Teaching and pain clinic referral

[Orangeanddemons]

Is this even possible? I'm in constant pain, and often on mega strength pain killers. I've now been referred to a pain management clinic. . I'm not sure how to carry on teaching feeling like shit all the time. The pain killers can make me spaced out. I've been struggling on and on with it, but just feel worn out.

The pain clinic I was referred to wasn't even compatible with school pick ups for me as a sahm.

It's worth finding out what's available in your area though. You never know, there might not be an assumption that people with pain and mobility issues are all pensioners with no daily responsibilities.

I don't know about teaching, but I do know that theres more ways of managing pain than just painkillers. For instance, nerve pain is much better managed with gabapentin or pregbalin, and techniques such as TENS or acupressure can be far more effective than you might think.
The pain clinic should be able to take a holistic approach to help reduce the pain and help you deal with it as well

I would hang in there... Easy to say I know!

Ask if there's any chance your referral can be expedited as your pain is having an aversive effect on your career. Theu should look sympathetically on this. It may need a GP to put some welly behind it.

Strong pain killers can make you feel totally crap... Often it is a trade off between pain and drug side effects..but you know this!

In the meantime:
I would ask for your medication to be reviewed by your GP... Different meds or combinations can make tiredness easier to manage. (I'm on a heavy combination myself!)

Look at any of the online resources:

-Look up mindfulness and chronic pain. There are pletny of free mindfulness exercises you can try.
-Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) and chronic pain. Read anything by Russ Harris - he rocks!

These techniques have been used successfully with people with chronic pain.

Here is quite a quixk overview if you not come across it.

www.moodjuice.scot.nhs.uk/chronicpain.asp

I've tried pregabalin which made me cry and cry, and gabepebtin which made me eat my head off. Gp started me on amitryptiline yesterday. My gp is lovely, and knows all about pain relief.

I'm still pretty spaced out on it all at the moment though. I've just started a thread about ill health retirement as I'm 51. Just waiting for answers. God, but pain is so wearing.

Are you at work at the moment or have you been signed off? A period of rest might help. Is this an adjustment time or will this be how it is from now on? Can you reduce your workload or hours?

I have fibro and am currently signed off. So fed up with everything. It's rubbish. Occupational Health have been brilliant though, so they are definitely worth seeing even if you haven't been off for a very frank discussion.

Am waiting for a referral from them. No I'm not signed off, I daren't have any more time off. I work for an Academy so don't hold out much hope of occ health actually being any good.

So am I and they have been, so don't worry about that.

If you are ill, you really should be at home resting. Are you on absence monitoring? Also, is your condition named? Are you covered by Disability Act?