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I guess these days, they just prescribe opioids instead of teaching patients do-it-yourself pain control techniques. I would think your opiod receptors would burn out after a long-term regime of that, though. Don't you find you get desensitized to them?
Yes & no.
I have been on opioids for just over 8yrs(5-1/2yrs in).
When I began, i was taking 50-60 ME, at my highest point less than a year ago, I was at 120 & 145 ME(it fluctuated due to opioid holidays)& now due to the latest CDC recommendations, I am at 90 ME(& it stinks!!! &frankly, is completely wrong!! Right now addicts have more rights & access than legit patients-but that's another story for another thread). During this time I have had significant disease progression, so while my medication has just about doubled, my pain has increased more than that-I just manage it better & am able to tolerate it better than I did in the early years, you learn & also learn pain triggers & quit doing stupid things. A small amount of increase may be due to tolerance, but that is the same as all medication, my heart meds have tripled in 5yrs.
Per the neurology pain worksheet(it deals with MS type, lifestyle factors(kids, job, hobbies, etc), lesions(numbers, location, & healing type & rate), age, length of time on opioids, etc), I was medically approved for 280-310ME, but was comfortable & could manage most of my responsibilities with half, so there was no reason to increase & chance struggling to find relief later in life due to tolerance. All pain management patients are taught that less is more for their future, patients are educated about alternatives, tolerance, addiction risks, etc. Responsible doctors are not just writing scripts with wild abandon for anyone that asks for them. And responsible patients are seeking out "strict" doctors who not only work as a team with their whole medical team, but also ensuring that medication use doesn't get out of hand by approving increases only after an alternative or trying something else first(change, addition, or increase of other meds, change the opioid instead of increase, therapy, acupuncture, chiropractic, possible surgery, etc).
These likely all seem like high numbers, especially for people that are like I was 10yrs ago. I didnt like taking pain medication at all, i rarely took any pain medication(post op, dental, a broken ankle, etc). However the situation changes not only in the AMOUNT of pain you are dealing with, but the unending nature. I was able to tolerate post op pain because I knew it wouldnt last past a certain point, now there is no end point...&the irony? The pills given for post op pain knock you out, take away all/most of your pain. Proper chronic pain management typically reduces your pain by about half. It allows you to go from excruciating to tolerable. Without opioids I am a 7-9&1/2(my 10 is surgery with no anesthesia, I rarely get there, maybe two days per year), with my medications, I am able to reduce that to a 5-7, levels where most people are prescribed short term opioids for(think day 2 post op pain, smashing your finger/hand in a door, a burn, stubbing & breaking a toe, etc-but lasting all day, everywhere). I would be happier to reduce my levels to a 1-4(with 120-140 I was able to achieve 3-5, it was a better way to live-now I cannot concentrate enough to read a book & half my days i am lucky if I can walk to the bathroom unassisted), but those levels are no longer possible with current govt guidelines that are prosecuting doctors & penalizing patients.
I was fortunate to have an amazing pain management specialist for the majority of my 8yrs, he changed my regiment from time to time to avoid over stimulation of the same receptors(ie switching from Norco to percocet & back again), in pain management this is called an "opioid holiday" & is quite effective at helping to prevent addiction & keeping the medication effective without needing significant increases. Although increases will still happen as the disease progresses.
Also, I always take a day or a couple of days off the medication each month to ensure that I am not developing addiction issues(now I'm lucky with one day a month & it usually ends in tears, but it's worth it-I think ;-)) I have a feeling that helps my receptors some as well, or maybe I just want to think it does ;-)
As an aside, I have been taught alternative relief methods, but they only go so far. You would be hard pressed to find 2 people with the same disease even when discussing the same type of MS(there are 4 types-used to be 3), not everyone has pain, those that do, have varying degrees of it. I know people with MS that are homebound & people with MS that are out running marathons & even knew some that have committed suicide when their medications were limited by the government & they couldn't handle their new life in constant pain with no relief in sight. Locations & number of lesions are big factors, as is scar tissue formation(some folks heal better than others). It is complicated. Quite honestly WAY too complicated to be decided by bureaucrats with blanket policies that don't affect them or their families personally!!
Thank you for asking!! So many people make judgements, generalizations, or are just curious but afraid to ask & it wouldn't be necessary if they just asked...i am glad you did :-) I am happy to answer anything you want to know!
