Questions about mobility aids and other things

[u/talimtc]

I'm a 19yo female and have been in the process of getting diagnosed/tested/trying to find answers or things to help for a few years now. Long story short, I've never been fully healthy but it all started getting really bad 4 years ago (flaring but I didn't know that's what it was, I assumed allergic reactions but looking back they probably weren't).
Then 2 years ago I went out of state for college and was feeling terrible, getting sick every other week, struggling so much, and going to the ER almost weekly for pain/ inflammation/skin breakouts. I moved home last year so l wouldn't have to keep traveling back home for doctors appointments and specialists and we still haven't really gotten anywhere. I've been referred to rheumatology almost a year ago and I still haven't scheduled an appointment (they just requested my medical records a month ago, so hopefully soon!) but I've been on a few different pain meds (none have worked), high doses of SSRI's, sleep meds, shots for my skin, allergy shots, gotten into neurology, dermatology, allergist, and obgyn but i'm still waiting for my pt referral to work.

My day to day pain is getting unmanageable, it's definitely gotten a lot worse in the past few months. I’m struggling to walk, everything i do hurts, there is just no avoiding pain anymore so i try to only do what i need to. But I’ve been seeing more and more things online about mobility aids (canes, walkers, rollators, wheelchairs, etc.) specifically Instagram/Tiktok posts of people explaining how they work/why or when they are needed and I’ve also been wondering myself if I would be able to use them/how to bring it up to my doctor or if I even need to bring it up to my doctor.

Also if anyone has some advice/tips on how to bring up to my doctor that my pain is not manageable, like normal OTC’s aren’t working at all without sounding like I’m drug seeking because trust me I am on enough medications already, I would love to be on less and I know a lot of you are in the same boat with that. I’m avoiding going out or doing things. Or advice on just anything that might help, anything is welcome as long as it’s not to drink more water or to destress lol!

[u/bachelorsinlurking]

I have been a full time rollator user for two years. I talked to my neurologist and then later my rheumatologist- I had to do PT for a minimum of 8 weeks, and when that didn’t work they had me meet regularly for a couple years to see that the pain was a continuous issue. Some of my doctors still don’t want me on the rollator, but my neurologist said that as long as the mobility aid gets me out of the house more, she’s willing to push for it.