Posted by Todd Owen (24.4.254.96) on April 16, 2001 at 03:17:34:
...and the beast wouldn't even let up when I was on a tropical island with my wife and no kids. Just need to vent to someone who understands.
Spent a week in Maui--sunrise bike ride down Haleakala (and sunrise HA), great beaches, airplane tours over active volcanoes, snorkeling in inactive ones, good food, sleepless nights of pain, all in a five star hotel. Did enjoy myself when I was pain-free, but am still waiting for the slightest break from the beast. Nineteen months solid, still waiting to be scheduled for gamma knife. Of course I get phone calls from the neurosurgeons office, asking about the MRI I had (even though the results were with them weeks ago). Seems like they at least have a better clue than the family doctor. Was ready to kill him shortly before I went on vacation.
Damn family doctor all of a sudden decided that 1-2 pills a day of long-lasting Oxycodone (actually is now recommended by the neurologist, Dr. Raskin), is now FAR too much narcotic for me to have (even though he was the one prescribing it to me freely before and admonishing me to take more of it to help control the pain). Wants me off ALL medications that are used for pain-killers, especially anything narcotic, much more so the controlled ones like Oxycontin, says he wants to get me into a pain clinic so they can teach me to use my body's natural endorphins to deal with the pain. Also have to step down over a period of several weeks off the Oxycontin since I'm on SOOOO much right now (20-40mg/day, know another CH sufferer and co-worker who was on 240-300mg/day). Also refuses to call in a referral yet for my 8yo daughter to see a pediatric neurologist, says we should wait until her migraines get more severe and frequent before we do anything.
Sound like a load of crap?!? That's what I thought. That's what my mother (a nurse practitioner for 20yrs) thought. I'm looking for a new family doctor. My wife and I are not the only ones wondering if this sudden change in prescription policy from this doc is not the result of someone else taking an interest in what he was prescribing and why. Sounds like he was prescribing strong stuff quite freely to people who were abusing it, now somebody is looking over his shoulder. Still is no excuse to not let my daughter see a specialist for her headaches, even though he obviously has no clue how to treat them (has let them be, unless they have been so bad that I have broken down and given her something low end to break one, then he prescribes that for her). I can deal with him being an idiot to me. I WILL NOT put up with him jeopardizing my daughter's health and well-being. I love her too dearly.
Well, like I said, just wanted to vent. Another sleepless night here with the beast, hoping it will end soon so I can get some sleep. Anyone wants to see any of the pictures I have from Maui, e-mail me. Got some good ones of the sunrise from the top of Mt. Haleakala, and of the volcano on the big island.
Todd Owen