Post by sgttrickster on Nov 29, 2017 16:28:11 GMT -5
I have suffered from severe chronic pain since 2007. Due to this I was treated with pain medication which gave me relief. It is unfortunate that pain medication requires frequent increases to remain effective and I was on a very high dosage. Although I did not have problems with the medication I felt it was masking the issues causing the pain and I realised that I may have been injuring myself further. Two years ago I went to pain management to inform them that I was going to quit taking medications. I also made a schedule to taper. Pain management strongly recommended two things. 1. That I increase the taper as mine was too rapid and 2. That I see Dr Nancy Ann Cotter at The Center for Health and Wellness regarding the alternatives that would be available to me. I had never heard of the center and looking back I realise that it was the best advice I had ever received.
I should point out that I was skeptical about the alternatives. I had also been very leery of acupuncture however since 2007 was treated once weekly on the outside for both pain and migraine's and found it to be an effective tool for both. I was pleased that it was now offered at the VA.
Dr Cotter who is awesome set me up with a course that included;
1. That I continue with acupuncture.
2. That I take medical yoga and once completed take the refresher class. The teacher Jayashree Pathak was wonderful and also taught me meditation.
3. Once the yoga was completed she told me to take Alexander Technique. I was very fortunate to have two of the best teachers. Zadok Ruben and Andrea Bruno. A brief explanation of Alexander Technique would be that it is a gentle way to improve your movement, posture and breathing. It uses a mind/body approach to improving movement. It teaches you to become aware of how your body moves best. It is not exercise, and it is not a medical treatment. Instead, it is a set of principles you can use to guide how you move, improving the quality of your everyday activities. Although I've been attending weekly sessions for close to two years with tremendous benefit the explanation above came from the Mayo Clinic! I could not have said it better.
4. I still have diet and nutrition to attend.
Dr Cotter then sent me to Abbey R. Fisher RN Integrative medicine. I must say I consider Abbey to be akin to Florence Nightingale. I have been in the VA system for over 36 years and have always been appreciative of the staff and their treatment of me. That being said I would be remiss if I did not draw special attention to this nurse. The center is blessed to have her. I have had the very good fortune of both dealing with her and observing her work with my fellow vets. She is very kind and treats everyone with incredible respect. She has a natural ability of making you relaxed and goes out of her way to help in all areas. She is the most caring nurse I have ever met. Dr Cotter and Abbey are a brilliant team! Abbey suggested I attend the chronic pain group and MBSR. It did not take long for my skepticism to erode. The pain group has certainly become one of my favourite places. It is run by Dr Timothy A. Lomauro and has another awesome RN Mary F. Murray, once again a brilliant team! I have made friends there and many of us keep in touch and check on each other like family-it is a special group of people. it is very beneficial to be around others in chronic pain.
All of the above modalities have been of tremendous benefit to me. That being said MBSR means everything to me. For one thing I have a magnificent teacher, Beth Sandweiss. Early on I was not sure how I felt about it however after the fourth class something clicked. I began to think about and practice every day. Now one and a half years into it I love it and what it has done for me and my well being. I do not feel that I have ever been this happy in my life. I attend every graduate class available and am very passionate about it. I am living in a mindful state and it has been my go to tool for the chronic pain I have so long suffered. It has been two years now since I stopped taking medications and although I still suffer from pain I feel better than I have in a very long time. This is due to body scans, meditation and living in the moment but I also feel acceptance plays a crucial part. Jon Kabat Zinn is a genius for introducing mindfulness for pain. It has absolutely helped with my pain management as has Thich Nhat Hanh's teachings, I have not only accepted my pain but have learned to embrace it! I cannot say enough good about it. Both inside and out of the VA I am letting people know about MBSR. When giving presentations to groups I do so in a mindful listening and speaking manner and it has been very rewarding. Just two years ago I would have interjected rather than let someone finish what they were saying. I would often respond without much thought. I now listen carefully and consider how to respond. This in itself has made all my life's dealings relaxed and enjoyable. Prior to MBSR and meditation when receiving medical treatments, injections and visits with my doctor's my BP would spike and I was anxious. I now have almost no anxiety and my BP stays normal. I no longer experience stress with traffic, waiting in lines or even spending 7-8 hours in the ER with my 86 year old mother in law. I simply enjoy being in the moment which has also removed the passage of time. Eight hours in the ER seems to be only a few minutes for me now and that is very nice. I cannot thank the VA enough for adding these alternatives and I can only hope they become available to all fellow vet's and that it helps them as much as it has helped me.
