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MedHelp Member's Question

What to do

by jack daniels, Jun 24, 2003 12:00AM
Tags: Addiction
I’m 22 days clean from a 12-year opiate addiction. The question is sooner are later I will need something for pain. What are the choices the doctors will have, to keep me out of pain and not get me addicted again? How should I handle that?
Member Comments (39)

by soberchic, Jun 24, 2003 12:00AM
Jack- I have been sober for 2 years, when I had a little over a year clean I had to have my apendix taken out.  I was scared because I didn't know how my body would react to the drugs I would have to take.  I do not know if you are in a 12 step program, but my sponsor was my biggest support.  I called her before I went into surgery and took her advice when I got out.  Remember that the most important thing in a situation like that is to be honest, tell your doctor that you are a drug addict and that you are in recovery.  If you are not in a program make sure you have some sort of support system in place and be honest with the people in your life. Most of all be honest with your self, check your motives when you fill a perscription.  If you are not in the hospital, but have to take pain pills at home, have someone you trust stay with you and have them hold on to the pills.  They can dole them out as perscribed.  But remember,you have 22 days (which is amazing) and it is a little early to be thinking about all this.  If you stay sober and continue to do what is right in front of you the answers will come without even trying.  I took pills for something as small as stubbing my toe before I got sober.  Since I got sober, I only took narcotics for my surgery and for one day after I got my widom teeth pulled.  You will find that Tylenol and Advil realy do work wonders, even though they are not as fun.  Good luck.  It is always great to hear stories of recovery.

by hippy, Jun 24, 2003 12:00AM
To: jd
hey there jd, hippy here, one thing i found good results

form is a minaril called  MSM it is sold where they sell vitaminea, my 80 year old aunt and uncle told me about it,

and as always i figured it was just like every thing else sold over the counter , i thought it would just be anther waste of time, , now my aunt and uncle don't go for ice water to say theuy are cheap is and understatement,  now MSM caost about

20 dollars a bottle, so i picked it up and was very suprised that it worked great it took all my back pain away and knee pain.

So you should give it a try , it is a sulfer based

minaril.

peace!!!!!!!hippy

by jack daniels, Jun 24, 2003 12:00AM
To: hippee
hey thanx..i will give it a try...do you think the doctor will give me some info?



thanx eveyone for your help..Jack

by Thomas03, Jun 24, 2003 12:00AM
To: sturgil, all
Hey, sturg, strength and honor!



[repost]



Here's the link to a new forum dedicated to providing support and friendship to people in the midst of addiction, recovery and/or chronic pain issues. I will be concentrating on this forum in the hope that it gives everyone here a good place to go after MedHelp shuts down. It's not doctor-moderated, but, for what it's worth, I will be there along with the Thomas Recipe to help in any way I can. I'm an admin there and my good friend, MrsRat, who also is a MedHelp member, is the board operator. We welcome all who come and post in the spirit of friendship and understanding.



Thomas



http://pub177.ezboard.com/fpainaddictionwithdrawalhelpandsupportfrm2

by skipper, Jun 24, 2003 12:00AM
To: hippee
hippee:

i've never mentioned this before, but you are absolutely priceless!!

see 'ya over at mrs. ratt's forum ok?

keep an angel on your shoulder (above all else!!)

kip

by Thomas03, Jun 24, 2003 12:00AM
To: Witchywoman
You, too, darlin -- get your shapely butt over to our forum!



If you're good, you can sit on the Iraqi Information Minister's lap.



Thomas

by Wife-Of-Addict, Jun 25, 2003 12:00AM
To: Thanks to You All
I doubt anyone remembers me, but I came here in late November/early December looking for help.  My husband had just told me he was addicted to pills and I didn't know what to do or what to think.  I posted about it and Dr. H answered me with a couple of books to read.  Then I got a plethora of posts from all you people trying to help me understand it.  As much as I know I will never truly understand it, you guys helped.  This place has a lot to do with saving my marriage.  It has a lot to do with saving my sanity.  When all the banning was going on, I found another site to go to and this site has been just as great.  But I lost my virginity to this site, and I will always be grateful to all of you.  

