foreversore :- Pain Management Community -: Support Group

Nope Beth I am not a Therese I am a Jenifer. I will try to call tomorrow and if I am...

3 Replies | Reply | Watch This DiscussionReport This| Share this:Haven't been posting much Nope Beth I am not a Therese I am a Jenifer. I will try to call tomorrow and if I am...

Reply: What This Commmunity Means To Me:

Hmmmm.....I too am a medical professional. My degree isn't as high as yours is Beth,...

Posted by foreversore

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Haven't been posting much

Hey all. I haven't been posting much in either of my communities. A lot of it has to do...

Posted by foreversore

Hey all. I haven't been posting much in either of my communities. A lot of it has to do with stress, anxiety, depression and uncontrolled pain. This holiday season is rough for many reasons. I have a hard time dealing with all of the violence in the world and there has been a lot of it lately both here and abroad. I still have also not accepted the "new me". It's been over 3 years and I can't get it to sink in that I will never be "normal" again. My husband and I have been struggling financially for a few years and he got a new job last month (after a year of unemployment and 3 years for me) so we thought our prayers had been answered well 2 weeks ago his boss decided she didn't want to work again until after the holidays so the 2 weeks pay we were going to use for Christmas...gone. So now we are scrambling to provide Christmas gifts to our 3 younger children (9,10,11 yr olds) the 2 older girls (both 18) are happy to get theirs late. We haven't given up on our Christmas miracle happening but time is growing short. i am doing my best to not sink completely into despair because I know that will just make things worse. I really think this is a medication issue that I need to get fixed. My pain is completely uncontrolled as is my anxiety and I don't think my anti depressant is working well either. I have been in crunch situations like this before and didn't feel this low so it has to be the meds. I am hoping to get in to my doctor soon. It would help if I wasn't so exhausted/groggy/confused when his office is open so I can call and have a coherent conversation to obtain an appointment. I don't know exactly why I am more alert late at night but I have an idea. Noise, light and commotion make my brain go into rapid fire mode causing headache, confusion and anxiety. i don't know what all can be done about that but I will bring it up with my doc when I get in. I will try to check in more even if it is just to say Hi I'm hereView Thread

Posted byforeversore

3 Replies | Reply | Watch This DiscussionReport This| Share this:Haven't been posting much Hey all. I haven't been posting much in either of my communities. A lot of it has to do...

Reply: RE: Dr's Taking Away our Meds

Beth, I live in Illinois and have run the gauntlet of specialists for my neck/back/FM...

Posted by foreversore

Beth, I live in Illinois and have run the gauntlet of specialists for my neck/back/FM issues. The original work comp doctor (occupational medicine) I saw started me on Norco and Flexeril and the ortho spine surgeon he sent me to kept me on those same meds for a while. Between those 2 doctors I took those meds all day every day for almost 2 years and then the ortho said I don't treat chronic pain and I don't want to do surgery so you need to go to your primary care and he cut me off cold turkey. Now having said that WITH the Norco and Flexeril my pain level was a 5-6 and I was still miserable. Primary care put me on Tramadol which of course didn't even make a dent in my pain. i was having odd dreams a funny sleeping issues on Tramadol so I was taken off of that and referred to a second ortho spine specialist. They also declined surgery as an option and basically refused to treat me so I was referred to a rheumy. He diagnosed the FM and put me on Savella BID and Flexeril at bedtime only. He then refers me to Pain Management for my neck/back. They did the lumbar epidural first I was immediately worse and still nothing for pain. they did a cervical epidural that did nothing at all and still no pain medication. I am on a cycle where I am awake for about 48 hours and then I fall into bed exhausted. i am in bed for about 12 hours but am lucky to get 3 hours of restless sleep. My days are filled with pain, exhaustion and confusion/fibro fog. I keep forgetting to return phone calls to doctors offices so I am even having a hard time helping myself. During the day noise, light and commotion cause me anxiety, headaches and confusion I seem to be more coherent late at night when I am the only one up and I can sit in darkness and control the noise level around me. Going to the store is a nightmare. I have to go when my hubby is awake during the day because I am afraid to drive. I can't turn my head to see the blind spot. i was denied SSD/SSI so now I have to add lawyer appts to the mix. I refuse to go to the ER because when I do go for a migraine I am treated like a drug addict and I have to have that migraine for 48 hours and not be able to get rid of it on my own before I will go to the ER (my rule not theirs). And of course being a medicaid patient doesn't help matters either. It takes the state a year and a half to pay the doctor the 33 cents on the dollar that they pay him/her so they hate it when patients like me come in. I fear that I am one of those that have fallen through the cracks of the health care system and I don't know how to fix it.View Thread

