hello all, i am a 50 year old young female who suffers twice the pain after both surgeries. my NS tells me i am fusing the second time around but has no answers why my pain is worse now than before. i have had more tests than i could ever imagine not to mention the painful disco gram to help pinpoint the exact problem area not that it did any good. now i am left with new problems along with my chief problems such as swallowing cracking when i even drink water. my headache,head, neck,now both shoulders,right ear, most upsetting both my arms are worse off than ever. yes i am on pain medications. took myself off Oxycontin and remain on surgeons percs and muscle relaxant we all know they just mask our pain however it takes me about an hour and some just to become mobile i cry every morning upon waking and am lucky if i sleep threw the night my complaints are in the medical world. i try to educate myself the best i can when my "DOCTORS" tell me of their findings' and although i do not look to them as gods it is what they choose to study and become surgeons, and so called experts. I one day woke up as what a stiff neck felt like that got so bad from my job i was taken to the hospital 9/08 and to date all is worse. My surgeon sent me for an emg that revealed nerve damage in both arms down to my fingertips outside of my original chief complaint my head, back and neck. i failed to mention my legs and feet throb with pain also.bottom line no more surgeries for me. it is hard to get up every morning but i do. i have 4 children one still at home still in school. what took my breath away is i became a grandmother of a beautiful baby girl, she is 3 months old, born 9lbs. 3oz. and could not hold her. i will wait for her to wrap her arms around me. I must go back to work soon, try real hard to stay positive, huh! IT HURTS TO EVEN GET A HUG. Depression has set in during my first operation and went back to work 2 weeks later."WRONG SHOULD HAVE NEVER DONE THAT" 2nd operation took a 6 month leave and still suffering with pain. Feels good to vent. MY pain is real. My surgeon has no answers for me "i don't know what to tell you" I SAY SHAME ON YOU! THIS IS YOUR ARTWORK! it stinks, however i MUST LOOK AHEAD AND TRY TO MAINTAIN A POSITIVE OUTLOOK ON LIFE. i maintain therapy with my sicologest on a weekly basis over a year now he it helps keep things in perspective even though it hurts every morning to get started. i wish all well with happy thoughts I KNOW HOW HARD IT IS!!!!! THANK YOU FOR FOR ANY SUGGESTIONS ANYONE MIGHT HAVE! HOPING FOR RELIEF FOR ALL!!!!!

sorry pardon my spelling error mean phycologist not sicologest until the next post

I am so sad to hear the pain you're in. I could feel it! I hope you have looked into disability, it sounds like working would be awful! I'd like to know what you find out. I hope I can figure mine out before it gets any worse. I am quite nervous because I don't know yet what is going on. I had three MRI's last week and will know what they say when I go to the dr (she is a PA). on Thursday.
I hope maybe we can talk to each other for comfort if nothing else, I feel bad trying to talk to people who just want me to hurry and get it fixed, I'm scared!
I hope your day is pleasant...