[ceegee]

I am feeling a whole lot of pain today. I am still working full time, long hours..sigh. Is it crazy to try to be so stoic through the pain.. I feel if I give in to it, that it will be the end..I mean what will I do then? It is raining and cool and dreary here in Cincinnati. I have the trusty heating pad..but grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr,,it hurts.
I am afraid of becoming dependant on narcotics so I have been taking advil and Neurontin and an occasional tramadol. I have hydrocodone but it scares me. I have to stay employed and it makes me stupid but not really sleepy but very absent minded. The crazy part is that I was hurting so much that I almost fried my liver with advil, my levels were really high from somany ...at times I was taking 800 mg every four hours for weeks. Maybe a real pain pill would be healthier?
I have a "collapsed L5 -S1 and a bone spur affecting my right side which hurts hip, thigh, calf and foot and makes it very weak. I am waiting for my surgery to be scheduled. I just fgot news today that both my supervisors say they want to save my job for me...but HR emailed and said that I have not met my FMLA i year requirement. I need to stay until September 1 for that. I do not know whethet to try to wait and push through it or just go for th surgery and hope for the best.I mean they already say that the nerve damage may be already permanent. I am 49 and have been battling the bone spurs for 20 years. Does anyone know what the heck causes them?? Sorry to rant...

[MooseasaurusRex]

Can't answer your questions, ceegee. Wish I could. Definitely wish you weren't in the situation you are in now.

As far as advice, I would quiz my doc/surgeon/PCP on alternate pain meds... like, NOW. Each med has different possibilities for each person. I'd do a little research on the subject myself. Come in with guns loaded.

Same with HR and the company you are with. There are no precedents available for lifting the one year wait? (No one else has done it?) And if your supervisors are working with you, I'd prod them for help as well.

But that's just me... Either way, I hope you feel better soon.

[ceegee]

It helps knowing that there are people out there who can relate..I think I just needed to blow off some steam. I have found that the more I can relax, the more I can deal with the physical pain,it was just a hard day.
Hey thanks for being there and taking the time to post. It means a lot.
I think I will see if there are any strings I might pull at work...seems to me I remember someone who was knew being on a leave.....hmmmm
thanks again

[Bobbi]

Most often, and more commonly, many people develop bone spurs (also known as osteophytes) with aging. For many, the same may be attributed to activity. Unfortunately, and less common, people of younger years can also develop spurs (heck, there's been some "old" genes in my body since birth or something since I have a lot of things happening that doctors and dentists are more accustomed to seeing in elderly patients).

Personally? I would not have spurs surgically removed by any invasive procedure. If they are to be obliterated, and by choice, I'd opt for the most minimally invasive approach. Spurs will recur.

They are arthritis-related. Arthritis - and there are over 100 known forms within the disease "family" - has no known cure. Thus, spurs are not "cure-able" but effects treatable.