Posted 3/30/2012 10:07 PM (GMT 0)
So this is the story...
When I was 19 I took a job in Dorothy Perkins in Jervis street, took it upon myself to sort out their stockrooms, I was pretty fit and strong at the time so I thought nothing of hauling heavy deliveries and stock boxes around the place. Anyway, went to lift a bar full of clothes one day on the shop floor and really hurt something in my lower back, got a taxi to the gp beside my college. Diagnosis- severe lower back strain, muscle relaxants and painkillers, rest.
Never really recovered the strength I had in my back after that.
After college, went into teaching, visited gp on and off with pain, nothing came of it. Moved to Ardee, got a new gp, referred my to ortho in Dundalk, diagnosed tilt in sacroiliac joint, slight bulge on l4, l5. Physio and difene. Physio was pathetic, no interest, just "clicked" me back into place when I went, difene was murder on my stomach too.
Tried physio (private) she was good but after 4 sessions said I needed something more, sent me to chiropractor in mullingar, he did some clicking, acupuncture and drugged me to my eyeballs, on dec 23, can hardly remember Christmas 2005.
No joy, pain returned. Started getting "stuck", even at work. Began attending osteopath in Ardee, he gave the best relief I had up to then, made me wear belt for sr joint he got from new Zealand, but again after 5/6 sessions he had to say, look Paula this isn't working you need to see a consultant. So what happened, I fell pregnant!
Strangely on my first pregnancy the pain improved slightly, gp said it was pregnancy hormones loosening the joint. Rob was suction delivery, all fine. Breast-fed for 6 months, no real pain. Almost as soon as I weaned him pain returned with chronic pms, mind you that didn't last too long, pregnant 3 months later!
Paulina was a difficult pregnancy, very sick, admitted to hospital for a week at 6 months with "virus" couldn't control my high temp. Very weak and I'll until Paulina was also suctioned (she was a very long 9lb 1), kept in hospital for 1 week with retained placenta but home then, all well. Pain returned again when Paulina was weaned. Difficult year 2008, lots of pain, not helped by pushing double buggy and managing 2 year old and 5mth old! Started getting to the stage of 5/6 in the evening I could do nothing with the pain. Gp prescribed lying down for 20 mins every two hours!! Ha ha, clearly he never stayed at home with kids that age! Pain was significantly worsened by sweeping, hoovering, mopping, bending and lifting.
Returned to a private physio who was excellent, got me working on "core" muscles and recognised continuous spasm mid way up my left side of the spine.
Fell pregnant jan 2009, from the very beginning I had terrible pain in my lower back and down my left leg. Couldn't walk some days, obviously could take nothing for the pain, after 12 weeks I tried homeopathy, baths, hot water bottles. Physio in the Lourdes my obgy sent me to gave me crutches and an exercise ball to sit on, as bump grew so did the pain. Delivery was tough, fintan was a wide 8lb 12, forceps to avoid emergency cesarean, but I panicked, when I heard the words emergency c I pushed like my life depended on it. Apparently that pushed my disc out onto the nerves. I was in excruciating pain, couldn't sit, walk or stand only lie on right side. After MRI ortho surgeon said I needed to go straight to the mater by ambulance for disc surgery. I refused, I was managing to breastfeed but was on regular injections of pethadine. Ortho was not happy, but I was determined they find some way to hold off surgery. So as luck would have it a very nice man, radiologist I think offered to do an epidural block, if it didn't work surgery was the only alternative.
It sort of worked, 50% relief, I could cope. 2x50g tramadol and 5mg Diaz every 4/6 hours when I got home. I was a zombie, but I was home feeding my newborn, back with my 2 and 3 year old.
Not surprisingly I ended up with depression, I couldn't feel anything, I was exhausted and in pain. My husband was in the throws of starting a new job having been unemployed for 6 mths, I was put on anti depressants suitable for breastfeeding and sent for Councilling. The councillor I got happened to be a renowned expert, who coincidently had recently recovered from a spinal fusion!
She was amazing, got me over the hump, convinced me to ask friends and family for help to pay to see Ashley poynton privately in dec 2009. He was sympathetic but firm, I needed surgery, he would schedule a pain relief injection for jan but put me down for surgery (on public list!) in Cappagh.
Prof Stephen Eustace did the injection, after a poor student failed 3 times and I almost passed out. It was the best relief I had, lasted 3 months. May 2010, surgery in Cappagh with dr Poynton. Had to take a break from paying our mortgage for 2 months to hire a nanny. That was torture for me but I did it, I did everything I was told.
Back to outpatients 10 weeks post surgery, explained I was improved but still feeling pain. MRI was ordered, showed surgery was a success but prof Eustace diagnosed sacroillitis, so I was transferred to dr grainne Kearns, rheumatologist. She did bloods, high inflammatory markers, but pain worse at evening rather than morning makes her think, not ank spon. She transferred me to Beaumont, no other signs of major problems in other joints just slight stiffness in hips, wrists, feet.
I was put on Enbral injections, an anti tnf, horrible allergic reaction, changed to humid a jan 2012. No benefit as yet.
Attended gp in feb, almost my entire body was in spasm, she phoned dr Kearns who saw me in Beaumont and discovered bursitis on left hip, injected with steroid, ordered MRI as she believed my back problem had returned.
Driving children home from school last thurs, as I turned I to our gateway I felt a twist and awful pain with momentary loss of power in my left leg, got emergency app with gp, could not walk or sit. She sent me straight to Lourdes a&e, they treated the pain / spasm with pethadine. Said if they admitted me I might get an MRI within 2 days and see an ortho. The place was packed, it was like a mad house, I just said write me a script for whatever will get me through this, I'd rather be seen in Cappagh.
I phoned Cappagh MRI dept and literally begged the radiologist for an app, got cancellation for this wed at 2.30, gp said bed rest until then and she would write to prof Eustace to please read my MRI as soon as possible. I don't care if I have to fund raise, go to another country, whatever it takes. I have no quality of life at the moment, it is very sad and very hard on my husband, children and family.