Please help..spinal cord mass/chronic pain

Alas we're no doctors. The only way to determine the exact origin is through medical examination. Could you provide a bit more info? What kind of pain (muscle pain, nerve damage, etc.), how does your body react to various positions, heat and cold, etc. Not that we'll come up with a miracle solution, no, but it might help us (ans certainly me as my back is the least of my concerns) to understand better what you have to deal with. Pain is very personal and indivisuals experience it differently, though sometimes practical tips might come in handy (I already had several good ones that improved my life).

What we most certainly can provide you with is a place to vent, fume, rage or just have a nice quiet chat, whatever you feel like. We all suffer and we understand. We can comfort you (well the others might, I'mvery bad at this) and you can talk about anything that bothers you. Often having a place where you can talk about your problems makes things better. It won't make the pain go away, but you'll realize you're not alone and you'll find people who understand what you go through (alas, again, not me, my back is pretty fine considering the circumstances).

BTW, welcome to the forum. We'll see you later and keep us posted.

Dear Whitebeart & Morgoth...THANK YOU for replying and welcoming me to the group.  It has taken for almost three years to even begin to accept my condition so finding a chronic pain support group was a big step for me.  A little about myself...I am 37 years old.  I was diagnosed with a spinal cord intramudallary tumor at T12 at the age of 34.  I had zero back pain to alarm to this (i didn't even know what 'back pain' was), the only thing that nodified my brain something was not right was my left foot.  Prior to my surgery I took up ballet dancing (and all types of dancing just for fun and exercise).  i danced 4-6 days a week after my work (i worked in accounting) and on weekends. i loved it!   but i started noticing my left foot would drag and also i could not flex my left foot in ballet class.  i thought it was just odd but would 'go away'   so one day i was running off to ballet and i tripped (over nothing)  then the next week i was doing a jump across the dance floor and when i came down on the left foot and felt nothing as my foot hit the floor (totally numb) and twisted my ankle terribly.  i went to my doctor and she did the reflex test on my knee and nothing. she did it at least 15 times and my leg / foot did not move once.  from here it was all so quick...mri showed the tumor, i was rushed into nuerosurgeon's office and basically told bc of it's position (literally inside my spinal cord) they could not bioposy but would need to go in for full resection bc we didn't know if cancer or not.  lucilky it was not cancer but more glial cells but we have no idea what formed the mass so they put a shunt in there to help delay it's return bc don't know what the cells will change to...i guess meaning cancerous...  so fast forward to present....not a day has gone by that my body does not feel totally different than prior to my surgery.  i remember how i used to feel and it's like someone switched my body with someone else if that makes sense?  and the thing is i know pain & always thought i handled it well....i had my gallbladder removed when i was 18 with four gallstones and then from mid 20's until now i have passed close to 40 kidney stones ranging in size from 2mm to 7mm.  but i would pass a hundred more kidney stones than face one hour of the pain my throacic back pain causes me.  i have tried everything from physical therapy, tens unit (this does help a tad sometimes), a back brace, pain med's (tramadol, soma, cymbalta, vicodin) but the vicodin gives me horrific nightmares so i try not to take too much.  my neurologist wants to try new pain med's but i get nervous about it bc of side effects but i am planning on seeing him soon to try something new....  i went to a pain specialist and the doctor (during the evaulation) was pressing on my back so hard that i could barely walk for two weeks afterwards.  he wanted to start with 3 injections and said it could go up to two dozen. the nurse took me to the side and told me to really, really think about it bc the risk of paralysis is there and with my condition of the mass in the cord it is riskier.   so i ran (lol!! i cannot run, but walked with my limp out of there as quick as possible).   i cannot dance anymore but do gentle stretches and some yoga.  also acupuncture helps.  but i need to go more often than i can afford it.   THANK YOU for listening!!!  i am so glad i found this site!!  Blessing to us all :)

Thank you White Beard!   It's a relief to know others feel when their bodies are out of balance.  I don't feel so alone which is wonderful!   

Have you been able to get your thoracic pain under any type of control?? if so, would you mind sharing what works for you?  have any specific med's helped?? i know this is an indvidual thing but it's nice to learn.  I had my yearly MRI last week so just waiting to see the neurologist.   I am more organized now than before.  I have my list of questions and concerns ready before I even go in (just in case i forget which tends to happen of course).  so one baby step at a time is all we can do.....all the best.  Thanks again for welcoming me to this group

Hi missamelie,

I too want to welcome you to HW. I am so sorry to hear about your situation! I can't imagine how terrifying it must have been to loose sensation in your foot & then to learn that you had a spinal cord tumor! Wow! And then to top it all off, now you are left with CP. What a story! I am very glad that you found us, though. As White Beard & other have said, this is a wonderful site because we all understand what everyone here is going through, regardless of the nature of their pain or they type of pain they experience. Pain is universal & it affects us in so many different ways. For many of us, me included, this site has been a Godsend. I don't know what I'd do without my HW family! I'm glad that you have joined, as an addition to that family. Keep posting with us, through the good & the bad! There is no such thing as complaining here!

Skeye