Trying new things for the pain

annalexandria
annalexandria Member Posts: 2,571 Member
in Colorectal Cancer #1

So I'm def on a roll in my quest to rid my life of pain pills.  I've managed to cut out a whopping two of the six I was formerly taking.  Go me!

I seem to be a bit stuck, as once I take out the next half, the pain comes back with a vengeance, so I've decided a give a few, more alternative things a try.

I went yesterday to an office where they offer a combo of chiropractics, acupuncture, massage therapy, laser therapy, and a variety of other treatments, some with quite a bit of clinical evidence to back them, others...possibly not so much.

(I went because I am the kind of person willing to get my medical care via 50% off coupons...$29 Groupon. SCORE)

Anyway, as a result, I am getting my urine checked for metals (I can hear Pete laughing even as I type this, but one of my chemos was platinum-based, so this makes some sense to me).  If my urine comes back problematic, the doc I saw wants me to drink some liquid that will supposedly remove these metals.  She also mentioned something called "cellular detoxification", and I told her that, as a librarian, I would be happy to discuss it after I do some research.  My guess is it won't be cheap, no Groupons for this one.  Gotta have some scientific backup before I spend more than 30 bucks.  Besides, I like to toxify my cells now and then with a good martini...wonder if this will be a problem?

I also got a deep-tissue massage (mostly focused on something called a T-band, a muscle that runs down your leg, apparently?  I don't know what it does, exactly, but I do know having giant fingers dug into it hurts like a son of a you-know-what), but the guy who did that thinks I have a nerve issue, rather than muscular, so has advised I do acupuncture.

I HATE NEEDLES.

Even tiny ones that are "no bigger than a human hair" (to quote the guy as he tried to convince me).  

I reminded him that it's quite painful when I get a hair in my eye, so what's his point?

But after we worked that out, I went ahead and made an appointment for next week.  

This is how desperate I've become to get better relief.

I'm going to let a gigantic (probably 6'4" at least) man with the hands of a veteran torturer stick needles in my body (getting ooky just thinking about it).

Last thing I did was laser therapy, which has apparently been used successfully on dogs for inflammation and pain for a long time.  I looked it up and found that there are some clinical trials being run in humans, so maybe this one has merit.  If I start peeing on every bush I go by when I take my little walks around the neighborhood, I may have to rethink it.

So that's what I'm up to...if anyone has experience with any of these treatments, I'd be curious to hear about it.

Lots o' love~AA

Comments

  • danker
    danker Member Posts: 1,276 Member
    #2
    Anna

    I hope the needle route provides the relief you deserve.  Good luck with it !!

  • chp
    chp Member Posts: 29
    #3
    danker said:

    Anna

    I hope the needle route provides the relief you deserve.  Good luck with it !!

    I have no idea about any of

    I have no idea about any of it.  Just wanted to let you know how much I love your can do spirit and sense of humor !!!!

    Cathy

  • traci43
    traci43 Member Posts: 773 Member
    #4
    Hope you find relief

    I've not tried any of those for pain relief except for foot massage to try to stimulate those damaged nerves.  It definitely helps.  Hope one or more of the therapies bring relief!

  • jen2012
    jen2012 Member Posts: 1,607 Member
    #5
    haha
    Peeing in neighbors bushes...you are too funny. Thanks for the chuckle!

    Glad you are giving the needles a try...hoping you get a very small and gentle person to stick you. A beer or 3 ahead of time may help...lets just hope they don't have any large plants in the office to pee on.

    Seriously hoping you find relief...and soon! Let us know what works.
  • Chelsea71
    Chelsea71 Member Posts: 1,169 Member
    #6
    Your very brave to take on

    Your very brave to take on this challenge.  I hope you find something to help take the edge off.  I admire how you keep up your sense of humor in the best in worst of times.  In all seriousness though, this has to be difficult.  Hang in there.

     

    Chelsea

  • hippiechicks
    hippiechicks Member Posts: 509 Member
    #7
    I JUST LOST MY POST!! So,

    I JUST LOST MY POST!! So, here I go again .. first off you always make me smile .. Thanks for that!

    I do message, acupuncture and P/T.  Acupuncture works the best for me and I really feel it when I miss a week!! Good thing about that is that helps for a multitude of things .. like hot flashes and migrains as well.  I do P/T because I have found I have lost so much of my bodies strength and excercise is a proven recurrence preventative.  I am not ready to be working out in a gym .. so I am easing into things with P/T.  I did the bike last week, some arm machine for upper body, some light arobics all at P/T!  My person also does something called Zero Balance.  This has been working very well for me also with my body being fragile during treatments.  I also do message which is awesome awesome awesome. 

