| Chronic untreated pain is debilitating, it dramatically | | | | and that not all pain responds to the same |
| affects a patient's ability to participate in daily | | | | medication; and how to measure intensity of pain |
| routines and in some cases takes away their will | | | | and encouraged Brian to communicate to me - |
| to live. Tragically, many people are suffering | | | | the type of pain he was experiencing and its |
| chronic pain unnecessarily. This in part, due to | | | | intensity by using a pain scale. Brian soon realized |
| them not being made aware of the importance of | | | | the benefits of this - It was an immense relief for |
| pain management and being shown the simple | | | | him- to know that I understood what he was |
| tools necessary to achieve it. Lack of knowledge | | | | experiencing and more importantly - that I could |
| regarding the benefits and side effects of available | | | | do something about it. |
| medication is also a factor. | | | | Despite the large amount of methadone Brian |
| Many patients associate morphine and methadone | | | | was taking; he remained active and alert, drove |
| with drug addiction and are reluctant to take it | | | | his car for eighteen months after diagnosis and |
| due to their belief that it will cause them to | | | | was able to continue going fishing, which was the |
| become "high" or sedated, this and their attempts | | | | passion of his life. Keeping him out of pain became |
| to brave out the pain, results in their pain spirally | | | | the reason for my existence and I was vigilant in |
| out of control. This could be prevented if they | | | | giving him his medication at prescribed times. |
| were informed that chronic pain effectively "uses | | | | There were many occasions when caring but |
| up" medication and that these drugs when taken | | | | uninformed loved ones and friends, said to me. |
| for the relief of pain associated with cancer, can | | | | "Brian does not need for you to be giving him |
| dramatically reduce both the occurrence and | | | | medication at this time - he is not in pain". And I |
| intensity of pain, without causing sedation. | | | | would patiently explain to them, that the reason |
| Not long after my husband's terminal cancer | | | | Brian was not in pain, was because the regular |
| diagnosis, I observed that despite his medication, | | | | medication he was receiving effectively allowed |
| he was in considerable pain and this upset me | | | | for him to remain in front of it. |
| greatly - determined to help him, I turned to the | | | | Experience has taught me that knowledge is the |
| internet to learn about the progressive symptoms | | | | key, to better quality of life, not only for the |
| of his disease, the pain he would experience and | | | | cancer patient but for those who care for them. |
| methods available to control it. | | | | My understanding of the stages and symptoms |
| One of the most important things I learned, was | | | | of Brian's disease, allowed for me to be one step |
| that in order to obtain the best possible pain | | | | ahead of its progression and gave me the |
| control - medication must be taken at regular | | | | opportunity to have medication and later, physical |
| prescribed times, regardless of whether pain is or | | | | aids such as oxygen, wheelchair etc - on hand |
| isn't present, effectively keeping in front of the | | | | BEFORE Brian needed them. This alleviated much |
| pain. | | | | of the fear, pain and discomfort he would |
| I learned that there are different types of pain | | | | otherwise have suffered. |