I think it's Official

Well, I think I've fairly well proven beyond a doubt that my body was (is) addicted to those new pain meds. By 6:00pm last night, only 7.5 hours after taking the last dose, my pain level was severe and I had violent sweats/shivering. And the nausea was back with a vengeance. It was clear to me that my body wanted more of "that good stuff." It was not a pretty sight and I refused to give in.

I went to bed early again, taking another sleeping aid along with my routine bedtime meds but without the pain med. Admittedly, I didn't enjoy quite the restful sleep I had the night before but I did sleep reasonably well in spite of waking up several times. When I woke, I was in severe agony and the nausea was back. Again, I refused to give in. But the experience convinced me that I was on the right track. That is when I decided not to put any more of that new pain med into my body.

I made an executive decision regarding my health: I was stopping the new pain meds in spite of my doctor's advice to continue on them until I see the new rheumatologist at the end of May. It is, after all, my body and I have to protect it. My instincts tell me that should I continue on that stuff, it would only get worse and my body would start wanting it with increasing frequency between doses. And if nausea is the price I have to pay for not giving in, that simply isn't an option.

I popped a couple of Tylenol #3 and took a Gravol to combat the nausea. I will stick to the Tylenol #3 today as needed, IF NEEDED, and will switch back to the Codeine Contin tomorrow on a 12-hour schedule, or as needed -- just the way I was taking it prior to my doctor suggesting that we try this new pain med.

Having come to this new decision, my telephone rang not five minutes ago. It was the office of my new rheumatologist wanting to change my appointment to a week later than the 22 May visit. I whined that that was too far away; I had hoped to get in to see him sooner, not later. I will now be seeing him early this Friday morning. So in the end, I sort of followed my doctor's advice to stay on the new pain meds until I see the new specialist -- I just cut it short by a few days.

Here's hoping the specialist will have a rabbit in his hat and there will be light at the end of this tunnel.