I remember I was kept in hospital for 2 days. That is because they worked on 2 levels.I woke up in terrible terrible pain. It felt like a knife was sticking out my back. Worse than having a baby. But within 1 month or so I was fixed as good as new. That was in 2001. I actaully had my operation on the 8th of September 2001, and the morning of September 11th I was lying on my lounge watching news, all wonky from my painkillers,and freshly operated.

I remember watching th televison,as I saw the footage of the plane, I thought I was hallucinating. I remember as much pain as I felt, I got up, walked up the stairs, and woke my husband's brother to come sit with me because I was in shock or something.

Needless to say it was a very hard recovery,and my husband said that no knives were used,they did it with lasers. I have had back trouble since I have been 26 years old. I was actually double over hunched back for a very very long time. I am also 5ft6,and I remember people used to look at me with pity & tell me that they will prey for me.

So in that spirit, I say tell Alan to go for it,and get the releif he needs and deserves. Just because I am in pain again doesn't mean I should impose my bad luck on Alan. I am sure it will turn out fine. I probably had a wonky surgeon,he was more concerned with his looks than anything else.

No, hon. It's absolutely not the same procedure. This procedure has been around only about 5 to 6 years and there is no laser involved. So that much is good right?

This is a miniminally invasive procedure done with a camera and some tool that gently gets rid of the bulging discs. Looks very good if I say so myself.
But we are not sure if Alan is a candidate.

Today he gets his referral for the MRI, then he'll go for the MRI, then he'll bring results to the guy who does the procedure, THEN WE'LL SEE!!!!!

Will definitely update.

So all of you out there. Don't go shooting any pygmies!!!!

mel

Have visited your beautiful country many times. We have very good friends in Melbourne and Perth. Also friends in sydney and Quirindi. Visited last June to celebrate my friend's 80th birthday. She was a war bride and moved to the US in 1946 - got homesick and the family moved back to Melbourne in 1960. We have been in touch and visit each other as much as possible. My friend from Melbourne was just here last week.
We think the Aussies are great people and we are just thrilled to visit. Everyone makes us feel so welcome.
Nice to see you on the forum. Sorry we are all suffering. I have Fibromyalgia and RSD and possibly PN. Don't get around much but wa s determined to get to Austr. again. Used the wheelchair at the airports. Worked great.
Best wishes to all
Sydney

My dream is to see the Rocky Mountains. One day....

Every time I hear their name, it brings me back to when my Alan was hospitalized because he broke out in a rash from head to toe and his head blew up like a balloon.

People came in hazmats suits and tried to tell me "Well, he probably has Rocky Mountain spotted fever".

I just looked at them and said "he took celebrex, give him benadryl".

Took them 3 days.

They gave him benedryl. When he blown up head, came back down to normal and the spots went away, they removed him from isolation!!

Ah, those Rocky Mountains!!!!

mel

Let me ask you a question Mel. I have read that meds like Advil,celebrex, Voltaren carry a risk of heart attack and also raise blood pressure.

I have highish BP (controlled with meds),and heart disease in my family. So naturally I am concerned about these meds. But I also have pretty bad pain in back that also radiates to legs.

What does Alan take for back pain releif? My GP said take paracetemal (acemetophen) for pain releif,my mum said take Aspirin.

Too many choices!!

I must have said this in a dozen previous posts!!!! ALAN NEVER HAD BACK PAIN, NEVER EVER, IN ALL OUR MARRIAGE!!!

Isn't that amazing? Probably I never made it clear because I posted that Alan's PN is directly attributed to the bulging and herniated discs in his back (the MRI showed that).

Alan suffered from PN for many many years. They never knew why. We went to all the doctors, had the tests, NOTHING.

Because Alan never had a back pain (ever). probably that was the reason no one said "oh, this must be because of something going on in your back".

But because Alan never had a back pain, no one ever sent him for an MRI until he went to an orthopedic surgeon some years ago who said "let's get you an MRI". that's when all the bulging discs were found. Alan still had never had a back pain ).

So fast forward to now. Alan never has back pain. And becasue he went to Dr. Theirl (who obviously knows what he is doing), his adjustments (on his back) have relieved in great detail, the pn in his feet.

But lately, when he lies down to sleep at night, he tingling in his feet drives him crazy. And what do I have to do to make sure he goes to sleep???

Well, after he takes a xanax, I have to massage his back, with my elbows, digging deep and going up his spine. That does the trick, and he goes off into LA LA land.

Still no back pain, He never went "ooh, my back", nothing like that.

He take no pain pills whatsoever. He used to be on the fentanyl patch and take vicodin for break through pain but that was for the neuropathy and never the back.

BY THE WAY, I'M THE ONE IN THE FAMILY WITH SCOLIOSIS, AND SCIATICA.

I dont' take anything either except when the scoliosis hits me, I'll take two aspirin.

I won't take ibuprofin because I read that if affects your liver.

I exercise. That's how I manage my pain.

The arthritis, well it's ***** because of the weather, but I don't take anything for that either.

I just grow older and more stubborn.

So now you know that Alan has no back pain, never had back pain, but his PN is attributed to his back!!

Now how nuts is that??????

melody

Especially with all the massage. Lucky Alan, no back pain, and massage!

I personally am having a rough patch with pain, it's really a cycle. But having multiple pain sights is really challenging, and I am just trying to pick between the lesser of the 2 evils. I think ibuprofen affects your kidneys,and paracetomal affects the liver.

But ibuprofen or non-steroidal anti-inflammatories is getting a bad wrap lately.

Would you believe that today is MY pain day?? Alan is just fine and taking care of me. He had to put a lidoderm patch on my lower back. We are in NYC and we are having crazy weather. My knuckles are killing me (I have arthritis) and my lower back, well forget it.

I'm walking around like my 87 year old uncle.

I wish it would just stay cold or stay warm, not change every five minutes.

melody