Pain Management

Hi troops Dr. Vic here again, I'm afraid you are going to have me for a while yet, following yesterday's note from Kel even her short visit to this pc did not do her any favours, I guess when the surgeon said she has to rest he means it!

I had omitted a point the other night on the reason why Kel's pain in the leg is on the up rather than down, basically the drugs that were injected directly into her spine during the 2nd op. are now wearing off - things are going to get worse before they get better.

On the subject of pain, Kelly has had to learn to live with it not just these past weeks but since Oct 03. To say I have struggled to understand her methodology on pain management is an understatement. Let me explain... when Kel is in pain I would try to change the subject to a more pleasant matter to take her mind off it but I would get shot down in flames and told to keep quiet!!! I could offer 1 hours free shopping at Tiffanys and she would still ignore me - the reason being, she says, is that she needs all her energy to focus on the pain and whilst it doesn't necessarily ease it, it helps her to manage it - she CANNOT concentrate on ANYTHING else. So when people say Kel is a "tough cookie", I agree - she has a high threshold to pain that has been nurtured over the years. I call it an "East End" thing, they just get on with it.

This works for Kel, but everyone is different. Who knows how we would cope, hopefully we won't have to find out.