    I am very lucky to have found a few cool places that have made it affordable. 

    Message I found through my hospital and is a group working with strictly cancer patients. They work through the pallitive care team I believe, but I was given message during my hospital stay and got to discussing how I do not like to take pain meds and I was then referred to the program.  They come out to my home and it is a free service. (I donate to the project as I consider it part of my care)  

    My P/T is covered through insurance, as well as the zero balance.  I think they do some laser stuff also, but not with me yet. Will have to check that out. Or maybe it is muscular stimulation through vibration or something .. not sure .. will find out tomorrow!!

    Acupuncture I have found something called Community Acupuncture ... which is a sliding scale. ($20 - $35) It is done in a group environment with 5 or so other people (sometimes).  It is set up similar to the oncology suites where there are several recliners in a large room .. so only arms, legs and head are worked with .. no stripping down or anything .. it is cool.

    http://seattlecommunityacupuncture.org/

    http://www.zerobalancing.com/

     

    Cool

    I sure hope this helps .. please keep me informed on how you make out.   Very interested in your pee test and the detox! 

     

  • LivinginNH
    LivinginNH Member Posts: 1,456 Member
    #8
     
    Ooooh...you mentioning that

     

    Ooooh...you mentioning that T-band muscle brought back memories of one of my massage sessions.  One of the therapists decided that it would be really beneficial to my tight muscles if she pushed her thumbs all the way down my leg - BIG mistake!  I have fibromyalgia (she forgot), and the pain was like fire going through my leg and body at the same time.  You've heard of the "flight or fight" reponse? - well, I was born with the 'fight' instinct to things that cause pain...and lets just say that she came VERY close to getting a black eye.  The poor thing.  ;D  Thank goodness the session was almost over.  Heeheehee....   :)   I hope that one of the alternative treatments work  for your pain - and yes, I can hear Pete laughing all the way from Australia about the metals!  :D

    Hugs,

    Cyn

  • rls67
    rls67 Member Posts: 127
    #9
    LivinginNH said:

     
    Ooooh...you mentioning that

     

    Ooooh...you mentioning that T-band muscle brought back memories of one of my massage sessions.  One of the therapists decided that it would be really beneficial to my tight muscles if she pushed her thumbs all the way down my leg - BIG mistake!  I have fibromyalgia (she forgot), and the pain was like fire going through my leg and body at the same time.  You've heard of the "flight or fight" reponse? - well, I was born with the 'fight' instinct to things that cause pain...and lets just say that she came VERY close to getting a black eye.  The poor thing.  ;D  Thank goodness the session was almost over.  Heeheehee....   :)   I hope that one of the alternative treatments work  for your pain - and yes, I can hear Pete laughing all the way from Australia about the metals!  :D

    Hugs,

    Cyn

    Good luck.

    You are such a helpful person, I hope this will help you get your pain under control. 

  • annalexandria
    annalexandria Member Posts: 2,571 Member
    #10
    traci43 said:

    Hope you find relief

    I've not tried any of those for pain relief except for foot massage to try to stimulate those damaged nerves.  It definitely helps.  Hope one or more of the therapies bring relief!

    I've been thinking of trying reflexology,

    with a focus on the feet.  I have a lot of neuropathy too that bugs me.  We have a place down the street called Happy Feet I might go to...just need to look them up online first, make sure they're legit and not actually in the business of a different type of happiness altogether!

  • annalexandria
    annalexandria Member Posts: 2,571 Member
    #11
    hippiechicks said:

    I JUST LOST MY POST!! So,

    I JUST LOST MY POST!! So, here I go again .. first off you always make me smile .. Thanks for that!

    I do message, acupuncture and P/T.  Acupuncture works the best for me and I really feel it when I miss a week!! Good thing about that is that helps for a multitude of things .. like hot flashes and migrains as well.  I do P/T because I have found I have lost so much of my bodies strength and excercise is a proven recurrence preventative.  I am not ready to be working out in a gym .. so I am easing into things with P/T.  I did the bike last week, some arm machine for upper body, some light arobics all at P/T!  My person also does something called Zero Balance.  This has been working very well for me also with my body being fragile during treatments.  I also do message which is awesome awesome awesome. 

