Hi Kathy I have had arthroscopic and it really is not so horrible I also hope you can go through it with just the lidocane injections.. if you do need pain pills it will not be for very long so glad you have a plan.. as for the knee replacement my hubby went through one almost a year ago and I had gone through a shoulder replacement 9 weeks ago. I only used the meds for 3 weeks after and 1 week before.. Hubby held them. it went very well but I did experience wd more mental then physical. You can do this and please do not worry to much. You sound like your in a good place you will not loose this. I was very honest with my Dr. and surgeon with my addictions and they have been very helpful and supportive it has helped tremendously. I wish you a speedy recovery.. lesa
Thanks to everyone for your replies.I have been so concerned that one pill will do me in.I would prefer to not take narcotics at all.Im' hoping to get by with tylenol.I've had 7 previous knee surgeries and the scopes are not too painful.I think the doc can inject some lidocaine in my knee post op to help with pain...In the future I will need a knee replacement and I feel like I've ruined it for myself to ever be able to take pain pills without major concerns,Next week will be a good test.My friend who will be helping me knows about my situation and helped me when I first came off.She will be in charge of my pills if needed.One thing for sure is that I am not secretely excited about the pills.I despise them.At the same time,surgical pain can be horrible.In an earlier post someone mentioned that suffering through too much pain can also set you back.I will just have to take it one day at a time and pray that it goes well for me.
Thanks again for the support.This board was a life saver for me when I first came off..Kathy
I would def suggest that you find someone to dole them out to you on schedule. I went through something similar and found that despite success in keeping clean, it was so hard to contol myself when there was bottle of pills laying around.
Be proactive and have a plan in place. Also, be aware that the addict in you might want you to believe that you are in more pain than you actually are. Ask your doctor for some high dose Motrin. Try that and see if you can manage the pain without narcotics at all.
Keep strong and congrats on all of your success. Its great that you realized that this might be a problem and are nipping it in the bud beforehand. Kudos.
Good luck on the surg.
Matt
ditto what Ga Guy said,
plus i've been taught that you should "stay ahead of the pain." the natural reaction from someone not wanting to get "in trouble" with pain meds (again) is to take as few as possible and to go as long as possible before taking the next one. this is apparently a bad idea.
first, the pain med has a very legitimate medical role beyond just making you feel more comfortable. when we experience high levels of pain the body is under great stress, which not only impedes the healing process, but causes additional physical problems. the idea is to get you healed up, and off the meds, as quickly as possible.
second, you don't want to set up the pattern where you are suffering, WAITING (and WAITING) for the BLESSED RELIEF you KNOW will be delivered by the MAGIC LITTLE PILL, and then having the pill do just that.
probably the most important thing is that you surrender control over every aspect of this necessary use of opiates. you can't keep your addiction a secret or go through this on your own. your doc needs to know the score up front and there needs to be a plan to manage the meds while you need them and to get you off them quickly. as Ga Guy said, you are not to be in charge of the meds -- accountability to a trustworthy person is an absolute necessity here.
there's no point for you to prove here. your job is to let other people make sure that you stay safe while you heal.
CATUF
1563
Thank you for your reply.I have had no cravings for pain meds at all in the past year so I think I will be ok. I was going to have the surgeon only give me a limited amount for the 1st couple days.This has come on so suddenly I haven't had time to prepare.I will let the Doc know of my history.Thanks again
Kathy,
Addicts have legit pain just like everyone else, and there's no reason for you to suffer. The key is honesty. First, I'd suggest you find an addictionologist to consult with your surgeon. They specialize in this and can help. Secondly, if you're given opiates after surgery, it's imperative that you never touch them. Not even the paper script. Have someone fill it, hold them, and dispense them AS DIRECTED. No doubling doses. No taking them every 2 hours instead of 4. And, above all else, no being dishonest about pain levels. When the pain subsides, you stop taking them. Also, no keeping the extras "just in case you need them". When the pain becomes manageable, flush them. There's a great sense of empowerment by watching them go down the toilet. Good luck with your surgery.