The Derailing Thread

[Jethro Bodine]

Ruthy has more test posts than she does actual posts.

 

[Angel]

Merry Christmas Christmas Eve!
We're spending Christmas Eve with my family and Christmas Day with Matt's family.

 

[Angel]

Two places. My migraines are in my head, obviously, but the fibromyalgia is everywhere.

The windshield impact caused the traumatic brain injury, but the rest of my body took quite a jostling as well. Smashed up pretty good. Everything still hurts from 40 years ago.

Were you in the front seat of the car? Did your friend get hurt too?

 

[Angel]

What are you doing for Christmas KevinK?

 

[KevinK]

Were you in the front seat of the car? Did your friend get hurt too?

Yes, I was in what I later found out was called the "Death Seat", or the front passenger seat. When the car hit the tree (on my side, of course), I went through the windshield, well part-way, smashing it out of its frame with my head. I then fell backwards into my seat again like nothing had happened.

My friend did not have a single scratch on him. Literally, not a single scratch (he had a steering wheel to hold onto vs. the several boxes of KFC dinners I was helping bring to his family.)

The whole thing is like the script to a really bad movie, except I know it happened I was there.

 

[KevinK]

What are you doing for Christmas KevinK?

Just going to my parents for dinner and presents. My Mom still insists on doing the present thing even though I tell her I'd be perfectly fine to just have some good food.

 

[Angel]

Yes, I was in what I later found out was called the "Death Seat", or the front passenger seat. When the car hit the tree (on my side, of course), I went through the windshield, well part-way, smashing it out of its frame with my head. I then fell backwards into my seat again like nothing had happened.

My friend did not have a single scratch on him. Literally, not a single scratch (he had a steering wheel to hold onto vs. the several boxes of KFC dinners I was helping bring to his family.)

The whole thing is like the script to a really bad movie, except I know it happened I was there.

That would frustrate me, being in extreme pain from something someone else did plus they didn't get hurt at all...

 

[Angel]

Just going to my parents for dinner and presents. My Mom still insists on doing the present thing even though I tell her I'd be perfectly fine to just have some good food.

That sounds nice

 

[Angel]

I just discovered the Pipa!!! I have heard it's music, and recognized it, but I have never actually seen it. Pretty cool!

 

[KevinK]

That would frustrate me, being in extreme pain from something someone else did plus they didn't get hurt at all...

He visited me in the hospital a couple times. The first time I kept waiting for him to apologize, but those words never left his lips. Now I'd be happy if he just finished the job he started. There are things worse than death; living with extreme pain has to be one of them.

 

[Angel]

I'm sorry
Praying you get relief.

 

[Angel]

How effective are the pain meds? Is it hard to move around?

 

[KevinK]

How effective are the pain meds? Is it hard to move around?

Funny you should ask, I'm very happy about some progress this week regarding "fine-tuning" the pain med treatment. I agreed to lessen the quantity of one of my pain meds (Norco, similar to Vicodin) in exchange for upping my main pain med, Oxycodone. I now get 10 Oxys a day, up from 8/day. 10/day will basically keep the pain under control for all of my waking hours, and I still have a couple support meds (Norco and Ultram) for any "breakthrough" pain. Lots of fun negotiating with the insurance company all the time over what they'll pay for, and what they won't.

It's still not 100%, but it's a big step away from the "sawtooth" I was dealing with, where the pain fluctuates all through the day, and waiting through the 45 minute lag time when a breakthough med is needed. Oxycodone is a significantly more effective pain management tool for me, so it just makes sense to get more of it.

 

[KevinK]

Yes, movement is a constant challenge for anyone with FM (fibromyalgia). Any motion causes distress, and the only way to relieve it, outside opiates, is to not move at all. If I lie on my bed literally not moving a muscle, the pain does pretty much go away. Hard to accomplish anything in life that way.

 

[Angel]

Funny you should ask, I'm very happy about some progress this week regarding "fine-tuning" the pain med treatment. I agreed to lessen the quantity of one of my pain meds (Norco, similar to Vicodin) in exchange for upping my main pain med, Oxycodone. I now get 10 Oxys a day, up from 8/day. 10/day will basically keep the pain under control for all of my waking hours, and I still have a couple support meds (Norco and Ultram) for any "breakthrough" pain. Lots of fun negotiating with the insurance company all the time over what they'll pay for, and what they won't.

It's still not 100%, but it's a big step away from the "sawtooth" I was dealing with, where the pain fluctuates all through the day, and waiting through the 45 minute lag time when a breakthough med is needed. Oxycodone is a significantly more effective pain management tool for me, so it just makes sense to get more of it.

Has the pain lessened as you grown older? How do you cope? I want to get back into Japanese soon so we can chit chat. Everything in our apartment is packed. My Japanese stuff is packed is what I'm saying. Are you taking a break from studying since you had the N4 test?

 

[Angel]

Yes, movement is a constant challenge for anyone with FM (fibromyalgia). Any motion causes distress, and the only way to relieve it, outside opiates, is to not move at all. If I lie on my bed literally not moving a muscle, the pain does pretty much go away. Hard to accomplish anything in life that way.

When you study Japanese does it lessen the pain cause your brain is focused?

 

[Angel]

(Just trying to understand what you go through. Cause I care. )

 

[KevinK]

Has the pain lessened as you grown older? How do you cope? I want to get back into Japanese soon so we can chit chat. Everything in our apartment is packed. My Japanese stuff is packed is what I'm saying. Are you taking a break from studying since you had the N4 test?

I don't there's evidence the pain has lessened, so far it just shifts around. My symptoms seem to go in cycles, like for a couple years the migraines lighten up but the myalgia is worse. Hopefully our pain management strategy is improving (I work very closely with my Primary Care physician). What I'm really hoping for is your off-the-shelf miracle. I heard sometimes God will just say, "You have suffered enough" and everything just goes away. Could use one of those.

 

[KevinK]

When you study Japanese does it lessen the pain cause your brain is focused?

To some degree that happens, of course. I can be so intent on getting through a translation that I'll even blow past a dosage reminder. But I wouldn't say it's a major therapeutic technique when the pain is this severe.

 

[Angel]

I don't there's evidence the pain has lessened, so far it just shifts around. My symptoms seem to go in cycles, like for a couple years the migraines lighten up but the myalgia is worse. Hopefully our pain management strategy is improving (I work very closely with my Primary Care physician). What I'm really hoping for is your off-the-shelf miracle. I heard sometimes God will just say, "You have suffered enough" and everything just goes away. Could use one of those.

You know what? I'm going to pray very often that you get that miracle!