Pain Control (or the lack of)

Today was the culmination of a very long week...

I can't take NSAIDS because of a very (apparently) damaged stomach, although my consultant recently asked me to try Mobic which I had to stop as it still caused my stomach a lot of pain.

So I'm using Solpadol when it gets bad enough and I need to clean or garden or something. However, I hate using such a strong painkiller, especially when all it really does is take the top edge off the pain.

So being a very determined lady who hates drugs of any kind, over the last 2 days I didn't take any pain relief. I spent half of today in tears and frustration. I caved at about 6pm and took a dose of Solpadol.

I also rang a local excellent deep tissue massage lady (A Woman's World in Gort) and booked myself in for tomorrow (which will cost me 25% of my weekly income as my consultant won't offer me physiotherapy).

Now... why aren't the HSE providing physiotherapy ? Why have I not been offered disease altering RA drugs ? Why are they letting my joints disintegrate, as well as my spine and not offering anything other than NSAIDS which they know I can't take, and Solpadol which I'm told I can't take many of as it 'isn't allowed' and I may get 'addicted' ?