Painful Dayz

Today I am having another very painful day. It is very cold and damp outside. I am having what I would describe as a level 8 (see scale below) pain day. I have taken a pain pill and what I need to do is go put my heating pad on my arm / shoulder and relax till the pill takes affect but I won't. I want to write this blog entry and get it posted. With all the interuptions that I have it is very difficult to concentrate on what I want to write. What to do when the pain gets to be too much. What do you do when the doctor makes you cut back on the pain medications? I have a friend who is going to have major back surgery and is in so much pain at times that he gobbles the pain pills then the doctor makes him cut in half what he was taking. He told me that he is now taking some sort of vitamin to help relieve the stress of cutting back so much. I will get the name of the vitamin and post it here.

• 0 Pain Free No medication needed.
• 1 Very minor annoyance - occasional minor twinges. No medication needed.
• 2 Minor annoyance - occasional strong twinges. No medication needed.
• 3 Annoying enough to be distracting. Mild painkillers are effective. (Aspirin, Ibuprofen.)
• 4 Can be ignored if you are really involved in your work, but still distracting. Mild painkillers relieve pain for 3-4 hours.
• 5 Can't be ignored for more than 30 minutes. Mild painkillers reduce pain for 3-4 hours.
• 6 Can't be ignored for any length of time, but you can still go to work and participate in social activities. Stronger painkillers (Codeine, Vicodin) reduce pain for 3-4 hours.
• 7 Makes it difficult to concentrate, interferes with sleep You can still function with effort. Stronger painkillers are only partially effective. Strongest painkillers relieve pain (Oxycontin, Morphine)
• 8 Physical activity severely limited. You can read and converse with effort. Nausea and dizziness set in as factors of pain. Stronger painkillers are minimally effective. Strongest painkillers reduce pain for 3-4 hours.
• 9 Unable to speak. Crying out or moaning uncontrollably - near delirium. Strongest painkillers are only partially effective.
• 10 Unconscious. Pain makes you pass out. Strongest painkillers are only partially effective.

I've been using Watkins products for a very long time now.  When the pain is just beginning I spray relief to my hard to reach neck and shoulders.  What do you use? I also use heat where most people use a cold pack to reduce inflamation.

It has been quite cold and rainy here the past couple of weeks.  I'm in Southern Oregon and winter came quickly this year.  We didn't have much of a Fall season.

Hope you're all having a wonderful holiday season.

Thom

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