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Back Pain Community

Reply: It feels so good to do nothing

Dear TRS 1960, Hope you were able to rest over the weekend. I hope your daughter came...

Posted by aprilrose9

13 Replies | Reply | Watch This DiscussionReport This| Share this:It feels so good to do nothing Dear TRS 1960, Hope you were able to rest over the weekend. I hope your daughter came...

Reply: It feels so good to do nothing

Hello Friend, I am so sorry to hear about all of your difficulties. I will keep you in...

Posted by aprilrose9

13 Replies | Reply | Watch This DiscussionReport This| Share this:It feels so good to do nothing Hello Friend, I am so sorry to hear about all of your difficulties. I will keep you in...

Reply: It feels so good to do nothing

Hi Friend! -- So sorry to hear you have been going through so much. I wish I could help...

Posted by aprilrose9

13 Replies | Reply | Watch This DiscussionReport This| Share this:It feels so good to do nothing Hi Friend! -- So sorry to hear you have been going through so much. I wish I could help...

Reply: Aprilerose9

Dear TRS 1960, Good Day! You have so much to consider at this time. How does your wife...

Posted by aprilrose9

5 Replies | Reply | Watch This DiscussionReport This| Share this:Aprilerose9 Dear TRS 1960, Good Day! You have so much to consider at this time. How does your wife...

Reply: Spinal Fusion L4-S1

Dear Jillybeans 1205, You requested feedback from former anterior spinal fusion...

Posted by aprilrose9

9 Replies | Reply | Watch This DiscussionReport This| Share this:Spinal Fusion L4-S1 Dear Jillybeans 1205, You requested feedback from former anterior spinal fusion...

Reply: Aprilerose9

TRS1960--Hi Friend, So nice to hear from you. I wanted the book you recommended, in the...

Posted by aprilrose9

TRS1960--Hi Friend, So nice to hear from you. I wanted the book you recommended, in the old fashioned form. I normally order from one site and it was out. Ordered from another site via snail mail and it has yet to arrive at my doorstep.

Trust me, if I was upset with you, I would talk it out. I cannot even think of anything you have said, that would bother me. I consider you a friend and have appreciated your help.

The truth is, my pain level is down after 7 very terrible years. I have always struggled after a long pain period. In the past, a long pain period has been six months, not seven years.

The truth is, I am more sad and not concerned about pain. If I spill the beans, I feel I will get a load of judgement piled on me. People have been less than sympathetic the last several years. We have had a recent death in the family, which has rocked our household. While I have been in pain for a long time, my husband has always been employed and at least we had food, shelter and cars.

My very educated husband, lost his business. We have lost all that first he and I worked for, until I was injured and then all he worked for for decades. We once had a home over a half million dollars, beautiful furniture, a few expensive sports cars in the garage, stocks, retirement account and money in the bank. Please, stop groaning and hear me out.

Both my husband and myself come from very simple backgrounds. I was raised by a single mother who struggled financially for my entire childhood. At ten, I cared for my 2yr old and 6yr old sisters, grocery shopped, cooked, cleaned, mowed the grass ect. In my spare time, I had to take all the babysitting jobs I could find in my area. I had to work for 35 cents per hour, so I would be in demand with all the mothers. After playing with the children and putting them to bed, I then washed dishes and cleaned. I was never allowed to be a kid.

I worked two jobs to put myself through school. I thought my career would be my way out and I would not have to worry about money in adulthood. I was going to go to CRNA school, when I got hurt. I knew I would love the work and it completely suited my meticulous personality. I did not want to do it for the money, although the salary is about 170K right now. I knew my job was arduous and I did not want to get injured. Too late! Hurt myself before I could start school.

My husband has not been able to find work. FOR TEN YEARS! We have lost everything: forclosed home, sold cars, stocks and burned through the savings years ago. We live in a dump. Yes, I know at least I am not homeless. We could not pay our rent last year and after selling everything the last ten years, I had nothing more to sell. Early on, I sold 50K of furniture, in a rush to get 6K so we could move into an apartment, have something to live on and give my husband time to find work.

