Dan, I avoided taking any narcotic drugs for years while I worked. By 2000 my deforming was becoming really noticeable. I was regularly going to have spurs ground off. I lean dramatically to the right. I was overdoing tylenol and advil when the doctor gave me hydrocodone. I'd be shaking and drenched in sweat and one vicodin ended all that in about ten minutes. As time passed I started needing more. I take as much as 8 5/500's a day and some days 4 10mg's of valium. The valium works well when I'm having anxiety attacks that usually preceed AD. Since they modified my chair to straighten me out, the doctor easily realized I needed oxycodone. I rarely take more than one a day but I can take two and just wednesday I had to. My lower back felt like it was on fire. These are feelings I haven't really had since becoming a quad. I knew my body was in pain by the sweating and AD. The high blood pressure was becoming serious a couple years ago when I started taking atenelol to control it. If I'm layed on my sides for just a few minutes it will cause me to have seizures with dramatic blood pressures and irregular heartbeat. My hips no longer have any cartiledge and my pelvis never healed real well after my accident. This makes the idea of removing spurs from my spine real iffy. I can't not lay on my back and laying on my belly was ruled out while getting x-rays. I don't remember what happened but I came to in the ER and intibated (sp?). I was upset because I had a DNR on file. if I lay completely flat on my back I have trouble breathing, so I'm running out of positions. My doctor understands that I just want to be comfortable and able to get in my chair as long as poossible. If your syrinx is moving upward and your losing function they may decide to treat it. If your suffering with more pain then I'd suggest taking more hydrocodone. At some point it will no longer work. You will need a stronger med. Use them as you must but never OD on them. (that is just 3) I really wish you the best. I know that I'd have done a lot of things differently if I knew it was going to become this painful. I've had a DNR for 3 years now. I expect it to be respected the next time. I'm not suicidal. I just feel I've been through enough and I too often the pain isn't treatable. We are all different and feel differently about this matter. I hope your pain isn't like what I feel. I take them everyday and I'm sure I'm addicted to them all. There is no guilt to me. I never get what people call a buzz. It is just what I need to do to live. I hope that is some help to you. I don't expect everyone to agree with my choices.
I wish you the very best with your pain, john ----- Original Message ---- From: Danny Hearn <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]; [email protected] Sent: Friday, April 11, 2008 5:09:05 PM Subject: Re: [QUAD-L] SLEEP JOHN, I TAKE VICODIN AND OXYCODONE FOR PAIN ALSO........ THE LAST YEAR AND A HALF I ONLY HAD TO TAKE ONE OR THE OTHER ONCE OR TWICE A WEEK --- NOW I NEED SOME NEARLY ALMOST EVERY DAY OR I GO NUTS WITH PAIN, MY QUESTION IS THIS,,, DO YOU OR OTHERS ON THE LIST NEED PAIN MED HELP AS OFTEN AS ME??? I'M WORRIED THAT MY SYRINX AND NERVE PAINS ARE INCREASING. THANKS JOHN AND ANY OTHERS WHO ANSWER. DAN H. [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: All I can manage without drugs is about 4 hours a night. I just get used to watching the clock and listeni8ng to the wife saw logs. She could (and has) sleep 10 hours and even 12 or 14, no problem. AZDAVE -----Original Message----- From: John S. <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: [email protected] Sent: Fri, 11 Apr 2008 12:05 pm Subject: Re: [QUAD-L] SLEEP #AOLMsgPart_2_eb00fc08-7e68-42ee-8cd8-9648abf4af62 DIV {margin:0px;} I have had problems sleeping since 1995. I had a very serious case of pneumonia and it damaged my lungs so badly they din't think I'd ever be able to get off oxygen. Well, I did, but I never sleep more than 2-3 hours at a time and often it takes 2-3 hours to return to sleep. The past few years I tried using pot and it would help immensly at first. I've given it up because it no longer has the effect and all my drunken relatives frown on it. They would use that as an excuse not to visit me. I can't say they light up my life, but I do get lonely. It isn't addictive so, it wasn't a problem to stop. I do take valium, vicodin and oxycodone (not all at once) so you would think sleep would come easy. It doesn't and I do get depressed watching old movies as the sleep timer runs down and then listening to the building settle. I have taken all the over the counter preperations like tylenol pm, even getting some stuff from tv that uses triptiphan. My doctor doesn't want to prescribe anything and seems to feel that it may simply be normal for me to sleep a few hours a day. Once I'm in my chair, I'm not drowsy or sleepy. The orthopedic appliances in my chair that are twisting and forcing me straight would wake up a dead person. Do many of you get by on 3 to 5 hours sleep a day? I wish all of you the best, john ----- Original Message ---- From: Mark Jackson <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: Quadius <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; [EMAIL PROTECTED] Cc: [EMAIL PROTECTED]; [email protected] Sent: Friday, April 11, 2008 2:14:18 PM Subject: RE: [QUAD-L] PAIN I get the same way Quadius but mine has a button I can can just slap and turn it back on. If I forget to turn it off I wake up burning up and can't get back to sleep. Mark Jackson RollinOn From: Quadius [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Friday, April 11, 2008 12:58 PM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Cc: [EMAIL PROTECTED]; [email protected] Subject: Re: [QUAD-L] PAIN It says that on all of the electric blankets I have seen, but I believe it depends on whether you have the ability to sense of your body is getting too hot. I use my electric blanket occasionally, but I find I end up having to turn it off at some point during the night because my core temperature gets too high. Sadly I'm not able to turn it back on by myself, so that's a bit of a downer. Quadius On 4/9/08, [EMAIL PROTECTED] <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: Hi Janet. I always thought it was not safe for a quadriplegic to use an electric blanket. I was told that by someone in the past, but I can't remember who it was. Dana Planning your summer road trip? Check out AOL Travel Guides. No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG. Version: 7.5.519 / Virus Database: 269.22.12/1373 - Release Date: 4/11/2008 9:17 AM No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG. Version: 7.5.519 / Virus Database: 269.22.12/1373 - Release Date: 4/11/2008 9:17 AM __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com Get the MapQuest Toolbar, Maps, Traffic, Directions & More! __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com
