Hi

It's good to meet you.

I doooo understand. I guess a couple of things. It won't always be this way. There's tweaking to be done when you have problems. For now, it's okay to do what you're doing with the pain meds. Don't feel bad about it. There's lots of cautions and I'm sure you know that. I would be worried too. Tweaking again, with the meds and ways to administer pharmacological regimens. You have to do what you have to do to get by right now. It's okay. We all understand.

Please be cautious about doing anything invasive when you don't understand things. Most the time you can't reverse invasive procedures. It's bad now but it could be worse. Not meaning pain pumps as the need to be most cautious about, but you have to feel comfortable about the results you're going to get even though there are known risks. Is that particular procedure going to fix my particular problem, or a particular problem? Do they know that it will help that particular problem, minus any known risks occuring? And a lot of times, unbeknowest to most patients, the aftercare and limitations of some procedures can be more than you bargained for. I know pain is hard to endure on a 24/7 basis. I know that. Just be sure.

Five years is a long time. I say I've lived through 7 years of hell. The last two haven't be a picnic, but not HELL! There is a difference in HELL and tolerable and managed and anything in between. I do sympathize with you. I wish it weren't so.

As you research here, you'll have lots of things to explore and try. I gathered morsels from wherever I could. Trouble was, not everything helped. I had to try, and try something else, and something new, someone new. I learned to grade things as positives and negatives. Your body will know.

Yoga is good to start with, kind of gets you in touch with your body. Even though I had to have supports and props at first, I still did it. It got easier and I got better at it. Yoga master's not working at this time and I miss her.

Just this year, I found a nautropathic healer and visited her for several months. Said she'd been in my town for 20 years. I'd never heard of her. She had lots of new ideas and things for me to try. Business got bad. She closed up shop and moved to Florida.

Oh, probably in late 2007 got to try LED and infrared light pads that really made a beliver out of me, for me. That's new to most people, even doctors. You may have that in your area and not be aware of it. Massage therapist and some chiropractors and PTs use them now. Lots of different models and versions. Would share in that knowledge and experience if you want.

There are other alternative things to try. Don't give up.

Better nutrition and hydration is a must.

I even gave up smoking my Winstons. Don't miss it now but that was hard. That was a double positive for me.

I hope you find some relief soon, in whatever way you have to get it.