Today's Pain Management Visit

I have been having an extremely difficult time with pain management over the last few months. My doctor increased the Oxycontin by 10mg's last month to see if that would help. Mickey told him that it helped a little but that I was still suffering a lot. I said pretty much the same thing but he's accustomed to asking Mickey if that's what he sees happening. We've been with him a year so he knows Mickey wants to chime in anyway.

I told him that the 10mg helped a little but I really couldn't tell until I ran out of it. I only had 30 days but my appointment was after the 30 days. This gave me a chance to really see if it helped. As I said, it helped a little.

Thanks to Barbara, I then asked him about a neurostimulator vs a TENS unit. He said the neurostimulator went deeper into the nerve and stated that most insurance companies don't cover it, but he thought mine would. He will have the person he goes through get in touch with me but to be sure and ask about trying it out for a week, for free. This will give me a chance to see if it will really make a difference before he requests it through the insurance company.

I then explained that my pain has been ranging, throughout the day, from 7-9 when prior to the last few months we had it between 5-7. I asked him what other types of changes could be made. He wants me to try the neurostimulator but then he prescribed "Voltaren Gel". He said this is another medication that not many companies approve but that mine should. Regardless, he gave me several tubes of it to try for now, then told me to call the insurance and see if they will cover it. If I like it, of course.