Pain

I developed tendonitis in the Summer of 2005. It started with extreme pain in one of my wrists and only really hurt if I used the wrist. I thought nothing of it and continued on with daily activities. It got worse over that week and soon I couldn't lift anything over a few lbs without pain. The doctor took a look and said it was tendonitis and to just baby it for a while. Don't use the wrist, ice it, and it should be fine. I did this and sure enough, the pain went away.

The tendonitis came back about once every other month, but it wasn't as bad as the first. Well now the pain is getting bad. It is happening more than one a month now and lasts for a long time. Technically the pain never really stops but gets worse at times during the month. Just recently, within the past month, I can't even lift myself onto counters and lifting is part of my job. I have to carry heavy boxes from the back of the store up to the cafe (not a short walk) and the strain on my wrists makes them ache like crazy througout the day and at night. This past week, the wrists feel stiff and hurt more often. I've tried everything to get rid of this pain, except prescription painkillers. Pain patches, ibuprofen, ect. Nothing really works anymore. Icyhot only works for so long. I try to tell my grandmother and my mom, but they think I'm just complaining. Should I go to a doctor? The reason I ask is because I have no health insurance since I'm not full time at school. If I go, it could get expensive.

Yes, you should definitely go to the doctor.

It sounds like you could use some physical therapy. You also need to ease up on your activity until it can heal completely.

I just found a new product that helped me a bit. It's called Arnica gel/cream. You may want to give it a try. I found it at GNC, and it worked wonders on my knee.

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Yes, you should definitely go to the doctor.

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I fully agree, chronic pain can actually do more harm to your body than you might think. If insurance is an issue you should check out the free clinic in Richmond. I work for the free clinic in Cleveland and all the people we treat don't have insurance but get great care. I have a feeling they will give you an air-brace to wear for a while until you are able to have the necessary surgery. The link is below.

http://www.fanfreeclinic.org/

Best of luck to you!