trt,
She's full of sh*t! There is LOT's more that you can take. She told you a bald faced lie. Chronic pain can be managed.

Vicodin is typically "500/5" which means 500 mg of Tylenol (or acetominophen) and 5 mg of hydrocodone (the narcotic). Following the guidelines you can only take an additional 150 mg of tylenol every 4 hours if you are taking the standard 500/5 dose. The following is from the guidelines:"(Acetaminophen, 650 mg every 4 h or 1 gm every 6 h (daily maximum 4 g/d)
(use caution with combination products to prevent excess acetaminophen ingestion)"

Using their own formulas, if you take 3 Vicodin then you have also taken 1500 mg of Tylenol (although my PDR recommends no more than 2 Vicodins/4hr)

The PDR also says if you are taking 2 Vicodins/4hr or more you shouldn't be driving.

YOU HAVE A RIGHT TO ADEQUATE PAIN MANAGEMENT - PERIOD! This is the kind of stuff that makes my blood boil. She obviously knows NOTHING about pain manangemet. I would call the hospital omsbudsman and file a complaint. Demand an immediate visit with the MO, explain in numeric terms (0 being the least and 10 being the worst) what your pain threshold is. (See "Pain-A, page 1"). They asked me at EVERY visit in radiation what my pain threashold was.

Here is a link to the complete NCCN Oncology Practice Guidelines for adult cancer pain management.
http://www.nccn.org/professionals/physician_gls/PDF/pain.pdf

I have to admit though that is wasn't the RO that managed my meds - it was the MO.

Most of us had some fluid buildup and ear pain so that is fairly normal.

Some hospitals have pain management specialists.