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How to deal with extreme physical pain

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Re: How to deal with extreme physical pain

#31

Post by inpdx »

Funny how you don't think about pain and how debilitating it can be until you experience it. I had some kind of bizarre arthritis in my ankle at the beginning of the year. First they said it was gout. When gout remedies didn't help, they took a fluid sample. Not gout, not rheumatoid arthritis, not another kind of arthritis. Basically they were stumped. Luckily it went away after about a month. But it was utterly debilitating while I had it. No good sleep angle, couldn't walk, couldn't get it off my mind. Changed my life.

Sympathies for everyone out there dealing with ongoing pain.

Re: How to deal with extreme physical pain

#32

Post by hnruss »

I am also recovering from a frozen shoulder, but thankfully it was not nearly as bad as the author. This is also my second time having it. Both times have required months of PT, mostly stretching and some strength training.

As for the pain during PT, I found it helpful to talk to the physical therapist, which distracted my mind from lower-level pain. When the pain increased, I’d temporarily stop talking and free my mind of thoughts, trying to reach a near-meditative state. I’d let the pain come and go, like clouds in the sky. Some days that was easier than others. Perhaps it helped that I had already learned some meditative techniques years ago.

Re: How to deal with extreme physical pain

#33

Post by autarch »

qppo wrote: post #28
autarch wrote: post #14

About ten years ago I had around 9 months (maybe a little more) of chronic testicular pain. It felt like someone had kicked me in the crotch about 10 minutes ago, all day every day. I've been in more pain from some injuries I've had (bike accident), but this lasted for much, much longer. It also made sleeping difficult, as for some reason lying down was extremely uncomfortable. I ended up sleeping in a chair for seve…

Another person with orchialgia here, it sucks. Mine's been on and off for almost 20 months now. After three urologists I found something that worked (and it's like a miracle). Something you touch on here implicitly is how much it changes little things in your life. For me it was long commutes, I can't sit for extended periods of time. What I would add is that doctors can be great for things they recognize and can tre…

Yeah, regarding doctors I'm not sure anything they suggested help. The first one I saw that it was an infection and gave me antibiotics. That didn't seem to do much.

Then as it persisted another urologist thought it might be urine backflowing down my vas deferens and I took beta blockers to improve my urinary flow.

Finally the urologist basically said that sometimes after you have an infection you can have idiopathic pain for a long time afterwards.

And maybe that was it. It pretty much went away on its own. I feel quite fortunate for that, because it really sucked. If it had persisted I suspect I would've seen quite a few more urologists!

Re: How to deal with extreme physical pain

#34

Post by acalzycalzy »

qppo wrote: post #28
autarch wrote: post #14

About ten years ago I had around 9 months (maybe a little more) of chronic testicular pain. It felt like someone had kicked me in the crotch about 10 minutes ago, all day every day. I've been in more pain from some injuries I've had (bike accident), but this lasted for much, much longer. It also made sleeping difficult, as for some reason lying down was extremely uncomfortable. I ended up sleeping in a chair for seve…

Another person with orchialgia here, it sucks. Mine's been on and off for almost 20 months now. After three urologists I found something that worked (and it's like a miracle). Something you touch on here implicitly is how much it changes little things in your life. For me it was long commutes, I can't sit for extended periods of time. What I would add is that doctors can be great for things they recognize and can tre…

What worked?

Re: How to deal with extreme physical pain

#35

Post by CobaltFire »

zdragnar wrote: post #9
CobaltFire wrote: post #3

I’m dealing with chronic pain that’s bringing my current career to its end. I’m still unsure how active I’ll be able to be in the future due to it. In my case it’s autoimmune; my body has decided it’s going to destroy itself from the inside out. Arthritis, psoriasis, GI issues. It’s getting worse fast enough that I’m being transferred to a hospital for care (Military, stationed overseas) and preparation for retiremen…

I started Taltz to deal with my psoriasis, and found out what I had thought was something else turned out to probably be psoriatic arthritis, because the pain definitely went down after starting it. It isn't a cure, but perhaps you might find some relief there if you haven't tried it. > It’s hard to describe how much ongoing pain changes who you are This is definitely true. I spent years getting back to being myself,…

Part of the reason they are transferring me is so they have the freedom to try some of the immune suppressing drugs. Being deployed overseas means they can't.