Someone on the Bay Area forum found a 4 br. house bordering El Cerrito (East Bay) last year for around $600K, on a double-sized lot with its own well, as well as city water system. I realize that's still out of your range; I'm just saying, it's surprising what you can find if you know where to look.
That is AMAZING!! I am so happy for the family!! In our current situation, 600k would be doable, 4-500k(or less) would just be more comfortable & therefore preferable :-)
When you mentioned my girls bunking together...they wouldn't have it any other way!! Honestly, most nights I end up with them as well(remember the fears & night terrors), while I would like to be able to sleep away from children again, we will probably never be the typical American family that needs 3-5000 sq ft with everyone in seperate rooms to be happy. We would be fine in a 3br home with a small yard, we would be happy in a 3br with bonus/basement/or 4th bedroom to use as an indoor play area-&a bit of a yard.
My sister in law is in Half Moon Bay & was previously in Menlo Park. The home prices are NUTS!!
If I were you and moved here, I would not publicize my political views. While there are many people who are reasonable, it is very polarized here, and as a "liberal" I'm on the conservative side. I would say that currently Seattle is progressive to the point of stupidity. Their heart is in the right place, but the ideas are often ridiculous. Think about it this way - the wild bible thumpers from the South -- their progressive cousins are here, and they are also full of wacky ideas and conviction that they are right no matter what. If you can deal with extremes, might be ok.
If you are further out in the suburbs, it will be better, but you will not make tons of friends if you are open about being a Republican.
If I were you and moved here, I would not publicize my political views. While there are many people who are reasonable, it is very polarized here, and as a "liberal" I'm on the conservative side. I would say that currently Seattle is progressive to the point of stupidity. Their heart is in the right place, but the ideas are often ridiculous. Think about it this way - the wild bible thumpers from the South -- their progressive cousins are here, and they are also full of wacky ideas and conviction that they are right no matter what. If you can deal with extremes, might be ok.
If you are further out in the suburbs, it will be better, but you will not make tons of friends if you are open about being a Republican.
I hate to say it, but there is some truth to this, lol.
Generally, I tend to keep quiet about my political views 99% of the time, as it seems to be a good way to keep things civil (even if I don't take offense to someone disagreeing with me, or criticize those I disagree with on things). I used to think I'd be considered pretty "left" around here overall, but some of the decisions the city council/current and previous mayor have made over the past 5-6 years have definitely left me scratching my head and questioning that. Sometimes I think certain people would get the wrong idea from me if I were to open up about my thoughts on the council though...
If I were you and moved here, I would not publicize my political views. While there are many people who are reasonable, it is very polarized here, and as a "liberal" I'm on the conservative side. I would say that currently Seattle is progressive to the point of stupidity. Their heart is in the right place, but the ideas are often ridiculous. Think about it this way - the wild bible thumpers from the South -- their progressive cousins are here, and they are also full of wacky ideas and conviction that they are right no matter what. If you can deal with extremes, might be ok.
If you are further out in the suburbs, it will be better, but you will not make tons of friends if you are open about being a Republican.
You do realize, don't you, that the OP's views are closely aligned to the liberal views of the area; she said her family has simply chosen a different party to the dominant one in the area, but she feels in synch with some of the values of the region.
And why would she "broadcast" her views, anyway? Who does that? No one, in my long experience, living in Seattle. Maybe in recent years, with so many transplants coming in, and the heating up of politics in general, there are people who "broadcast", or talk politics in the lunchroom at work, but I never encountered that. Generally, IME, Seattleites bond over shared interests, like hobby activities, kids, etc.
If I were you and moved here, I would not publicize my political views. While there are many people who are reasonable, it is very polarized here, and as a "liberal" I'm on the conservative side. I would say that currently Seattle is progressive to the point of stupidity. Their heart is in the right place, but the ideas are often ridiculous. Think about it this way - the wild bible thumpers from the South -- their progressive cousins are here, and they are also full of wacky ideas and conviction that they are right no matter what. If you can deal with extremes, might be ok.
If you are further out in the suburbs, it will be better, but you will not make tons of friends if you are open about being a Republican.
Agreed.
Seattle attracts liberals who are never wrong, borderline arrogant and closed minded, and are so far left in the spectrum, everything else in the middle and the right, is "wrong." These liberals often flock together and will attack and eventually reject you should you ever reveal your conservative nature.
Better these days to stay a "closet Republican" if one lives in King County.
