[MYACHINGNECK1]

Hurt by patient nov 07 had cervical fusion with titaminum plate surgery march 08. Still in lots of pain. Dr. Says there is nothing i can do for you but offer meds. I have no problem with w/c. What can i expect to happen next?

[Jomar]

Have you gotten other Drs opinions on your situation & recovery?
Has there been a recent/followup MRI done since the surgery?

Have other therapies been mentioned or tried, to help reduce the need for meds?

Low Level Laser
Electrical stim types {TENS, IF stim, etc}
Implanted pain pump or SCS
Injections /blocks

other stuff-
hypnosis / meditation / biofeedback type stuff

[MYACHINGNECK1]

i have asked for these other options and dr. says it will not help.
I recently got a lawyer and he suggests applying for accidental retirement thru my state cuz i am a state employee. i guess i sound confused because i cant believe what has happened to me over the last 9 months. and now i am asked to apply for retirement and disability and later purseu lump sum settlement.. I just want my life back.. i have done nerve root blocks 3 i am facing permanent nerve damage i guess that is what dr. suggest.dr. says exray are looking good no need for MRI. pain is from spasms. i am given valium and vicodin but i dont take it every day , i wait for the pain to reach a high then i take them.my life as i knew has totally changed, and i am looking for others that have gone thru this for possibly some guidence/suggestions. dr. will put me at MMI this friday at apt, so how long does it take to settle?
what is next? how long does it take to get disability and what does this mean for the rest of my life as a nurse? how do you handle being disabled?
=Jo55;364559]Have you gotten other Drs opinions on your situation & recovery?
Has there been a recent/followup MRI done since the surgery?

Have other therapies been mentioned or tried, to help reduce the need for meds?

Low Level Laser
Electrical stim types {TENS, IF stim, etc}
Implanted pain pump or SCS
Injections /blocks

other stuff-
hypnosis / meditation / biofeedback type stuff[/QUOTE]

[lefthanded]

The hard truth about permanent disability is that you don't get your old life back. What you have to do now, and we all struggle with it, is find your new 100% level, and begin to build your life around that. For instance, I can no longer climb mountains, or even hike them, so I paint them. My new 100% is less than 50% of my old level, but if I were to spend all my time lamenting the loss of the other 50% I would get nothing done. And I had a desk job, with no heavy lifting, etc. I am just tied to a ready restroom with no lines . . . and have flare-ups and issues that pop up with no warning. . . and my employer opted to retire me on disability.

First, I think you may be doing yourself a disservice by waiting until you have extreme pain to use your pain meds. They work better when you use them before the pain reaches the desperation level. Taking them more often, in metered doses and at set times actually helps to prevent the addictive qualities which often are a result of rising and falling blood levels of the medication.

Each state has a little different structure for permanent disability. I would ask your claims person for all the information about this you can get. They should be your first resource for information about your claim. But remember, they only facilitate your bills and benefits being paid, your medical care and any rehab. . . .they can't make your injuries easier to bear. I was a claims examiner for over 13 years. . . . and believe me we wish sometimes we could make your pain and disability disappear. I had a draftsman who was losing the use of both arms, a father of five who slept on the ground in a in a tent in the campground (he was homeless) right out of the hospital following a spinal fusion, and a fireman with PTSD so bad the department had to take his gun away. Work injuries are not fun, and just because they happen at work does not mean they can't be just as disabling, if not more so, than an injury you get at home.

I am in this forum because in the course of treating severe ulcerative colitis, and having my entire colon and rectum removed, I developed peripheral neuropathy as a side effect of several of the medications I have taken or still take. I will never get my intestines back, nor the care-free life that goes with having an intact digestive system. I am lucky I have a reconstruction called a j-pouch so I do not have to wear an ostomy bag. . . but with that I have other issues. My nerves will probably never grow back either. And soon I may be facing carpal tunnel surgery . . . and when they do my left hand, I will be helpless to care for myself in the bathroom, and I live with chronic loose stools and other issues I must care for daily "down there." On top of that, I am an artist and will be unable to create while I am healing. I also have cataracts forming from the steroids I was given before my surgery, and another eye inflammation process related to my Crohn's diagnosis. My fall-back profession of artist seems also to be in jeopardy. . . and it feels very unfair. So I hear your pain.

The best you can do its get some good physical training to set you up for exercises you can do the rest of your life to prevent further issues form developing. I guess you could say you will be in training the rest of your life to maintain your new level of 100%. I know letting go of the prior "you" is hard. . . .I was fit, active, vibrant, and very happy before my illness.

