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Posted 9/6/2014 2:23 AM (GMT 0)
Hi im new, My name is Gary, am new to this forum but not to the beast,i was a carpenter for over20 years and the first disc i blew out was in 1993,i kept going building, doing concrete, laying brick and doing tile, you name it ,we did it.from 93-2003 i just medicated with alchohol,then had another episode with back and finnally got a doctor,sent me for an mri and man, i had really done the damage, i had three discs in my neck herniated and L3-,4-5,5-s1 were all herniated,started on meds ,went through the gammit ,tryed all the conservative "stuff",fast forward to 2008 and was on 10mg hydro,neurontin, xanax and soma, things progressed towards the dark side and in 2011 had another mri and things are just getting worse, loss of lordosis, worsening herniations, annulus tears,spinal stenosis ,ligamentum flavum hypertrophy and arthropathy.neural foraminal compromise,...and now am on morphine, hydro,valium, neurontin and things are getting even worse, saw one surgeon in 2011 that didnt think surgery would help and now have been offered pain pump but want one more opinion on whether or not surgery will help or if i have just waited to long, it has been quite a road,raised two kids, and now have two grandchildren, this pain has had me pretty well bedridden for two years now and hope there is a surgical option for me and get on with life and if not then the pump will be next and hope that gets me moving agian.well thats a good start on my intro.,theres plenty more and will save some for the next post, just wanted to say hi.Gary
Posted 9/6/2014 2:40 AM (GMT 0)
Hi Gary and welcome to the chronic pain forum at HW. Sounds like your papers are in order for belonging here! ! Wow, looks like you had a career that all but destroyed your spine. As for surgery, sounds like a lot to fix and honestly the amount of damage you have sounds pretty extensive. We see many multiple level spinal problems not fair any better post surgical procedures and I imagine that is what your Drs going on as well.

We have a couple of people here with a pump and they think it has been the best decision for them, they all do really better than the before pump.

Do your homework, research and read all you can about the surgery and pump and look at your odds, chose what is better for you in the long haul.

Glad you joined us and thanks for the intro, looking forward to hearing more.
Posted 9/6/2014 4:12 AM (GMT 0)
First, very sorry about your pain. Capentry is very hard work. My uncle did masonry cement/brick laying...
Find the very best neurosurgeon in your area for a new consult and take all your current mris, x rays ect...
Fusion surgery is a major surgery, so listen to what the doctor says and do not go to someone who is surgery happy either, a good doctor will ask if you've tried the conservative approaches and what all you've tried such as physical therapy...ect...
Many well wishes and I hope you find a great doctor...
Posted 9/6/2014 4:28 AM (GMT 0)
Welcome to the group Gary. So sorry to hear about the back issues. Pain, in any form is not a thrill. I hope you find a solution, and soon. It sounds like you have endured enough. This is a great group. They are wise and helpful and have made a huge difference in my life. I am sure you will find this a great resource.
Posted 9/6/2014 10:53 AM (GMT 0)
Hey Gary,

Welcome to HW.Wow your back is messed up.

My spinal problems are L5-S1 thru L3-L2.Once one goes the others follow.Especially when your still doing hard work.

I kind of worked until I couldn't anymore.

I'm ignorant about surgeries and am scared to take that step myself.

I am taking Opana(OxyMorphone) ER 10mg and 2mg Dilaudid(HydroMorphone) for Breakthrough pain.Also Soma 1/2 4 times a day.I also take Xanax for anxiety.

These Meds have given me the 1st actual pain relief that I've ever had.

In my recliner or on my bed are the only 2 spots where I'm comfortable.

You've found a great Forum here.Lots of really great people here who are in the same boat you are.

Welcome and make yourself at home,

Rick
Posted 9/6/2014 11:43 AM (GMT 0)
Welcome to this forum. I'm glad you found it. I'm sorry about all your pain; not that it matters any but if I had a choice I'd start with the pump. I hope you make the decision that's best for you.
Posted 9/6/2014 3:54 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Gary & welcome to the chronic pain forum. Sorry to read what you are dealing with in the pain dept & yes it does sound like you have ran the gambit of chronic pain.

You know generally when surgeons tell a patient that surgery will not help there is a very real reason for them to make that statement. Far too often we see people with long standing injuries to the spine that eventually find a dr that says those magic words, oh yes, by all means this surgery will help you, I have no idea why you were told it wouldn't. You really need to pay heed to the ones that said it will not help. They end having surgery & are worse off than what they started with. The biggest problem is the nerve involvement, no surgery can be done to fix that, that is something that has to heal on its own. Once you have reached a long period of time that nerve damage is permanent & it cannot be reversed.

