Thread: To those with chronic pain...

I've had hip problems lately (see other thread) and have finally started the road to recovery. This past weekend I woke up and realized I was not cranky, tired, or horribly achy and I felt great even though I hurt. And I suddenly realized that I had been living with chronic pain without really realizing it for months. Either my brain blocked out how bad it had been hurting or my pain tolerance is really that high, but I had the sudden ah-ha moment that chronic pain had been bringing me down for far too long. In fact it may have had a significant impact on the mood swings/almost depression I experienced when my job situation changed. When I was at work, I couldn't think straight. When I was driving I felt like I was inebriated even though I was only on Advil. I was swimming through this bizarre fog without even knowing it. I was on the verge of tears far too often. I felt like a manic depressive.

On Monday night I somehow hurt my hip again (unfortunately bursitis can be so sensitive almost anything can put you back at square one) and was back to being my moody, crying, woe is me self. But having had the experience of starting recovery I realized what was going on, I knew I simply had to take steps to relieve the pain in some way. Today I may be on drugs but the pain is greatly redued, and I feel more normal than before (odd considering I am stoned on vicodin but... that also says something.) I feel like I have a new lease on life.

Anyway, this post is to say that I have been down the chronic pain path and now realize how absolutely debilitating it is, not just physically but emotionally and mentally. It REALLY screws you up!!! My mother in law had hip problems for TEN YEARS before it got so bad she had one then the other hip replaced. I have no idea how she got through it. In short, I totally respect those with chronic pain and pray that everyone finds a way to alleviate it.

::HUGS!!!::

A few years back, I was hospitalized for diverticulitis. I got over that, but I developed pains down my right leg/thigh. I kept telling the doctors about it, but no one knew what it was. A year later, in an effort to fix the diverticulitis, I had surgery. When they got in there, they found that my appendix had ruptured sometime during the year and that was the cause of the pains. I had persistent, shooting pains down my right leg. I eventually developed coping mechanisms ( what foods to avoid, pain meds ) so that I could at least go to work each day. It was certainly not pleasant and it gave me a lot of appreciation for sick people.