LIVING WITH CHRONIC PAIN WITH ANNA AND MAX

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  • Introduction to Living with Chronic Pain with Anna and Max (the cat)

    Hi, my name is Anna,  I am in my 40s, and I suffer from chronic pain in my face. Unfortunately, it has been going on for years.

    In this journal, I write about my unsuccessful trips to doctors, my frustrations, and my fear as well as provide some informative information, some quirky daily promts some cute stories as well as some serious ones all with the hope for a normal life again one day.

    Currently, after my last neurologist appointment, I still have not been diagnosed. At this point, after suffering for so long, the constant pain has worn me down. I am no longer able to do most activities, 

    I am not able to drive anymore, so I have lost my independence. I have lost my individually as well, and I grieve for all these things. At this point it has become so disabling that I am not able to eat, or really take care of myself, I am in and out of the emergency room, and concerned that I will be removed from my current apartment and sent to a nursing home without Max the cat 🐈

    Any type of chronic pain is a real condition and one of the number one reasons people visit their doctors. I hope you, as the reader, are able to understand this issue better and hopefully be able to sympathize with others….

    Thank you 😊 for visiting, and please feel free to subscribe!

    Anna and Max the Cat 🐈

    AN AI PHOTO 📸 OF MAX THAT A FRIEND DID

  • Atypical Face Pain What is it? Short Video

    VERY SHORT VIDEO

  • I keep going and going and going….

    Tell us one thing you hope people say about you.

    This will be a short answer as I am currently under the weather and Max the Cat is unavailable 😪 Hopefully, people would say that I try very hard, despite all the physical and mental limitations that I am currently battling… perhaps they would say that I am like the energizer bunny… No matter how difficult things get I just try to keep going and going and going to the best of my ability!

    Thank yall for reading 📚

    And God bless

    Anna and Max the Cat 🐈 who is currently unavailable 😪

  • Wow 👏 this meme really says it all…

    I found this meme on Fb today! I think it really says it all!!

  • Short video on chronic pain and anxiety and depression 😢

    Dear readers,

    I had been searching YouTube for a good video to post 📫 that might possibly help. I havent had a lot of luck but I found this short video about chronic pain and anxiety and depression 😢 I know I suffer from a lot of anxiety especially during flares as well as depression 🫥 I dont know about yall.. The video briefly speaks about pain invalidation. (Which is something that I know a lot of folks have probably experienced) it also mentions how it would be wonderful when patients go to talk about chronic pain if mental health was also involved so patients didn’t have to feel like they were being stigmatized or like the pain was possibly all in there head… I hope this helps a little..

    God bless for reading 📚 and watching

    Anna and Max the Cat 🐈

    Anna

  • SpongeBob 🤣🤣🤣

    What’s your favorite cartoon?

    🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 very short answer SpongeBob 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

  • Custom Meme for Saturday…. Anyone else perhaps?

    Dear readers,

    It seems to be getting more and more difficult for me to explain this to folks these days 😕  especially doctors! and acquaintances!

    I am finding this the case more and more the longer the pain continues without an answer. 😡 Its very disheartening

    Has anyone else found this to be a similar experience perhaps with a spouse or family member?

    God bless 🙌 Anna and Max the Cat 🐈

    Sadly, im back in the hospital for a few days (which hasnt helped my case) upon another return. especially with the doctors 🙄 who are beginning to doubt it’s authenticity…

    Max has also  been getting visits twice a day from (expensive).pet sitters 😪 I really hope he is going to be okay 👍 I sure do feel guilty 😔

  • Its a time warp 😀 at Casey Jones

    Do you have a favorite place you have visited? Where is it?