You do realize, don't you, that the OP's views are closely aligned to the liberal views of the area; she said her family has simply chosen a different party to the dominant one in the area, but she feels in synch with some of the values of the region.
And why would she "broadcast" her views, anyway? Who does that? No one, in my long experience, living in Seattle. Maybe in recent years, with so many transplants coming in, and the heating up of politics in general, there are people who "broadcast", or talk politics in the lunchroom at work, but I never encountered that. Generally, IME, Seattleites bond over shared interests, like hobby activities, kids, etc.
Ruth, I mention in because the OP mentions:
"In checking the local politics, I realized our ideology is not much different than found in most of Seattle, we just have a different major political party affiliation. My daughter has been trying to "modernize" the conservative party in regards to social issues(&she actually stands a chance as a hard worker & GOP legacy, I too was a part of many campaigns in both paid & volunteer capacities & my father in law is & always has been a major party donor...i also used to be a Democrat, until charter schools in Texas 14yrs ago, which helped shape my belief system as well as hers-she grew up in campaigns :-)). When my daughter looked at the landscape, she thought she might stand a chance fitting in politically & maybe even changing some minds...but maybe not."
That seems like they are reasonably interested in politics. I'm just warning her that if she isn't a Democrat, she will probably want to avoid political discussions in the age of Trump (at least til she knows her audience). Right now people are very, very touchy about politics, and frankly, just saying she votes Republican could lose her friends.
Also, I wonder if perhaps Seattle is different from when you lived here (if I recall correctly, you lived here in the past but live in CA now?). The further left-wing only started in the last 10 years or so.
"In checking the local politics, I realized our ideology is not much different than found in most of Seattle, we just have a different major political party affiliation. My daughter has been trying to "modernize" the conservative party in regards to social issues(&she actually stands a chance as a hard worker & GOP legacy, I too was a part of many campaigns in both paid & volunteer capacities & my father in law is & always has been a major party donor...i also used to be a Democrat, until charter schools in Texas 14yrs ago, which helped shape my belief system as well as hers-she grew up in campaigns :-)). When my daughter looked at the landscape, she thought she might stand a chance fitting in politically & maybe even changing some minds...but maybe not."
That seems like they are reasonably interested in politics. I'm just warning her that if she isn't a Democrat, she will probably want to avoid political discussions in the age of Trump (at least til she knows her audience). Right now people are very, very touchy about politics, and frankly, just saying she votes Republican could lose her friends.
Also, I wonder if perhaps Seattle is different from when you lived here (if I recall correctly, you lived here in the past but live in CA now?). The further left-wing only started in the last 10 years or so.
Right, that was the paragraph I was thinking of, too. We must be reading it a little differently. But in terms of the daughter, hoping she might be able to change some views, I understood the OP to say earlier, that the daughter was hoping to "reform" her own Party, i.e. nudge it away from its current extremism, not recruit outsiders to it.
There are plenty of Republicans who would agree with her, that moderation is needed. I think it's a worthy cause. Even a little subversive. I'd be interested in talking more with the OP and her daughter, even though I don't vote the way they do, and I have friends in Seattle, who would find it an interesting discussion, if the OP were to move next door to them. Believe it or not, there are all kinds of elements in the OP's Party, some of whom have been calling for tax increases since the Bush tax cuts; wealthy industrialists and their progeny who want to pay their fair share! These are fascinating people! I say hallelujah to anyone wanting to influence the Party toward a more moderate track!
As to my earlier point about politics not arising in the work place, or around the neighborhood, and people bonding over common interests, that's still very true. It may not be true in the tech sector, which tends to be skewed toward a younger demographic, but that does not by any means represent all of Seattle; far from it. It's just one niche. There are buildings full of people in universities, businesses, schools, clinics, etc., who never or rarely discuss partisan politics; for one thing, they're focussed on their work. In leisure time, friends get together over shared interests, hobbies, future plans, personal challenges (an MS support group perhaps, in the OP's case), their latest research project or community project, all kinds of things. I'm speaking from experience with friends in Seattle that span several generations, starting with 20-somethings.. (I no longer live in Seattle, but I visit for a month or so at a time.) The world has so much more to offer, that's much more interesting and satisfying, than the politics of the day! Who wants to talk about that? lol Sure, some people may need to vent with a couple of friends occasionally, but on the whole, there are many social groups and neighborhoods that aren't the all-politics-channel, all the time, or even a significant part of the time.
