I walked into my rheumatologist’s office, well walk is such a strong word, a word that makes you think I was actually standing upright when I entered the office, I was more hunched over to my right side as this tends to help keep the pain to a dull roar, opposed to walking erect.

I sit down in a room and wait my turn. She comes in about 20 minutes later and I start to tell her what is going on, she looks me over and tells me that it sounds like it is Costochondritis. Now I have already done my own research and that was the conclusion that I came up with as well, so I think we are on the right track. We discussed management of it along with my other issues and we decided that if Tramadol is working for me then let’s stay the course. After my exam and talking about my other issues, she wrote me a script for 90 Tramadol, which is 50mg 3x a day for 30 days. She also wrote me a muscle relaxer to take at night and some lidocaine patches for topical application.

I walk (well hunch) out of the office with the thoughts that maybe we are getting somewhere now in my head.

Two days after the script is filled, the pain is not getting better, in fact, it is worse. I called my rheumatologist and she upped the dose to 100mg three times a day.

That is currently working and I can function like a normal person for the most part. Well, the function is such a strong word, but we will leave that alone for now.

Now comes the problem of getting the script updated and refilled. I wait a few weeks, hoping that it will all shake out on its own. Fat chance of that working and I have to call my pharmacy and explain the situation to them. They tell me that they can’t fill the script for 14 more days. OMG, I’m nearly out of pills now (two days left and you want me to stretch it to two weeks. I called my rheumatologist who called the pharmacist. I called the pharmacist back and explained once again. I tell them the date she increased and how many pills I have left. Thankfully, the tech I was talking to, was nice enough to talk with the pharmacist who had talked to my rheumatologist already but hadn’t updated my notes yet. So it all worked out and I now have 180 pill supply (2-50mg pills 3x a day for 30 days).

Victory is mine (we have to celebrate the small victories)