In case you do remember me, my husband relapsed three months ago.  He is clean again going on one month.  He goes to NA 3 times a week.  Our marriage is real shaky. We are going to counselling.  That's aboot it.

Well thanks again, and it is really sad to see this place go.  I have to agree with everyone though, there is no need to close this place just because there is no doctor.  The site i go to now doesn't have a doctor and we help people everyday.  

People just need to talk to others who understand, that's all.

Take Care All of You.

Catherine

by pheggie101, Jun 25, 2003 12:00AM
To: catherine
well, im the husband of a addict, and have been thru the relapse after relapse, and i agree how much this site helps. would like to talk to you catherine about dealing with this from our side, please e-mail me, or any of you for that matter.***@****

by MethMan, Jun 25, 2003 12:00AM
To: huiler
Huiler,

I found your response to me deep down in the bowels of "reply hell".  Thank you for some answers.

Your response gave me food for thought.  I realize that not all methadone clinics are the same.  Additionally, I realize that when I (and maybe some others) were on methadone, it may have dampened that "oh the world is wonderful and life is so bubbly" feeling people get.  (I don't know WHICH people get it, just that I didn't have it when on the pink monster.  No offense to the flamingos out there.)

Let me tell you a little about the people running the clinics I've experienced in Texas.  Yes, Texas.  Where EVERYTHING is bigger, including the oddballs.

The first clinic was ran by none other than a German doctor.  Mr. Irony spared no expense on this little gift.  I couldn't help but ask him if Hitler was still alive and living in Argentina.  For some reason, he didn't get the joke.

During my first consult, he injected Narcan to "see if I was an addict".  Soon as the narcan did it's magic, it was revealed to the doc (and the neighbors) that I was truly what I said I was and not someone curious to know if that pink liquid tasted like Cherry Coke or not.

After a few years of that, I move to Houston.  This is where I met (I'll call her Mae West).  She was the doctor, administrator and facilitator of one of the Houston clinics.  For some reason, she sure took an interest in my..er... best interest.  Funny thing about my best interest. Unlike other patients, she thought it necessary to close the door and talk sex.  But no problem... I got a word in edgewise and brought up the "methadone unpleasantness" now and again.  Whatever I wanted was free for the asking; and even some things I did't WANT to ask for.

The next leg of my journey brought me to San Antonio. In the high tech field, we seem to move around a bit.  San Antonio was a new experience.  I got to see something called a "bario"!  They were so proud of their buildings, ALL of them were lovingly signed by passersby with spray paint.  There must have been a gun range around somewhere, because I never made it all the way to the clinic without hearing a lot of shots fired.  Maybe it was just from a 1000 busses backfiring at the same time.  I can't really be sure.

Finally the powers-that-be allowed me to receive monthly takehomes.  And boy, were the people outside the clinic proud of me!  Each time I left, they would show their enthusiasm by circling around me and my lock box and asking if I wanted to sell my takehomes.  Oh.. it was wonderful.  Here I was, the center of attention.  Unfortuately when I declined their kind offer, they seem to have been disappointed in a way.  But that disappointment didn't seem to last long, because they all huddled around the guy handing out little white bags of magic powder.  I think it was free Comet samples or something.

In all honesty, I've got to look back and laugh my ass off at this experience.  While I take the problem of addiction pretty damn serious, I think if you dwell in all the pain and suffering too long, it tends to drag you right back from whence you came.  And you see, I can't do that.  I think the German doctor is still pissed off at the Hitler question.

Peace,

Methman

by pammy0690, Jun 25, 2003 12:00AM
To: Mike
Now you are free of the hell.  Pammy

by sandstorm, Jun 25, 2003 12:00AM
To: Hey Jack
How are you doing?  I'm not at this board, anymore, but I have been checking on you.  You keep up the great work and I am so proud of you.  What an accomplishment? I was sorry that the forum is closing, but as I've read you will have a new place to go. I can't believe all the new people everyday needing so much help.  This place is a Godsend.  I will keep an eye on you, even though I am at another board I keep checking over here on everyone. You are such an inspiration to everyone.  Like I told you before, you went through all of that hell for a reason, that is so you can share with all of us.  Take care and I'll keep you in my prayers.  Good Luck to everyone! By the way, I'm going on 5 months clean as a whistle and still going.  Thanks for all the posts.

