chronic pain driving me nuts

[globemaster]

Ok short history. Bout 5 years ago I got shot by a high velocity rifle bullet in the lower left leg. I ended up loosing bout 60% of my calf and half of my achilles tendon in my left leg. I had alot of nerve damge from the energy of the bullet. It went into the my front of the calf right behind my leg bone bout the size of a dime and left bout a 6 inch hole out the back of my leg. After that in the hospital I got a staff infection which required multiple surgeries to remove the necrotic tissue. Now I wear a leg brace at work and walk pretty good,  when I don't wear it I use a cane and have a bad limp. The ? I have is that I only sleep bout 2 to 3 hours at a time and wake up from the pain constantly., it does hurt 24/7. I don't take painkillers but do take gabapentin 800 to 1200 mg a day. I was on darvocet for bout 3 years but I hate narcotics. I have virtually nothing left in my left leg but scar tissue, you can feel the lumps and doesn't have any real muscle there. When you have this kind of injury am I looking at pain for the rest of my life. when i was in the hospital I refused to have a amputation and never worked harder in my life to learn to walk again and heal the best I could. Is this normal, this much pain and I going to feel this for the rest of my life. I know each situation is different, and I have learned to look at everyday as a blessing, but it gets really hard sometimes and can't get any real answers from my doctor. Anykind of answer wether it is good or bad would be very appreciated


This discussion is related to left butt check pain that continues down my left leg.

[Tuckamore]

Hello Globemaster,

Pardon my tardy response. I am so sorry to hear that you have been through so much with your leg and are left with chronic pain.

What have you done to ease your pain if you are refusing narcotics? Some ppl find releif with a TENS Unit. The object of one is to disrupt and confuse the pain signals.  

Sometimes massage can be also be helpful.

If your pain is intolerable at times you might want to reconsider taking an opiate. None of us enjoy taking them but it can provide releif when nothing else is effective.  There is no shame in requiring a narcotic to control your pain.

Please let us know how you are doing. I wish you the very best.


Take Care,
~Tuck

[toolmaker]

Miracles still happen everyday and I will pray that you may get yours.