No one will hire my husband. He has an MBA and certified lean six sigma black belt. Who cares about and old guy in this economy?

I know we all have a story to tell. But, after the childhood I went through, I wanted so much more for myself. I gave you the sanitized version of my childhood. Leaving out the death threats and the uglier parts.

Do I not deserve to feel a little sorry for myself? Being bedridden for seven years, I was first, trying to survive. Now that I have come up for air, I am really seeing the fallout. Please cut me some slack. Just want to be sad for a little bit, but I am trying to start picking up the pieces.

We all have so much to face. I read things here, that make me want to cry. I wish I could hug people through the screen. Thank goodness, nice people like you have reached out to me during this difficult time. Please, people do not write to me, telling me to get help. I am, just a little sad, with the death in the family, unemployment issue and the financial things.

I have to add, I LOVED my job and considered it a privilege to take care of patients. I really miss it!View Thread

Posted byaprilrose9

5 Replies | Reply | Watch This DiscussionReport This| Share this:Aprilerose9 TRS1960--Hi Friend, So nice to hear from you. I wanted the book you recommended, in the...

I AM SO ANGRY!

Am I the only person with back pain, who is frustrated with the pain control clinics. I...

Posted by aprilrose9

Am I the only person with back pain, who is frustrated with the pain control clinics. I am not talking about the continuous drug testing and some of the other loops we seem to have to jump through as patients, but some of the other infuriating things I have had to go through the last year. Actually, I have decades of poor care to complain about, but I will try to stick with my most recent complaint.

I loved my last physician, he treated me with respect and kindness. His office staff was wonderful. It was the first office for pain control I had been to, where you could call with a problem and you knew someone would follow through with a solution by the end of the day.

I was so happy to have found this doctor and his wonderful staff. My only regret had been, not finding him earlier, since it could have saved me so many years of pain and suffering.

I hoped to stay with him for many years. Thinking I was finally set, feeling grateful for my discovery, I received the news the doctor was retiring earlier than he wanted to, due to his own health problems.

His patients were shattered. All of us wondering where we would go and knowing we would never find a physician and staff where we would receive the same quality care.

Now to why I am so angry? Do we have to, as patients, be subjected to such indifferent office staff? The physicians realize there are many patients out there, thus they do not have to monitor their own staff or moderate their own behavior when dealing with patients. I have seen posts about my current physician which read: condesending, arrogant, poor listener and the list goes on.

Last week, I became increasingly disturbed as I watched the numerous office workers treat each patient like a number. This is longstanding attitude towards the patients. I learned from past experience, physicians do not want feedback concerning their practice. It is hard enough, sitting in pain in a physicians office, without being treated like a dirty piece of gum, stuck to the bottom of the office workers shoe. I and all the rest of us, deserve to be treated with respect.

I wish I could change physicians. The problem is driving distance to different practices. I have to be able to drive myself and I need a practice close by when I am in alot of pain. So, last week, my doctor brings up my weight. I was not offended, because I have a mirror in my house and know-- I am fat. I became overweight due to uncontrolled pain, which lead to YEARS in bed. He wondered who my physician was at the time, so I throw out the dreaded name. I should have known better than to go to a physician, who went to one of the lowest ranking medical schools in the country.

He knows how much I suffered, and he starts defending this doctor to me. Telling me she is, "A GOOD DOCTOR". I can't think of anything else to say, other than I completely disagreed. They all have each other in their back pockets.

I think the quality of care for us pain sufferers, is rapidly deteriorating. The number of pain control clinics will diminish, as the big clinics take over, giving us fewer and fewer options. I am already unhappy, being a part of a cold, pain clinic machine. Shame on these people!

I know the day will come, when more is learned about pain. Medicine at that time will marvel at the "dark age " mentality of our current medical practices. By the time this happens, we will all be long gone. The victims of the current, erroneous attitudes and standard of care. For now we are stuck, medicine is a business and the quality of care follows the money. This is why ICU's, Cardiac Units and Labor and Delivery get the dollars. While the psych units go by the wayside and the dialysis units are tucked away in the oldest, most cockroach infested part of the hospitals, because they are not money makers.