Posted byforeversore

14 Replies | Reply | Watch This DiscussionReport This| Share this:RE: Dr's Taking Away our Meds Beth, I live in Illinois and have run the gauntlet of specialists for my neck/back/FM...

Reply: II am an addict and have FM

Hi Addictinpain, I am also a member of Web MD's FM community and over there we...

Posted by foreversore

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Reply: New to this forum

Beth I would welcome your comments on my MRI. I know it is just your opinion but being...

Posted by foreversore

Beth I would welcome your comments on my MRI. I know it is just your opinion but being a medical professional myself I know that nurses are a lot smarter than they are given credit for.

I also failed over 6 months of PT. PT made my pain worse (not just the exercises but some of the therapy modalities too). The medications just flat out haven't helped at all and no side effects to those meds. The meds I failed due to side effects were gabapentin and amitriptylene (which I forgot to mention in an earlier post). My Lumbar MRI is from earlier this year but the cervical and thoracic are a few years old. No, no one has suggested getting an updated MRI. I have seen 4 doctors, 2 nurse practitioners and 3 physical therapists in the last 3 1/2 years all for my neck and back issues. I keep getting passed around. Two surgeons already told me they didn't want to do surgery until it became "necessary". When the 2 surgeons (different offices I got a 2nd opinion) discussed my MRI results with me they said I had mild arthritis and there was no way I could be experiencing the level of pain I claimed (this was before my FM Dx). My rheumy who gave me the FM Dx looked at the MRI's and he sent me to pain management mostly due to the lumbar MRI. In addition to the pain my rt leg tends to give out on me with no notice and I fall at least once a week. I had a lumbar epidural a month ago that increased my pain twofold and a cervical epidural 2 weeks ago that did nothing at all. Since I seem to be failing the epidurals, the pain management doc wants to send me back to the surgeons for a cervical and lumbar fusion. I just think the buck needs to stop somewhere, anywhere and someone needs to treat my pain. The only "pain med" I take is Savella 50 mg BID for FM pain. I have so much pain in my neck, back and knees (arthritis there too) that I can't even tell if the Savella is helping. It's not hurting...I don't have any of the side effects some ppl complain about.

Anywho I am beyond frustrated. I'm tired of being passed around from doc to doc without any relief/results. I know I will never be pain free, I am realistic about it but I just want my pain at a more manageable level. I don't think that's too much to ask for. I don't care what they do to give me relief. At this point I will try just about anything to dull down the sharp stinging, burning, gnawing feelings in my lumbar/rear area, the constant throb and ache in the thoracic area (it would be nice to be able to wear a bra again) and the pinch in my neck and tightness and ache that radiates thru my rt shoulder and the constant achy stiff traps. After 3 1/2 years of this I have had it and I am getting to the point where I am bitter and angry. i want to be able to touch these doctors and give them my pain for just one hour...then maybe they will have more compassion to my plight. It is rainy and cold here and will rain for the next 4 days. I can't stand up straight and have to walk hunched over and I am limping on my rt leg due to my knee.

I went in to the PM clinic earlier and sat in the waiting room as long as I could but a nurse couldn't get freed up to talk to me. I will be calling first thing in the morning and every hour after that until I get a response. Well its 2 am. I am hurting really bad but I am going to go lie down and hope my heated mattress pad can ease some of the stiffness.View Thread

Posted byforeversore

15 Replies | Reply | Watch This DiscussionReport This| Share this:New to this forum Beth I would welcome your comments on my MRI. I know it is just your opinion but being...