    My favorite place 😍 in the entire world is Casey Jones Village in Jackson, TN My mother 👨‍🍼 and I used to visit all the time ⏲️  It holds very special memories for me. It has the homey and comforting atmosphere of an old county store. 😀 

    Gift shop

    They sell all kinds af things, old fashioned candies, dolls, lamps, soaps, sodas, they even have an old fashioned ice cream parlor!.There are also  many photos from by-gone days which line the walls 🧱 You feel as though you have stepped into a time warp back to the early 1900s 😀

    They also have a buffet of the best Southern food that you have ever tasted 😋

    Buffet

    There are southern staples such as macaroni and cheese, mashed potatoes 🥔 covered with butter 🧈 green beans, Johnny cakes, fried chicken 🍗 🐔 and  fried catfish 😋 👌

    The people are so nice and you always come away full of delicious foods, and  perhaps with a wonderful new treasure, 😋

    Since my mother has passed and I am limited in my travel it is possible I may never be able to visit again 🙄 but it will always hold a special place in my heart ❤️

    It is about 70 miles from Memphis Tennessee (where I grew up) if you get a chance I highly recommend it..

    Thank you for reading 📚 and God bless you

    Anna and Max the Cat 🐈

    (Who is unfortunately 😕 home with a pet sitter)

  • Sidetracked

    Dear readers,

    I’ve gotten a bit sidetracked but I should be back soon!

    God bless yall

    Anna and Max the Cat 🐈 😻

  • Pain Scale Shirt 👕! Once again sent home with no relief or pain medications

    Dear Readers, I was going to post 📫 something else! Perhaps an inspirational Thanksgiving quote ✨️ 🤔

    However, upon having to call an ambulance again yesterday (and unfortunately getting one dose of iv torridal and then being once again sent home without any pain medication or pain control) 😬

    I was staring at the hospital walls looking at their pain scale chart for several hours,

    and  surprisingly when searching for a quote I found this pain scale Thanksgiving T-shirt ⚖️ 😅

    I thought perhaps, it might give any chronic pain sufferers a quick laugh 😃

    However, I did find this quote from the Bible as well, perhaps it makes sense 🤔 as we navigate through the holidays….

    God bless you all

    Anna and Max the Cat 🐈 😻

  • Max says… Turkey TV dinners 🍽 😋

    Do you or your family make any special dishes for the holidays?

    Hi 👋 everyone this is Max the cat 🐈 my human is a little under the weather so I thought I would write ✍️ a short daily prompt for today 😀

    In the last few years, our tradition has been a turkey TV dinner 😀 In my kitty opinion they are actually pretty good 👍 😄 it’s one of the only times during the year that I get turkey 😀 because every other time of the year my human says I am not allowed to have it!

    Anyways there are always mashed potatoes 🥔 with gravy 😋 as well as cranberry sauce depending on which dinners my human gets 😋  Sometimes she buys all three in separate containers 😀

    And then there is always dessert 🍨  and I usually get some 😀 I love pie 🥧 it’s one of  my favorites besides sugar free cookies 🍪

    I like apple 🍎 pie crust! Yummy 😋 and vanilla ice cream 🍦

    Hey im a cat 🐈 don’t expect the best punctuation 🤣

    That is all for now, wishing you and yours a puuurfect holiday 😊

    Max the Cat 🐈 😻

  • Cats. Cats 🐈 😻 and more cats..

    What are your favorite animals?

    Cats 🐈 are my favorite 😍 animal. Big cats 🐈 little cats! All kinds of cats 🐈 😻 lions, tigers, housecats 😀 they are all.so beautiful and fascinating 👌

  • Dear Readers for Thursday 😬🙄 We Must keep Going Despite current challenges

    Dear Readers,

    It has been a challenging week, so many things have been occurring. Dealing with them all, plus handling the pain has been quite rough. 😬

    Unfortunately, I was back in the hospital again over the weekend. Upon arriving home, I recieved a visit from adult protective services with the state of Florida, apparently someone had called due to my frequent hospital visits and expressed concern 😟 to the state  which was quite stressful and shocking  😲

    I have also been attempting to hire a certified nursing assistant as well as  trying to get home health care which requires quite a lot of hoop jumping as well as making a lot of phone calls which can be exhausting. 🙄

    I’ve also been trying to arrange care for Max the Cat 🐈 😻 as well as recieve visitors such as a new social worker and a one time nurse. I was also hoping to connect with a neighbor, but I am finding it difficult to explain to her my condition 😔

    Simple things can take a lot out of a person. (I am finding it difficult to keep so many things straight) all the while battling the pain 😢 as well as concern over Max the cats weight 💔 😢 and my own medications. 😬 and mental state.

