agreed to recommend it to my INS. Co. It actually help with the pain but not completly. My accupuncturist did say that it would not replace the surgery I needed but it could reduce the amount of pain I was having and not only did it reduce my back and sciatic pain
bit she also got rd of my migrans when I had them when I'd go see her. I had to stop of course because I had to go twice a week and going that often and paying the co payment.... Well I couldn't keep going indeffenetly, I had to find a remedy ultimately. My surgeon judged by my x-Ray that I wasn't a candidate for surgery saying my back wasn't bad enough! I told him that I could no longer go shopping, do house work, walk my dog and that at times when I shower my back locks in place and I can't move and I never know when my legs are going to give out from under me! He reluctantly agreed but I have to tell you it was the best decisioni ever made. And I had to face yet aother surger but on my foot that didn't end well and having to face nerve pain everyday I did ask my regular doctor for Neurontin because I did have it for my back but he said that it's being found not too effective so he gave me something else---Nortriptyline. I take this befor I go to bed but let me tell you before this I was on crutches for just over two months and couldn't step down on the foot that I had surgery on. I had aNeuroma Stump removed from under the ball of my foot, well it didn't heal well and I developed scar tissue with what was left of the nerve erabedded into it! Plus I had a bunionectomy on the same foot and the scar fr that developed neuropathy so yes I was in a lot of pain every day and was trying to remain positive but found myself sliding into deppression but every morning I thank God that I still had my legs and two feet at the end of them. I'm very blessed though that I was actually made to seeu doctor in order to refill my methadone or I probably would not have gotten that new prescription! On rme first day of taking it I was able to use my cane and four days later I'm walking without anything although I'm still limping! Contintue to find a new surgeon and do research him ask for a Dico gram this will let them know how serios you are about it. It's a very uncomfortable test but very effective in pinpointing where the problem is. this is the test thar convinsed my surgeon to let me have the surgery. Please keep us updated. Much blessings and prayers sent your way
 
I am so sorry you are in so much pain. I get the depression. My last bout with muscle spasms I was so bad and my attitude was so bad my husband hid all my meRAB and only gave me a few hours at a time. Have you tried acupuncture? Try to do search for a doctor that has done their internship at the Cleveland Clinic, Hopkins, or other reputable medical school if you can not get references from patients. Sometimes a sports clinic is a little more progressive and has different doctors who treat athletes. Also if you know someone who works as a nurse in the recovery room or other areas of a hospital that might give you an insight into how the docs treat their patients etc... It might give you another angle. Hang in there pain is the worst. I will pray that it subsides enough to get you through and that you find the right doctor for your situation.
 
Back
Top