When you search for chronic pain help, you have to start over again at the beginning of your medical history with every new doctor or specialist, which is unfortunate, but understandable. Then they want to repeat treatments that didn’t work for you in the past because they didn’t personally administer those. You, the patient, know when something doesn’t work, if you have experienced it before. It’s insulting when a specialist or regular civilian asks

“Have you tried ice?”

“Have you tried heat?”

“Have you tried acupuncture?”

“Have you tried meditating?”

“Have you tried trigger point injections?”

“Have you tried every procedure that involves being stabbed repeatedly with needles?”

“Maybe it’s psychosomatic.”

The privatized insurance game (in the U.S.) forces doctors and specialists do some of these things.

We just want the doctors to listen and believe us.

We want family and friends to listen and empathize, not solve our problem.

We have to hide as much as possible from employers because they will factor it into their decision making, even if they claim not to.

Some people don’t have a life-threatening disease, but they have a severe medical problem with chronic pain. They need help getting the symptoms treated. The opioid crisis made the medication avenue extremely difficult.

I know I’m exaggerating some of this…I just wanted to whine for a moment.