One day short of a third of a year, childofchaos, & here you are in terrible pain! I'm so sorry you're going through this! I'm on tramadol for my shoulder & know that it only does a minimum to reduce severe pain. Is there anyone in your life who might be able to dispense something stronger in the prescribed dosage? That's something I've considered after my surgery because I've heard it hurts like a mother. As long as you're following doctor's ordfers for taking them, I think it's OK to take something stronger for pain...That's just me, though. I have no idea how something stronger will make me feel inside my head. If it messes me up too much, I'll just bite the bullet & take the pain. Your pain aside, we'll make sure to celebrate your third of a year tomorrow! That's a huge landmark!

Sidenote: After entering my comments, I saw UpDownAround's suggestion. I'd never heard of a pain ball, but that sounds like something that might be worth trying. I'm certainly going to look into it.