WHat can I say but thank you .. your support and care for this "stranger" has given me a huge cuddle.

I had my pre op today ... am ready for the op.. I get a posh private room so willl have to take some pics for you. I guess I'll still have to wear paper knickers though/

Your support here has been humbling.

Thank you. xxxxxx

Hi Ginnie,

How did you get on at your appointment today, I hope it went okay for you.

I too haven't had good experiences with doctors, my Pain Doc sent me for some neurosurgeon and orthopaedic consults to see if they could help me. I had a Medtronic SCS for a while but it was removed when it stopped working. I also had several MRI scans that showed a great deal of scare tissue wrapped around the S1 nerve root from my previous discectomy 16 years ago. It causes horrible pain and the worst sciatica.
Last Monday I met my last ortho doc and the*appointment didn't go well. He wont agree to anything. Even if it is possible to operate on top of the nerve root the the best he can offer me is only 2% success rate. He examined me and because that day there was no evidence of the nerve impingement he took the view that it didn't exist and part of my problem is psychological, i never heard such BS, how can anyone that is clearly in pain put an act on. Although I wasn't expecting a good outcome I was terribly upset. *
I met my Pain doc last Tuesday and he wants to put*two Nevro stimulators one for my *stback and one for my leg. Although I've just read that Nevro have brought out one SCS to cover both back and leg pain. My health insurance covered the first implant so I'm on the public list for this one. Even though I'm on the list over a year now God knows when I'll get called, I'm hoping it's soon as I desperately want to go back to work and go on a holiday and basically get my life back.
So that's the latest story in a longish nutshell. Remind me again is your problem your neck?


Chat soon,

Sinéad

Hi, and I am sorry you are being treated that way too. Me too. My orthopedic surgeon does not want to cover post op pain, and neither will my specialist. So now I have to litterally go find a new pain specialist that I trust. Fat chance. Very discusted. If I don't do the surgery, I will eventually loose my ability to walk. Torn tendon, ligaments, archilles. Been walking on this for 8 years, and the pain doc had the nerve to question me about how much pain I was in? Now I have the proof, and I am not pleased. Pain doc will treat for cronic pain, not surgery pain, so I start tomorrow looking. I feel like a ping pong ball. Surgeon today, said to call him if I cannot find anyone. I need four seperate procedures, and i do not intend to scream through it.

Sorry you have gone through so much with the SCS situation. I was turned down for a stim. Instead fused C3-7. Now I have more trouble in the spine as well. I have no idea about my future. So I pray and come back here to talk to you and others for support and comfort. It is hard for all of us on this site. Nobody is here because they have nothing better to do, we are all in pain and in trouble with some kind of medical issue. Sometimes I think I am loosing my mind, other times I seem to do OK.

Hope you are OK tonight. Do not let any doctor tell you it is all in your head. That is very unfair to do. Nobody I know fakes pain. Most folks who have no conditions are glad they don't! Pain specialist had my PCP beg him for more help for me, guess he didn't believe me either. Ticks me off to no end. MRI doesn't lie.

Have a good night. I hope you are able to sleep and have peace. I will keep you too in my prayers. ginnie

Ginnie

thinking of you too
take care of yourself
sweety

I've been gone while you were going thru this very hard time. My heart truly sank when I saw that you've been suffering so.
You are like a sister to so many of us here. The one thing I know for sure about you, Karen, is that you DO have an inner strength and you rise above these attacks.
I mean really. Look at all you've been through these past several months.
Your body has been through in incredible amount of struggles, especially when that infection set in. And what this is doing to you emotionally. I'm so proud of you for coming here to share, because you know how much we all care. We need each other. Thank you for who you are, Karen. You have always brought us many smiles and chuckles, along with the sad times. Thank you for bringing us into your world and sharing it with us.

One by one you are getting these necessary surgeries out of the way.
You WILL feel like 'you' again. Please believe in that.