Also, since the OP's daughter, as I understood, would only be in the area for a year, before moving on to university, or a job, or whatever career step is next, would it be worth it to write off the greater Seattle area for the rest of the family, just for a year, if it represents a great opportunity, otherwise? And isn't she going to be doing internships while in the area, so presumably she'd have people to talk politics with through her internships?
In any case, the OP may find other areas that might be a better fit economically and weather-wise, as well as politically. Orange County, maybe? I don't know where her husband's type of engineering jobs would be there, but there must be some in the area. So this entire discussion may turn out to be moot. Best wishes to the OP, wherever she ends up.
So sorry for not being here for a bit, much has been discussed & i would love to respond & explain & answer :-) i have been "out doctoring" for the last day & a half(which also means stopping at a park or doing something fun for the kids as a quasi reward for being patient with me & behaving well at the doctors office(plus while scripts are being filled we play)-so it becomes an all day affair!!! :-))
This may be long, but there is much to respond to & much to say!
Ok, I only discussed my political views here because i was told "i bet you have some conservative values-dont share them in Seattle"...so i bit ;-) I gave the basic political ideology held by my family. When I was told in a seemingly humorous way not to share that in Seattle lest be doxed...I responded in kind, with a funny quip about not sharing that my daughter was quite heavily involved(ie exactly the opposite of what I was just told to do, i can be a stinker like that :-))
This all may well be quite serious, there may well be a "leftist mafia"(what my daughter called it when I read/discussed this thread with her-from several perspectives as we always do...love that, teenagers are great!!!), however I AM secretly hoping it is not that serious, but if it is, we will find out & deal with it as it comes!!
Yes, after I was told that the area was quite blue & I may receive death threats if I put a trump bumper sticker on my car or wear a maga hat, I DID look into the politics of the area(it never even occurred to me to do that until this thread). The more I read articles in the Times plus comment threads, plus several online forums, the more I felt as if our politics were similar, just by a different name. I was told that was incorrect & am now prepared for that possibility...let the doxing begin(anyone want my current address??? Hehe).
Truly, noone knows what we will happen, again, we are only through interview 2 of 3...i just wanted to be prepared in case after 3 there is an offer, that isn't the time to begin research into an offer's validity!! Also, i could discover a love for liberal politics & decide that it probably is better if the government takes the majority of our money & decides where it is best spent since they make such wise decisions!! You never know!! Or maybe seattlites will have decided that they have had enough of the needles & feces littering the city center & they are done paying for downtown buildings that condone/promote/permit illegal drugs while they cannot afford their rent/mortgage due to cost increases to pay for constant social programs so they decide that Trump & hmmm, newt gingrich are the answer & invite trump to become mayor of seattle, fix it up, then move on to newt as governor of WA to complete the transformation(neither scenario is too likely, but stranger things have happened-or maybe they havent :-))!!
I would never talk politics in a group setting!! You dont talk politics, religion, or money & never get drunk at a work function(&double that for your wife-again, I will go back in the dark ages, use my grandmother's words, & say drunk looks worse on a woman-right or wrong, it just does). I tend to be a bit old school that way(although I will work a campaign-but thats different, its a time & place thing, i guess). This is an anonymous internet forum with folks giving advice-so if knowing our approx income level helps determine where we should live or what we can afford...there it is(an approximate & not taking into account total packages & benefits etc). If knowing our political ideology helps to determine whether or not we could make Seattle our forever home-there it is. If knowing the makeup of my family helps determine what we would enjoy or who we shouldnt talk to or how high we should jump, there ya go!!
Sure, we can talk politics & ideology here, all day :-) However, in person, unless i meet you at a political event, that will not be the main line topic of conversation. I have plenty of people to talk politics with-remember I did campaign work for 10+yrs & still advise, write speeches & PR statements, & do plenty of favors. I do not need to have a political conversation with a random stranger who's ideology I have no clue about!! Hopefully politics will just never come up...although even if we don't talk politics directly, there is a good chance you will figure me out, too many issues are too intertwined currently(unfortunately)& I take a few hard stances as a result of my experience in life(which are different than yours, so it stands to reason that we will have differing viewpoints). If asked my opinion or if a topic were to come up in conversation, I wont typically shy away from it. I am, unapologetically, who I am. A collection of experiences from around the country that make me the mish mosh that I am...the mishmosh that probably doesn't truly fit into any political ideology anywhere anymore!!
