My Oncologist and I are about to Cross Lightsabers

I saw my primary oncologist today, who is a competent doctor and we are very

friendly toward each other.As I continue to get worse the pain is also, and as of

now my primary weapon he gives me is 100mg Morphine SR. Everytime I see

him now he is trying to push me to transition to 0.75 Mcg Fentanyl patches. This

has come up several times between us, and to be frank, I don't want to be on

that stuff. It spooks me, is not a true opioid, it is synthetic and made in a lab. Plus

it is very sedating, I actually don't want to sleep all the time. I do have good days

when the pain is not too bad so on those days he gives me an ample supply of

30/650 Percocet. I have a nurse here all the time, and my partner is a doctor, so

there is plenty of overwatch. I do not like like the ideal of being on Fentanyl, so I

push back against this. I mean good grief, I have; Percocet, Morphine SR,

Enough Xanax to take out a missile cruiser with, am on Phenobarbital (A

barbituate for seizure control), and am even given 12.5 Ambien CR to help me

sleep. I think that is quite enough and I am very rational and an M.D. as well. The

first round of cancer, my primary care doctor and half the cities specialists

missed the diagnosis for a year, and was put on Fentanyl then, guess Scott

thought it would cure cancer? So, I still have a bad taste in my mouth from that

experience. I am not going to let him put me on that. Am I wrong in thinking

this way?

I don't think you are wrong for thinking that way.

Let them know that the Fentanyl is an absolute No-Go for you.

I also think doctors should neither ignore nor diminish a patient's input regarding their care.

Before I had my back surgery I was on a pretty good dose of fentanyl along with morphine and and one other pain med I forgot plus ambian and a benzo. I wasn’t sleeping all the time. I was quite wide awake and driving. I also was going to swim therapy. I don’t recall the dose but my patch was pretty big compared to the patches others had.

Fortunately surgery took care of the problem and my pain doc was able to wean me off of everything. I still have pain but it’s minor and I take otc stuff now.

Just don’t chew the patch! I know! But that’s what it said in every insert! Imagine chewing it!