    However, as any of my readers who face challenges know we must keep pressing forward to the best of our abilities….

    We all must keep going 💪 and remember that we are strong 💪 ❤️

    God bless and thank you for reading 📚

    Anna and Max the Cat 🐈 😻

  • My human and books 📚 by Max.. todays daily prompt 😎

    What book are you reading right now?

    Max says…Sadly, reading had become to difficult for my human in her current condition 😢 because it aggravates her facial pain 😢 😭 However, if she could read 📚 I think she would enjoy Steven King 🤴 (as she likes horror movies) However, as a cat I don’t particularly like them myself.

    I am more into books about fish and birds 🐦 😀😀😀 especially tuna! books about tuna are my favorite 😍 😋

    My human doesnt particularly have any favorite authors, she tends to just read about subjects that interest her, fiction or non-fiction. 😀 Perhaps, history, stories about family, mystery, relationships.. etc..

    ♥️

    Oh yes, I do remember one book that she read about cats 🐈 like me, it was called Making the rounds with Oscar. it was kind of sad… but a good read 📚 👌 and I also remember one author she liked his name was Wally Lamb i believe… and a book called She’s come undone..

    Hey, I am a cat dont expect puuruufect punctuation 😀

    Well, I have to go eat now, time to wake up the human!

    God bless

    Max the Cat 🐈 😻

  • Cleaning the litter box 📦 😌

    What part of your routine do you always try to skip if you can?

    Hmm……well I don’t particularly have a routine. I sleep 😴 when I am able and eat when I am able…..etc…

    So perhaps 🤔 I should say I tend to put off things such as light housekeeping (if that counts) 🤔

    The usual things such as washing the dishes or taking out the trash 🗑

    Actually though, the more I think about it, I usually should clean Max the cats 🐈 litter box 📦 by the time he howls for food in the morning 🌄 but a lot of times I wait and do it a little later!

    Yall have a blessed day 🙏

    Anna and Max the Cat 🐈 (with a clean litter box)

  • An Endless Cycle…Hospital, Pills,  Doctors not taking pain seriously 💊

    Dear Readers,

    I was back in the hospital 🏥 over the weekend, unfortunately due to severe pain as well as severe constipation. I did not necessary want to go, I called an ambulance to check me out but unfortunately was forced to go with them (something I didn’t realize they could do)

    I have been having issues with medications for pain. The hospital actually didn’t really prescribe anything except torridal (I hope that’s spelled correctly) which is a very strong NSAID (like advil) used for inflammatory purposes. It actually has stopped working for my pain but I do not have very many other options. I do have some leftover vicoden as well as oxycontin from other visits…

    It is a mystery why they do not work, however I still take the torridal which is consipating and very hard on the stomach. It is due to this that I am in a endless cycle if I don’t take the medicine the pain is to great but it causes severe constipation and then I  right back where I started.

    On another note the hospital wanted to try the drug neurotin for my pain. However, I only took it for a few days as the sedation effect was so great, I could barely lift my head from the pillow. They want me to continue the drug but I have not quite decided. I started with 100 mg and it would take a much larger dose to be helpful and would also take a great many weeks to find out if it is effective 😪

    Thirdly, the doctors at  the hospital once again blew off my pain. (Something I am no stranger too) They neurologist there was quite nonchalant and frankly callous (telling me to go find a pain management doctor because my tests keep coming up negative) He had no answers for me (neither did the head doctor who I told about the pain being so bad I was having a tough time functioning) He said take the neurotin and that should take care of it and he left the room.

