Question: Dr. T Chandrakant
Thank you for the information and advice. Based on my symptoms and the extent of my post-op pain, every time I attempt to wean myself off the pain meds (Percocet 10/325) and take Aleve, I end up doubled over in pain. That means my body is telling me that I am not ready to be off the meds and I am not healing as quickly as I thought I would, despite my best efforts. I eat a high fiber diet, don't smoke, exercise as much as I can (even though I need a painkiller after my walk), and stay away from fatty foods. I drink clear liquids and urinate often and have regular, comfortable BM's. All this tells me that my body still needs the painkillers, the Aleve is not doing the trick....doesn't even take the edge off. You you prescribe painkillers, Dr. Chandrakant? Please let me know if you do.

So Aleve doesn't work. It doesn't even take the edge off the pain. Keep in mind that I have been living in my body for 53 years, going on 54, and I know what bonafide pain feels like. Dependence is not an issue and never has been.

I am asking for help after major abdominal surgery that is still giving me grief. BM's and urination are normal, just like before the appendix perforation. I will not put up with this kind of pain.

Please look at painkiller prescription for me based on your letterhead. Thank you very much.

Dr. T.,
I agree that it is important to find the cause of the pain. But since my abdomen was filleted, my burst appendix removed and rinsed out with some kind of liquid to get all the pus from my ruptured appendix, I think I know the source of the pain already.

My doctor/surgeon already told me that I am the 2% of people who don't heal quickly. This is why I do not understand why he is being cruel about this pain management matter. I know people who have standing prescriptions for meds stronger than percocet for chronic back pain, hip pain and knee pain. I had surgery for heaven's sake. What's the deal here?

Dear Dr. T.,
That's another piece of the 2% that I am part of---constipation is no longer an issue. It was a problem for the first few days after hospital discharge, but I am drinking high-fiber, home-made smoothies with XXXXXXX carrots, apples, flax seed and other ingredients for breakfast every morning, and the rest of my diet is high fiber as well. No problem with BM's here.

I take 1500mgs of calcium everyday (due to family risk of osteoporosis), vit C, Vit b-complex and evening primrose oil caps for menopause symptoms. I don't drink alcohol, I don't take any medicine of any kind unless I have a headache or my lower back bothers me from my athletic injuries when I was younger.

Except for the lingering post-op issues, I am a model of health. I have a call into my doctor's office about my pain issues, and expect to hear what he has to say about refilling percocet or prescribing something a little more mild to take the edge off the pain.

I will keep you posted if you want. Thank you for your advice.
Sincerely, Not having fun recovering

Thanks Dr. T.,
Wouldn't eating foods high in Lycopene be better for me?

As for the athletic injuries, I have injured my left hip during a fall when skiing, resulting in sciatica in 2000. Physical therapy, Motrin 800mg 2x daily and Flexeril muscle relaxant were prescribed my my MD at the time. I also had an accident with a snow XXXXXXX resulting in the machine almost falling on top of me. If my legs weren't so strong from running, it would have fallen on me but I managed to push it off and roll over to safety. I had a few injuries where my parents took me to a doctor when I was doing gymnastics from the age of 10 to 18. Nothing serious showed on x-rays but I am aware that all injuries add up to something bad over time.

Most of the spinal injuries are the result of auto accidents. Five to be exact, all from the result of my car being rear-ended and me being injured. The last accident was in 2006 which is the one the finally did in my lower back. Before that, it was neck pain and middle back pain (more muscle tightness than pain). The first car accident was in 1981 when I was 18---when my neck pain began.

I haven't had health insurance since 2008. But now I have State insurance and a new PCP. I have an appointment with my PCP on Wednesday and will be getting my GYN exam and referrals for all the family-high-risk preventative tests that I need. Mammogram, colonoscopy, skin cancer screening, and an eye exam. I will see if they will give me a referral for a Thoraco-lumbar MRI.

Thanks for the advice about the MRI and I will let you know if they take me seriously where that test is concerned.

Also, I don't know if I mentioned this, but I got my first migraine headache when I was 13 years old (the same year I started my period) and they ended 5 years ago when menopause entered my life. My father used to get migraines also. After the 2006 auto accident my headaches were so bad that they lasted 2-3 days and made me vomit much of the time. A head MRI came back normal.

How does any medical professional explain that?

I mean't the migraines suddenly turning from something that could be helped with Imitrex or Fioricet #3 and a dark room to after an auto accident turning into 2-3 day ordeals with vomiting and time away from work.

I guess it was a good thing that the MRI did not show a brain tumor (which I was concerned about). Just does to show that magnetic imaging tests aren't the end-all and the be-all of diagnostic testing.