Many Constant pains...any advice?

Hello everyone,

I have been suffering back pain since 2004 after I had a spinal tap. I had gone to the hospital because I was in severe pain. I had a shocking pain shooting up my sides my back and the sides of my head. The nurses there thought menengitis so they scheduled a spinal tap. When the doctor/nurse [I don't really remember which she was I didn't really pay attention to her] came to do the tap, she numbed me, after I was in position and then she started the procedure, first time, she hit something and I jerked, so she had to start again, that time same thing, final time she got it right. After that, they found out I had just a urinal infection and food poisoning. [yay no need for a spinal tap] But my ongoing side effects from the tap are what worry me. I had a 3 month long migraine, and a headache everyday for 2 1/2 years. I still get frequent headaches. Also my mom just got diagnosed with a brain tumor. [wondering if its genetic... ] Anywho..in 2006 when I was in labor with my daughter, I asked for an epidural. [Now I wish I hadn't] The anesthesiologist [sp] was rushed as he was putting the needle in my back [just imagine the flashbacks going through my head while receiving that epidural...my mom had to hold my hand..] 2 nurses came into the room about 4 times each, within 30 seconds of each other asking for the doctor for an emergency C section. [As he has the needle in my back mind you...] So after the second nurse came in for the 4th time he asked the nurse attending my labor to fisnish taping me up. I don't know what happened but the epidural didn't take. My mom later noted, [because I wasn't numbing on my right side only my left] they had me switch to my right side to possibly help the flow, my mother saw a pinkish fluid covering the blankets. [I was induced and my water hadn't broken yet so it wasn't that]

So my lower back..is in extreme pain, constantly, I cannot straighten up while sitting because I will receive an instant headache. I can't get massaged anywhere near the spine in that area, the spine in that spot is sensitive to the touch. I was in consideration to sue the hospital for malpractice, and the lawyer I had talked to told me to get an x-ray to see if the needle tip came off in my spine. My daughter had just been born so I had no chance to get an x-ray and now my insurance was cut off, so I'm not able to go get one now.

 

So thats one pain.

 

When I was 17 I was a cheerleader. Strictly competitional so we did tumbling, stunts, the whole nine yards. While I was new to cheerleading being small I took to tumbling quickly. Sadly enough I fell on my left knee finishing off a backhandspring, never felt much pain after that, but picking up a friend heading to a competition, it had just rained, I had to hit the button to open the gate to her house, and my cheer shoes had no tread, i slipped and fell on my knee twisting it and landing on it with all my weight. Since then its been a constant pain, standing for too long, sitting for too long, someone hitting it hurts, it swells. I've had x-rays, mri's [which I never got the results from ] and there have been no breaks. One doctor gave me a sleeve to put on it, but it caused more pain than relief, I cried whenever I put it on. I was on a 3 month long singing tour and since I had tumbling experience, so they had me doing backhandsprings down an aisle. I hit my knee on the aisles many many times, alot of the aisles were slanted.

I have yet to find anything 'wrong' with it. I have pain still to date, in my knee is bent for too long, my foot goes numb. Actually the whole leg from the knee down goes numb. It swells, under the knee and to the right side.

 

Does anyone have or know any of these pains? Same causes? Know of someone who has them? Any info on these could help me research the origin and treatment. [I would like a more natural treatment, not one from a doctor. Since most of my pain is because of doctors screwing up I would prefer a more natural treatment.]

Thank you SO MUCH! <3

Sethia

I'm sorry you are having such troubles!! :(

My only suggestion about the "needle tip in the back" part is that you pay for an xray out of pocket. It's really not that expensive from what I've heard and it might be worth it!

Good luck to you.

I was on medi-cal. I live in CA, and they had wrote me a notice saying since I didn't respond to something they sent me before they were turning off my insurance. I never got any such letter...so when they had called to set something straight, I told them I never got anything so they're sending me a new form. [still waiting]

And Freya to answer your question about taking pain medication. The other day I was helping my mom with her photography, and I had the WORST headache. So she gave me one of her vicodins. [After all the pain medications I've been on throughout 2004-2007 any pain killer smaller than a vicodin doesn't take, my body had built up an immunity.] But I had a negative reaction to it, it killed the pain, but..I was very nauceous [I had eaten a full meal beforehand too] and I was very dizzy. So I can't take many pain killers, I have to take about 4-5 acedametaphin [sp] to do any painkilling.

It sucks that I don't have much to do about all these. I am working part time so I don't have the money to blow to go get a mri or an x-ray.

I also have teeth problems. haha..my calcium was taken by my daughter while I was pregnant, so i have two teeth that had to get pulled because my insurance didn't cover crowns, and they had both broken. One of my crowns has fallen off, it stays there for now, but its seperated from the glue and the tooth. [meh] I'm just a shipwrek...lol

A small note: I live in Belgium, and we have mandatory social security. X-Rays are free, a GPs visit costs you about five dollars and an appointment with a specialist about 35. Compared to othetr countries we have no complaints and the number of tests performed on the average patient is of course considerably higher than in the States. Furthermore, it is almost impossible to sue doctors in my country so they are much more inclined to try out various treatments and remedies to help their patients.

