"Would you rather die by having your head struck by rocks, or by having your head cut off with a dull blade?" asked my wife.
This was in response to my asking which was worse: her pain, or the nausea caused by the pain med.
She had suffered from nausea since May 29. We only recently figured out that the nausea was a side effect of the opioid that she started in February, an opioid that brought pain down from 6 - 8 to 1. After multiple visits to her primary care doctor, and referrals to a rheumatologist, an endocrinologist, and a gastroenterologist, each one involving either a blood draw or an endoscopy (and a one-week wait plus a co-pay), the answer was to simply stop taking a medication.
Yet it's not so simple. Now off the pain med, her nausea was indeed gone, but the pain was back. And the Pain Management doctor was away on vacation with no backup.
To me, it seemed a no-brainer -- I'd endure nausea to get rid of that much pain. But apparently the nausea is severe enough even to wake her from a deep sleep.
"Rocks" I answered, thinking that a severed neck was just too invasive for me at this time in my life.
"Well, that's the pain that I have to experience for the rest of my life."
"Maybe you could go back on the nauseating med just until the doctor comes back. It probably won't make you nauseous right away."
"And that Dickwad of a doctor went on vacation leaving me without enough pain meds."
It is said that there are times when it's important to just listen and not try to offer solutions. This was definitely one of them.
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4 comments:
Square Peg, I identify with you totally. As you probably are aware, I am the sole care giver for my 92 year old father. He recently pulled a back muscle and was in agony. He was not satisfied with the course of action prescribed by our GP and after three days wanted to consult an Orthopedist, who confirmed exactly the same diagnosis and treatment, which basically meant total bed rest. For the pain some medicines were prescribed which suddenly started affecting his appetite and he felt nauseous all the time. Today, his medicine has been stopped and he is bearing the pain and the nausea has more or less disappeared and he has just had a decent meal in three days!
In your particular situation, I do not think that not answering would have helped you. You can't win in these trick questions. Either answer or no answer would all result in some response as the sufferer knows the discomfort like we will never know and this is their way of letting off steam.
Trundle along my friend. I admire you.
Thank you, Rummuser. I hope your father's back pain subsides immediately!
What a paradox...an a too common one for those who are in severe unrelenting pain. My heart goes out to your wife. What is it with pain rx. needing to be refilled when doctors are on vacation? I've experienced that one too many times myself.
Hi Kerry:
Perhaps doctors are always on vacation! When you see four doctors regularly, plus specialists during flareups, it's unlikely that they'll all get their vacations over with on the same week. So that can be four separate weeks each, or eight if they take two-weeks per year. Then you have holidays and weekends and Wednesdays.... Well, odds are you see the backup doctor at least 1 out of 4 times.
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