As Dorothy Ferris was saying to Wendy Apgar:
 DF> My doctors had to cut me off.  They had me on morphine so 
 DF> they had to stop for my safety.  Now I swallow about 20 to 
 DF> 30 extra strength excedrins, and about the same in Aleve's 
 DF> just to be able to move without pain.  
 
 It seems to me that you would be safer using a narcotic
 drug than you would using that many of the other pain
 meds.  Doesn't your doctor think so?  
 I can relate to the experience though. I had a doctor, for
 years, who wouldn't give me pain meds. The pain level got
 so bad that I couldn't do much of anything because I hurt
 so much and definitely couldn't push myself to do anything
 extra.  Thank God for a doctor who is willing to work with
 me, who trusts me, and will prescribe the medication I
 need to keep my pain managable.  He told me when I talked
 to him about it (I was afraid that he wouldn't continue
 to fill the RX and so I went in and talked to him) that
 he trusts me and knows that I won't take more than I need.
 He has that right since I get major panic attacks when I
 feel drugged out.
 Anyway, he said addiction isn't an issue. Because I'll be
 on pain meds to keep my pain managable for the rest of my
 life I will (and probably already have) formed a 
 physiological addiction to the drug, but it isn't that I
 have to have it for the high that recreational drug users
 do.  Anyway, what I'm afraid of is that the more I take
 the pain meds now the sooner I'll build a tolerance to
 this and have to move to a stronger drug.
 I certainly hope either your pain level decreases or your
 doctor has a change of heart about it.
 
 I too have stayed 
 DF> busy with crafts (quilt blocks) to keep from falling out 
 DF> of my tree.  It would definitely be a long fall seeing how 
 DF> short I am  4'9 3/4".  I know it is hard when everyone 
 DF> tells you to hang in there that things will get better.  
 DF> You feel like yelling "How would you know".  So I won't 
 DF> say that but I will say that I am praying for you. 
 DF> Hopefully you will be well sooner than you think.
 I understand. I'm glad that you don't offer the pat
 answers that some offer (although none here), but the
 feedback of your situation so that those of us who deal
 with ongoing pain know that we are not alone.
 DF> Oh yeah if you have read any of my crazy antics.....well Murphy and
 DF> his dang  law showed up again tonight.  I was pressing blocks and 
 DF> putting them in a plastic bag so they could go out in 
 DF> tomorrows mail.  
 
 I'd feel the same way you did!  Did they all come clean?
 Did the drying blocks raise the humidity level in your
 home to an unbearable degree? I ask because I made the
 mistake of hanging most of my clothes in the apartment
 rather than heating the apartment up with my little
 dryer (it's small and has to run a lot longer) last
 summer. Mistake! Never did that again!
 
 DF> Got to get my leg back on the couch so I will say goodbye 
 DF> for now.  Take care and stay as busy as your health 
 DF> permits.
 You take care of yourself too.  I know how it is, having
 limits to being at the computer!
 Wendy
 @>-->---
... Too many hobbies! Too little time!
___ Blue Wave/QWK v2.12
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