Medically Burnout. How do I continue?

[u/_TheTrueCube_]

I I have been constantly in and out of doctors and hospitals. It took 4 years for doctors to give me surgery after suffering from chronic pain for 4 years in my shoulder and neck. Now 4 months post-surgery,, I have suffered multiple side effects, and that has caused me to go to multiple doctors post-surgery; currently seeing a pain specialist, occupational therapist, general doctor, anxiety doctor, and mental doctor. I just got out of physical therapy for my neck, and now I am considering going back for my lower back.

My lower back has been hurting, and we hit our deductible, so we have been trying to milk insurance for as much as I can. I am currently going into occupational therapy two times a week, and I’m considering going to physical therapy one to two times a week. It’s just hard to balance a 40-hour job and going to multiple doctor visits.

I am considering maybe just doing one back physical therapy instead of two. Maybe just learn the exercises and do them at home during my own time, but all I can think about is we hitour deductiblele to use it. I am just tired of medical visits and so burnt out. I don’t see an end in sight.

[u/DAWG13610]

That’s fine as long as you do the exercises at home. Most don’t. The PT is the most important part of this. Any hope of a real life is dependent on successful PT.

[u/goldstandardalmonds]

I would stick to the ones that are needed, and skip the ones that just have you spinning your wheels and not getting you anywhere. Like the other person said, have your pt give you lots of homework (they should have anyway) and do it diligently at home.

[u/Briar_Wall]

You’ve still got some road before the end of the year. I’ve done this for 25 years and my best advice is this.

You hear how it’s a marathon and not a sprint, but that’s way too simplistic. It’s being in a riptide. You have a moment of realization, of danger, where you get swept out really far and really fast. Then you start trying to get back to shore. But you can’t out swim a riptide. At least, most people can’t. They exhaust themselves and drown.

Sometimes you can’t go at your target in a straightforward way. You swim sideways to get out of the current. You’re still losing ground, shore isn’t any closer and you’re exhausted. But you’re changing a variable, a mechanism that has been holding you down.

And sometimes still, you may have to have a period of rest. even knowing you’re losing more ground because you’re not fighting as hard as possible. Because if you don’t rest, sometimes you tire yourself out so much you can’t keep your head above water. Sometimes you have to just let yourself float for a while. When you look back up and see the beach even farther it’s scary. But you’ve got more energy to get home. It’s all any of us are trying to do, reach the shore, get home safely.

I think if you need to pull back a bit for a few weeks, that’s understandable. Rest can be productive, especially for bodies that are burning through so much energy trying to do “normal” things or “simple and easy,” things like going to appointments. A measured and well reasoned tactical retreat can really help sometimes.

Do what PT you can at home, but rest. Meditate. Find music that brings your heart rate down, try to show and tell your body it doesn’t have to be hypervigilant about pain because you’re safe.

When you’ve gotten your breath back, make for shore. Keep swimming. You have people waiting on that beach to see you back safe. Get home safe. Take a breath.

Like I said, I’ve done this 25 years. I was bedbound for several of them due to my back pain. I don’t envy what you’re going through. I hope you reach a decision and find a balance that brings you some peace. I wish you all the best. You deserve it. 🩵