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Hi, I'm a new member with chronic pain

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Posted 11/1/2012 9:53 AM (GMT 0)
Hi! Just discovered this forum & thought it looked great to be able to talk with other sufferers like me! My story- I hurt my back in dec 2009-silly accident involving a toilet ;). For months I was told "lumbar strain". Returned to work, pain not getting better. Skip to September 2011, constant pain & a near full-out breakdown doc put me off work. Referred to pain clinic where I was told it was facet joint. I've had 2 injections- one cortisone which did help a little & the second was nerve burning which didn't really help, so here I am today. During this time my MRI showed large thoracic disc herniation compression, ct showed lumbar damage as well. I now also suffer panic attacks, depression, anxiety, can't sleep, and constant worry. It's really hard cause I was always such a happy, positive person and I miss me:( Around may I started having knee pain, which now is both knees, down my calves and around front of feet. So I'm on a new mission to find out what that is. Doc states could be early onset arthritis. Any of this familiar?
Posted 11/1/2012 1:25 PM (GMT 0)
Hi, Nicolejar. Actually, it sounds very familiar. I had an MRI 13 years ago which showed lumbar herniations. I just sucked up the pain and kept going. 9 years ago, my life . I had an increase in pain, my neck started killing me, and panic attacks hit me out of the blue. I had no history of anxiety. I was diagnosed with Anxiety/panic disorder, fibromyalgia, depression, etc.. My knees started swelling and hurting, did an mri and showed loss of cartiledge. Then my feet started killing me.. just saw a podiatrist who said I had arthritis and nerve damage in my feet.

Finally, finally found a doctor who isn't that fond of a fibro dx without a ton of tests.. he did an MRI and my neck is seriously messed up. He said everything I suffered for 9 years can go back to that. Loss of curve, three herniations pressing into my spinal colum... all could cause lots of things. He also says my lower back needs testing because it is probably worse.

My opinion... once your back "goes" in any manner, you put so much extra stress on the rest of your body, and joints, that you start doing damage to them also.

I hope you find your answer, I know living with what you are dealing with is really hard.
Posted 11/1/2012 3:12 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Nicolejar,

Sorry to hear about the accident and its consequences.

My CP issues began in 2004 as the result of a car accident which damaged my right hip and lead to various surgeries. It also seemed to trigger (or the asymmetry in how I sat, etc. as a result of the hip damage) upper back problems. I have a mild scoliosis curve from C4-T4, which never caused me any problems until 2007. Since then, I've been dealing with constant upper back pain between my shoulder and spine.

I made the tough choice earlier this year to start Oxycontin, and though I am cognizant of the chemical dependency that results (e.g. feeling crummy if I skip a dose), it has tamped down my base-level of pain and also helps cap my pain flares.

You might want to start with something like Ultram ER if your doctor will prescribe it. It is a schedule III medication, so regular MDs won't have as much of an issue with it. It is a mild opioid but also functions as an anti-depressant for most people (it should also help with anxiety too -- as it increases serotonin levels, as things like Prozac and Zoloft do). I've been on it since 2007 and only this year it seemed to not be enough for the pain -- thus my doctor added the lowest dose of Oxycontin.
Posted 11/1/2012 5:20 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Nicolejar and Welcome to Healing Well Chronic Pain forum, sorry that you had to find us, but happy that you did! I think you will find, that even though we can not cure anybody or anything, we can intently listen with compassionate, caring and most of all empathic ears! And we can give what advice we may have, and lots of compassionate support! So again welcome to our CP family!

You mentioned that you had a problem with your Thoracic Spine and Disk? The sad thing about that, is most surgeons will not touch Thoracic disks, the surgery is to complex and dangerous, so allot of time they treat patients like me, with Spinal Pain Management. My herniated and torn disk at T-12 ended my nursing career,and put me on disability. Now that is not to say everyone ends up like that, but in my case, I have multiple problems with my back, and have had three fusions in my cervical spine, and multiple problems with my Thoracic spine, and my Lumbar spine is also a mess.  But with proper spinal pain management, I get along pretty good, and although I am never pain free, it is most  of the time manageable!  I do hope that they can do something for you, to relieve your pain, as for you knees, I can relate to that too, I have had surgery on both of my knees, ( torn cartilage) It seem, I got the bottom of the barrel in the gene pool when it comes to making cartilage in the joints!

I want to tell you something, that I know is very difficult to do, but please do try and do it! Try and relax and do something that will distract you and keep your attention away from worrying. As worrying about it will do you no good and just make things worse for you. Come here and vent your worries and frustrations, then try and let them go! Just remember we are here for you, and your not alone with you pain anymore! We all help each other the best we can. Work with you Doctors, and hopefully things will get better for you!

White Beard

Posted 11/2/2012 12:42 AM (GMT 0)
Welcome to HW CP, sorry you needed to find us, but glad you did. You have a lot of serious pain related issues on your plate, I feel bad for you

It helps to get it off your chest, so feel free to vent here anytime you want. You are talking to folks that truly understand what it is to be living with constant pain of one variety or the other.

