The Waiting Game

Dear Readers,

Hello. I don't know about you, but I've never been  a huge fan of waiting. I'm not good at waiting in line, waiting for holidays, or even waiting for dinner. Unfortunately, being a chronic pain patient is a waiting game. Chronic pain patients wait to switch medications, wait for the next doctor appointment, and wait for medications to be adjusted (it can take several weeks to adjust to the side effects of the new dosage in order to move up to the next one).

Right now, I am waiting to switch doctors. For several months, I waited to be put on the wait list for a prestigious hospital, and, now,  I am waiting to receive an appointment, after which I will wait for the appointment time to arrive. You get the picture. The same could probably be said for most other chronic illnesses, not just chronic pain.



This is problematic in many ways, not the least is which is the emotional impact on the person in chronic pain (or with a different medical condition). At least for me, knowing I have to wait for a treatment is frustrating, not just because I have to wait, but because I know I am losing valuable time and chances to try new treatments. Yet, there is nothing I can do but wait.

This, of course, is a dangerous road to travel. If not carefully considered, it can lead to a feeling of helplessness. I don't have any brilliant solutions to this, but I can say that it helps me to remind myself that I am doing the best I possibly can do and that the wait is not an indicator of any inability to search for a treatment on my part--in contrast, it means I'm trying.

So, hang in there fellow chronics,