As for my daughter. She actually has several out of state internships lined up, she will literally be all over the country during the next year-but back home a few weeks in between each. She even has the opportunity to work with an international group that is trying to set up a government similar to ours(I believe they were with the French government? Maybe Spanish or Portuguese? It was a romance language-my daughter is passable in 9 languages, but cannot speak romance languages, the irony ;-)). She hosted & taught their group when they were here & they have requested she comes to see it all fitting into place after weeks of visiting & months of email/Skype communication & maybe she will (it will depends on how things come together in real life vs on paper)
18mos ago she was set on paleontology/geology & petro engineering(she wanted to work for an oil/gas company to save the fossils & preserve history before it was destroyed-hence the double major). She spent 2+yrs dragging me(us) through the backwoods of America while she did internships & studied archeology & paleontology to determine where she wanted to be in the field, which one she wanted(people or dinos?), etc. Then 18mos ago, she was offered a campaign followed by political office internship back to back through a friend of mine-I thought she should do it, just gain a different set of people skills, earn some money, make friends, make enemies(hehe), make connections, have fun & gain good resume fodder. Well, they all sure fooled me ;-) she now would like a career in politics & has chosen to pursue a law degree, BUT now is unsure what she would like to study undergrad. The possibilities are endless, but it would be nice if it is something that could help her build her life & something she can expand on in law school vs being a useless stepping stone to a law degree. SOOOO, she has decided to take a year, work with different people, in different areas of law & politics, in different parts of the country, all in an effort to figure out which way she would like to jump first :-)
So no, she is not a major concern in our move-just a little, although I'm not sure that I will enjoy not being able to mention anything...
"So what is your daughter doing?" Nothing.
"Hows that working out for her?" It isn't, nothing is happening, you see nothing, hear nothing.
"I heard she received an xyz from abc?" Who did you hear that from? Lies. All lies.
All in an effort to protect my younger children's friendships, my family's safety, & possibly my husband's job. Kinda sad :-(
As for the future...i truly hope that we see a day where BOTH parties are more moderate! A day when BOTH parties listen to reason rather than knee jerk because the idea was brought by the other side and BOTH parties stop playing politics & instead just do what is best for this nation & her people!!!
At the moment, I do not know what role my daughter will play in all of this. I do know that she feels very strongly that the Republican party needs to modernize with a changing worldview & figure out a way to accommodate a new generation of conservatives that think a bit differently than those in years past. She actually has her monthly breakfast meeting in a few hours with several appointed & elected state leaders, so far they seem to value her opinion(enough for monthly meetings anyway), they seem to want her/a young persons opinions on issues, so maybe there is some hope for her & the party...time will tell.
Honestly I was beginning to think we we're going to have to go back to the Whigs & Jeffersonians if things continued much longer as is...heck, we still might. The only thing that will prevent it from happening is the voice of the people interjecting themselves into the party & into the process & making the party & our great nation their own!!!
I would also like to see the office of POTUS/SCOTUS/house/senate respected by both sides, no matter who is in what office!! There have been several major political figures that I have not cared for, but I have always respected the office they hold/held!! &I don't find any of the jokes funny.
I will give you a great example(we were actually discussing this after dinner tonight-lively family that we are, hehe)...RBG(Ruth Bader Ginsberg). I do not agree with her opinions most of the time, but I ALWAYS read her opinions. I have always learned, still dont agree most of the time, but I see another perspective, another thought process. And as an aside I think she is an amazing, fierce, & strong woman, she is a great role model, no matter which side she sits on-when there are 9 :-)
I am not sure too many progressive/liberal/leftists can say the same about reading conservative opinions or having respect for conservative office holders(how many respect trump because he is president-not because they like him or agree with him or support him, but just simply because he is POTUS)...just sayin'
Thank you Ruth for the best wishes, maybe we will end up neighbors, you are welcome to grill me, err I mean ask me all you would like to know about my ideology & how it was formed, we may have quite the lively debate, never know, we both might learn a thing or 2...or have more in common than we thought :-)
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I'd be interested in talking more with the OP and her daughter, even though I don't vote the way they do, and I have friends in Seattle, who would find it an interesting discussion, if the OP were to move next door to them. Believe it or not, there are all kinds of elements in the OP's Party, some of whom have been calling for tax increases since the Bush tax cuts; wealthy industrialists and their progeny who want to pay their fair share! 
These are fascinating people! I say hallelujah to anyone wanting to influence the Party toward a more moderate track!