I feel the same way you do about anti-depressants. . . they don't change your situation, only your body's chemistry. I have been to many therapists looking for the tools to deal with my situation instead of meds to deal with the depression it causes. I would rather do preventative measures than just treat symptoms.

While it is natural and ok to want to be sure of your diagnosis and situation, at some point you will realize that you ARE as good, or close to it, as you can possibly be. At that point your life will begin again. . . only on a slightly different scale. You will then find the determination and character within to make that all it can be.

I do wish you well . . .

[MYACHINGNECK1]

to read your response brought tears to my eyes. i am sorry you suffer physically. i could hear your pain in your words but also i heard acceptance and spiritual fullfillment.YOU STRIKE AS A MAN WITH ALOT OF WISDOM AND VERY INSIGHTFUL, AND I THANK YOU FOR SHARING YOUR OPTISIM/VEIWS WITH ME. AT WHAT POINT DID YOU FINALLY EXCEPT YOU NEW 100%, WAS IT AFTER THE SURGERY.
i have spent so much time wondering what will happen now with W/C(HOW MUCH THEY WILL PAY OUT, HOW LONG WILL THEY GIVE ME CHECKS FOR, HOW LONG TO SETTLE) THAT UNTIL I HAVE SOME IDEA I CANT BRING MYSELF TO ACCEPTANCE. MY ADJUSTER HAS BEEN KIND AS I AM TO HIM AND THEY HAVENT ASKED ME TO GO THEIR DOCS OR ime DOCS. THEY HAVE PAID ON TIME. I AM WAITING FOR THEM TO STOP TO REALLY ACCEPT MY INJURY. I AM HOPING FOR A MIRACLE,
I HAVE CHILDREN I LOVE DEARLY AND I REALLY MISS PLAYING WITH THEM,GOING ON ROLLERCOASTERS, GOING TO MALL(DRIVING IS DIFFICULT NOW) THEY ARE 11, 17 AND I AM SO ANGRY INSIDE.FOR THEM
I TELL MYSELF IF I CAN SEE IT AND BELIEVE IT THEN IT WILL HAPPEN, AND I WILL GO BACK TO WORK AND HAVE MY LIFE BACK.
I GOT A LAWYER BECAUSE NOT FOR MONEY OUT OF FEAR AND TO HEAR THAT I HAD A CASE AND MY INJURY WAS REAL. I KNOW MY BEHAVIOR SEEMS DELUSIONAL BUT I AM TOTALLY AWARE OF MY DENIAL
.I HAVE READ SO MANY POSTS AND VISITED DIFFERENT WEB SITES THAT TELL OF PEOPLE WHO HAD FULLY RECOVERED FROM MY TYPE OF INJURY. ALSO READ HORROR STORIES WITH PAIN AND w/c DENIALS ETC......I WONDER MAYBE TOMORROW ,NEXT WEEK I WILL BE FULLY RECOVERED AND THAT TIME COMES AND DR. EXPRESSES CANT DO ANY MORE FOR YOU. I GUESS I NEED TO HEAR AND SEE IT BEFORE I WILL ACCEPT AND MOVE ON. w/c I AM SURE AT SOME POINT WILL BRING ALL OF THIS TO A REALITY FOR ME.

I AM A SPIRITUAL PERSON (ALTHOUGH A LITTLE LOW RIGHT NOW)AND FIND STRENGTH IN PRAYER AND IN PEOPLE. YOUR ART MUST BE A GREAT RELEASE FOR YOU,IMAGERY CAN BRING YOU PLACES THAT THE MIND CAN FIND REFUGE IN. I AM MORE AN OUTSIDE PERSON,MOTORCYCLE RIDER ANYWHERE THAT THE WIND IS I LOVE TO BE.
YOU ARE ABSOLUTLY RIGHT ABOUT THE PAIN MEDS, BUT THEY DO MASK AND GIVE A FALSE SENSE OF WELLNESS. I AM TRYING TO FIGURE OUT MY LIMITS AND LEARN TO WORK WITH IN THEM WHILE TRYING TO RAISE MY LIMITS ALITTLE MILIMETER AT A TIME. TRYING TO ACCEPT THE "HARD TRUTH"
I HAVE READ YOUR OTHER POSTS AND YOU HAVE GREAT INSIGHT/KNOWLEDGE INTO W/C;HAVE YOU EXAMINED ANY CASES LIKE MINE? WHAT WOULD BE A TYPICAL HYPOTHETICAL EXAMPLE OF EVENTS I CAN COME TO EXPECT THAT COULD CORRELATE TO MY CASE? I HAVE TALKED TO MY ADJUSTER AND HE KEEPS A VERY STRUCTURED CONVERSATION WITH ME AND ONLY WILL DISCUSS MED BILLS, DR VISIT AND WHAT PAPERWORK IS NEEDED FROM DR.
I AM A STATE WORKER IN MASS. PSY NURSE ATTACKED BY PT. WHO HAD ESCAPED MY UNIT . MY DOCTOR GAVE ME A NOTE TO RETURN TO WORK BUT WITH LIMITATIONS; NO LIFTING OVER THE HEAD,NO LIFTING MORE THAN 20LBS, NO TWISTING NECK AND NO REPETIVE WORK. MY WORK WOULD NOTE ACCOMMADATE. THEY SAID EITHER THE DR. WRITES YOU ARE 100% OR THAT ALL YOUR SYMPTOMS WILL BE GONE IN 4 WEEKS AND WE WILL GIVE YOU LIGHT DUTY BUT SYMPTOMS MUST BE GONE IN 4 WEEKS. DR. WILL NOT WRITE THAT NOTE; HE TELLS ME HE DOESNT HAVE A CRYSTAL BALL. AND THAT I COULD HAVE SYMPTOMS FOR LIFE EX. NUMBNESS, NERVE PROBLEMS ETC... SO I AM IN A WEIRD SPOT I THINK. MY SYMTOMS ARE NOT IN QUESTION VERY EVIDENT AS WELL EVERYONE IS VERY SUPPORTIVE WORK,SUPERVISOR, DR, W/C.

Originally Posted by lefthanded

The hard truth about permanent disability is that you don't get your old life back. What you have to do now, and we all struggle with it, is find your new 100% level, and begin to build your life around that. For instance, I can no longer climb mountains, or even hike them, so I paint them. My new 100% is less than 50% of my old level, but if I were to spend all my time lamenting the loss of the other 50% I would get nothing done. And I had a desk job, with no heavy lifting, etc. I am just tied to a ready restroom with no lines . . . and have flare-ups and issues that pop up with no warning. . . and my employer opted to retire me on disability.

First, I think you may be doing yourself a disservice by waiting until you have extreme pain to use your pain meds. They work better when you use them before the pain reaches the desperation level. Taking them more often, in metered doses and at set times actually helps to prevent the addictive qualities which often are a result of rising and falling blood levels of the medication.

Each state has a little different structure for permanent disability. I would ask your claims person for all the information about this you can get. They should be your first resource for information about your claim. But remember, they only facilitate your bills and benefits being paid, your medical care and any rehab. . . .they can't make your injuries easier to bear. I was a claims examiner for over 13 years. . . . and believe me we wish sometimes we could make your pain and disability disappear. I had a draftsman who was losing the use of both arms, a father of five who slept on the ground in a in a tent in the campground (he was homeless) right out of the hospital following a spinal fusion, and a fireman with PTSD so bad the department had to take his gun away. Work injuries are not fun, and just because they happen at work does not mean they can't be just as disabling, if not more so, than an injury you get at home.

I am in this forum because in the course of treating severe ulcerative colitis, and having my entire colon and rectum removed, I developed peripheral neuropathy as a side effect of several of the medications I have taken or still take. I will never get my intestines back, nor the care-free life that goes with having an intact digestive system. I am lucky I have a reconstruction called a j-pouch so I do not have to wear an ostomy bag. . . but with that I have other issues. My nerves will probably never grow back either. And soon I may be facing carpal tunnel surgery . . . and when they do my left hand, I will be helpless to care for myself in the bathroom, and I live with chronic loose stools and other issues I must care for daily "down there." On top of that, I am an artist and will be unable to create while I am healing. I also have cataracts forming from the steroids I was given before my surgery, and another eye inflammation process related to my Crohn's diagnosis. My fall-back profession of artist seems also to be in jeopardy. . . and it feels very unfair. So I hear your pain.

The best you can do its get some good physical training to set you up for exercises you can do the rest of your life to prevent further issues form developing. I guess you could say you will be in training the rest of your life to maintain your new level of 100%. I know letting go of the prior "you" is hard. . . .I was fit, active, vibrant, and very happy before my illness.

I feel the same way you do about anti-depressants. . . they don't change your situation, only your body's chemistry. I have been to many therapists looking for the tools to deal with my situation instead of meds to deal with the depression it causes. I would rather do preventative measures than just treat symptoms.

While it is natural and ok to want to be sure of your diagnosis and situation, at some point you will realize that you ARE as good, or close to it, as you can possibly be. At that point your life will begin again. . . only on a slightly different scale. You will then find the determination and character within to make that all it can be.

I do wish you well . . .

[Jomar]

Did dr show you the xrays and do you believe the pain is from spasms for the most part?
muscle pain vs nerve pain?

muscle pain and spasms can be helped with expert therapists & techniques - IMO
- it may take trying a few different PT & therapies to find the ones that help best....but if I were you I'd request a advanced PT evaluation & some trial sessions.

You might also have trigger points { a very small sore knot in the muscles} these will cause spasms to continue unless the TrPs are released - something to ak a PT about.. if they don't know about them find a more adv PT.

here's a link to one of my posts scroll to find triggerpoint info and other therapy links - http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/post388-1.html
I think something there will be of help for you.

As far as wc, my case took 2.5 yrs to close - but it all depends on so many variables you really can't compare time lines.

When i was off work due to my injury - my focus was to heal as much as I could - that was my job.
getting books & videos from the library on pain, healing , recovery, posture, bodywork - and tried stuff from each one to see what worked and what didn't..
many times a day - stretches, relaxing, heating pad, acupressure, ice/heat, triggerpoint - anything I could do myself

[MYACHINGNECK1]

thank you so much for taking the time to respond to my letter. i am a nurse and i am aware of alot of treatments and etc..... even though i am a nurse i am a pt right now and i thank you for the reminders of anatomy of body etc.. the mind is a funny thing i guess for me until i am aware of all the facts i cant seem to move forward.. stuck i guess emotionally and scared for my future physically,spiritually and fiancially. have a child graduating this comming spring and cant give him any answers to ho much Mom can help out with college. i really want to go back to my job, i was paid well and at some point savings i will have to use to keep up with bills.. it must of been so difficult for you to wait 2.5 years for these answers and for your loved ones. i just cant imagine waiting that long for answers that would outline my future. unless it was a degree program. i have started making provisions as far as no more rib eye steaks and heating left overs and all that kind of stuff. i am going out tomorrow to buy an indoor walking machine.
i read this nursing article that Omega 3 tablets take 2 daily can help with pain and nerve damage as well has other atrabutes... brain power and aids with depression. also there is a cream similar to bengay that most chiropratis sell that is all natural. and boy does it work for that muscle pain. i also drink tons of water a day, dont forget the water it does so good for the body.
Scarry thought: just learned from eye doc that taking valium and other meds weekend my vascular vein going to my right eye and that is why i am seeing spots.
if you now of any other natural ways to help with healing please share.
thank you again for your time and understanding.

[MYACHINGNECK1]

went to dr. visit this past friday. dr tells me anxiety is impeding my healing. xrays look ok bone graft is half and new bone is starting to grow in the back. as far as anxiety i told him i agree with him to a certain point (i am not catotonic i do have some anxiety but not to the degree he claims. dr. asked me to trust him and go speak to some one. i asked are you ordering a psy eval he said no what is your ins. i told him and he said go see someone. i agreed for i have no problem talking to anyone and trying to find my way. then asked that he trust me and order an MRI and EMG i want him to see what i am feeling. my husbands opinon was that it seemed dr was trying to defend his surgery. also food for thought the mg he has me on for valium should make me so calm; i think he forgot that he prescribes them. what ever the case maybe i have dr orders for new tests and hopefully workman comp will approve and i can take those results and go for a second opinon.
has this ever happened to anyone?

[Jomar]

Well, quite often drs will suggest "speaking to someone" or place blame on emotional or mental stress - esp when pain & symptoms continue after a course of treatments or surgery.

May or may not be a factor in the continued symptoms.

[lefthanded]

Where did I say I have arrived?!!!! I struggle every day with what i can't do that I used to. but I also realize, just like everyone on this Earth, my days have a number on them, and they count down one-a-day just like everyone else. . . . and if I am going to leave my mark (hopefully a good one) on this world, then it is up to me to find a way. It is much like my training to climb mountains. . . . the mountain didn't care one way or the other if I was up there struggling, so it was up to me to be a strong and positive as I could be!

In my case, 6-12 months is normal for full recovery and control after j-pouch surgery. Since i was getting worse and losing ground approaching one year, I realized it was unlikely to get much better. I have an occasional stellar great day . . . . about 1 or 2 a month. Most are somewhat tolerable, with a good smattering of days I lose completely to pain control meds.

But being an artist, the ideas I have in my head won't ever see the light of day if I don't paint them, now, will they? What if Frida Kahlo had given up . . . or Van Gogh, or Monet, when he learned he was going blind?

Gotta admit, though, I have days I would love to just give up. But I have family and loved ones who keep me going. . . . . and a really silly cat. . . .