Day Four

I am starting Day four and woke up early feeling fine. I have some aches & pains but not much and some of that might be from sleeping in my recliner . Ashley stole my half of the bed last night and it was easier to sleep in the chair than to lay next to her the way she wiggles around. I am up so early because Ash is used to getting up earlier herself. She wants to use my computer so this is going to be short.

The End of Day 3

I have made it three days now on 2/3rds of the morphine I was taking. On day 8 I plan to drop one of the 60 mg doses to 30 mg and go for another week. So far I have not had any symptoms that I do not have anyway so I think I can say that there have not really been any with drawl symptoms.

Today we went to Des Moines and picked up our grand daughter Ashley because next week is her birthday. Grandma got carried away as usual and I don't even want to know what she spent. The two of them spent the evening together and I will get to spend the morning with here while grandma has to work.

I do hope that the doctor calls me next week and helps me with a plan to get off morphine. Going from 30 MG to nothing is a pretty big jump but if that is what I have to do I will. Next week will tell. If the pain doctor does not call I will call my family doctor I guess.

Day 3

I am feeling good so far on day three. Actually can't tell any difference on 2 doses from 3 doses at this point. We are off to pick up my grand daughter so I will post more later.

I am going to make it through another day. The insurance company called a full week after they were to be filled to tell me that my prescriptions were approved. I am on my way to quiting now though. I think I am having some minor symptoms but the way I feel all the time I can't be sure. Thank you all for your support.

Well I made it through the first day with out taking the noon dose of morphine. I have had to take two hydrocodone for my hands and my stomach has been upset a little is all so far. I am also wide awake and it is nearly midnight. I hope it keeps up this easy.

Thanks to all of my friends who are praying for me or supporting me in their own way.

I want to get off of morphine but not the way I may end up doing it. I have been taking it 3 times a day for over a year. Suddenly my insurance will only allow 60 tablets a month which either means I cut my does by one third right away or I go cold turkey in 20 days. The doctor has already tried to get prior authorization and that was refused. How can an insurance company decide to cut a person's dosage by one third when it is a drug like morphine with no warning? Our system is so screwed up. We could pay for the morphine out of pocket but can't really afford to do that.

I am watching the president and congressmen debate the health insurance bill on C-Span right now. They are just talking around and around and not making any progress. I wish I could call them and tell them what I think right now.

In the mean time I am sitting here waiting for either a nurse or my pain doctor to call me and discuss what I can do. This is just proof that getting off of morphine is a good idea. Then I won't be dependent on the drug, the doctor, the pharmacy or the insurance company.

Hard decisions

I didn't think I would ever start this up again but there come times in your lives that you want to keep track of and need support of those who you count on as good friend. I have been taking pain medication for 3 or 4 years now and it seems that I keep having to take more and more to just stay even with the pain. Right now I am at the point that I either have to take a higher dosage of morphine or decide to attempt to get off of the heavy drugs altogether.

I have asked my pain doctor to help me try to get off of morphine completely because it looks like I will just keep taking more and more and more over time. I don't think it is affecting my thinking but how can I tell.

The blog has been inactive so long that I doubt that anyone will find it unless I invite them. If you received an invitation it means I claim you as a good friend and would appreciate your prayers and support because I know this is going to be one of the harder things I have ever done. I am not an addict but my body depends on the drug and is not going to like it when I quit taking it.

Right now I am taking 60mg of morphine 3 times a day and if I stay on it I am going to be going to 90mg three times a day. It seems like a good time to give it a try. Thank you in advance for you prayers and support.

Larry