    After going on 4 years of this I don’t quite understand why just because your scans come back negative the doctors don’t believe that you are still in great pain (it’s a big mystery) 😪

    Unfortunately, as of now the cycle seems to be a revolving door, constant hospital stays, consipating medicine (which doesnt work) and negative scans which doctors sont take seriously)

    If any of my readers have experienced anything like this please feel free to comment.

    God bless yall thank you for reading and have a wonderful day

    Anna and Max the Cat 🐈 😻

  • Teeth and tattoos 😬

    Name the most expensive personal item you’ve ever purchased (not your home or car).

    I would imagine that I’ve spent a massive amount of money on  my teeth for crowns and cavities etc..unfortunately 😬 which possibly could all be undone due to my inability to keep good dental hygiene due to chronic pain..

    In the past, I also spent quite a lot on some tattoos. Before my chronic pain hit my ex-boyfriend and I went down to Los Angeles so that I could get a memorial tattoo for my mother 👩 In the image of a ceramic angel that I gifted her.

    Earlier, in my 20s I got several Kanji tattoos on my legs and ankles. Kanji are Japanese lettering. I have a very large one here on my leg.. Unfortunately the message is not a very positive one. . It reads Empty Soul… The one on the ankle is more positive and reads courage..😃

    Thank you for reading 📚 and God bless yall

    Max and Anna the Cat 🐈 😻

  • Misunderstanding of Chronic Pain..

    I believe that this week I have never been so misunderstood in my pain, I actually had a pet sitter say to me”Why can’t you just be normal?”

  • Dear readers for Saturday and short update on condition

    Dear Readers,

    So much has happened lately 😕 I sure would like to start writing about it soon, however my pain has worsened and right now I am really uncertain what will happen to me or Max. There is still a possibility of moving into a place where I can get better care, however I am not sure how that would go and I don’t know how Max could go with me, so I have some very valid and worrisome concerns. I just thought I would let yall know, thank you for reading 📚

    P.S. one change is I removed my  nose piercings at the request of my dentist the other day which I have had for many years. The dentist wanted them removed siting perhaps they were contributing to my pain. I do not believe so, however I did remove them, even though they had been a strange part of my identity for many years. I now look totally different!.Lol.

    The dentist also said that I did not have a tooth decay infection as was previously thought to be contributing to my pain, but that I still have severe TMJ but failed to recommend anywhere to go for help 😢

    It was also suggested to me by a new psychiatrist that this issue was all in my head 😑 (frustrating but not surprising)

    God bless yall 🙏

    Yours truly and hopefully still together

    Anna and Max the Cat 🐈 😻

  • Chronic Pain Quotes for Saturday

    Dear Readers,

    Chronic Pain quotes for Saturday..

    MAX AND I LOVE ❤️ PUMPKIN PATCHES 🎃
    CHRONIC PAIN WARRIOR FLOWER COLORS 🌼 🌸

    Anna and Max the Cat 🐈

  • Dear Readers, Missing Max the Cat 🐈 MISSING YOUR PET

    Dear Readers,

    I am still in the hospital as they try to find a medication that can somewhat control my pain as I await transfer 🏥  to a rehab facility. So far, they have not had much luck with pain control, and I am concerned that I will not have much success if they do not.

    However, I have been away from Max the Cat for almost two weeks, and we have rarely been separated, I know that for those of you who have pets, you would most likely feel the same way and I greatly empathize. I imagine that Max (my pet) and I am sure your pet, if you were in a similar situation, would want you to continue to work hard and not give up so you can come home to them 😉

    Unfortunately, today is found out that his current pet sitter has not been giving him the correct diet, and I am concerned that he could have been harmed, so learning this definitely does not help the issue, but I will just have to trust.

    Just out of curiosity… if anyone would like to comment. How do you feel, or how do you cope when you miss your pet?

