HealingWell
Search Close Search
☰

Hello to members Introduction.

Support Forums
>
Chronic Pain
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply
❬ ❬ Previous Thread |Next Thread ❭ ❭
Posted 5/12/2011 2:20 AM (GMT 0)
My name is Shell74 and I was sent a link by one of your moderators to check the CP area out.  Typically, I am much more of a lurker as I have a super hard time giving encouragement since I am not in a great place in my life right now.  I am having a hard time not being very angry and irritated with whats going on with my body.  I am very lucky to have a very supportive husband, family and coworkers.  That being said I will "briefly" give an overview so everyone knows were I am coming from.

Diagnosis's- Fibromyalgia, Chronic Pain, Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy, arthritis, syringomyelia mid T level, DDD, DJD, OSA, high BP, depression, obesity, failed fusion syndrom, blah, blah, blah,lol.   

Recent Surgeries/treatment- Lumbar fusion 08, Cervical 5-6 fusion 2010, rotator cuff repair, arthroscopic knee x2, ulnar nerve transposition, SCI trial (successful), deviated septum repair.  Pain management since approx. 2003.  Lumbar Re-fusion scheduled 6/13/11 due to improper screw placement impinging nerve root, excess screw length hitting illiac arteries as well as complete non union.

I am a full time, mother, grandmother, wife and Occupational Therapist.  Children are 13 and 15, step sons 23 and 25, I also have custody of my 2 1/2 year old (step) grandson.  I live in a zoo, we have reptiles, aphibians, birds, dogs, cats, etc, etc, etc.......  I should really charge admission turn

That was definetely the short version.  Feel free to ask away as I am very open.  I look forward to reading the posts and getting to know the members on this site. 

Take Care,

Shell74

Posted 5/12/2011 2:54 AM (GMT 0)
Welcome to the chronic pain forum Shell. It sure sounds like you have quite a few things that would cause chronic pain. I'm sorry that you have to go thru all the pain that you do. You have come to a wondefully supportive forum. The people here are great. You take care. I hope you're having a low pain night.

hugs
Loretta
Posted 5/12/2011 3:52 AM (GMT 0)
Don't have any time and answering from my phone, but I wanted to say hi and welcome. Glad to know you, not happy about what we have to connect us. See you much more later.
Welcome.
Posted 5/12/2011 4:11 AM (GMT 0)
Hi Shell, welcome twice over. To the group as a whole, and to the smaller group of us here who have CRPS/RSD. I'm sorry that you have so many sources of pain, but I hope that you'll find plenty of support here.

Laura
Posted 5/12/2011 6:42 AM (GMT 0)
Ah Ha you came! Wecome Shell74 to the Healing Well Chronic pain forum! I am so glad you came and introduced yourself to our family here!  I think , or I at least hope you will like it here,  I personally feel  these folks here are my family, and I hope that in time you will too! I would encourage you to read the forum rules if you haven't already, they are always helpful. May I say WOW you have really been through the wringer, haven't you! Well I think you will find lots of good company here, as you have allot in common with allot of the folks here at this forum! They aways say misery loves company, and you willl have lots of company here! But good company! This is a great place to come and vent when you get frustrated with your doctors, condition or your pain or just what ever is bothering you. There is always somebody that will lend you their ear and listen and give what advice and support that they can!  With your experience with every thing you have been through,  I am sure you will be great at also helping and supporting others as well!

 

Again I Welcome you to our CP family!

 

 

White Beard

Posted 5/12/2011 6:47 AM (GMT 0)
Hi Shell!

And welcome to our own form of zoo...lol You have a mighty long laundry list of 'issues' going on there. I have no idea how you have time for anything else but taking care of yourself. You are amazing.

I do hope you stick around and meet everyone. You'll find you have a lot in common with so many folks here. I'd chat longer but I'm dealing with too much arm/neck pain tonight that I just can't type any more.

Take care and we'll see you around the forum,
Chutz smilewinkgrin
Posted 5/12/2011 10:26 AM (GMT 0)
Hi Shell

Welcome to our HWF family. I am sorry that you have a long list of issues that are wrong with you. You will find many members that have the same issues as you . I dont have have similar problems as you do but I have chronic pain that wont relieve itself in my injured left leg. Now it is affecting my right side of back, right hip and right knee and that is my good side.

