Paddy, my friend...

My experience...being sleep deprived, hungry, and in severe pain is more likely to set you up for problems re addiction. Your mental and spiritual defenses will be so weakened that it will make things so much harder for you.
Effective pain management can include opiates but with careful monitoring...there is a part of you that knows this...please try and understand that failure is not a word to be using in your situation.
Paddy, I've been there and done it...physical pain so severe and mental anguish almost as bad. One of my sponsors was an old timer and his wife...Howard had been sober almost as long as I had been alive when I met them.
He was very quick to tell me that I did not have to suffer like that...if I had a good medical team and worked with them that I would be in less danger of relapse when the pain was controlled.

I am not saying this is true of you, ok? The other thing he told me was I didn't have to be a martyr because I was trying to stay clean and sober...made me rather mad because I thought I was being brave...being very blunt with me hurt my feelings but it was what I needed to hear--he was not giving me permission to take the drugs so to speak, but he was calling me on denying myself needed medical care. He understood my fears, but he also knew that I was putting not just my sobriety in danger...but my life.

Letting the pain get ahead of us means that initially it is going to be harder to control...once the level is down then the drugs can be titrated after a low level (3-4) has been maintained for a satisfactory amount of time...that time line can be discussed with your medical team based on your condition.

Don't do this to yourself, Paddy. If you don't get some relief you are going to be in worse shape...and I share that from experience.

Know that you are loved. If I could I would be at your side as your private duty nurse and see you through this rough time.
Please let us know how you are...
Please

Catherine