O.K. I am done. Is anyone else angry?View Thread

Posted byaprilrose9

10 Replies | Reply | Watch This DiscussionReport This| Share this:I AM SO ANGRY! Am I the only person with back pain, who is frustrated with the pain control clinics. I...

Reply: EMG

Hi,jujulang--Thank you for letting me know how things went. Hope you get a good result...

Posted by aprilrose9

14 Replies | Reply | Watch This DiscussionReport This| Share this:EMG Hi,jujulang--Thank you for letting me know how things went. Hope you get a good result...

Reply: Spinal Fusion L4-S1

It must be a sign, since I see this was just posted. I hate it when people send out bad...

Posted by aprilrose9

It must be a sign, since I see this was just posted. I hate it when people send out bad news to others, when their mind is already made up.

I was 32 when I was injured, told the same anterior fusion would do the trick and I would be back working as an R.N. in the ICU in 4 months. I too, was fairly newly married. Also, I looked at the surgery as something that would help me get on with my life.

This may be a good decision for you and it appears you have firmly made up your mind. I have had back surgery x3 and a SCS placed. The anterior fusion was by far the most painful. I also had some post op complications. Post op temp of 104. IV antibiotics, resp. therapy tx, p.illius, blood transfusion and skin breakdown in two places. When I came out of the anesthesia, I knew I was in trouble. The pain was so great, I felt like I had surgery at a hospital that was missing a pharmacy.

This is a serious surgery and must be viewed this way. Also, if you must go through with this, and are having the surgery at a teaching hospital, consider stating clearly on your consent form, who you want doing your surgery. My surgery was changed at the very last minute, I never signed a consent form and the resident did my surgery.

I have ended up with so much scar tissue, I was recently bedridden for 95% of the time for seven years. I have a high tollerance for pain, i.e. broke a foot and never knew it, broke an ankle and didn't know it until bone spurs caused me to wake up with my toes pointed, and I was unable to put my foot flat. I get my cavities filled minus anything to numb the area.

I honestly do not want to offend or scare you. I swear. We all have to make our own decisions, but I can only tell you that you may get good results or you may have a negative outcome.

There is currently nothing anyone can really do for me. I have been in pain now, every day of my life for over 25yrs. As you age, it just gets harder and harder. I regret the surgery all the time. The pain can be so bad, I have prayed for God to give me something that will kill me. This is not depression, this is desperation. The way an animal chews off his leg after getting caught in a trap.

I will probably get banned from this site for speaking to you like this, but if I can get you to really think about this before you make a move, I feel I have done the right thing. Just remember, you really overdid it and it is no wonder you ended up in pain. Your back anatomy is different due to your injury. The surgery will change it even more. you will loose the natural "S" curve of your spine post op. You will forever have a "flat back" after the surgery is done.

Even if you move forward, bone growth occurs slowly and you may not get bone union for 18 months. I ended us with horrible SI joint pain about 2 years post op and lost my ability to sit. This has never gone away and is far more painful than back pain. Ask yourself if you want to spend the rest of your life horizontal?

How many opinions have you had? Please consider the idea of a less invasive approach first and move to a more aggressive approach in the future. You cannot undo this surgery.

I cannot tell you how much your story has touched me. I will be praying for a good outcome and that everyone involved in your care has your best interest in mind.

One last thing. Realize the limited mobility you will have with your anterior fusion. You do miss the mobility once it is gone. Please don't be too angry with me. I am truly only wanting to help. I once wrote on this site, how much I hated it when other people scared people concerning proceedures and surgery. This surgery should be of concern to you. I wish someone had told me so I could have made an educated decision.

All My Best, April Rose9View Thread

Posted byaprilrose9

9 Replies | Reply | Watch This DiscussionReport This| Share this:Spinal Fusion L4-S1 It must be a sign, since I see this was just posted. I hate it when people send out bad...

Reply: pain only when lying down

To pain only when I am lying down. I hope you can find the info I sent you. It is under,...

Posted by aprilrose9

44 Replies | Reply | Watch This DiscussionReport This| Share this:pain only when lying down To pain only when I am lying down. I hope you can find the info I sent you. It is under,...

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