Chronic, see my post in the fibromyalgia thread about the 18 yo FM patient at 3am in the ED one night.
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=60862
My brain still hurts from that encounter.
I had seen it and in fact I posted earlier on in that thread.
It is amusing at times to talk with some of the folks who carry a dx of fibromyalgia or other such disorders.
I listen to them and think to myself maybe I have it. After a 10 hour case (not to mention 2 other shorter cases) bent over someone elses back and wearing a lead apron all day I am fatigued, my muscles are sore and ache and my feet kill me. When I get home all I want to do is sit on the couch and when I get up my feet hurt so bad I have trouble walking.
When I go and get a massage they tell me how tight all of my muscles are and about all the knots. I have counted and I have at least 15+ trigger points in my shoulders and upper back alone.
Oh wait, I take some ibuprofen, do my chores, go to sleep and wake up again and go back to work!
Sorry, I'm grumpy.
I had to deal with one of these folks today (FMS patient) as well as a spouse with Munchausens by proxy.
Her husband had a large disc herniation that was causing leg weakness. We got that out and his strength is better and he told the nurse his pain was a 1/10. We are talking to him and the wife reminds him to tell us that he is in horrible pain and can't walk right. His ambulation is fine.
Same lady who called the patient advocate without ever speaking to the patients nurse of the charge nurse because we had not checked on him the night he had surgery or early the next morning and she assumed that we would.
When we asked her if we had ever told her we would be by at those times she replied. "No, I just assumed you would".
Same lady who wanted me to prescribe Trazadone (asked for it by name) to help her husband sleep, this was pre-op.
I told her that once the herniation was gone that he would probably sleep like a baby and would most likely not need it. I was told that I needed to be more sensitive and "treat the whole patient".
I ordered Ambien and was reprimanded by her because it causes blood clots!
Arrghh!!!!!!!
Sorry for going OT, just had to rant.