Caring so deeply,
Rae


Sinead, thank you for keeping us posted along the way.
You are going through such a bad time too and I'm so fed up with Dr's who throw their hands in the air and say that these things are all in our head. I'm so sorry you've been made to feel this way.

How glad am I to learn Saffy is handling her situation in goo stead even though the low time was experienced. It is so good Saffy to read you posting of your upcoming hospital visit with some mirth. Now, I have not had the pleasure, or....... displeasure of paper knickers, but I can well imagine, having had the displeasure of some good amount of hospital time and the finer details of elimination........

My special prayers are with you in the forthcoming work to be done so your needs will be appropriately and completely addressed so healing will begin, occur, and present you as a new person who is ready to face the fullness of life once more. I seem to remember you describing your beach attire for holiday. Get that trip brochure out and have a whee of a time pondering what to do next holiday.

Ginnie and Sinéad I continue to hope and pray you are at long last provided healing care so happiness might return to your lives. Yes, we all know what it is here to live the ick of chronic pain. I have surely known points of difficulty dealing with all of the years of pain, and you are encouraged to give God a BIG part in handling your needs. He is who has helped me stay the course, ultimately pointing the Way to the course of living Through pain which is beyond the reach of the stim. There are moments for me, and the Lord helps me bear up. May He who guides me bring you to peace.

Prayin,
Mark56

Sinéad ....I'm so sorry you will have to wait so long for an SCS...the only good side might be the Nevro may have the one that does both back and legs by then.

If you don't mind, may I ask what kind of meds you are on to help you get at least thru this painful time.? I know without the Oxycontin 60mg.s 4 x a day and Oxycondone (percocet) for breakthru pain; it would be almost impossible to get thru a day. Of course, without prayer; nothing can be accomplished.

(Gerry)

Saffy/Karen, you are one upbeat lady....don't every convince yourself you are not. Saying things in such a way that only you can. Remember; beauty is only skin deep (I have to remind myself of that frequently when looking into the mirror). You are beautiful beyond any mirror. We all love and care for and about you very very much.

(Gerry)

gerry

as you are needed
please don't go to far
no mirror necessary
you have to feel it
Amen

Its great to have Karen posting again, we missed you and you are in someways like a sister and that's why we all care about and your hubby/partner (are you married, not that it makes any difference).

I do survive on a ton of meds, about 156 a week my hubby counted and they really don't work, they take the edge off, the side effects as we discussed in the other thread are horrible and if I wasn't on these meds I could probably drive and thus go back to work but then the pain would have me screaming with pain or at least I think they would and were all the same... Aren't we?
Here's a list of my meds and note that I hate every single one of them. As for the moderators I hope they don't remove them, not everyone should or needs to take them and we know that, we're not that stupid;

Cymbalta 120mg * *1 in morning, 1 at night,*
Matrifen 75mg * * * * Every 3 days or 72hrs, this is a narcotic patch
Oxynorm 20mg. * * *Every 4-6hrs*as required
Oxycontin 40mg: * *1 in morning, 1 at night,*
Zimovane 7.5mg * *1 in the evening @ 19:00hrs sleeping tablet,
Lyrica 300mg * * * * *1 in morning, 1 at night,*
Rivotril/Clonazepam * * 5mg *at night, * *anti twitching drug
Vimovo * * * * * * * * * 1 to be taken twice daily - useless drug for me, dunno why I take it?!
Xyzal 5mg * *1 per day antihistamine

I've tried Neurontin - hated it,
Tapentadol, the same thing
Butrans burned my skin
Zydol and Tylex for a longtime but my body just got used to them and I've discovered that the proper branded drugs work better that heir cheaper versions I got in some hospitals because they were rubbish an refused point blank. They wanted to give me a cheaper patch, seriously wtf I'd in withdrawal in no time!

That's all from me, any questions queries you know where to find me,I'm also on Skype I ya fancy a chat!

Night night

Sinéad xxx