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My take on chronic pain

Andy Mink

Everyone loves spring skiing but not in January
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Tom Co.

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Multiple back surgeries, numbness in both feet, reoccurring sciatica, chronic back spasms, you either surrender or you don't. I went on a tough day hike yesterday and it was marvelous, but I'm paying the price today. Man was it worth it.
 

Scrundy

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I just love it when they ask what your pain level is on a scale of 1-10. How do you answer that when you’ve been in pain for many years? After awhile you get used to pain and live with it.
I’ve been dealing with back pain for years, hopefully before ski season I get a nerve block.
 
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Andy Mink

Andy Mink

Everyone loves spring skiing but not in January
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I just love it when they ask what your pain level is on a scale of 1-10. How do you answer that when you’ve been in pain for many years? After awhile you get used to pain and live with it.
I’ve been dealing with back pain for years, hopefully before ski season I get a nerve block.
My pain scale changed drastically when recovering from shoulder surgery. What was an 8 before was now relegated to about a 4.
 

Tony S

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The funniest thing is getting up in the morning in a shared ski house. The squalls of what @mdf calls "OMG"* can be strong and frequent.

* Old Man Grunts
 

François Pugh

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A few days before this thread came up I was discussing my favorite pet peeve, namely that medical doctors here (Ontario Canada) refuse to prescribe adequate pain killers (at least to me) for fear of being disciplined for contributing to the opiate epidemic. That reminded me how morphine worked on me when I had my wrist operation. It's not that it killed the pain, it's just that my mind didn't seem to care. If I thought about the pain, as in asking myself am I in pain the answer would be yes, but if I didn't bother asking myself, I didn't notice it. The morphine had other interesting effects on my mind, but I digress.

So I had this thought thinking about the above, "What if we are all always in pain, but we just don't notice it?"
 

scott43

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The funniest thing is getting up in the morning in a shared ski house. The squalls of what @mdf calls "OMG"* can be strong and frequent.

* Old Man Grunts
So my buddy and I who haven't seen each other in person for 18 months (Covid and WFH) were commiserating in the parking lot after hockey for about an hour. So it's time to go..we both open our car doors and neither one of us could fold into our cars without copious OMG's and all kinds of gyrations...and we just both started laughing hysterically. Like what else can you do? I wish there were video of that moment man... His wife busted a gut and suggested we just finish ourselves off with a 9mm and go out while we still have SOME dignity!!!! :roflmao::roflmao:
 

Jim McDonald

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My pain scale changed drastically when recovering from shoulder surgery. What was an 8 before was now relegated to about a 4.

Indeed, bone surgery will shift the scale quite a bit.

...aging gracefully but it beats the alternative
Like....aging clumsily?
 

Big J

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A few days before this thread came up I was discussing my favorite pet peeve, namely that medical doctors here (Ontario Canada) refuse to prescribe adequate pain killers (at least to me) for fear of being disciplined for contributing to the opiate epidemic. That reminded me how morphine worked on me when I had my wrist operation. It's not that it killed the pain, it's just that my mind didn't seem to care. If I thought about the pain, as in asking myself am I in pain the answer would be yes, but if I didn't bother asking myself, I didn't notice it. The morphine had other interesting effects on my mind, but I digress.

So I had this thought thinking about the above, "What if we are all always in pain, but we just don't notice it?"
It appears that it just detaches you from the pain. Yes it is still there but not so much if you do not pay attention to it.
 

flbufl

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Interesting topic. After all, pains are just some neuroelectrical signals, transmitted to your brain, and interpreted by your brain. I remember reading a book called “The Mindful Way Through Depression”. The method taught in that book works for both depression and chronic pain. I guess there must be some similarities between these two.


A few days before this thread came up I was discussing my favorite pet peeve, namely that medical doctors here (Ontario Canada) refuse to prescribe adequate pain killers (at least to me) for fear of being disciplined for contributing to the opiate epidemic. That reminded me how morphine worked on me when I had my wrist operation. It's not that it killed the pain, it's just that my mind didn't seem to care. If I thought about the pain, as in asking myself am I in pain the answer would be yes, but if I didn't bother asking myself, I didn't notice it. The morphine had other interesting effects on my mind, but I digress.

So I had this thought thinking about the above, "What if we are all always in pain, but we just don't notice it?"
 

Prosper

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Interesting topic. After all, pains are just some neuroelectrical signals, transmitted to your brain, and interpreted by your brain. I remember reading a book called “The Mindful Way Through Depression”. The method taught in that book works for both depression and chronic pain. I guess there must be some similarities between these two.
Mindfulness techniques and chronic pain management skills have been found to be about as effective as opioid pain medications in the treatment of chronic pain and without any risks or side effects. Your doctor should be able to refer you to a counselor or chronic pain program who can provide this training.
 