Reply: Pets In Pajamas

Those smooshy little faces get me every time!

Posted by foreversore

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Reply: New to this forum

Here it is Wednesday (well, actually Thursday morning) and I have yet to hear back from...

Posted by foreversore

Here it is Wednesday (well, actually Thursday morning) and I have yet to hear back from the pain management clinic. And as you can see from the time of my post, I am still having sleeping issues due to pain. I guess I just need to go in there and park myself until I can talk to a nurse in order to get something done about this. IDK if the pain is being caused by my neck/back issues, fibro or the migraines causing tension but I need to get it and keep it at a more manageable level.

I found my MRI results so here goes:

CERVICAL SPINE imaging done 4/21/10: There is straightening of the cervical lordosis and upper thoracic curvature. Degenerative changes seen in the cervical spine with disc bulges, superimposed protrusions and uncovertebral osteophytes.
BREAKDOWN: C2-C3 no canal stenosis or foraminal narrowing.
C3-C4 disc osteophyte complex, predominantly left sided uncovertebral osteophytes and bilateral facet hypertrophy contribute to flattening of the ventral thecal sac and left lateral recess as well as mild left neural foraminal narrowing.
C4-C5 no canal stenosis or foraminal narrowing
C5-C6 Disc osteophyte complex and superimposed left paracentral protrusion flatten the left ventral cord contour and left lateral recess. Bilateral uncovertebral osteophytes and facet hypertrophy contribute to moderate left and mild right neural foraminal narrowing.
C6-C7 tiny midline protrusion indents the ventral thecal sac but without substantial canal or neural foraminal stenosis

THORACIC SPINE

T1-T2 no canal stenosis or foraminal narrowing
T2-T3 and T3-T4 tiny disc bulges without substantial canal or foraminal stenosis
T4-T5 and T5-T6 no canal or foraminal stenosis
T6-T7 Disc bulge and superimposed paracentral protrusion flatten the ventral cord contour. No foramina are present.

T7-T8 Diffuse disc bulge indents the ventral thecal sac but without canal or foraminal stenosis.
T8-T12 no canal or foraminal stenosis
there are a few small Schmorl's nodes seen along the endplates.

LUMBAR SPINE: x-ray showed mild scoliosis MRI results below.
T12-L3 no significant disc bulge, canal stenosis or foraminal stenosis.
L3-L4 broad based left foraminal to lateral protrusion. Mild facet hypertrophy. No circumferential canal stenosis. Mild left foraminal stenosis with direct abutment of the exiting nerve root.
L4-L5 Disc dessication. Mild diffuse disc bulge asymmetric to the left. Mild facet hypertrophy. Flattening of the ventral thecal sac without canal stenosis. Moderate left foraminal stenosis with exiting nerve root encroachment. No right foraminal stenosis.
L5-S1 Mild facet hypertrophy
And here are some Recent labs: ANA negative, Rheumatoid factor negative, SED rate 26 range is 0-20, uric acid 6.0 range 2.3-6.6, Epstein-Barr positive, Vitamin B12 262 range >200 ( I am on shots and oral supplements for this), Vitamin D 10.7 range30-100 ng/ml (I am on VERY heavy supplementation for this)

I only posted these reports to kind of give you an idea of what I am working with back/neck wise.View Thread

Posted byforeversore

15 Replies | Reply | Watch This DiscussionReport This| Share this:New to this forum Here it is Wednesday (well, actually Thursday morning) and I have yet to hear back from...

Reply: New to this forum

Caprice! It's nice to see you over here too! Two groups same moderator, I like that

Posted by foreversore

15 Replies | Reply | Watch This DiscussionReport This| Share this:New to this forum Caprice! It's nice to see you over here too! Two groups same moderator, I like that

foreversore

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