Hi everyone, I am really having a difficult time at the moment. As per one of my previous posts I am due to get facet injections to see if its helps me. Unfortunately I found out that I would have to wait until at least the end of May 2020 before they will be done. Safe to say I am devastated.
I am 28 years old, my job is at risk, I am on crutches and a cocktail of tablets just to help me get through the day. I can't sleep at night or put my shoes and socks on...I can't wait until May to have these done!! I am aware they only provide short term relief aswell so what will happen when I need more....longer waiting times!!
Everyone around me is ranting and moaning about it and it just really isn't helping me. No one understands the pain I am in.
I am sorry to rant, but I just need to vent my frustration somewhere!!
Anyone else struggle to get the support and treatment they need?
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Leelee16661
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I feel your pain. All the GP will do for me is OTC strength co-codamol (which i can't take most of the time) and paracetamol. I can't cook, clean, wash properly, shopping is painful even standing up hurts. I've applied for PIP which would mean I could afford a cleaner but that's not a solution.
It's so wrong that you have to wait this long!! I couldn't have my injections done last week cos my blood sugar was too high!!! Lack of sleep is a big thing as I only have an hour or less per night due to pain and all my conditions. Could your GP push to have your appointment brought forward? I be finally got a GP who listens and is also be pushy with consultant too.
Hope you have a good support network around you. I know I'm very lucky to have this. Has fibromyalgia been tested for? Love and hugs Lynne xxxx
Thank you. So do I!!! Hope you get sorted very soon. I'm glad you've got support, I am very lucky that I too have a great support network. Love and hugs Lynne xxxx
I struggle to get the help I need, mostly from doctors. my gp calmly told me if my sleeping tablets didn't work to just wait it out. WHAT???? ? I thought 'right, because you can actually sleep at night.' there's no way someone who struggled with insomnia would so easily dismiss it. & it's true for pain, too. any doctor who brushes us off not only has no idea what real pain feels like (or how draining it is both physically & emotionally to deal with intense pain day after day after day), but also lacks empathy.
as far as family goes, some are better than others. I've cut out the others, lol.
I love nerve burns. I think the worst part about them is waiting for them. after the actual procedure (first they made me do test shots to see if I experienced any improvement), I tend to have about 10 months without my lower back spasming and causing me agony. I empathise with your frustration. it was so bad a couple of weeks ago that I started thinking about asking my pain doctor about back surgery. the good news is after you do it, if it helps you, you'll eventually know when to schedule the appointments so you don't have to spend so much time in agony. my mistake was waiting too long between them.
if they can't put you on a list to be contacted by the office if they have cancellations, at the very minimum they need to give you tablets to get you through the pain. I know some people don't like taking medication, but I've felt that pain & I can't imagine getting by for a week without pain medication, much less months.
The problem with the NHS is that is doesn't have the facilities to accommodate the number of people that use the service. So waiting times are getting longer and longer . I had 2 herniated discs a couple of years ago causing chronic sciatic pain and not being able to walk. I got fobbed off with an injection . But it had no effect. Eventually after a year of no help I had to change my plan to get help from my doctor . I know this sounds bad but it actually worked . I said I was suicidal and couldn't cope anymore . The hospital doesn't want a death on their hands so straight away they sent me to see a consultant and a month later I had surgery . I'm now fully recovered and my pain has completely gone. It's terrible that I had to go down that route just to be seen to but it had to be done, it was worth it to get my life back.
If you don't want to go that route I understand , you can also ring 111 and complain that you are struggling to cope and the hospital wait time is too long. They might be able to help you.
I know how you feel. People don't see the pain you are in. They only see someone on crutches that takes heaps of tablets, if you had bandages, plasters etc they would realise. I talked about this at the Pain Clinic and she agreed people in chronic pain are ignored by society. There is no quick fix for our pain only waiting times I'm afraid. People on here though know how you feel and we are always here for each other. Take care.
I'm assuming you're in the UK. Here in the US you would never have to wait that long but on the other hand you'd have to pay for it. (Not to say you don't pay for Healthcare through taxes). I think you need to pursue another doctor for remedies. As you stated, you're only 28 years old and thinking that you have arthritis in your facet joints seems to me to be a bit of a stretch. It is more likely to be a bulging/herniated disc. Have you had any Imaging done yet? I would think an epidural injection would possibly be more beneficial than a facet injection. The difference is only where they inject the medicine. But really without an MRI to see what your problem is I don't think it's responsible to treat it based on a hunch.
Those injections didn't help me at all. They only made me feel ill for days. Then I found a inversion table. You can lay at a 30% tilt, or totally hang upside down. I know it sounds crazy but it helped alot. Hanging upside down stretches your spine out, and releases the pressure. Then I walking alot, to help build my core muscles. It helped more than those useless injections. I also started using CBD products, instead of narcotics for pain, and cramps. Because after my surgeries they had me taking so many opiates that I had no life. I finally had my life back with significantly less pain. And was happy for once. Which only lasted a few weeks, before I had a lady hit the back of my car going over 50 mph while I was stopped at a light. Now I'm worse than ever before. And I am starting with this treatment now, instead of waiting for a doctor to fix it. GOOD LUCK & KEEP TRYING!
A lot of hospitals are scaling back on pain injections, getting ready for the mad winter rush. They are expensive and not considered very effective, needing frequent repeats. Not good news for the people they help. I was bypassed for injections after my MRI ordered by the pain doctor. I have many health conditions. I was passed on to the severe spinal MDT and seen by a neurosurgeon. It was decided they would operate after a further CT scan and flexion X-ray. This was March, I am still waiting even though I have had a pre med 6 weeks again, plus an echocardiogram 2 weeks ago and then a thyroid blood test. I am currently taking Gabapentin 1200 mg, takes the edge off the pain. Many other meds as have RA and osteoporoses. I wish you all the best. X
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