Author: Midnight Demon

suicide attempt survivor writing about the hopelessness that accompanies depression and chronic pain that no one likes to talk about. also writing about my daily struggle with chronic pain and how it affects my suicidality

pain pain pain

by Midnight Demon, posted in blogging, Chronic pain, chronic physical pain, CRPS, depression, mood disorders

Pain pain pain

All week I have been in pain, either my shoulder or my lower back. I am waiting for a call for an urgent care center to make an appointment so I can have my back looked at. I keep on getting spasms and it makes me immobile. I have been putting heat on as well as taking Ativan, Zanaflex, and my BT meds. I haven’t been sleeping because my shoulder has been waking me up in pain. I feel really depressed and last night was the worst night as I thought about suicide and came up with a plan. I just realized that I haven’t had the urge to pee the last few days. I just been cathing because it is what I do but I haven’t had an urge to pee. I hope this doesn’t mean something is wrong with my back. I just had an MRI about two months ago and things looked good. I got an appointment for this afternoon and I hope they don’t send me to the ED for MRI testing.

The pain I have in my back is severe. I still got spasms in it and think I just need PT to work out the knots. Maybe some dry needling is all I need for it, provided a disc didn’t shift and I need to see my neurosurgeon again. I took my breakthrough med and ibuprofen and that seems to have eased some of the pain I was feeling. Just hope I can get dressed and walk to the bus stop without too much pain. I am going to the hospital in case I do need to switch to the emergency room.

My left side of my body really hurts. The shoulder MRI report came back. It looks like I have two fractures in my shoulder caused by the dislocation I took when I fell. The urgent care doc that I saw said that it is really important that I keep my appointment with ortho on Monday for further treatment of my shoulder. I hope that doesn’t mean surgery.

I just came home from Urgent care. I was there for almost two hours, most of the time just waiting to be seen. I told him what the story was and he said I was on a good regimen and to continue taking what I have been taking. Then I asked him about dry needling and PT and he sent a referral for it. So now I am going to have dry needling on my lower back. I can already feel the pain. It is hot in my room so I turned on the AC. I haven’t changed into my PJ’s yet. I want to cool down first. I had a snickers bar and Reese’s peanut butter big cup with pretzels for dinner. I don’t feel like having anything else, unless I get hungry later then it will be a bowl of cereal.

My shoulder is aching but my back pain is worse right now. I am so tired. I think I am going to take my night meds early and try and be in bed before 9pm. Sox are off tonight. I finally mailed my ballot today so I feel good about that. It has been in my room all week. I am glad I didn’t go to the ED tonight. I nearly fell asleep while I was waiting to be seen in urgent care. Chronic pain just takes so much out of you. Not sleeping at night also takes its toll. I woke up three times last night with my shoulder hurting me. I guess the pain will stop when the fractures heal in another 6-8 weeks.

brain fog day

by Midnight Demon, posted in depression

Brain fog day

I’ve been in pain all day and my brain has been in the deepest fog. I can’t think. I had my coffee and my back acted up. I don’t know why I keep getting spasms in my lower back. They are so painful. It was much better than yesterday though. I was able to move through it. I had therapy and while I sat I had the heating pad on me. It made me sweat. I hated feeling so hot but it calmed my back down. Therapy went ok. I didn’t have much to talk about.

After the appointment, I got dressed and went to the pharmacy to pick up my meds. I was proud of myself for going. I didn’t hurt too bad though my side was tender. I bought some cookies while I was there as my mother ate the last package I bought. I did good on the walkup the hill though I was a little short of breath by the time I reached my house. I set off the Halloween decorations in my front yard. They were scary sounds. I don’t know where my brother in law gets them.

I got an MRI tonight. I need to leave the house at 9pm to get there by 10pm. I will be listening to the Sox on the radio app. I don’t want to miss too much of the game. I plan on taking my night meds when I get home from the test. Otherwise I will be really drowsy. I don’t know how long the test is for but it has to be shorter than a back one. I just hope I don’t have to have contrast. It is going to be cold tonight so I am wearing my sweatpants rather than jeans. I just hope to have the results before Monday.

severe back pain sucks

by Midnight Demon, posted in blogging, Chronic pain, chronic physical pain, CRPS, depression, mood disorders

Severe back pain sucks

I woke up early and decided to get some more sleep. I woke up a few hours later and then had coffee. I was feeling fine. The house was cold as the temp dropped. My mother wasn’t home. I had some biscuits with my coffee and while I was eating them, my mother’s phone rang. I went to go pick it up and my back went out on me. Just like that. No warning or anything. I couldn’t move. I sat back down as best as I could. I was having spasms in my lower back. I finished my coffee, threw away the wrapper for the biscuits as gently as I could as I could barely move. I went to the bathroom and brushed my teeth. I had to do it. It hurt and I was in pain for most of it. But going up the stairs was pure torture. I had to go one step at a time with leading on my right leg. I couldn’t tolerate any weight on my left side where most of the pain was. I didn’t know if this was going to settle down or not so I quickly took some meds and waited. I got my heating pad and that helped a lot. But within a half hour, I was still in a lot of pain so I rescheduled the CT scan I was supposed to have today.

I tried to lay down but that hurt more than sitting so I just sat with the heating pad on my back. A couple of hours later, I had to empty my bladder. I thought I was ok as I was moving better. I emptied my bladder and then went to the kitchen to make something to eat. I just made a bowl of cereal. As a poured the milk, I got severe spasms across my lower back again and I was hurting. I think I might have done something to my back when I fell. I just don’t know what to do about it. Right now getting the spasms under control is my top priority. I took some Zanaflex when I got back to my room and more pain meds as it was around 4 hours since my last dose.

I called the imaging scheduling office to schedule my MRI. They have an opening tomorrow night at 10 pm (2200!) I took it. The sooner I know what is wrong with my shoulder the better. I am so glad they had an opening. My back should be better by tomorrow. The heating pad is really helping with the spasms. I think the Zanaflex is making me sleepy. Four hours till game time so I could take a nap. I want to have another cup of coffee. I just don’t want to go downstairs again unless I have to use the bathroom.

My favorite pitcher is starting the game tonight. It is anyone’s guess as to how he will be. His last start was good so this start could be terrible. That is how things go with him. I don’t want to say anything because chances are the opposite will happen and then I will feel bad that I said something.

My shoulder has been hurting me most of the day. It woke me up several times during the night. I was lucky that I just had to move it around for the pain to go away. Pain was severe though. I hope the MRI report comes in later this week before I see the surgeon. This will give me some time to research the findings and see what needs to be done, including nothing. I’ll be interested to see if the fracture is healing when they do the x-ray next week.

I am going to try and lay down and see if I can sleep until the game starts. Hopefully moving won’t hurt me.