For most people this might be too analytical and geeky, but: can you come up with a way, using objective measures, to quantify the thresholds for when to take which drugs? I'm thinking of stuff like "if doing X causes Y result, then codeine is called for" or the like. Y can't be a measure of perceived pain (that's your current problem), but are there, for example, tasks of fine motor control that become impossible at certain pain levels? Can you develop a test suite?
I don't know. Maybe. I'll put up some Post-It notes to remind me to be thinking about that. Of course, whatever tests I come up with, I'll wind up second-guessing the design of the tests, but maybe the first half of the problem can be addressed ...
One stumbling block (which might not be a show-stopper) is that different parts of my body are affected at different times, which complicates the "Can I do $foo?" test. Another problem is that when I'm doing poorly enough to need drugs is also when I'm not thinking most effectively either, so I need reminders to apply the tests.
Yeah, it's awfully analytical and downright geeky, but hey, I overthink and analyze already, so what's a little more note-taking to gather data to design a "do I need drugs" test, eh?
You didn't know about my ichthanthropy? I'll try to remember to write a journal entry explaining that soon.
This is tentative, but I'm wondering if you need to give up "bad enough to need drugs" and "cheating" as part of your decisions to take pain killers, and possibly substitute a "best estimate of quality of life" standard.
(no subject)
were-catfish thing
???
(no subject)
One stumbling block (which might not be a show-stopper) is that different parts of my body are affected at different times, which complicates the "Can I do $foo?" test. Another problem is that when I'm doing poorly enough to need drugs is also when I'm not thinking most effectively either, so I need reminders to apply the tests.
Yeah, it's awfully analytical and downright geeky, but hey, I overthink and analyze already, so what's a little more note-taking to gather data to design a "do I need drugs" test, eh?
You didn't know about my ichthanthropy? I'll try to remember to write a journal entry explaining that soon.
(no subject)