I'm terrified, but hoping something will help.

Re: How to deal with extreme physical pain

#36

Post by CobaltFire »

sillysaurusx wrote: post #13
CobaltFire wrote: post #3

I’m dealing with chronic pain that’s bringing my current career to its end. I’m still unsure how active I’ll be able to be in the future due to it. In my case it’s autoimmune; my body has decided it’s going to destroy itself from the inside out. Arthritis, psoriasis, GI issues. It’s getting worse fast enough that I’m being transferred to a hospital for care (Military, stationed overseas) and preparation for retiremen…

Just wanted to send you good thoughts. Stay strong. Rooting for you!

Thanks! Positive support with no expectation that I listen to a miracle cure or something is one of those things that really helps on rough days!

Re: How to deal with extreme physical pain

#37

Post by CobaltFire »

ekanes wrote: post #18
CobaltFire wrote: post #3

I’m dealing with chronic pain that’s bringing my current career to its end. I’m still unsure how active I’ll be able to be in the future due to it. In my case it’s autoimmune; my body has decided it’s going to destroy itself from the inside out. Arthritis, psoriasis, GI issues. It’s getting worse fast enough that I’m being transferred to a hospital for care (Military, stationed overseas) and preparation for retiremen…

Sorry to hear about that. Sending you positive thoughts, I hope it gets better.

Thanks! Positive support with no expectation that I listen to a miracle cure or something is one of those things that really helps on rough days!

Re: How to deal with extreme physical pain

#38

Post by christiansakai »

hnruss wrote: post #32

I am also recovering from a frozen shoulder, but thankfully it was not nearly as bad as the author. This is also my second time having it. Both times have required months of PT, mostly stretching and some strength training. As for the pain during PT, I found it helpful to talk to the physical therapist, which distracted my mind from lower-level pain. When the pain increased, I’d temporarily stop talking and free my m…

How do you recover from this? Isn’t this a genetic disease?

Re: How to deal with extreme physical pain

#39

Post by stordoff »

zdragnar wrote: post #5

I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia ~15 years ago. Since then, having started an immunosuppressive for something else and it seemed to help with the pain- now the doctors think it is psoriatic arthritis. I am in constant, mild pain. Some days it is nearly, but not quite debilitating. Some people think I am making it up, exaggerating, or that it is all in my head. There is no certain test for either condition- in partic…

> or that it is all in my head

I sometimes end up wondering that about myself. I have near-constant headaches of varying intensity (ranging from a barely noticeable ache to feeling like somebody a vice round my temples) with no known cause, and I occasionally find myself asking if I'm imagining it or it's psychosomatic. I think it stems from my frustration at not knowing the cause, but starting to doubt what you are sensing like that is an unpleasant feeling.

Re: How to deal with extreme physical pain

#40

Post by CobaltFire »

hombre_fatal wrote: post #8
CobaltFire wrote: post #3

I’m dealing with chronic pain that’s bringing my current career to its end. I’m still unsure how active I’ll be able to be in the future due to it. In my case it’s autoimmune; my body has decided it’s going to destroy itself from the inside out. Arthritis, psoriasis, GI issues. It’s getting worse fast enough that I’m being transferred to a hospital for care (Military, stationed overseas) and preparation for retiremen…

It's a shame how hard it is to appreciate the times we're in good health. Though probably an essential adaptation else we'd be in sheer amazement at all times while healthy if we could truly internalize how bad things could get. How would we get anything done if we could truly marvel at peak health if we knew what ultimately awaited us somewhere down the road.

I absolutely agree.

The positive I take away from it is that I DO appreciate the good days, and my family, and the life I have more. It sounds trite, but the silver lining is there.

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