I was on the fence last week. Should I let my followers know of my current health situation? On the one hand, this kind of stuff is very personal. On the other hand, our shared experiences and stories allow us to see things from different perspectives. As a Certified High-Performance Coach, one of the things I do is to help my clients look at things differently.
This week, I'll tell you of my experiences on the use of prescription pain killers through the four major orthopedic surgeries I've had. I'll review habit formation, and share some insight that might help you if you are ever faced with needing to use such potent drugs.
Habits, good and bad, have three major components; The Trigger, The Routine, The Reward. Here is a typical example: The trigger is the bell notification on your phone, the routine is "pick it up and read the notification, IMMEDIATELY, the Reward is the shot of positive emotion (dopamine) that comes after seeing that someone has "liked" our post. OK, sometimes we don't get the result we want and so the reward is lacking. So what do we do? We practice.
On February 20, I had a total knee replacement on the left side. Three years ago, it was a bone graft on my left ankle. Five years ago, it was a total ankle replacement on my left side. Eight years ago, it was a total knee replacement on my right side. For all of them, there were new post-op procedures that were being tried and tested, such as; passive motion machines, cryo-cuff icing systems, post-op pain pumps. The use of opiates was the lone consistent element. In fact, without modern painkillers, I do not believe that joint replacement surgery would have received the success it has.
Pain management is pretty straightforward. To start, do not let the level of pain get too high before you medicate. "Don't be a hero," as they say. And they are right. I've experienced a couple of pain spirals when I thought it was time to try to ween my self from them. Both times didn't pan out. Both times I was caught in extended physical agony for a few hours.
I also enjoy a kind of emotional relief as well. The euphoric state, often associated with recreational opiate use, is not like any other feeling I've encountered. I noticed that if I were suffering from emotional pain, however slight, the use of Oxycodone would neutralize that pain as well
Sadly, sources for emotional pain in our modern world are legion. Imagine the young man or woman who just went through a tough breakup. They get hit from behind at a traffic stop and are prescribed opiates to relieve the pain. How apt are they to become addicted when they realize both physical and emotional pain relief from the same source.
In retelling the details of my personal story to my friends, I've received many poignant stories in exchange. Here is one of them.
One close friend's parents were deeply committed to each other. The husband suffered from a painful form of cancer and was prescribes morphine. It relieved the physical pain, and it placed him in a much more serene place. He was having a measurable positive quality of life increase. Still suffering her emotional pain from the impending loss of the love of her life, she began to take the morphine as well. Her emotional pain relief allowed her to find some measure of enjoyment. The sad ending is that upon the loss of the husband, the family had to deal with an addicted mother.
There are three things I'd like to leave you with.
- In understanding the framework of habits (Trigger, Routine, Reward), we are better able to strategize solidifying their formation, or dismantling their hold on us.
- Prescription painkillers are a significant cause of opiate-related death in the US. Without their use, joint replacement would not have received the wide-ranging acceptance that it has.
- Anytime you are prescribed opiate-based pain killers, understand that you will be impacted physically and emotionally. This will help you and your loved ones when you are ready to transition back to a life without them