Now, I think the basic problem in your case is not the lack of skill of the doctors involved, but rather the lack of data on which they have to go. It took my docters three years to figure out exactly what was wrong with my back and what the causes were, and this with no delay due to insurance problems. Pain in the back is very hard to diagnose, so it would be nothing less than wild guessing what is wrong with you without any more information. I think you should forget about any lawsuit (I know this is often difficult for Amerians, no offense meant) and concentrate on getting the necessary insurance and money to obtain some serious up-to-date information. See a doctor you trust, family doctors are often fine, to take care of the immediate pain problem. There is no point in suffering when it can be remedied by pain medication, as long as there is a fair chance you might get cured (otherwise, the use of pain medication and its effects in the long run should be seriously studied). Personally, I don't think it is wise to consider alternative treatment as you haven't been given any conventional treatment yet. Give the doctors a chance to figure out what is wrong with you first. No doubt this will cost a lot of money and may require some serious sacrifices, but remember that the longer you wait, the tougher it might get to do something about the matter. We're alking about the remainder of your days here, that's worth some money.

On pain medication. I know the problem of becoming used to pain medication and the need to increase your daily dose or change to heavier meds. Again, lack of information prevents doctors from prescribing the best suited medication as you don't know where the pain originates from. Pain in your back can be very deceptive (and often is). It is possible to problems in your leg are influenced or caused by the problems in your back or vice versa. Apart from the teeth, I suggest you have all the problems looked at together, and I know this will also increase your bill considerably.

Although by know you might think I'm sponsered by the medical industry, I can assure you I'm not. I'm speaking from personnal experience. I also have access to government statistics and studies. Malignent tumors are partially genetically generated, although the chance of you having a malignent brain tumor of the same origin as your motheris extremely remote. I don't know the odds by heart, but I'd bet my money on the lottery instead.

In the meanwhile, try to keep up that spirit. Don't look for instant healing in alternative treatments (not that they don't work, they just require the same information your conventional doctors need. There is no "instant cure"). Keep your head clean (no point in taking pain meds that hardly work), talk it over with your friends and family and come up with a realistic plan to get the insurance, the funds and the information you need. I'm afraid cold, hard logic is going to be much more valueble than sympathy and compassion. Take care.

Oh I should add, that these are only my opinions and thoughts. Everyone here has there own thoughts and opinions and I dont want to speak for anyone else.

Nicely said Freya. And Morgoth I don't mean any disrespect with that. You had a lot of good points, but things in the US are a lot easier said than done.

i <3 you freya.

Sethia,
I don't quite understand the image (and have an older computer so maybe that's the problem!) but I do agree you've got good reason to at least try to use the legal means you have to get some recourse for all that was done to you - and your child. I'm glad you reminded us of your initial post to this thread. Putting needles in our spines I think is starting to be taken much too lightly.

I wish you the best in getting some insurance and justice!

PaLady

If only we all lived in Belgium. I live in the U.S. and I can vouge for Sethia that it is indeed very expensive for healthcare. If you dont have ample insurance, and you are juggling work, baby, and living... it is impossible to pay your own way because your doctors screwed up. I disagree with you Morgoth, ofcourse not for personal reasons. I disagree with your opinion of logic. To be practical and logical, if one is experiencing chronic pain, one should identify where this pain originated, and actively seek to stop it. In Sethia's situation, she simply cannot due to lack of funds because of the rediculous prices and fee's. It is not the fault of the patient if the doctor messed up. Epidural and spinal tap precedures leave little margin for error. The doctor needs enough time, expertise, and consentration to perform such delicate tasks. Sethia commented that her epidural was rushed and the fluid that was supposed to be in her body, was leeking down her back. Her doctors, and nurses, could have taken a great deal more care. Not only did the epidural not perform its task during her labor, but now she has ongoing chronic pain in that spot. More then that, they knew full well that she had previously experienced a painful spinal tap because of food poisoning, in which case they should have taken extreme care during the epidural and delivery. They knew the facts, and yet her precedures were rushed and not done correctly, which has resulted in chronic ingoing pain for her. Not only did this negligence cost her LOTS of money to begin with, fixing the problems that the doctors caused will cost even more. Her money, time, and health is the cost aswell. We trust our doctors to perform well, and they should indeed perform well and with care for the wages they charge. You see, in order to even get the treatment she needs to fix the damage done without going into huge debt she would need to be compinsated for this malpractice. Otherwise it wont happen at all. Thats cold hard logic. Whether you call it karma, justice, right, or wrong... its what is practical here. In belgium the cost of healthcare is next to nothing of what it costs here, and so if this type of problem happened in belgium, getting the proper treatment to remedy the pain would not be a big issue. Its extremely expensive here, rediculous really. That is probably why Americans demand compinsation more then others. This way provides compassion and compinsation for Sethia. To be logical and practical in this situation, there needs be a balance of funds and care. I feel for Sethia... it is not her fault that she is suffering right now, and I hope that she gets compinsated with funds so that she can pay for the right treatment and fix the pain.

sethia, what about contacting a not for profit hospital? maybe they could find a way for funding for you to get an xray at the very least??? good luck, shannon

our local hospital is a non profit (didn't know all were?), but our hospital has programs for lower incomes for either payment plans or for free medical care. it would seem that if sethia is working pt, and her husband is out of work that they would qualify for sometype of help somewhere....i dont know much about the system,but i hope she can find some help out there!