    I am very lucky to have found a few cool places that have made it affordable. 

    Message I found through my hospital and is a group working with strictly cancer patients. They work through the pallitive care team I believe, but I was given message during my hospital stay and got to discussing how I do not like to take pain meds and I was then referred to the program.  They come out to my home and it is a free service. (I donate to the project as I consider it part of my care)  

    My P/T is covered through insurance, as well as the zero balance.  I think they do some laser stuff also, but not with me yet. Will have to check that out. Or maybe it is muscular stimulation through vibration or something .. not sure .. will find out tomorrow!!

    Acupuncture I have found something called Community Acupuncture ... which is a sliding scale. ($20 - $35) It is done in a group environment with 5 or so other people (sometimes).  It is set up similar to the oncology suites where there are several recliners in a large room .. so only arms, legs and head are worked with .. no stripping down or anything .. it is cool.

    http://seattlecommunityacupuncture.org/

    http://www.zerobalancing.com/

     

    Cool

    I sure hope this helps .. please keep me informed on how you make out.   Very interested in your pee test and the detox! 

     

    Thanks for the info!

    I haven't tried PT yet, but probably should. I've read those exercise studies too, so I know I need to get on it.  It's just so hard to do anything physical when stuff hurts.  I could at least make my walks a little longer, I guess (although all that bush-peeing is probably going to take up a lot of my time).

  • annalexandria
    annalexandria Member Posts: 2,571 Member
    #12
    LivinginNH said:

     
    Ooooh...you mentioning that

     

    Ooooh...you mentioning that T-band muscle brought back memories of one of my massage sessions.  One of the therapists decided that it would be really beneficial to my tight muscles if she pushed her thumbs all the way down my leg - BIG mistake!  I have fibromyalgia (she forgot), and the pain was like fire going through my leg and body at the same time.  You've heard of the "flight or fight" reponse? - well, I was born with the 'fight' instinct to things that cause pain...and lets just say that she came VERY close to getting a black eye.  The poor thing.  ;D  Thank goodness the session was almost over.  Heeheehee....   :)   I hope that one of the alternative treatments work  for your pain - and yes, I can hear Pete laughing all the way from Australia about the metals!  :D

    Hugs,

    Cyn

    Ha! That's funny, Cyn...

    that was pretty much my reaction too, but if I had tried to give the big lug a pop in the eye, I think I would have been in trouble!  When this guy decides he's going to dig in, you don't have much choice.

    It's interesting how many people know about this t-band thing...everyone I've mentioned it to is all "Oh yeah, you're talking about the t-band!".  I'd never even heard of the freaking thing before, but I sure know what is is now (still hurts).

  • annalexandria
    annalexandria Member Posts: 2,571 Member
    #13
    rls67 said:

    Good luck.

    You are such a helpful person, I hope this will help you get your pain under control. 

    This probably won't be in the right place,

    but thank you, rls.  I hope we can keep being helpful to you and your wife as you walk this path.  It's a rocky one, but we're all on it with you!

    ETA that this did end up in the right spot.

    CSN format has me confused.

  • annalexandria
    annalexandria Member Posts: 2,571 Member
    #14
    Chelsea71 said:

    Your very brave to take on

    Your very brave to take on this challenge.  I hope you find something to help take the edge off.  I admire how you keep up your sense of humor in the best in worst of times.  In all seriousness though, this has to be difficult.  Hang in there.

     

    Chelsea

    Thanks, Chels...

    but not brave, actually, just sick and tired of living at 50%.  Maybe this is the price I have to pay for life, and if so, I'll pay it gladly, but if there's anyway I can improve things a bit, I've got to give it a try.

    I'm really glad that you have stuck around the forum.  Wouldn't be the same without you.

    {{{Chelsea}}} from me

  • annalexandria
    annalexandria Member Posts: 2,571 Member
    #15
    jen2012 said:

    haha
    Peeing in neighbors bushes...you are too funny. Thanks for the chuckle!

    Glad you are giving the needles a try...hoping you get a very small and gentle person to stick you. A beer or 3 ahead of time may help...lets just hope they don't have any large plants in the office to pee on.

    Seriously hoping you find relief...and soon! Let us know what works.

    Unfortunately,

    the only guy available is the behemoth whom I mentioned.  His massage technique was painful, I'm just hoping that his poking technique will be less so.  I'm not much of a beer drinker, but maybe I'll ask him if it's ok to bring my hip flask.

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