i am new here but not new to back pain. i have hade 2 multifusions with hardware, one cervical c5-c7, and one lumdar l4-s1. i still have to live on norco and vallium, lyrica, zoloft, risperdal and tegretol. i get regular epidurals in cervical, and caudal. i hope to find someone to talk to in this forum to help me deal with constant pain which i live in. my wife is disgusted with me because i can no longer function in ways she needs. some advice please i really need it.

Hi Blackfoot and welcome to NeuroTalk. We have several forums that would be of interest to you. Our Chronic Pain Forum...http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/forum10.html

and our Spinal Disorders Forum..http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/forum22.html

These are great place to find support and exchange information. I'm glad you've joined us but am sorry for the reason.

Hello Blackfoot and WELCOME to NeuroTalk!

I see that Alffe has given you a couple of great links to help you find your way....

Please also feel free to roam around and join in anywhere!!!

I hope to see you around the board!!

Abbie

Nice to see you have come to be with us. There are great number and caring fellow members here, just let us know how we can assist, you will see we are are supportive and relaxing place. Our shoulders are here for support in a number of ways.

Again welcome, looking forward to seeing you around. My thoughts and prayers are with you.

Darlene

Welcome to Neuro Talk!!! Sounds like you have been through a pretty rough time...I am no stranger to chronic and back pain. Hope you can find something that works for you...I'm still looking also...

Pain is so awful. I know that for sure. You are not alone, there are sooooo many of us. Have your heard of Calmar Pain relief from Dr. D'Amato in north providence Rhode Island? It has worked for me to a certain point, I overdid it and walked too much and had a setback... but it works for some conditions.

As you can see, the support here is wonderful!
Everyone is down-to-earth and easy to talk to.
It's great to have you here

Caring,
Rae

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

I am glad you found neruo talk. I too have had multipal fusions first C6-7 and then six years later C3-7. I am so sorry you are in this much pain. I still do take pain medication, but very little these days. I would get re-evaluated and get another neuro surgeon to look at your case. I know it is a pain the butt to go through that process, but I would not rest until I had some relief from pain that keeps you from having a good quality of life. That in the end is what you want. Pain like that can keep you from functioning at all in a normal way. Until someone experiences pain like that, unfortunately they cannot always understand what it does to a person. You wife needs to be informed that this is not your fault, and support you as you go forward to try and find more help. I would want to know if there is "anything" else I could do, to improve my life. Please consider another evaluation as your pain levels are not undercontrol. Instead of epidurals, have your heard of Katamine infusions? This may be something to bring up to your pain specialist. In my case, it helped alot, before my second surgery. I sure do hope there does not have to be more surgery in your future. I wish you all the best. I hope your wife will be more in tune to your suffering. ginnie