I wish you the best, and hope they can find the answer to your knee related problems as well.

And never give up hope, we are here for you.

david
Posted 11/2/2012 12:33 PM (GMT 0)
I'm so glad I found you! It is extremely hard dealing with pain all the time. I have 3 children - girls ages 13,11,&3. It breaks my heart that I feel sometimes I'm not the mother I should be. I am not the same person I once was. I live in Canada, and my doc told me to apply for cpp disability - hard to hear cause it means he feels I can't work anymore - I'm 40 years old. Thank you all so much for your support - I'm sure I'll be venting a lot & asking questions!
Posted 11/2/2012 1:06 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Nicole, A lot of us have stories that involve us going from shiny happy people (as REM would say) to people now dealing with pain and depression. They seem to go hand in hand. The change in lifestyle is hard to accept. But as WhiteBeard said, stressing about it isn't going to fix it. In my sig line, I have the Serenity Prayer. I picked it up in AA, but it has helped me through many other times, and maybe it can help you too.

I'm glad you found us, and I'm sorry you had too. Remember to hug your kids, no matter how much it hurts.
Posted 11/2/2012 2:23 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Nicolejar and I too would like to welcome you to the chronic pain forum. As you ca see there are a lot of us here that understand what you are going through. Kind of like the old saying misery loves company,lol.

Once you start a chronic pain journey you will find that you will go through so many different emotions and phases, its just part of the program. Depression, yes many of us suffer with depression and end up on medication. Its a tough life at times no doubt.

Try not to beat yourself up so much because you think the kids are lacking something from you. All you can do is the best you can. You did not ask for this to happen.

It sounds like your pain is not being controlled very good. Have you told your dr and what does he say about this? Hopefully you can get things calmed down.

Anyway, I wanted to pop on and tell you hello and welcome aboard. Take care...Susie
Posted 11/2/2012 7:11 PM (GMT 0)
Yes I am totally a roller coaster of emotions! I do know I am doing my best for my family, but sometimes it does hurt that I can't. I do find the hardest thing was not knowing what was wrong with me. It was a relief and at the same time depressing to hear it but I can at least put a name on it. I'm not sure if it's just me, so I want to ask if the following problems are "normal" for chronic pain sufferers. Depression, anxiety (panic attacks), worrying, lack of sleep, forgetfulness, cannot concentrate, fear of being in public, pain worse on cold, damp days. Haha big list. And my legs have been hurting started left knee(side of lumbar damage) now both knees, down shins & to top of foot?
Posted 11/2/2012 7:46 PM (GMT 0)
I now spend $90 a month on anti-depressants (Effexor), anti-anxiety meds (Klonopin), and sleep meds (Ambien). Plus some others that I doubt really do anything, but the combination tends to keep me stable.

I didn't before, if that answers your question.
Posted 11/3/2012 2:36 AM (GMT 0)
I use Effexor as well, oxy, and a mild sleeping pill. Sometimes it just feels like its more problems being added all the time - mental & physical.
Posted 11/3/2012 3:34 AM (GMT 0)
Nicolejar depression is a common partner with chronic pain, and allot of times anxiety accompanies depression, and as for forgetfullness  that is also normal, and can be from some of the pain meds your taking. Most everything you described is  pretty common amongest most of us CP suffeers. So your not alone or different or going crazy or anything like that. Cold damp days often affect ones pain, I swear that my back gets allot worse when there is a change in the wearhter.  The best thing I can tell you is when you get down and really frustrated, come here and vent, you will find you will have empathetic ears listening to you. 

 

White Beard

Posted 11/4/2012 1:31 PM (GMT 0)
I have a good post! Went to my daughters volleyball tournament, was tired & sore the entire time. But I was there to see her receive the all star award for her team! Still very sore today - but today the extra pain was worth it!!!
Posted 11/4/2012 4:06 PM (GMT 0)
Great news! Take the victories! And congrats to your daughter.
Posted 11/4/2012 4:10 PM (GMT 0)
I was looking back at your first post here.

I just have to know....

What happened with the toilet?

We won't laugh. It hurts too much to laugh. ;)
Posted 11/4/2012 6:30 PM (GMT 0)
Oh you will laugh - everybody does & I'm ok with that! I was at work & went to washroom. As I'm "getting in position" I realize seat is up & I jump up quickly. When I did I had this sharp pain shoot in my groin where leg meets body. Funny thing is, I usually squat at work anyway cause some co-workers might be sketchy lol! Women's washroom - cleaners didn't put seat down after cleaning. Shortly after there was a sign on door "please ensure seat is down" haha
There have been many times I thought why didn't I just fall in & get wet????
Posted 11/4/2012 7:22 PM (GMT 0)
I have a visual.... Curiosity got the best of me, that's all. Sorry to find mirth in your pain, but I had to ask.

I worked with one poor guy who has a bulging disk from straining while dropping the kids off at the pool, if you know what I mean. Now THAT'S one he doesn't talk to many people about. He made up some story about changing a tire on his truck or something manly he tells everybody else.

It ain't hard to hurt the back. Sometimes I wonder how people get through life without doing it.
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