Hi:

I have a cousin in law that I spoke to today. I just found out that she has had neuropathy for 20 years, since she was 37 years old. She had 6 back surgeries due to a tumor on her back. The tumor was wrapped around her spinal cord and she has nerve root damage.

Her neuropathy is in the back of her legs from her backside, down the legs into her feet. She has had many infections (she has absolutely no feeling in her feet and almost lost a toe once). She has the burning, pins and needles, etc. I never knew it was that bad. We never really talked about her problems because she has a handicapped child and all her attention has to be on the child. She is an excellent mother but her pain level must be amazing.

She told me today that she is never without pain. Without the burning, without anything. She has learned to live with it. I asked her "what about the medtronic device". She said "there is no surgeon who will touch my back" and anyway, once they implant this, what if it doesn't work?". I said "I believe they let you wear it for a week before they implant it in you". She is afraid to go this route, I would gather. She can't take any drugs because they hamper her ability to care for her child during the day.

And she has tried the blue stuff (she said it burned the hell out of her), and nothing else works. She's tried it all.

Presently she is on a new drug called OPANA. I looked it up, it's a synthetic form of morphine, I believe. But she said "It just takes the edge off", I am always in pain.

Now here's my question. Since she can't get an epidural (no doctor will touch her spine), and the drugs haven't worked (she did try the fentanyl patch and it made her deathly ill).She tried the lidoderm patches and she had a side effect from them. So what is a person to do when they have neuropathy due to spinal sugeries that left so much scar tissue that no doctor will touch her.

Is she doomed to suffer for the rest of her life?? I really like her and I had no idea that she was going through this for 20 years.

She just went to a family member's wedding and I said "you actually went to a wedding"? and she said "I have had to learn to live through this pain"

Absolutely amazing!!!

Melody