Well anyway welcome, good to have you onboard. Post when you feel up to it and join us in the chat room
mon-fri 3:00pm EST in chronic pain room.

Looking forward to getting to know you better.

You Take Care of Yourself

Spft Hugs

Betsey
Posted 5/12/2011 10:36 AM (GMT 0)
Just a quick reply as my day never waits,lol. Thank you everyone for the responses. I do have ALOT of things that cause chronic pain, so I never really know what is causing one thing or another. It is a very horrible cycle. I have thought about SSD but I cant even begin to think about fighting that at age 37. I want to work for at least another 20 years. After my next lumbar fusion I am due for the SCS. I had a good trial but then the NS found the need for fixing the fusion site first. Oh well.

I think I came off a bit negative, sorry not always like that. As I am sure everyone here understands, some days just stink!

Take Care everyone and have a pain free day.

Shell74
Posted 5/12/2011 1:00 PM (GMT 0)
I have SSD, and it is do-able. There is a lot of paperwork, especially at the beginning, but I believe it is worth the effort. 

The people there at the office are there to help you, and if your condition significantly improves with new treatment you can always start back to work.  The SSD doesn't just stop, but allows trial-runs to make sure that you will be successful in the place.  If you need retraining for a new line of work, they pay for that.

If you get a SS lawyer it cuts down on a LOT of paperwork, but they take a portion of the "back pay" and can take up to $6,000 of the back pay.  By law they cannot take payments outside of the back pay award and cannot take any portion of future payments. 

Most people wait till after the first hearing to hire a lawyer in case they are approved without the lawyer, but that is the hearing where the most paperwork happens too.

Many of us here have SSD or are trying for it.  for me, it took 18 months from filing the claim to being approved, and then another 9 months for the paperwork and back pay to finally be done. 

My SSD is based on my bipolar condition and how CP makes it VERY hard to manage.  With conditions that are visible, testable, and are normally not treatable I'm sure the process is easier.  My condition is invisible, has no definable test, and is normally able to treat and live a "normal" functional life.  I just happen to be the exception.

Posted 5/12/2011 1:32 PM (GMT 0)

        Good morning Shell!

           Welcome to the CP forum!

                 It looks like you have been introduced to several of your members, and as you can see first hand they are very warm and friendly.

         I also, share the DDD Dx with you and had a double lumbar fusion early last year, with some success but not complete, and still suffer some pain.

              Anyway!..welcome aboard! ...and Enjoy! We look forward to many more visits with you!

       SE wink

Posted 5/12/2011 2:40 PM (GMT 0)
You should at least look into ssd, to see if you'd qualify...
Keep us posted as when the
date for your next surgery, so we can send you well wishes on that, this is a good place
and we consider everyone family, so welcome...
well wishes...
Sorry, I'm not too familiar with ssd, but look into it...Stray/Susie knows a lot about ssd

Post Edited (Chartreux) : 5/12/2011 11:43:33 AM (GMT-6)

Posted 5/12/2011 4:28 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Shell74 and I too would like to welcome you to Healing Well's chronic pain forum. Wow, yes, you have been through the wringer too. Its bad enough putting up with CP just by itself, but when a person has multiple conditions it does make it hard to know which one is sometimes rearing its ugly head at first. I am in that situation and understand where you are coming from.

I am on SSD for crohns disease and have been since 2004. Not exactly what I had planned for my future but my body had different ideas. Its one of those multiple conditions I was speaking of having too, with a long list of others. I would like to make a comment about SSD. It does not make any difference how much money a spouse makes on whether you can collect SSD. At the time I became disabled my husband was employed and he had an excellent job with a high income, it has no bearing. You will have to pay tax on SSD which I do. If a person is filing for Supplemental Security Income, yes a spouses income could knock you out of being entitled to it, there is a cap. SSI is for folks that either has not worked and are disabled and have basically no income or very little, or ones that did not meeting the earnings quarters requirement. I wanted to clear that up.

I do hope all goes well on your surgery in June. Please keep us posted on how you are doing. Take care.
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply