Hello Blackfoot, I am new here also, but like you, not new to the pain. Have been in constant pain for 7 yrs now, and again like you, my wife is a little upset with me because I can't do certains things that she needs. She is also 10 yrs my junior so its worse. But she hasn't griped all that much. It sure would be a nice christmas present for me to be painfree for just a little while, I get my injections on Dec 22, they said it if they work, I may go as much as 6 moths painfree. I just can't imagine that, 6 hrs would be wonderful. Since my operations, I have lost 3 1/2 inches in height. have had 5 or 6 disc removed, metal rods put in one yr, the taken out the next. then 3 weeks later they went in through my stomach and did fusion and put in a wire cage. but no Dr has really given me any answers about where I keep telling them I am hurting. Glad to see I am not alone