No More Narcotics

It's been three days since my last dose and I've decided that means I am really done with the narcotics.

No I'm not a druggie.

But nearly 4 weeks of constant pain relief via narcotics was starting to make me nervous. And the internet doesn't help.

The more I searched for specifics about chemical dependency, addiction to pain pills and withdrawal symptoms, the vaguer the info I found. "People who take opiates for pain after a surgery can find themselves dependent on narcotics if they take them long enough" -- I read over and over, in different words and on a multitude of websites. But not a single one could pinpoint how long was "long enough" and how much was "too much," leaving me with two options: 1. Ask my doctor or 2. Decide it was time to stop.

So, of course, I decided to stop taking the narcotics. That's when I found myself absorbed in articles and opinions by random people (on the web, mind you) about how to wean oneself off pain meds. I'll just summarize by saying: the results of my research where inconclusive. In other words, no one online knows what they're taking about. So again, I decided to just make it up, as that's what it seems like everyone else is doing.

After a couple days of taking one less, then two less, then three less pills, I found myself at the point of taking of zero narcotics.

Woohoo!

Or not?

I don't know if I'm actually in withdrawal or just feeling crappy but so far I have difficulty getting to sleep at night, night sweats (multiple times each night), and weird tingling/burning/stabing feelings in my feet. I literally feel like someone has put something poky and fat (like a marble or a rock) between by fourth and pinky toe on my most damaged foot. No matter how many times I check it out, there is still nothing there. I also sometimes feel like something is stabing me in the bottom of my bad foot -- inside the cast mind you, so I cannot confirm that I'm delusional. It's terrific. Oh, and to top it off I've been exhausted.

So basically, I'm tired, but can't sleep, and when I do get to sleep I wake up wet with sweat and feeling like imaginary monsters are poking my feet. It's a laugh a minute. But this too shall pass... someday... sometime between a week and year from now according to the interwebs.

For now I will just enjoy the outdoors, good friends, delicious food and a glass of sparkly wine.

My reward: lunch with my mom and grandma in beautiful Kenwood. Best ribs ever.