Thanks so much again, everyone! Feroce, you're very fortunate you can get by w/o the opiates - I'm not so lucky
I am fortunate that I've been able to stay at a low-dose of my opiate since I went on them in Jan. of 2000 - without them, I can't even stand to sit, much less stand or walk or anything like that (when I've been off them, I end up having to lay flat ((no pillow - can't read, watch tv or anything much lying like that)))
I don't blame you for your opiate addiction concern, but by the time my lower back got that bad, I didn't care anymore......what I read & found to be true with myself is that there are very very few addicts in the group of patients that are opiate pain management patients - being addicted is quite different from physical dependence (won't try to elaborate but you won't see us out trying to buy drugs on the street if for whatever reason we do not have our medication.) If you are able to manage without them, all the more power to you, I sure wish I was in that category!
I am grateful for them because without them, I'd wish for someone to just put me out of my misery - I like being able to sit & stand & walk a little (not far & don't do well with hills or stairs anymore.) Medical marijuana has helped me emmensely with chronic spasm (which is pretty darn painful) & has seemed to help with sciatica, as well - I do take a 10 mg flexeril every night before sleeping but during the day, I have no wish to be so drowsy or downright snoozing - not very practical!
I can relate to the "getting old" thing, myself
Each year, my back slowly but steadily gets a little worse - I can't even think about what it'll be like in 20 more years if I live that long (I'm 51, will be 52 this Nov.)
I did have a vaporizer at one time, when I finally left my ex-partner a couple years ago (anger/verbal abuse problems,) he told me several times he had packed it for me but he was full of baloney lol - it wasn't anything as grand as the 'Volcano' but worked well; was purchased for $100 in the University district (he grew up in Seattle & had family there, so would occasionally be in the area.) It was digital and all glass/ceramic, a pretty good buy, I felt at the time
I've been disabled since Nov. of 1999; I used to hand pack golden delicious apples & pears in eastern WA (where I grew up, Yakima area, you couldn't pay me enough to live there now, lol)
2/3rds of my disability is actual SSDI, the other 1/3 is SSI (supplemental security income) & I've temporarily lost that due to a real jerk-off of a SSI worker in Bellvue (spent a couple/few months at my son's old place in Bothell this summer, which was really great for me, did me a lot of good - I'm not very happy where I'm living right now - I live in a mother-in-law cottage/office w/o hot water, my landlord lives next door in a much bigger home, so have to go over there for showers/dishes/laundry; only problem, his room mate is a heroin addict in early recovery that for whatever reason is extremely hostile to me (she's this way with most others, too, so at least I'm not alone in that - I've never did anything negative to her, landlord says it's just her nature - her husband & son are both in prison & frankly, she's not the kind of folk(s) I wish to associate myself with, anyways (wouldn't trust her as far as I can throw her & that's not far lol)
So I wait for a statement on the rental amount for the house in Bothell from the owners so I can successfully appeal ($244 a month, makes a huge difference as to survival) & I'm also really worried about whether or not I'll even receive my SSDI on the 3rd of next month (scary watching the national news.)
I really don't know much of anyone, here in western WA - when I was still with the partner, every month I'd drive down to the Wormhole in South Park until they went to evening hours (no way I'd try that in wintertime - by that time of day, driving is the last thing I want to do, anyways)
Thank you so much for your kind reply, expect a PM if I can figure it out lol - and pray my $448 (minus $2 for my Medicare D plan) is there on the 3rd of August - it scares me a lot & I'm seriously wanting to move ASAP! I truly love my doctor here & after a lot of really bad ones (especially in eastern WA,) I'd hate to give her up. Absolutely terrified of any more bad doctors! This life is hard enough without that!
Be careful w/the OTC painkillers - a lot of them can really damage your liver if you take them regularly! I used to take a lot of ibuprophen but now only take the occasional asprin if I'm really in a bad way now (degenerative disc/herniation along with bone problems from L5 down to my upwardly crushed coccyx), did a bananna peel slip off a top step, went up in the air, & landed just slightly off-center on a concrete deck about 4.5' below - never got an MRI like I should've but didn't know any better at the time. Within 5 years of that accident (which happened in May of 1994,) I was in very serious pain (could only sleep 2 hours at a time) & noticed instead of getting stronger when I walked, my legs got weaker (& the pain levels became extreme from my waist on down.) Slow but steadily worse each year (sigh) Finally finding out what was wrong inside (had to demand an MRI,) I adjusted my activities (quit trying to be the active "normal" me I was before the accident) & that of course helped, as well.
Thank you again for your reply! As much as I love Hog/Hawg, it's just way too skunky (even with a killer charcoal air cleaner filter thing)
Peace & Blessings
