Great New Features on the New WebMD Site!

Are you ready for the New WebMD? It looks great! There are some great links to procedural descriptions. As I read through a couple of examples under the areas of pain management and migraines, I kept thinking about the many folks who have asked about what to expect when they go for a particular procedure. WebMD provides some great explanations for these questions. Take a look at this one on epidural injections and this popup describing CT scans.

If you have questions regarding terms used in healthcare, you might take a look at the medical dictionary available on WebMD. I encourage you to explore the site and notice all the links to valuable information that are available.

Go ahead...take a peek and tell me what you think!!

Technorati Tags: webmd, design, tools, health and wellness

The Long Road to Relief

It is understandable when folks voice frustration and exhaustion fighting chronic pain. Quite often finding relief comes only after traveling along a weary journey of "try this and try that," only to find options growing less, while symptoms continue to grow more. I truly believe the quest for relief in itself is so stressful and agonizing sometimes that this aspect of life adds to the suffering already going on.

I was thinking back to the days when I had agonizing and unrelenting pain and I remembered how hard it was for me to find doctors who were willing and able to work with me. I remembered the time my doctor asked me to create a symptom diary so we could look at it together to see if there were any clues that might explain why I kept getting such severe debilitating headaches almost every day for weeks.

Well, the day of my appointment I was met by a colleague of his who was covering him for that day. When I met him he was rude and condescending. And when I presented my diary to him, he told me I was a hypochondriac and that I was too focused on my pain. He had no recommendations, made no changes to my treatment plan, and offered me absolutely no hope that day. I remember leaving that office in tears. I went from the emotion of relief in finding a doctor to work with me only to have his colleague insult me and treat me with utmost disrespect.

The hurt of that day over 20 years ago remains vivid to this day. As I type this now, I can feel my stomach knotting up and my breathing change. I don't know if that doctor is still practicing or not. I never went back when I knew he would be there. I was sure to tell his partner -- my doctor -- about it though on my next appointment and we did review my diary then. It is now over 20 years later. It took close to 6 doctors and neurologists and 7 years of treatment before I was able to finally gain control over my pain and get my life back. Most of the doctors wanted to bail out quickly when I found little to no relief from their prescribed regimens.

But I continued to become educated about my condition and the treatment options that were available and ultimately I proved to my doctor I was not a push-over. I was a partner in this team and I would have a say about my care. As we worked together, my doctor and I developed a very good relationship based on professionalism and mutual respect. But I think back on the difficulty I had to go through to find someone who would work with me. That struggle in itself was a painful experience I do not want to have to endure ever again.

Related Topics:

• WebMD Video: Drug-Induced Coma Helps Crippling Pain
• The Price Tag of Chronic Pain

Technorati Tags: chronic pain, health and wellness, migraine

Measuring Success

How do you measure the success of a new medication, of a medical procedure, a new self-help skill? Well in order to measure success, you need to define it. In terms of healing, I would consider any signs of improvement as a sign of success. If you are able to move a joint more than you could before therapy, then I would consider that success.

When creating your definition of success, it is important to understand that success is not an all or nothing concept. There are varying degrees of success. If a medication decreases your pain from an 8 down to a 4 then I would consider that success. Now just because a person may have reached that level 4 in pain relief, they may not be considering their success complete and that is ok. There is at least some improvement and therefore - some success.

When going for a procedure or starting a new medication regimen, it is important to keep your definition of success flexible. You may be taking a new drug that requires a trial period in order to build a blood level before a full effect of that medication may be realized. It is important not to label that medication a failure because the wanted effect may not have been realized yet. You may receive an epidural steroid injection and you may continue to have some symptoms for a week or so. That doesn’t herald that procedure a failure by any means.

When you seek to determine the effectiveness of a procedure, ask yourself a few questions.

• Have my pain levels decreased?
• Have my other symptoms decreased?
• Have I needed/used as much medication for symptom relief since the procedure?
• Has my level of functioning improved?
• Am I resting/sleeping better?

Answers to these questions can help you define your level of success and improvement from a procedure or a new med. So when you are asked by your doctor how you feel since you had a procedure, be able to answer these questions. And don’t be afraid to say you have noticed improvements and therefore a level of success!

Related Topics:

• Fighting Chronic Pain: Treatment Tips
• Keep Moving to Relieve Arthritis Pain

Technorati Tags: arthritis, pain, pain management