What I'm Thankful For - October 2014

Hi Everyone!

So I thought I’d start a couple of series on my blog focussing on things I’m thankful for & proud of. Today we’ll be rounding off October with one thing I’m thankful for from this month - my GP.

I hear of so many people with chronic pain conditions who come up against medical professionals that think/accuse them of ‘drug-seeking’. They do this without comprehending or appreciating just how much chronic pain can affect someone’s life. This type of pain can be crippling, stopping people from working, socialising & doing even the simplest of tasks.

People who are in chronic pain of this magnitude, may also at times be unfairly accused by those around them of being lazy. I am lucky to have never been in this situation. I have been sat in front of a Dr that has told me he doesn’t think opioids are the way to manage chronic pain. He bases this opinion on his work with addiction in the homeless. These two issues are not, in my opinion, comparable. He was also the Dr that told me I shouldn’t be on the FODMAP diet for my IBS & that my reaction to dairy isn’t allergy, because previously I haven’t had a reaction to dairy. You can become allergic to anything at any point. As you can probably imagine, I changed GPs after the appointment that the conversation I’ve just touched upon took place!

So onto the point of this post - my GP. I went to see my GP today (Tuesday), having injured my shoulder at my pole fitness class. I had been to the surgery the day after I’d hurt my shoulder & seen one of the Drs just to get checked out. Since this time my shoulder has impacted on a number of my other joints, mainly my wrists & fingers, hips, left ankle & right side of my jaw. My right side also began to hurt when I breathed while trying to sleep. It all came to a head last night when I woke up as a result of my pain 4 times & struggled to get back to sleep each time.

My GP checked my shoulder for more permanent damage, which we are both happy that there is not. I explained about my poor sleep & concern that this will ultimately impact my chronic migraine. My GP is great as she works with me. I didn’t have to ask for pain relief, the GP asked me what I was taking with regard to pain medication & looked at the options available to us. I am allergic to opioids, so even the medications that are on the lower end of this scale, such as Codine are a no-go for me. Working together, we decided to up the amount of Amatryptaline I am taking as a short term measure to aid my sleep. The GP also gave me some exercises to do to strengthen my shoulder & wrote me a ‘fit-note’, extending my previous one to allow me to work with ‘workplace adaptations’. The ‘fit-note’ states that I should have access to a chair to sit as needed, for a further two-month period.

To have access to this kind of support & understanding, despite not yet having a diagnosis, is extremely reassuring & I am very grateful for the support I receive from my GP.

What are you grateful for this month?

Tania Xx


You can check out my most recent health post 'Getting The Most Out Of Your Appointment - Preparation' on Tania Talks Health.