HDSkiing

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My pain scale changed drastically when recovering from shoulder surgery. What was an 8 before was now relegated to about a 4.

Same here! Years, (decades actually:) I had shoulder reconstruction surgery. At the time, aside from ski racing I was all into Martial arts & the power of visualization/meditation & generally anti-drug. I told the surgeon that I didn’t want to be prescribed any pain killers post surgery. To my surprise he thought that was a good idea, telling me that at best the pain killer would be effective for about half the time interval that it could be taken meaning I’d be in and out of pain whereas if I could just get used to it, the pain would remain at one level and subside to a dull ache as my mind compensated. Anyway the first night was rough, but by day 2 it was just chronic then day 3 a dull ache. After a week non existent unless I moved wrong or something but even that was temporary.

Anyway, I’ve been blessed to have remained without aches aside from the occasional pulled muscle or minor injury and often wonder if at some point your mind just compensates?

Truthfully though If I had to undergo a similar procedure today I don’t know if I’d be as hard core, clearly I’m a lot softer now lol.
 
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Andy Mink

Andy Mink

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Same here! Years, (decades actually:) I had shoulder reconstruction surgery. At the time, aside from ski racing I was all into Martial arts & the power of visualization/meditation & generally anti-drug. I told the surgeon that I didn’t want be prescribed any pain killers post surgery. To my surprise he thought that was a good idea, telling me that at best the pain killer would be effective for about half the time interval that it could be taken meaning I’d be in and out if pain whereas if I could just get used to it, the pain would remain at one level and subside to a dull ache as my mind compensated. Anyway the first night was rough, but by day 2 it was just chronic then day 3 a dull ache. After a week non existent unless I moved wrong or something but even that was temporary.

Anyway, I’ve been blessed to have remained without aches aside from the occasional pulled muscle or minor injury and often wonder if at some point your mind just compensates?

Truthfully though If I had to undergo a similar procedure today I don’t know if I’d be as hard core, clearly I’m a lot softer now lol.
I should clarify: the surgery and after wasn't bad. The PT was excruciating.
 

Big J

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Having had two total knee replacements in the past year I am no stranger to pain. One has to look at the fact that this surgery is available and be grateful for it. Pain is pain and is necessary in order to have knees that work again. Is it fun? Hell no. Is it bad? Yes but bearable. PT did not bother me much. All in all was OK and I would do it again in a heartbeat. I am currently working to get back on the slopes this year. My wife and I already renewed our Epic Veterans Passes and are looking into booking a trip somewhere.
 

Couchmaster

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Same here! Years, (decades actually:) I had shoulder reconstruction surgery. At the time, aside from ski racing I was all into Martial arts & the power of visualization/meditation & generally anti-drug. I told the surgeon that I didn’t want to be prescribed any pain killers post surgery. To my surprise he thought that was a good idea, telling me that at best the pain killer would be effective for about half the time interval that it could be taken meaning I’d be in and out of pain whereas if I could just get used to it, the pain would remain at one level and subside to a dull ache as my mind compensated. Anyway the first night was rough, but by day 2 it was just chronic then day 3 a dull ache. After a week non existent unless I moved wrong or something but even that was temporary.

Anyway, I’ve been blessed to have remained without aches aside from the occasional pulled muscle or minor injury and often wonder if at some point your mind just compensates?

Truthfully though If I had to undergo a similar procedure today I don’t know if I’d be as hard core, clearly I’m a lot softer now lol.

Wish I'd had your doc. I've found that it's best to reject pain medication with the one exception when you are messed up and can't sleep. Last shoulder surgery I told the doc, no pain medication. He and my wife convinced me that I should take some Oxycontin home so I can have it available post surgery as I was going to be in extreme pain. I managed my pain mentally as always and I discovered later that my daughter, who has a substance abuse issue, found them tucked away in the back of the drawer and worked her way through them until they were gone. THANKS DOC YOU F%%$$@HOLE.

One time I was roofing a garage, misstepped and flew off the roof. Going down sideways the first thing to connect was the side of my face with the edge of a metal table. When I came to, I had blood dripping down my face. I cleaned it, put a bandaid on it and went to work. @ 1 hour later we ran out of nails and went to the store. The woman in line next to me was staring at me. Caught her staring and stared back and she looked away...until I turned my head back then she started staring again. I reach up and felt the bandaid and realized that the jagged sharp end of my shattered cheekbone was sticking straight out about a full inch from under the bandaid and the blood was still dripping down onto my shirt. That's why she had been staring. Got the nails, finished the roof a couple of hours later, then went to the hospital. Didn't take any medication. Worst pain ever was back pain, nearly double what that was. Backs are the worst...the very worst.
 

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