Thanks Pam, we have worried so much. Hang in there, we care.It is standard procedure to get an MRI. Mine didn't hurt at the time, but afterwards I was sore for about three days. Its nothing compaired to the pain your going threw now. I'll pray for you.
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Billie

Pam,
So glad to see you've posted again. I hope your MRI shows something the doctor can help you with. And that's very impressive to be all off pain meds, although I do understand in that sometimes the side effects are worse than the benefits. We'll keep you in our thoughts!

Kay

Fancylady - thanks for your reply. 6 surgeries! Wow! Husband's had 3 plus the medtronics. Yesterday they were going to do a discogram to see if the disks were the problem but they decided against it at the last minute. the Docs didn't want to cause him that much more pain for just a test - afraid it might cause his heart arteries to spasm from the pain. They injected the nerve with ladicaine (spelling???) and said between the last 2 injections and this one they had pinpointed with relative certainty the problem. We go see the surgeon for fusion consultation.

Did it help you a lot? I sure hope so.

Yes, the surgery did help a lot. I do know the sooner you get up the better off you will be. I always get up the the day they do surgery anymore. I have had two Discograms and had one before this last surgery. It wasn't to painful when they done it, but that night they made me stay in a hotel and see my surgeon the next day. He knew I would be in pain, but he didn't tell me. I don't have any heart problems tho. I was in pain all night and had my girlfriends with me. One couldn't sleep at all because of me carrying on so much. I don't why the pain, but it did hurt. both times. Good luck with the surgery. Going in with a positive attidude helps also.
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Fancylady

Hi everyone,

I finally had MRI yesterday. As usual I had a problem show up. I have a fluid build up at L4 and L5. I had it in April and my surgeon aspirated it. But it has returned. I am having it aspirated again on Monday. I need to get another MRI in 4 months and if it returns I will need yet another surgery. That will make 6 surgeries since 2002. I'm so discouraged. I so want to be through with doctors, injections, pain meds, and most of all surgeries.

Thanks so much for all your support. I am so weary of all this crap.

Pam

I understand, but please don't give up hope. I have had six back surgeries and the 6 th one has worked or go to another surgeon. Everytime they say another one I think, oh no, I can't go threw this another time because it is so painful. Thank God I went threw it again last September, for I am a walking mircle. I don't have hardly any pain now. I can't even remember when I had a pain pill last. Guessing maybe in October, for I helped paint a country home. Hang in there PAM, your day is coming! Praise God I can feel it!
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Fancylady

Edit to add: I will continue to pray for you.

Pam-

I know exactly what you are going through. I had a bad 3 level ACDF (c4/5/6/7) done by a quack. I spent 8 days in the ICU after the surgery trying to survive. My recovery was compounded with the fact that my father was in a nursing home dying from a brain tumor at the same time I was in the hospital. I prayed every night to die.

My prayers are never answered, but I somehow made it out. It took 2 years to recover, but in the mean time, I leaned on my physiatrist, and he immediately got me some antidepressants to help with my mood. Please see one of your doctors to help you here.

I don't have the problem with affording meds thanks to insurance, but I've got a couple of sites that you might want to look into to see if you can get your meds at a reduced cost or possibly free.

http://www.rxassist.org/Default.cfm
www.needymeds.com

Take a look at them, register and see if they might help.

Make sure you get a 3rd, 4th, and 5th Neurosurgeon opinion before you decide to do anything drastic. Make sure you've tried everything before you take that step.

joe

Hope things work out well for you Pam, I have been thinking of you since i first read about you when i joined last week. I was glad to hear someone mention the discogram. I had one a month ago. One neuro said my mri showed no problems...so i went to another for a second opinion. He said the mri showed 2 bad discs C5-6 and C6-7 but wanted a discogram. the procedure wasn't too bad, but after... ...I was laid up for 4 days...the ache was bad, but the shooting pains were unbearable. it showed both discs were very bad indeed, and i go for acdf on feb. 28th. He says i can go back to work in 2-3 weeks, because he is going to use a "ton of metal"...I am a printer (hence the cute name) and do heavy lifting and much arm movement.
Thanks for listening, Dave

P.S. I am not a sports fan, but since it is superbowl weekend..here goes...

GO (insert name of team of your choice here)!!!!

Pam,
Sorry to hear you're feeling down about the MRI results. I hope getting the fluid removed eases some of your pain. If it comes back, what kind of surgery is the doctor suggesting? I know I've only had a couple of surgeries, and I wouldn't want to rush into another, but if I had hope that it might help, I'd go for it. We're all here to support you, and hope that things get better in the near future. Keep up your spirits, and if you can get some help with feeling depressed, that would be good too.

Take care,

Kay

I just have to say that you are the most amazing people I have seen. You are going thru so much but yet you are so supportive and kind and helpful. From my heart, thank you so much.

Fancy Lady - thank you for sharing that your last surgery worked. Everytime my husband has surgery I think "this is it", but it hasn't been. I was down about fusion surgery, but you have given us hope. Thank you.

Resa