Quote:
Originally Posted by Leed
It does seem like she's on a lot of medication BUT -- being a chronic pain patient myself, I understand why she's aging. Chronic pain is VERY difficult to live with and if you don't have it yourself, there is NO WAY you can understand what it does to you. Very seldom does a chronic pain patient become addicted to their mediations. A very SMALL percentage of people do.
Just because she has a spinal cord stimulator doesn't mean that her pain IS reduced. I had one too, and it didn't seem to help at all. The stimulator works for NERVE pain, not for mechanical pain so if she has that kind of pain too, it's not being relieved.
I've been a chronic painer for over 25 years, and my kids tell me that I've aged alot in the last few years. That's because the pain has taken a huge toll on me. No, I do not abuse my meds -- I take them only as prescribed --- but fighting pain 24/7 is difficult.
You may be completely correct in that your Mom is possibly mis-using her medications -- but try to see the other side of it too. Chronic pain is emotionally and physically difficult and some people don't cope with it well.
I wish you the very best and you're all in my prayers. God bless. Hugs, Lee
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I have never doubted the fact that she suffers from chronic pain, but when your mom passes out for seemingly no reason and is non-responsive to external stimuli (like screaming, or patting her face) it is straight up scary. I know pain - I have chronic back pain, but this is too much. I took a vacation earlier this year and got a call from home while I'm 1500 miles away from my sister telling me that she won't wake up and doesn't respond to YELLING in her ear...for 45 minutes...something has to give. Maybe it is a lost cause. Just don't know.
I'm assuming you are still functioning and coherent - you seem to put words together without too much problem, but she can't even speak an intelligible sentence. I'm just worried that one day, because of these meds, she's not going to wake up. She is addicted - there is no way around that. I've seen what happens when she misses a day or two of Lortab and she's like a nervous crack addict. I've been addicted before and I know what it looks like. She is textbook addicted.