Life goes on while you are In Pain.

There are many of us who live in chronic pain every day of our life. Some of you are like me who do not like taking all the medications these doctors prescribe to help get you out of pain and that keep you either drugged up all day long or tired and sleepy all day long were you lose energy while trying to get things done.

Here is what I do. First of all, I try not to take the medications as the doctor prescribes, I had got tired of either being high on the prescriptions or the adverse effects of irritability, meanness, lack of being able to control my emotions and thoughts, sleeping all of the time, and many more ill effects of the mixture of medications for my doctor has me on. My doctor has me on two different medications, and then my rheumatoid arthritis doc had me on eight other ones. Talk about walking around like a drugged up zombie all day long. Mmmm

I am also afraid to drive while being on prescription drugs to help me get out of pain and depression. If you are caught doing that, that is an instant DUI and lock up. Especially now days when the police are slap happy in tossing people in jail or giving them a fine, besides that is dangerous driving while on so many prescription drugs.

Oh back to basics, what I do to try and manage my pain for I have chronic back pain, deteriorating Cartilages in both knees and pain in my right hip all from arthritis, back injuries and built up scar tissue along my vertebrae which I will not have surgery due to the odds.

First of all I try and limit myself as to the chores, if I am feeling good I will not take medications, I will just try and work the best as I can and take more breaks for an hour here an hour there in between working say on house cleaning. All though the docs have told me not to lift or do anything. Yeah right. Are they going to pay for a house cleaning service to clean this house and farmers to tend to my animals?

Any way I work for about a half hour to hour then come in and rest, for about hour or two hours. Now I know this doesn’t sound like I get a whole lot done but I do what is call putzing. I move slowly but I am actually able to accomplish things during my cleaning session little by little.

Second, if the pain gets too bad in my back, I then take an Alieve. It helps relieve some of the pain in my back and in my knee. Yes, I still have to wear a knee brace on my knee and this helps me keep my stance for when my knee pops, it hurts really band and I fall down all of the time.

Third, I put my tens unit on my back and on my knees when I am sitting still. When I am doing something outside or cleaning I am wear it on my back. I normally have it on. This helps me keep the muscles in my back warm from the electrodes and electricity that is going through my back. Its portable and helps alleviate a lot of the pain but I still at times get harsh pains that feels like someone is taking a dagger shoving it up my spine and twisting it around and around. Not a good feeling so that is a sign I have to stop what I am doing and rest.

Fourth, As soon as I feel those stabbing pains in my back I stop everything I am doing, I go lay down on the couch with a heating pad on my back, which also makes me take a nap and ease the pain. While I am lying down on the couch I listen to soothing music to help relax me by, and I keep the tens unit on as well to help loosen up the pain.

Rest is a good thing for pain but I know we lead busy lives. Mine is hectic for I own a farm and I have many things dumped on me and me only, all though the ex-husband lives here, he is no help when he is off the road. Therefore, I have to rely on me and me only to do heavy lifting and do all the chores inside and outside this house by myself. He loves bossing do this for him and that for him but I have stopped doing that, I have enough on me with health issues, this farm and other extracurricular activities going on and work both inside this house and out that I am not going to tend to a 71 year old lazy baby. Enough is enough.

I have decided just to tend to my needs, my animals needs and keep doing my job around here, I will no longer wait on him hand and foot that surely does alleviate a lot of work and stress. He will from now on, have to fend to his own needs, like washing his own clothing and feeding himself. I am sorry but it’s time to start saying NO to all the extra things people want you to do. Especially when it leads into using a person with no help back. It’s time to quit the extra stuff for other people when you have bad health issues putting you in pain day in and day out which causes depression.

This is the most important thing to do to yourself to not only keep you out of pain but also keep your sanity. However, if the pain is excessively bad that I can’t handle the pain, I just stop what I am doing, go lay down on the couch, finally break down and take my prescribed medications.

At least I feel good knowing that I had tried to deal with the pain as long as I could. That I could go through most of the pain without being drugged up all of the time. Some of these prescription drugs are habit forming and I don’t like getting dependent on prescription drugs just to stay out of pain.

Around here, there are too many other responsibilities and I have animals that I need to tend to under a gentle caring hand without t neglecting them all because I am high on prescriptions drugs.

I do try to get myself out of pain or deal with the pain until I finally am unable to do so.