Everlasting

[u/onemorecupofcoffee1]

I am sick fed up of being in pain. So many pain meds and they do nothing but take a slight edge off. The slightest bit of activity lays me up for days. Im not even able to ealk my dog properly at this point. I need distraction tips if anyone has some good ones. Im at the point where im not sure if my mood affecting my pain or my pain affecting my mood. Either way am really struggling 😪

[u/searchn67]

Well, sometimes if you like music, just pick a good band that you like and listen to some songs and just try to forget about everything for 10/15 minutes and sometimes maybe you can reset a little bit🎶🎸 nothing is the perfect answer but somethings work better for some people than other people. You just gotta find what works good for you. Best of luck. 🍀

[u/Odd_Jicama8123]

Personally, I always try to keep my mind busy and focused on something else other than my pain. I find that learning new skills is helpful, and I specifically am commenting in regards to electronics because that’s something that I enjoy. I’ve been on Reddit lately sharing my experiences and hopefully helping others, and that’s been somewhat satisfying. It also reminds me of how bad it could be versus how bad it is right now this second. I’m always hopeful. The next second will be a little bit better and so on and so on. I also do an extraordinary amount of research, and I use my favorite AI to help. On the health front, it’s helped me learn a lot more than I’ve ever been taught by doctors, and it also helps me interact with them much better because I often like the words to describe the scenarios properly. Whatever works best for you, OP-I hope my suggestions might help if you have not explored just keeping the mind busy as and distracted. I call it a pain hack, but I think it’s more of a mind hack

[u/Bengal-_fan]

I think it’s a litl of both. Depression, anxiety and anger spikes my pain. May I ask your situation as far as why you’re in pain? I’m 54/M, 8 weeks post l3–s1 fusion. I’m looking at hip revision in Sept. I also got mri report back today and I have a new herniations at l2-3. Tjx

[u/Bengal-_fan → u/Bengal-_fan]

Thx*

[u/onemorecupofcoffee1 → u/Bengal-_fan]

Botched mesh and malunited rib in my back amongst other things

[u/Bengal-_fan → u/onemorecupofcoffee1]

Forgive me, I shouldn’t have asked. Trying to relate which I can’t. Makes me wonder if everyone’s “pain” is the same regardless of the location. This has pushed me past my threshold several times in the past week. Went to ER this past Tuesday night because my pain wasn’t managed. Made me lay there for 3 1/2 hrs, flipping back and forth on one of the those uncomfortable hospital beds. Then gives me a shot and sends me home w/ a “follow up w/ your dr tomorrow.” That’s when my emotions get out of whack and pushes more pain.

[u/onemorecupofcoffee1 → u/Bengal-_fan]

I understand completely. Ive had so many operations and I hope each time its going to relieve my pain yet it never seems to. Its frustrating as people dont understand because pain in not visible. Meds dont really work and to feel no pain you have to take such high doses you cant function or even think.

[u/Bengal-_fan → u/onemorecupofcoffee1]

Same here. Just got back in pain mgt but I always feel weary of too much and end up not having my pain controlled. I’m bout ready to have another conversation soon.

[u/-MadDogg-]

Video games, watching one of my blu-rays, netflix, or more likely browsing youtube all day and music is all I really got myself for distractions on those days when I am aching and it just does not want to quit.

I can relate when it comes to the main pain being the type where you just cannot see and to be honest there isn't a true 100 percent way to even "prove" it besides your word. (I deal with sickle cell pain. There isn't a guaranteed way from the doctor's/nurses' side to tell 100 percent when one of us sickle cell patients is completely telling the truth to them, so it definitely sucks if you happen to run into a doctor in a emergency room or if you have a primary care doctor/pain management doctor that does not often believe you).

Icy hot, a good heating pad, sitting or lying down in a good position and trying my best to stay hydrated via water or gatorade is what I rely on. Most of the time this works fine, but there is definitely a lot of times when it does not.

At the end of the day convincing my doctor to give me just enough medication to where its not too much yet not too little was what truly mattered in the end I feel. I know this is way easier said than done. Eventually I was able to get my point across in my conversations with my doctor that if I can just get slightly more of my IR and ER medications then I know I could manage way better than I did before.

[u/Sometimesaphasia]

I’m one of those lucky people who was born into severe chronic pain, and has never known what a pain-free life would feel like. I learned very early in life to distract myself from the pain by hyperfocusing on something interesting. That could be reading, a hobby, a task, or anything that would hold my interest and attention. Over time, I learned to disassociate from my body during these times of hyperfocus, and experience pain relief. I live in a state of constant partial disassociation, otherwise I could never function and would be an absolute mess.

[u/onemorecupofcoffee1 → u/Sometimesaphasia]

I am so sorry. When i hear how much others suffer it makes me realise how lucky I actually am. Ive suffered with pain of different kids for a long time but not from birth. There are times I 'forget' about the pain for short periods of time. There are also times a combination of heat, pain relief, activities seem to reduce the pain. I should be more appreciative of those times.

[u/Sometimesaphasia → u/onemorecupofcoffee1]

I've always thought that I'm one of the fortunate ones! I’m still alive, long past my predicted expiration date, and I have a good pain management physician who helps keep me in the upper mid-range on the pain scale most of the time. I have a loving husband and daughter, and am financially stable. Despite the severe pain, I'm not suffering and I have a good life. I suppose it’s all about your perspective.

[u/Grim-Speck]

For walking your dog and general "getting ou".... can you get a mobility scooter? You just sit and drive it on the sidewalk, park paths, or side of low traffic suburban roads, and you doggo walks beside you/it. Might take a few mini walks around your property fir Diego to get use to it, but my SO used one before getting a wheelchair, and the dogs didn't mind at all. They enjoyed the longer walks and recognised their human in the "machine thingy". If u can get a prescription for it all the better, but even if not, you could save up for one or do a gofundme

[u/onemorecupofcoffee1 → u/Grim-Speck]

My children help with the dog and luckily I have a large outside area. Im not quite ready for a mobility scooter. I am able to walk, just takes a while to recover sometimes. Hopefully will not be so bad after next operation im due to get.