Take care,

Sandy

by jack daniels, Jun 25, 2003 12:00AM
To: sandstorm / everyone
i'm here and going great i have 23 days of hell behind me now...i'm posting on the ezboard..alot of us are over there..come on over it's a great place...glad you are doing so well...it's nice to have our lifes back ha...heres a link check it out, its agreat place. yes i think everything in life happens for a reason..God always has a plan...God bless you and everyone in this Hell Hole of addiction...Jack





http://pub177.ezboard.com/bpainaddictionwithdrawalhelpandsupport

by jack daniels, Jun 25, 2003 12:00AM
To: sandstorm
Sandy,



where did you go?  What Board?



my eamil is ***@**** if i can be of any help to anyone..Jack

by sandstorm, Jun 25, 2003 12:00AM
To: Jack
I'm at drugabuse.com.  We have a lot of fun over there like you do here.  There are some other folks from here over there.  I think we all visit each other.  Let's make a deal, we will visit each other, ok.  This is funny, my hubby just walked up and said "Who is Jack" and I said he is my new boyfriend.  He knows, we cut up all the time on here.  He is great, he has been my best friend and has supported me no matter what, for 17 years. I am very blessed. Hope to see you soon.

Sandy

by Wife-Of-Addict, Jun 25, 2003 12:00AM
To: Pheggie
Hey there,

I have a better idea!  Come on over to Drugabuse.com in the General Board and we will talk there!  I don't like to give out my email address over the net anyways.  I should get a yahoo address so that I can just delete it if the wrong person gets their hands on it.

The website that I just told you about, has at least 3 people that are the spouses of addicts.  Some are children of addicts, and the rest are addicts.  They are very open with me, and want to help me.  They don't ignore me because I am not an addict, which I think is just great.  A man named Irony Brats is very supportive of me.  He gives me perspectives from his point of view and makes me feel a bit better about my situation.  Then he tells me how his wife feels about his addiction, which helps me in thinking I am not all that crazy!  hahaha.

So come on over and I'll introduce you to the gang.  We have a blast over there.  No fighting, no trolls (well some but our mod. gets rid of them ASAP!)  I am also a member of Mrs. Rats board, and I may start going again.  I just found it hard to use.  But the people there are just as great!

Anyways, hope to see you soon.  My name over there is SkOoTeR.

Ciao

Catherine

by pheggie101, Jun 25, 2003 12:00AM
To: wife-of-addict
thanks catherine will do...see you there

by pheggie101, Jun 25, 2003 12:00AM
To: catherine
it appears i will have to pay for this which im not willing to do....is this the same as e-z board?

by pheggie101, Jun 25, 2003 12:00AM
To: cat
read your posts, god im the same as you, didnt want to see, would really enjoy to talk with you,i promise tp keep your e-mail private, or maybe you could make a yahoo mailbox.....anyway..again mine is ***@****

by TheEnd, Jun 25, 2003 12:00AM
well, I am lost for sure.  I'm searching around all these potential new sites and don't like them as much as this one.



I'm going to try to keep looking -- and I know I haven't posted much ever but, right now in the midst of all the tapering, pregnancy, and just plain old recovery stuff -- I need someone or somewhere to go!



I am so confused and scared about what's going to happen in the next week that I am SOOOO ready to screw up my taper by 2 -- darnit.  I won't but I want to SOOOOOO bad b/c my tolerance is WAYYYY down at this point....



I just wanted to get someplace good and get over this whole thing and have this baby.  What is killing me right now is that I want my old OB back who dropped me after I leveled with him and went to a specialist even who confirmed since I am so early and have tapered off since before I even knew i was preggo that everything with this baby is absolutely fine ... and now I'm stuck.  



I want my old OB and I'm just going to whine and cry about it to anyone I can!  I don't want to be at a high-risk group my whole pregnancy after the specialist confirmed I and the baby