Those of you who know me know that I'm on pain medication, and that I will most likely be on pain medication for the rest of my life. I've had two back surgeries, one in 2001 and another in 2006, and the last one didn't go quite as well as planned. I've had some nerves that have been dislodged from their correct locations, and the pain just never stops.
When this happened and I submitted it as a work injury, I had a helluva time making people understand that I truly WAS in a lot of pain. Rather than accept that fact and help me, the Doctors decided to make my life miserable by writing in my charts that I exhibited drug seeking behavior. If you know anything about pain doctors, as soon as they see that the words "drug addict" come to mind. For me, however, that was not the case! I was actually hurting!
It took 2 years and a LOT of arguing and fighting in front of lawyers and my insurance company to make them believe that I wasn't some sort of addict to downers, but that they made me function. Without them, I would sit in a chair, rocking slightly and crying for day after day because it hurt to even move! Finally though, I went to see Doctor Baldi at Broadlawns and he explained what was happening to me, why it was happening to me, and told me that it was a legitimate thing that I was experiencing. Hooray for me! I had a champion! And he did a great job for me, prescribing me enough pain medication to keep me out of pain, but not overdoing it. He went by what I asked, and we even reduced my intake of medication on a couple of medications because they weren't needed or it was too strong.
I move to Texas, and my first problem is that I cannot find a new pain doctor that will take Iowa Workman's comp insurance. I run out of medication, and not only start to go through withdrawal symptoms, but also start having this unbearable pain again. Finally, the Work Comp insurance company comes through with a doctor in Houston of all places, and asks me to drive about 450 miles roundtrip once a month to go to this doctor. I reluctantly agree.
This guy doesn't believe in using pain medication, so Oh boy, I'm obviously going to have problems. To my surprise he admits that I will probably need something for the rest of my life. He takes me off of all the medications that I had been used to, and puts me on Methadone and Hydrocodone, at a much lesser level than what I'm used to taking. Having no other choices, I agree to take what I can get (I was scared to change from soemthing that worked) and see how it goes. Much to my surprise, I'm able to get by with these two drugs. I'm reasonably sure that my insurance company breathed a sigh of relief too, since my drug expense went from about $1200 per month to about $300 per month.
Today I go for my fifth visit to this new doctor. We sorta have a routine now. I go in, he comes in, asks me questions, writes me two new scripts, and then I leave. This week was different. I go in, he sends in his resident to ask questions, then comes in and tells me he can't help me anymore because he got a letter from the insurance company telling him about how I've been seeing other doctors to get more pain medication behind his back!
You could have knocked me over with a feather. I'm now a doctor shopping drug addict, according to the work comp insurance company. I cannot believe the nerve of these bastards. I don't work. The only way I can afford medication is to go through them, and they think that I'm running around seeing other doctors? Wow. I cannot believe it! I beg him to hear me out and believe me. I'm NOT seeing any other doctors, and the only medication I'm taking other than what he's aware of are my diabetes drugs. There are NO narcotics that I'm taking that he hasn't signed off on or been aware of. He agrees to help me, but I have to drop a UA right at that moment. I laugh and tell him I'll drop a UA whenever he wants me to, because I don't even drink! (I do admit to having about 1/4 of a glass of wine on my mother's Birthday though...Lambrusco. I was feeling woozy after 1/4 of a glass, and wound up dumping it out!) So, I do the urinalysis, get my prescriptions and leave, FURIOUS.
I guess my next move is to call my lawyer. I'm innocent of what they are accusing me of, and I have no idea why the insurance company would make a move against me like this--everything is as it always of, and even cheaper than it was last year at this time. I am so frustrated and don't know what to do.
I think what bugs me the most is that they have now created a rift between myself and my pain doctor. The relationship between he and I HAS to be one of trust, and they have introduced this bit of doubt to him, ruining the start of a good relationship. I HAVE to continue to see him, as there is no one else I can see, and now he thinks that I'm a freaking junkie. That really hurts, and it's not true. u
People, please know this. If you have someone you know that is injured and NOT taking vicodin by the handful, then he's or she is probably NOT an addict in the traditional sense. People DO get hurt, and HAVE to take medication in order to kill the pain. PLEASE don't judge them before you know and understand their situation. Most of us really only take what is prescribed to us. It's the freakin' druggies that make it bad for those of us who NEED these pills to keep from hurting.
Grrrr. What am I going to do now?
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