Michelle,
Would love to hear more of your AA experience. Sounds like we have an awful lot in common. I'm at a pivital point.
My PM is moving & I have to find a new one. There aren't many to choose from, and I don't know whether or not I'll find one who agrees with my current treatment plan. He says we have exhausted all options for anything other than medication management. He doesn't recommend the SCS, and there are no surgical options as you know.
I'm on an obscene amount of narcotics. Never seen anything like it on the forum so I'm embarrassed to post it. My doc says my pain recepters are open so I get very little relief from opiods. I don't really understand what he means by that. He has prescribed the meds because they get me on my feet for a little while each day. When I am able to quit teaching, I'm going to file with SSD. When I can stay home, the plan is to cut back the meds. I won't need as much because I won't be working.
I can't do much of anything; only what I have to. I feel terrible that I'm not the teacher I was once. I just don't have the energy or drive. I wish I could quit now. The kids would be better off with someone healthier who can keep up with all of the new teaching strategies.
I have 2 daughters aged 23 & 18. The 23 year-old hasn't been around to see what the AA has done to me over the last 2 years, so she has a hard time accepting my disablities. The 18 year-old has a better feel for it, but both seem to think it's going to go away and mom will be "back to normal". As I mentioned in my earlier post, they are both embarrassed by the scooter, but I can't do more than an hour with my cane on a good day.
Would love to hear from you again. I have an email address with the forum.
Take Care!
Liz