New here

Hi not sure what to say, first time in a forum like this. I've been dealing with chronic pain for 6 years from a herniated disc in my lower lumbar and from my latest MRI they say that I have 2 now and that was before I fell off a roof working construction and worked myself too hard more than a few times.

A little background "I am 25 years old and am a gwichin Athabaskan in alaska. I grew up in the woods hunting, fishing, and working every job available. The village I call home has no running water, about 250 people live there depending on the time of year, 155+ air miles from the nearest city, no law but what I carry on my hip and in my hands. I went to highschool somewhere else in order too get a better education, then finished trade school in a winter then started working again.

I went back too the village for a better paying job and ended up throwing out my back, I was raised too be strong and that kicked in at the wrong time because instead of getting myself checked out I figured layin around at my parents house and only getting up to use the outhouse I would heal up just like the many times I've hurt myself before. That was not the right thing too do but the healthcare system is different up here, they are very biased toward natives so after 2 weeks of pain and suffering I moved to the nearest city.

7 months went by before one of the handful of doctors and pa s that i had see. took me seriously and had an x-ray done, from there he had me in an MRI within a week and physical therapy the week after that. Since then Doctors from clinics to pain managment doctors tried all kinds of non narcotics (which are only prescribed when I can't stand the pain any more and haven't slept in days) nerve pain meds, muscle relaxers, more NSAIDs than I can even remember, steroid shots around the different herniated discs(6 in four months).

Then told by different doctors that the only thing too do is spinal fusion(which seems to me that they are just tryin to scare me so I don't come back to them because they think I'm just a pill seeker which is bull, I just want to bee able to sleep, raise my 2 year old, and be there for my wife. Who prolly is the only person in the world that knows how bad my pain really is). The most recent meds I have been on are lidocaine patches and cymbalta which has only made me gain a lot of lbs. I stopped the cymbalta cold turkey a couple days ago no side affects yet.

Sorry for dragging on and the bad spelling but it helps reading the posts on this site and telling my story. Right now it seems like the pain in my lower back is going to eat me alive. The love of my wife and daughter have been a life saver for me, we have a couple dogs and from what I have read on this site I'm not the only one finding peace in the pain with loved ones and pets.

But I don't know what to do next since as of now there are really no pm doctors in the state that are taking new patients and since of my age no doctors will really help me deal with my pain so sorry again but any feedback on the next step to take would be great.

Post Edited By Moderator (Blessedx8) : 12/12/2013 9:13:24 AM (GMT-7)

hello there gold panner and welcome to the forum. if ya have to be in pain, this is a good place to be. lots of good people with info,inputs and helpful ideas. i can diffenently relate to your pains. i have had chronic pains for around 7-8 years in my lower back and both legs. had 4 back surgeries and just had a pain pump implanted a week and a haf ago and today i'm going in to have the medicine put in.
it's always good to get things off your mind, i was the same way, pretty much just read posts until i felt comfortable telling my story. which in one way or another we've all been down that road. i also injured my back at work and went down the road of therapy and mri's and different kinda of medicine. it can be very discouraging trying to find what works best. again welcome to the forum and wish ya the best of luck finding ways to help with your pain....mark

Welcome to HW CP,

You had an amazing and unique story to tell, of you life in Alaska and with your CP journey.

No easy answers in your situation, and at your age, but never give up hope.

Here, you will find comfort, help, and support, good place to be. And if you need to vent to get it off yoru chest, this is the place to do it.

My best wishes to you, and hoping you will find some sorely needed relief soon for your pain.

David

I had a question. What do you do when your in pain and can't sleep no meds and just the ceiling too stare at?

Hi Goldpanner, and welcome to Healing Well, I am sorry for all the pain you are going through, and there are no easy answers for your situation. Night time is the absolute worst for pain, it seems for some reason to always be worse at night, and having nothing to help relieve makes it a hundred times worse! I am a bit familiar with your state, but it has been a very long time since I have been up there! If at all possible try to get to a major hospital in Anchorage, they do have the capability of performing the type of surgery you need. I understand how your health care system might bulk at wanting to pay for your surgery and giving you adequate treatment, but remember the squeaky wheel gets the grease, so petition, the ones that control your health system, write letters to who ever will listen, to get you the medical treatment that you need. If no results, contact you governmental representative, congressman or who ever. It is not like your state doesn't have the money to give you your medical care, they are by far more capable than most! As a native Alaskan, you definitely should be receiving better care than what you are! I believe according to your laws, you are entitled to it!

As I mentioned I am a little bit familiar with your beautiful but rugged and cold state. Many years ago when I was in the military (USAF) I spent two tours in your state, my first in Anchorage from 74 to 76. Then about ten years later from 84 to 87 I spent four years up outside Fairbanks at Eielson AFB, You are right about the cold! but the beauty of your state in top notch, beyond compare! The northern lights are something to behold, when viewed from your fine state!

Anyway I wish I could be of more help[ to you, I guess the only thing I can tell you is to keep pressing your authorities and doctors and medical system to get you the treatment that you need. I find it so amazing that people are so concerned about the inhuman treatment of animals and pets, but yet think it is alright for humans to suffer!

Good Luck to you and I do hope that you will keep us all informed of your progress, or lack of it.

White Beard

Not totally sure, they do have a B.I.A. Office here in alaska but I don't know how much they have to do with the native health are system. All natives in alaska are covered under Indian Healths Service which is grant money given too different corporations/areas around the state depending on population.

They only way I can explain how it works is that it is like having really really bad health insurance where you can only see their doctors and trying to get a referral is a slow process. How IHS is set up is too treat the sick, pregnant, and dying. They have a really difficult time with helping people that have chronic pain, most of the time I've been told by different native clinics in the different places I've lived is that they cannot treat chronic pain, then they give me a bottle of Ibuprophren and say this this should take care of the pain

Also when you go to the native clinics they ask you too fill out paperwork while you wait, then ask you if you have health insurance. The way you are treated and even if you get to see a real doctor or just a PA seems to depend on if you have insurance or if IHS has to foot the bill.

In. 2011 I got a pain management doctor finally and had to fly from my home village every month to get steroid injections. After 4 months I was in the city once again for injections which this time I could t walk for about an hour after the injections and when the needle went into my back the pain was horrible it felt like the doc hit something he wasn't supposed too.

Well once I could walk I left and called the airline to check on my return flight home and was told that I didn't have a ticket and too go to the clinic and talk to the travel people. So I end up in an office in bad pain only too be told that they could not pay for my ticket and showed me "official documents" saying that they could not pay for me too come and see the PM because according to their government funding they could not do it because they do not cover chronic/long term problems. They also told me that since I was already in town that they would pay for my return ticket but that it would be the last one.

For the next 2 months I paid my own way out and back from the village but I could not afford to do that anymore and with no help I ended up loosing my doctor, so that's just one of my experiences with the native health care system in alaska. Sorry for writing so much it helps to talk about it and to vent my anger