My gosh Deb -- you have to go 45min away for an MRI? Jeez. I thought *I* was out in the sticks. LOL The hospital I go to has one of those "trailer" jobs that brings the MRI to the hospital every weekend. And this hospital is about 9 miles away, so i don't have to go very far. Yet I'm out in the sticks! LOL

I hope to heck the pain doc calls today! I HATE waiting for doctors to call, cause half the time they never do! And you sit and wait, wait, wait....

From the sounds of things, I don't think the cord is compressed THAT bad, or you would have much WORSE symptoms than you do -- but any compression is bad. Perhaps it's just impinged, which would be better. You'd still have symptoms, like the tingling and some pain. But it's not as bad as compression.

I'll keep my prayers going -- and PLEASE let us know what happens, okay? God bless you Deb, and I'll keep watching for an update. Hugs, Lee

Yes I am in the sticks!!!.....closest walmart is 15-20 minutes away...seriously...I live in a lake resort town in oklahoma....love it here but every spring the past 3 years I have been laid up...
I am having some bladder issues also.....just when I cough but I never had this before and it started yesterday....

well, the pain doc never did call back....I will call tomorrow a couple of times if i have too...I will also call my family doctor and have him order up the mri...I have to go 2 1/2 hrs away for my mri because they put me completely under....I am very claustophic and cannot lay still long enough......so for that I have to go to OKC or tulsa and I will not go to the one in tulsa again (see my other threads)....

I did finally take enough pain meds I was able to throw dinner in the oven....will have hubby and grandson (guardianship he's 12) do the dishes....but am back in the recliner ...

I'm very much a type a personality and it is so hard to do nothing.....and to think this may be the way it always is frightens the heck out of me.....

I know that I am so much better off than alot of people.....it's just the pain has worn me down so much

could someone explain about the pain pump?...an scs had been mentioned to me in the past but I said no....is this something maybe I should reconsider?

I had the SCS implanted for 6 months. It gives "electrical" stimulation to the nerves that are painful, and masks the pain. It didn't work very well for me, but we kept trying by reprogramming the SCS. Trouble was that I was so thin that the "generator" that was implanted started working itself OUT of me!!! So the whole ball of wax had to be removed, and that wasn't any fun.

Then I had the trial for the pain pump, which was STUPID because the pump is even BIGGER than the SCS!!! But anyway, the trial was WONDERFUL. It delivers liquid drugs to the nerves and bathes them in the drug. The drug does not go to the "head" so it doesn't make you loopy. it worked GREAT for me -- in fact, all my pain was GONE during the trial. But the trouble was, they said the pump was too big for me, and I couldn't have it. LOL

They would probably try the SCS on you before the pump. That's usually the way they do it. The SCS and THEN the pump. I guess the pump is the last gasp, so to speak. LOL

I wish you the very best -- please keep us posted Deb. I'd really like to know what happens, okay? Thanks Deb. Hugs, Lee

sounds like the pain pump would work ... I just called my family doc and they are setting up my mri now.....not as much pain as yesterday but have not moved at all yet...

thanks for caring!

Mri with sedation scheduled for JUNE 10TH....insurance won't cover my shoulder but they will do my neck.....I figured that will be ok, if they don't find anything in the neck to cause the shoulder pain then fight them to get one done on the shoulder....

i had stimulator put in and it did nothing for my pain.
i will hopefully go through pain pump trial soon if i dont get more surgery. it seems there is a much better success rate with the pump. you need to get the pump refilled about every 2 mos. it needs to be monitored carefully to make sure there is no christalisation at the end of the catheter. the pump is used successfully to ease pain in cancer patients.
i weigh 240 lbs so i'm sure i wont have the trouble leesa had with the size of the pump reservoir......i'm glad your day is a better one......pete