[wisewoman]

My doc says that I have a lifting restriction of 20 pounds. I am getting used to that and am obeying her most of the time. She also says that when I am working around doing chores or what not to sit down when I start to have pain. I don't do this. If I sat down whenever I had pain I would never get anything done. So I do the best I can to get work done and then sit down when I can't stand it. It has been raining here forever it seems, though yesterday was more dry and I had less pain. I have had more pain with this weather than I thought possible. I am doing stretches with my legs and back and that helps some. I am very good at wearing the right footwear.

What can I do? I'm a druggie with the amount of meds I take vicodin, usually 3 a day. I take flexeril about once a week at bed because it makes me sleep the whole next day. I am waiting for the doc's office to open after lunch so I can get a percoset scrip written because I have been getting progressivley worse all week. My pain this week has been a 5 as baseline and goes up to an 8.5 and then I rest. I am in bed now resting and I just took a vicodin but I hurt.

Anyone have any ideas? Thanks.

[January]

(((((((((( WW )))))))))

I am so sorry you are in so much pain. How horrible for you!

Have you thought about taking a much smaller dose of flexeril to see if it would help you get through the day? It might work.

Do you have insurance that will pay for physical therapy? If you can get into regular or aqua therapy it would probably help a lot.

I hope you feel better soon. Please let us know how you're doing.

Hugs,

Jan

[wisewoman]

I have no health insurance at this time but I do have access to a pool and need to start going again. I am stretching a lot and it helps but today was percoset pain. I am okay now after 1 double dose of vicodin and 1 dose of percoset 6 hours later. Thanks for caring. I am going to swim tomorrow afternoon. If it doesn't stop raining I will be swimming to get home. Floods everywhere. Take care Jan.

[Rhapsody]

WiseWoman, ((((((( HUGS ))))))) ~ ~ ((((((( HUGS )))))))

I understand your fears and how you wish that you could live a normal life..... as a sufferer of RA for thirty years (with large amounts of over all body pain) I have to say that I take what meds I must to enable me to live in TODAY and I do not worry about tomorrow.... for tomorrow is not yet promised.

I would rather enjoy the day I have been given and be able to interact with in that day, and if meds will allow me to be out of bed and walking about.... then meds I will take.

Take Care.... Praying for YOU.

LoVe,
Rhapsody -

[wisewoman]

I like your thinking Rhapsody. One thing I immediately thought of is that I just got home from doing an overnight taking care of a frail older couple as a favor to a friend who does them all of the time for me. I started having more pain in the morning so no I have taken meds and want to go to sleep for a bit. I was up about half of the night. It was fun, no probs. Am I wasting my day if I sleep through a lot of it? I would otherwise be yardsaling or housework or the like. Tell me what you think. Thanks.

[Rhapsody]

Hmm - my RA & PMDD meds tend to do the same thing to me - I get up for the morning and take the meds to get moving and then WHAM out of no where I want to go back to sleep with in an hour of getting up.... what I have done to cure this problem is to take my vitamin & B-complex pill right after I eat my breakfast and then wait to take my meds an hour after eating.... this seems to help the meds from going straight into my body (hence the sleep induce coma - lol) and by the time the meds do get in there - - - I AM AWAKE!!

BTW - a poor nights sleep will always leave the body weak and in pain.... for it is when we sleep that our bodies rest as to recover from the day before.
** Tylenol PM (or) Valerian in mid week stream seems to help my body get a good nights rest.


LoVe,
Rhapsody -