An Article About Chronic Pain - How Horrible weather can be on those with chronic pain, joint problems, and chronic illnesses that effect joints, bones, and more

Great Article about "chronic pain" especially joint pain and the weather. I know for myself, that like yesterday, the very sudden huge drop in temp - from about 50 to 18 degrees yesterday a.m. sent me into one of the worst days of my life with pain. Ironically we were going to my pain doctor, BUT he was seeing Jim yesterday, not me. I wanted so badly to tell him that I could sit in the floor and scream, I hurt so badly, but I knew the appointment was not "about me", thus he knew by looking at me I was hurting... anyway, I had a headache that is one of the worst I've ever had even from years back with my migraines, and NOTHING would stop it. Believe me I tried everything I could think of. Then my neck was so stiff I could literally NOT turn my head to see over my shoulders while driving. I had to turn my whole body and use mirror. Then my lower back hurt so much, I honestly thought I had kidney stones. And my legs, ankles, feet, wrists, and my thumbs were so terribly bad, I felt they were stiff, and just was not able to move them without horrid pain. Now, the weather I KNOW "in my bones" (no pun intended) has effected me for years and years. Even when I would have migraines in my 20's and 30's the dramatic weather change could bring them on almost every time. No one quite believed me, and then when I began to see my Orthopedic Surgeon and he did all of the joint replacement and surgeries on me, he totally agreed the weather would absolutely effect pain, especially joint pain. Even the "phantom" knee pain I get with my knees, that seems like I never even had them replaced will come on with a vengeance when we experience storms and so forth. So, let not anyone make you think you are crazy, when your pain is worse in weather fluctuations. I think it is definitely so. Yesterday was living proof for me. But, I am also hurting today, so far not quite as badly as yesterday, but I can tell if i were to get up and really start moving around I would be in a world of hurt... which sucks. Because I have to get out today cold, bitter weather or not, and pick up scripts both of us have had filled. The visit with my pain doctor for Jim went well yesterday. Finally someone that will work with him. But of course this is ALL coming out of our pockets, and everyone knows office visits and medications are NOT cheap. I dread picking his up, and then this is my first time having anything filled since I had the new insurance start on the 1st. So, I hope the hell I don't have major issues with United Health and my MAP... I will be so pissed if I start having hell getting meds etc paid for. That is why I dreaded the change from Humana so much and just put it off the last two years. But, more and more of my physicians were dropping Humana, even my PCP, thus I decided to change over to United Health... is it a "Secure Horizons" AARP endorsed Medicare Advantage Plan. This one hopefully will not be too difficult, because I am already established and have been for years with all of my physicians. So, they assured me since I've been on the meds, and have been seeing these doctors for years things should go fairly smoothly with the transition. I will believe it, when I go today and try to pick up the scripts.....


Talking About "Good RX" card for prescriptions.... 

http://www.goodrx.com/

I can guarantee ALL of you that either do not have insurance for prescriptions, or need an extra amount off of your meds... I have used this twice for Jim's meds since we have NO coverage for him, and the meds even though "generic" are ALL expensive. There is no way we could pay full price on them. Well, I got hold of this URL and found "GoodRX" through a Google search. I can say that it is TOTALLY worth using. You can use it in just about any pharmacy... all of our local pharmacies take it and you get a better discount in some than others. But, you can look up all of the prices at different locations right on their website, so you know just about the cost before you even go to try and have them filled. We have well over 200.00 or possibly more in costs for 4 of his scripts and 3 of them came out to 69.00 rather than 150.00 or more. You can either just pull the coupons or copy of the card online and print it and they will also send you a regular card if you wish and request it. Unlike some of the ones that save you a bit here and there, this one truly so far has been a life saver for us. Between having to fork out the cash for a damned expensive pain doctor in which he has to go MONTHLY... and then medications that even in generic can be out of the bounds of reasons, I have been as pleased as it is possible to be pleased when having to spit out money you really don't have. But, there is not much choice... we either pay for it out of our pockets, or he just does not go, and does not have any meds either... so neither are very good - so you choose the lesser of the both evils, as my doctor has said about prednisone... I can either "take it" and it help with the horrid pain and symptoms of these autoimmune diseases and then know I will also have to contend with the crappy side effects, OR I can NOT take the prednisone and then suffer like hell... so it is the "lesser" of two evils.... anyway, this has been 2 days from mortal hell... actually all week dammit... Mom's phone is out and I've had to put in two work orders, then I took her a cell phone, that of course she has hell using... and I found the problem, it is an almost complete break in a line outside that is weather cracked, and worn almost through... and then they tried to do an "automated" call and ask if she was satisfied with the service... HELL what service???? They had not fixed a thing when I was there yesterday or today yet... anyway, then of course the weather sucks big time here... it is bitter COLD, and going to be several days along with the possibility of sleet etc... not a good thing for no driving idiots here... then Jim doctors appt and the meds thing... THEN I GO to MY pharmacy (this is after calling and emailing) them my new insurance information. Then I even TOOK THE CARD BY YESTERDAY! and they said they would "rerun" everything through. I go in today expecting issues for some reason and of course 3 SCRIPTS NOT RAN THROUGH THE NEW INSURANCE! SO, THEY are trying to collect 44.00!!! rather than 7.30!!! So, I had to wait for them to do what I had already told them about 4 times in the past 2 days! I get home and another script I had called in this morning, they STILL tried after I had been there TO RUN IT through the old insurance!!! OMG!!! I was livid.... and then I had to run errands, pick up stuff as far as for a couple of days just in case the weather gets really ugly.... and I ruined my entire day, almost yesterday and today... running around like a chicken with its head cut off with errands and crap. So, it got me off track with my writing and ALL I WANTED to accomplish over this past couple of days. I swear if anything tries to get in my way this weekend to keep me from doing WHAT I intend on doing, I am going to scream very loudly... plus since the weather changed I hurt so badly it is a scale WAY OVER 10!!! More like 17 .... everything on me hurts... I have actually thought that I was coming down with something else... the pain is unbearable even with my meds.... it sucks and now honestly, I am thinking the Orencia is NOT helping the RA at all... I hate to say that, but I think I am going to have to face the fact, that it may not be "the one" for me... and I hate that... the very last thing I want to do is try yet another biologic! Every time it is like starting all over again.... and it sucks... and many of you know that....