Hello All.

Without going thru my entire story again for you, I figured Id just leave the new member into link here in case anyone wishes to read it over.

Help My New Member Intro - Disabled Marine Corps First Sergeant (can't post any links still yet, sorry)

Have been treated for my chronic pain for last 3 years at least and generally this has centered around the neck injury most, which obviously leads to my headaches and migraines (migraines at least 1-2 times a week- and headaches daily) so life for me has been VERY difficult. My neck treatments have been everything from Trigger Point Injections (just had 12 done 3 days ago- and these do help a bit) Facet Joint Injections, Radio Frequency Ablations, and I have tried Botox, acupuncture, topical med creams, and am on muscle relaxers, pain killers, and of course my other "happy meds" to treat my PTSD etc.

Recently I was lucky enough to find a new pain management Dr who for the last 7 years was the Director of ALL Pain Management for Wounded Warriors at Walter Reed / Bethesda Naval Hospital and has treated thousands of Active Duty Servicemembers with the same medical issues I have - since mine was primarily caused by my last IED blast exposure. He is the one who has educated me about the fantastic results obtained thru Ketamine Infusion and thus why I am about to start this with my first 1 hr procedure after the new year. Since he has told me of the great pain relief these troops have seen relief of, the PTSD, depression, anxiety and other extra relief it seems to provide them, I am very serious about this treatment and am at the end of my rope (no pun intended) since I have tried just about everything else. Yes there was a point where my pain was so severe I planned my demise and thankfully reached out for help and ended up at an intense PTSD program at theBaltimore VA Hospital which no doubt saved my life, and opened my eyes to a lot of coping methods and all.

Back to right now and the trends of pain Ive been observing. The Doc asked me to try and differentiate the difference between my NECK pain and HEAD pain as best I can. I have come to notice that my NECK pain is greatest at night which thus creates a headache that brings the symptom of feelings of a long hot knitting needle being jammed into my right eye (best analogy I have) and it also creates tears from this right eye only too! I then go to bed with either heat or ice (often trying both) and hardly ever sleep thru the night which results in waking with a brutal headache from no sleep etc. Both the neck and head pain then tend to subside during the daytime and I actually feel ok, but then at approximately the same time everyday (3-5pm) it starts to come on again starting at the neck - and off we go into the same vicious cycle again! Some days I take only a few Percocets when my levels are low, and others I am WAY over the limits due to my tolerance from so many years. Yes Ive read about Rebound Headaches and everything associated with this issue.

I was asked long ago to start a headache journal which I never did, but now think I may do so. Some meds work better than others and now that Im a Veteran you'd think Id be using the VA Hospitals since I'm 90% Service Connected (Disabled) and that all of this treatment is free? NOT - and I even work for VA (Not the VHA or anything involved with healthcare) but I now see why so many Vets are livid about stuff within the revolving doors. Hell they just started doing acupuncture 2-3 years ago, think they'll do anything like Ketamine stuff- NOT! They flat out STOPPED any opiate prescriptions without even titrating me down which is absolutely crazy - so therefore I use my great insurance for them with this awesome Pain Doc! Yes Ive tried em all too! Im looking fwd to this Ketamine treatment and wish I had a personal masseuse able to rub my neck and occipitals every day! Oh if only I had the money to treat myself better. So many variables involved in this shitty life in pain, and I honestly can see why some choose to take the final way out - not saying its the only way out of course!

Thanks for listening to my rant and perhaps someone knows this matter of having the vicious cycle of pain as I do? Anyone with such issues is very much requested to contact me somehow thru PM please? Thank you all so much and I truly wish you all a very Merry Christmas my friends!

Semper Fi,

Gunny