I had x-rays done of half my body over the weekend. My results show nothing new (The radiologist was able to compare two to previous x-rays from 2018 and 2019.), and they completely denounce a phone diagnosis from late May; a diagnosis I did not believe for a second.

Even with natural pain remedies at hand, I’m suffering. They wear off so suddenly, you have no time to regroup. Despite having a prescription on hand, I haven’t touched it other than to verify the count. 😦 The deeper reality is: I have no idea when or if I will be prescribed pain medication again. I’m not “stocking up”, but I am saving them for “the worst”. The worst can be at a moment’s notice, tomorrow, or a week from now. It can be so sudden, so I am trying to be prepared.

My doctor is inconsistent regarding treatment methods, and he is out of the office this week. I sent him a brief e-mail letting him know I’d discuss this with him when he is back in the office.

Reading the x-rays was upsetting. Slight changes in the cervical spine, where I’ve already been diagnosed with arthritis. Slight changes to lower lumbar spine, where I was hit in the lower back in January of 2019. The radiologist recommended additional imaging and tests to rule certain things out. My doctor e-mailed a reply and glossed over this completely. He tried to say I have a pinched nerve; which did NOT show up on the x-rays. I came away angry, because if you’re going to make a claim like that, I want imagine to show I have it. I don’t want to be told I should, “Have a nerve block performed.” Where would it go?!

I’m tired. Tired of suffering. Tired of being in pain. Tired of the isolation. Tired of not being able to talk to too many people. And tired of the media hyping up ADDICTION in order to punish patients who suffer from chronic pain. I’m a patient. I have never used heroin, cocaine, illegal Fentanyl, ecstasy, you get the drift. I’ve never been attached to drugs; regardless of their status. But I do believe the DEA needs to get the fuck away from doctors and mind their own damn business regarding how patients are treated in terms of access to medication.

Every single day, I worry if I will be a device victim. Someone who is told, “We can put a pain pump in and refill it each month.”, in order to restore me to 25-50% quality of life. There are other things one has to worry about when a device is installed into their body; like leakage. I know people who’ve nearly died and had to sue the device company over the medication overdosing them, or not dosing them properly at all. Devices aren’t an exact science, despite what they will all have you believe. Their safety comes into question, and I know a lot of people with spinal cord stimulators who are waiting to have them removed because the device completely failed them. They are marketed as the “answer”. They are not.

I keep hoping for the right doctors, but today, I feel dejected.