Saturday is TakeBack Day

GOT DRUGS? Saturday, September 25, 2010 is National Take-Back Day where you can turn in your unused or expired medications for safe disposal. Learn more (and to find your drop off site) at the Take Back Day website.

It’s not OK to hold on to those percocet pills you got years ago when you had your wisdom teeth pulled (or whatever example you want to use) just in case you may need them someday. It’s not safe. Drugs (even legally prescribed) laying around can be stolen, abused, mis-used (think kids going through the medicine cabinet looking for some fun on Saturday night when you are out).

I’ve been cleaning out the medicine cabinet(s) at my house and will take a bag full of medications to my local take-back collection site. I hope you do too!

ABC News Comes to my Pain Talk

Last night, I talked to the Triangle Fibromyalgia Positive Energy group about Pain Awareness Month and our local ABC TV station came. Tisha Powell and the cameraman spent over 45 minutes with us getting the story. Can’t wait to see the story on TV … probably next week.

The picture is of Anchor Tisha Powell interviewing group leader Cathy McCarthy.

I just may become a regular viewer of ABC 11.

I need a nap!

In many ways, busy is good. Just not right now. I have been so busy, the pain has increased … and so had the need for a nap. I took yesterday off from thinking APF and pain. I never made it out of the house and spent the day trying to take care of myself.

Today, I still required a nap and I’m still not near 100%, but I did get out and delivered an APF display to another area library. I got a request to speak to another area pain support group. And, I got a call from one of the anchors from the local ABC evening newscast – they want to do a story on Pain Awareness Month next week. Cool! That’s after I gave two presentations on Tuesday. I guess I deserved a day off. Heck, come October, I think I’ll need the month off. But, I’m trying to make an impact.

1 voice in 10,000

I just added my voice to the American Pain Foundation's 10,000 voices campaign during Pain Awareness Month. You can watch me here. And you can add your own voice. Please join the APF Virtual March at www.APFActionNetwork.org

Parts is Parts

The biggest news is actually the article I was quoted in (click here to read) and the amazing amount of follow-up it produced. I’ll write more on that later, but that’s not my #1 priority right now (plus all the phone and computer work has me exhausted and in more pain than usual).

But first, yesterday I went to see an Orthopedist because I am experiencing increased pain in my arm. The pain clinic doctor (who doesn’t really diagnose, just treats specific pain) said the arm pain was referred from my shoulder. This got me concerned because 18 months ago my husband had rotator cuff surgery and while it worked for him, I don’t want to do that. My x-ray is clean. The pain is rotator cuff tendonitis and the treatment is physical therapy and stretching exercises. Although the doctor says people wear out, I still think the pain is related to my back. I definitely compensate for the back pain by using my right shoulder and arm differently.

I am happy it’s only tendonitis, but I’m concerned that doctors only look at parts and pieces and not the WHOLE body – the entire body is one big unit and is inter-related. It’s not just independent parts and pieces. I so miss my primary care physician (who left her practice) who cared about my WHOLE body. I hate being just parts and pieces.