Day 105 -- New Pain Doctor for Bill

Today, after a big blow up between Bill and the S&W Pain Clinic a week or so ago, he got to see the head of the department, Dr. Burnet.  This visit has given us hope again that something can be done to help him with his pain.  He told us that what the other people had been doing was some kind of shotgun approach that they hoped would help the spine and the hip and when it didn't work the first time, they should have done something different.  He tells us that Bill's hip has narrowed around the ball in his socket so that bone is rubbing bone and that he will put injections straight into the hip that will hopefully lubricate it and relieve the pain, and he is also giving him a pain patch to wear specifically on the hip.  This patch required an ok from the cardiologist since it could interfere with some of his heart meds so we also went to the cardiologist today.  Got the ok for the pain patch and all else with his heart is good except he is in permanent afib which we already knew.  Back to pain--he also told Bill to take a Tramidal every night and more if he needed it and that should help him sleep which has been a huge problem of late.  After the hip is under control, the plan is to install some kind of device up into his spine so that meds can be delivered to his back--I don't believe it is a stimulator like Mom's--although that may be down the road.  Hip surgery also may be down the road--but Bill keeps saying no more surgery.  We shall see.  He told me tonight that he thinks he will start using a cane--a big concession for him but he doesn't feel steady on his feet sometimes.  These are all continuing life changes for Bill--and thus for me--but if the pain can be controlled, perhaps his quality of life will be better.  He also brought up the selling of the house again for the first time in ages and says we are going to have to get that done.  I think neither of us really wants to sell it so he kind of let it go, but the reality is he will only get worse, not better as the years go by and this doctor told him that up front.  So stairs are really going to be more and more of a problem.  So the day has been full of bittersweet news and reflections on reality--but positive forward movement and dialogue between Bill and me as we prepare for our new normal.