When is enough pain cause for surgery?

[NurseDar]

Please help!! I am scheduled for a disc removal and low back fusion on the 25th of May. When I went for my last doctors appt., I was in pain to the point of shaking, and the ride to the doctors office is over an hour and half drive for me. Now, almost 2 weeks later, I am in worse pain, if I put my foot on the floor, my heel is numb, am having spasms constantly from the base of my spine across the left hip and down into the middle of my left foot. I cannot sit up for any length of time, can only walk as far as the bathroom which is attached to my bedroom, have to have help at all times now. I have called 3 times already to try to get the doctor to call me personally, but he always tells the staff to tell me that the pain might get worse before the surgery, but unless I have paralysis or bowel problems it is not considered an emergency. I am taking pain meds now, lortab 7.5 which is a strong med, but the severe pain is not helped at all. I have high blood pressure which I am sure is not being helped by the pain. Please tell me how much pain I am going to have to endure before he will do the surgery as an emergency. They do say they will do the surgery sooner if a cancellation happens. Is there any laws that would make him do the surgery sooner? or after the surgery is over, is this cause for malpractice because of the pain he has made me endure? I have also had 4 hip surgeries in the past 2 years, with two of them being total hip replacements..one for the right and left side. Please help me!!!

 

[Lg2]

If you are in so much pain that the pain meds aren't working, then you might have a claim for malpractice later.

Why Lortab? Why not Demarol or something stronger? The decisions they have made in regards to this might expose them to liability. Also, they seem unconcerned for what sounds critical.

 

[NurseDar]

Thank you so much for responding!! Since I am a nurse, I know that there are meds that can ease the pain, if he refuses to do the surgery sooner. His point for not doing the surgery sooner is that it will take about 6 hours to do, and he has to have that much time open in the O.R. But, like I also said, why not as an emergency? I don't want to take someone's place in the O.R., but if they are not in as much pain as I am in, what is the problem. He said that the Lortab that I am taking is the strongest he can give me, which in itself is not true since it does come in an even stronger mg. He doesn't want me to be addicted to drugs, but at this point in the pain, I would not care, that would be better than having a heart attack or stroke due to my blood pressure going high due to the pain, and being additive can be helped, sometimes heart attacks and strokes cannot be undone. Again, I thank you for answering my post. As much info as you can give me would be gratefully appreciated.

 

[KMellon]

You are going to let this person cut on you that has no reguard to your feelings? I am sorry but I have fired doctors for this reason and would never let one put me off for anything. If I need them paged, I will have them, if I need them to call I will call them at home if they forget, I am a customer and they are providing a service and like everything else you buy, you should be pleased with the package, right? I think you had better change docs right now and not let them boss you around. Stand up for yourself, I have learned alot about that this past year and two months. You sometimes have to demand they do something, or they will just let it pass. BE your own best advocate, learn everything you can and question them on it. If they dont have time for your pain and concerns, they are not the doctor for you.