I should point out that I was skeptical about the alternatives. I had also been very leery of acupuncture however since 2007 was treated once weekly on the outside for both pain and migraine's and found it to be an effective tool for both. I was pleased that it was now offered at the VA.
Dr Cotter who is awesome set me up with a course that included;
1. That I continue with acupuncture.
2. That I take medical yoga and once completed take the refresher class. The teacher Jayashree Pathak was wonderful and also taught me meditation.
3. Once the yoga was completed she told me to take Alexander Technique. I was very fortunate to have two of the best teachers. Zadok Ruben and Andrea Bruno. A brief explanation of Alexander Technique would be that it is a gentle way to improve your movement, posture and breathing. It uses a mind/body approach to improving movement. It teaches you to become aware of how your body moves best. It is not exercise, and it is not a medical treatment. Instead, it is a set of principles you can use to guide how you move, improving the quality of your everyday activities. Although I've been attending weekly sessions for close to two years with tremendous benefit the explanation above came from the Mayo Clinic! I could not have said it better.
4. I still have diet and nutrition to attend.
Dr Cotter then sent me to Abbey R. Fisher RN Integrative medicine. I must say I consider Abbey to be akin to Florence Nightingale. I have been in the VA system for over 36 years and have always been appreciative of the staff and their treatment of me. That being said I would be remiss if I did not draw special attention to this nurse. The center is blessed to have her. I have had the very good fortune of both dealing with her and observing her work with my fellow vets. She is very kind and treats everyone with incredible respect. She has a natural ability of making you relaxed and goes out of her way to help in all areas. She is the most caring nurse I have ever met. Dr Cotter and Abbey are a brilliant team! Abbey suggested I attend the chronic pain group and MBSR. It did not take long for my skepticism to erode. The pain group has certainly become one of my favourite places. It is run by Dr Timothy A. Lomauro and has another awesome RN Mary F. Murray, once again a brilliant team! I have made friends there and many of us keep in touch and check on each other like family-it is a special group of people. it is very beneficial to be around others in chronic pain.
All of the above modalities have been of tremendous benefit to me. That being said MBSR means everything to me. For one thing I have a magnificent teacher, Beth Sandweiss. Early on I was not sure how I felt about it however after the fourth class something clicked. I began to think about and practice every day. Now one and a half years into it I love it and what it has done for me and my well being. I do not feel that I have ever been this happy in my life. I attend every graduate class available and am very passionate about it. I am living in a mindful state and it has been my go to tool for the chronic pain I have so long suffered. It has been two years now since I stopped taking medications and although I still suffer from pain I feel better than I have in a very long time. This is due to body scans, meditation and living in the moment but I also feel acceptance plays a crucial part. Jon Kabat Zinn is a genius for introducing mindfulness for pain. It has absolutely helped with my pain management as has Thich Nhat Hanh's teachings, I have not only accepted my pain but have learned to embrace it! I cannot say enough good about it. Both inside and out of the VA I am letting people know about MBSR. When giving presentations to groups I do so in a mindful listening and speaking manner and it has been very rewarding. Just two years ago I would have interjected rather than let someone finish what they were saying. I would often respond without much thought. I now listen carefully and consider how to respond. This in itself has made all my life's dealings relaxed and enjoyable. Prior to MBSR and meditation when receiving medical treatments, injections and visits with my doctor's my BP would spike and I was anxious. I now have almost no anxiety and my BP stays normal. I no longer experience stress with traffic, waiting in lines or even spending 7-8 hours in the ER with my 86 year old mother in law. I simply enjoy being in the moment which has also removed the passage of time. Eight hours in the ER seems to be only a few minutes for me now and that is very nice. I cannot thank the VA enough for adding these alternatives and I can only hope they become available to all fellow vet's and that it helps them as much as it has helped me.
