IC Inbox (v1.0)

[jumpthegun]

You've reached Dr. John Watson. Please leave a message.

Comments

[jumpthegun]

Thank you. What seems to be the problem, Lutha?

[hangfire]

issues with a missing limb

feeling pain where there isnt anything to feel anymore

i figured i could either drive myself mad or see if one of you had advice on what exactly to be doing

[jumpthegun]

It's called phantom pain and it's very likely overactive nerve endings that used to connect to your severed limbs. There are a few different medication options for treatment. They all come with their own potential side-effects, but I'd recommend tramadol to start. That'll relieve pain, help balance you out, and assist with any sleeping difficulties you've been having, all in one fell swoop. The side effects are the least potentially severe, as well, so long as you aren't bent on keeping up an active sex life.

[hangfire]

[He reads it over a few times. The sex life jab aside, it's a lot of information, coupled with some different terms that he's not familiar with. But, more importantly:]

i dont understand

youre talking like this isnt just all in my head

[jumpthegun]

Your brain is in your head, Lutha. And your brain is what processes everything you feel. When you're missing a limb, the nerves where it's been severed sometimes respond as if it's still there because your brain wasn't designed to deal with a missing limb. It processes those signals from your nerves and feels pain where there shouldn't be any because it's not getting any other feedback from that missing limb.

If you mean it's not real, no. It's very real, and it's treatable. The medicine will calm down your nerves and adjust how your brain is dealing with those signals it's getting. That should relieve the symptoms.

[hangfire]

no i know my brain is in my head

thats

theres no way that can be all there is to it

something else has to stop working at some point

[Because why else would the weak of mind be thrown out after too many matchups with a disciplinary blade?]

[jumpthegun]

Something else like what? This is a medical condition. You mean like brain injury?

[hangfire]

no

yes

fuck

thats just how this is supposed to work isn't it

people go absolutely mad after losing body parts for a reason right

[jumpthegun]

Is people losing body parts a regular occurrence where you're from? None of the ones I've known have gone mad, though. Many of them have to deal with phantom pain symptoms like you're experiencing, but that's not a universal response. And like I said, that's treatable.

[hangfire]

in some circles yes its either discipline or punishment or a hazard of existence

[He needs a second to get his thoughts together now, though. If Clint hadn't been lying about his hearing aids, then maybe the doctor wasn't necessarily lying, either... despite his gut reaction saying otherwise.]

im not trying to argue with you here doctor and im sorry

i was just expecting something different



you mentioned side effects before

what does that mean

[jumpthegun]

[John raises his remaining brow, a frown of severe disapproval on this face that Lutha can't see. Well, no wonder this man is so messed up. Look at the world he came from! He doesn't say that, but he thinks it very hard in Lutha's direction.]

Medicines are designed for a certain purpose. Sometimes while you're curing one thing, you're disrupting another. The drugs that get to market typically have side effects that are less severe than whatever you're treating or they're an unfortunate result of getting rid of a very serious problem.

Phantom pain is a chronic condition. The side effects for what I'm recommending can, but do not always, include a lowered sex drive, sleepiness, dry mouth, blurred vision, or weight gain. Again, these are only possible effects of taking the medication. Some people don't experience any side-effects, and we can adjust a dosage of a medication or switch to a similar one if there are any issues with the first. Some things work better for some people based on the specific chemistry of their body.

[hangfire]

[His world is sunshine and flowers, Watson, what are you talking about.]

so its like people getting ill off of herbal treatments when it works just fine for others

where you dont really know whats going to happen until you take it

right

[jumpthegun]

We have a decent idea of the range of possible side-effects. We're not going into this blind, Lutha. Would you like a prescription?

[hangfire]

[Another long pause.]

is it from one of the stocks thats already gone low

its been a month or so since your last public update on that as far as i can recall

[jumpthegun]

No. Those are painkillers. This is a specialty drug that wouldn't fall under that category, even if it'll address your pain.

[And you're not getting a private update, Lutha.]

[hangfire]

understood

yes then

ill take it

[jumpthegun]

All right. The drug I'm going to start you on is called amitriptyline. You're going to have a starting dose of 75 mg/day. It'll be broken up into three pills each day. One in the morning, one in the afternoon, and one just before you go to bed. As a warning, it may take a few days, up to a week, for the medicine to start working. It's one of those things where you body needs to adjust to the drug and that might happen faster or slower depending on your particular body make-up.

I'll let you know as soon as I get a response from the ADMIN on the script. You'll be able to find it in the next house you search after that.

[hangfire]

you just swallow them right or is there a trick to doing this

[jumpthegun]

Just swallow them, that's right. I'd recommend doing it with water to make it easier on yourself. If you feel nauseous after the first few doses, try to take the medication with food. That should ease it. That's not one of the typical side-effects, but it's a possibility.

[hangfire]

[He'll just make a mental note to do that anyway. Stopping to eat that often doesn't sit too well with him, but maybe if he just divides his already-divided rations enough, he could make it work...]

ill keep that in mind then



thank you

[jumpthegun]

You're welcome. I'll keep you updated on the Admin's reply.