    Thank yall so much for reading 📚 and have a wonderful day.

  • Dear Readers for Saturday

    Dear readers,

    I apologize for not posting lately 😕 or keeping up with others’ work. I have been in the hospital 🏥 in celebration, florida for a week. Unfortunately 😔 I will also not be going home to my apartment 😕  I am going to go to a rehab facility for other medical issues as well as the chronic pain. Unfortunately 😔 here in the hospital, they still have not been able to get the face and bad teeth pain under control 😫

    Max, the cat 🐈 and I have been separated and I am not sure when I will see him again. I miss him very much 😢

    I want to say thank you to my readers and hope you all have a blessed weekend 😊

    Anna (and Max) even though he isn’t currently with me.

    I am still very much in the chronic pain fight!

  • Dear readers

    One of the worst things about this current flare-up of pain isn’t just the emergency rooms or the bad teeth. It’s the fact that I’m not to write much 😪 and I must tell yall I certainly do miss posting the daily prompts, fun stories and hopefully informative articles, plus I get a lot of joy out of writing as well. I really wish I knew just when or even if this current flare will end

    Until next time,

    Have a blessed week

    Anna and Max 😺

  • More “funny chronic pain memes 🤣 “sort of”

  • “Candy Fatigue,” aka Pill Fatigue No more useless pills, please!


    Dear readers,

    I  don’t know about y’all, but I certainly have ‘pill fatigue’. Y’all know those brightly colored things that come in a prescription bottle, those things that kind of remind you of little pieces of candy.

    Every day when I have to take mine, I like to imagine that they are brightly colored skittles, y’all know, the tiny candy that comes in all kinds o

    of flavors.


    If any of you have ever been on a strict pill regimen for anything, then you will be familiar. If not, that’s okay.

    When I came back from the emergency room last week, I had two more ‘candy’ pills to add to my collection. The doctor there prescribed oxyxontin  (believe it or not) for facial pain, as well as some ketorolac (which is prescribed as an anti-inflammatory for severe pain).

    I took this in the hospital as well as morphine. They really pulled out the big guns.


    So, unfortunately, I have to add these to my collection of colorful ‘candy’-coated misery that doesn’t work!

    Sadly, the doctor at the emergency room was quite rude and didn’t listen. I kept mentioning that strong pain medication as well as anti-inflammatories do nothing for my pain.

    I’m thinking, ‘No offense, lady, but I wish I knew what would work.’ Why won’t you listen and suggest something that might?’Why don’t you just stop prescribing useless.pills?’

    As some of you might know, when your doctor prescribes a new pill, the side effects can sometimes be worse than the so-called cure

    My medicine cabinet is already overflowing! No more useless  pills, please 🙏

    My psychiatrist is mad at me, too! She keeps wanting me to try new pills 💊 and I keep telling her, “No, thank you, I am already on five!”

    So, in conclusion, dear readers, I have pill fatigue.

    I don’t want any more to add to my ‘Candy Collection,’ except maybe some Valium (another psychiatric suggestion) because it might possibly relax the muscles in my face and jaw leading to some possible pain relief 😮‍💨

    If y’all don’t really understand, that is cool; I just thought I would throw this out there!

    Thanks so much, dear readers and subscribers. Have a wonderful day.

    Anna and Max The Cat 🐈 😻

  • More Funny Chronic Pain Memes 😀

  • “I’m fine” Everything is cool 😎

    If you had to give up one word that you use regularly, what would it be?

    Hmm, let me think 🤔 stop saying a word that I use regularly. I would really enjoy giving up the phrase “I’m fine”

    I use this phrase quite frequently when speaking 🔊 with others, even if the phrase is not true at that particular time.

    I tend to be a person who tells folks what they want to hear rather than the actual truth. Unfortunately, it just seems a little easier to do things that way. 😕

    Just out of curiosity, does anyone else do this sometimes?