Short term versus Long term

Satomi’s body has been suffering under all of the extra weight.  The pain is primarily in her lower back but at times extends to the upper back too.  It was heart-wrenching to hear her moan in pain whenever she moved.  It hurt so bad she couldn’t get in or out of bed without assistance.

Since starting her vestibular rehab, it got worse.  The added physical activity while quite minimal by normal adult standards, was very hard on her battered body.

While at our Oncologist, the pain was quite obvious so the doctor perscribed Darvocet, a mid-level pain-killer.  It made a world of difference and Satomi actually became semi-functional again.  She could move around without pain and could sleep peacefully.

But it is a narcotic.

After the Decadron mess, the last think she needed was for her body to become dependant upon a pain-killer.  I told her only to take it before and after a strenuous day (theraphy, walking long distances, etc.) but not on a regular basis. 

We completely disagreed on this point.

Satomi wanted to take it on a regular basis-She didn’t want to be in pain everyday.  I really wasn’t trying to be an ass but I mentally drew a misguided parallel between the Decadron and the Darvocet.  We argued about it every couple days.  There was one instance that she took the drug against my wishes-I got mad and hid the bottle.

A couple of weeks passed and we had another appointment with our Oncologist.  Satomi told the doctor about our argument and we all discussed it in detail.  After letting us all vent, the doctor gave me a peculiar look and said:

“It’s a quality of life thing.  Let Satomi take the pain killers…”

It was that look that made me understand.  Who’s to say what the future will bring.  In the mean time, there is no reason to suffer in pain.  I got it.

Satomi now takes 2 or 3 doses a day every day.  It has allowed her to be relatively active with her physical therapy and the occassional walk.