I read the part about the dr recommending the pain pump. Before you kick dirt on that idea at least have the trial done to see if you get relief. The trial will tell the story & you may be surprised & wished you had done it a lot sooner rather than suffer as you have.

My first pump was implanted June 2005. It lasted almost 8 years before the battery died. When the battery dies the entire unit has to be replaced. Like you, I had reached the point of no return, I had no quality of life, I spent most days in bed not even functioning let alone living. It was like hitting a brick wall.

It is extremely important to have a dr that knows how to manage a pump & the meds that go in them or it will be a waste of time & money. My original pump dr had no clue what he was doing with a pump so life was not so good. He changed his practice & referred me to another pump dr that had tons of experience & that is when I started living again.

Like you, I have a 9 yr old grandson that keeps me busy. I was able to go to his soccer games, go to the mall with the kids, something that I had not done in years. My activity level went from nothing to something. I now do so much with this little boy that I never dreamed I could do. I kept him pretty much all summer & he is a huge golfer, I hauled him to the driving range, to golf camp, classes, bowling, we played minature golf, just whatever he wanted to do. Yes, I do drive & I am not sedated in any way, no way I would put this child in danger. I do still have pain & that is to be expected even with a pump but it is a tolerable pain.

There is a website for a company that makes pumps called Medtronics. Go to www.Medtronics.com it is a user friendly site & read up on these pumps. It is a very informative site.

One of our other mods here at the forum got his pump this year & he says he wishes he had done it much sooner. It would have saved him a bunch of misery & yes he too is very active.

Anyway, just wanted to touch on the pumps with you & say welcome aboard.
Posted 9/6/2014 5:40 PM (GMT 0)
Welcome Gary..

Glad you found this forum..
after years of searching & lurking, I decided it was the best fit for me.
Fellow posters have made this my 'go to', not only for information
but for support as I have come to realize, only others who 'walk in our shoes' really understand.

As Tidalmouse wrote about his life, "..Meds have given me the 1st actual pain relief that I've .. had.
In my recliner or on my bed are the only 2 spots where I'm comfortable."

(The 'search' button (top right) is useful for specific subjects)

Again, welcome
Posted 9/6/2014 5:56 PM (GMT 0)
Hey there Gary...I can only speak for myself, but I am way too familiar with the dark side of intense chronic pain.  I have a good friend who has the pump.  He's had those "promises of miracle surgery fixes" and has been through so many.  However, right now he has "failed hardware" in motion.  His meds received through pump give him a quality of life he would not have otherwise.

The trial is worth a try, as folks have said here.  I just wanted to say hello as I'm new here too.  I have found this site to be a great source of comfort.  There are folks here who understand "existing" with chronic pain.  I enrolled in PM this year, but haven't reached that mecca of relief yet.  I am getting desperate from fear that I will NEVER find the right protocol for me.  But, hey...we must persevere because  we deserve to get our lives back=)

Dixie

Posted 9/6/2014 6:10 PM (GMT 0)
Hi guys and thanks for the warm welcome,up until my last mri i didnt know much more than the basic anatomy of the spine and a little about herniated discs,after i was told that he (surgeon) told me he didnt think that he would do the discectomy that i was referred for, as he saw there were problems,but he didnt think it would help my back "pain",as they are more for ridiculopathy,,

Wish he would have told me what would,anyway,I told myself if it wouldnt help my back pain, then i wouldnt go throughit since i had my leg pain at a half way tolerable level.So that was the turning point, I started reseaching everything i could find on my problems,i have learned alot and am better equiped for this next consult,whether its a discectomy, laminectomy or a fusion,i dont want "any" surgery so ill just wait an see what they think they can do for me,or if its just been too long, my last emg there is some nerve damage which results in some footdrop and a "dead" leg below the knee, dont know if they will come back to life after surgery,and i kno nerves only grow back at about 1-2 mm a month,so it would still be a long time after that.

The pain management doctor i saw 2 months ago in missouri has set up the trial with me for the end of this month,i was reluctent since he wants to try prialt in it,he said if i decided i didnt want to try prialt i could cancel the appt. and try kansas city,my chief complaint with my gp is always back pain but somehow he always hears leg pain, all they want to use in the pump is the prialt and it may have worked for the leg pain but the side effects scare me and am afraid if they got to bad and it had to be stopped that i would be stuck with a pump full of saline and not be able to find a new doctor to take it over!

So im out in kansas now waiting to see new pm and surgeon.I have studied everything there is to find about the pump and would love to give it a try as ive heard of only a couple people that didnt like it.the prialt scares me to death and dilaudid and morphine work wonders on me,I know they worry about the narcotics, But come on!, there at such a small dose intrathecally that it would be years before they would be at level to be concerned about,Ive talked to my new pm doctor here in kansas and she doesnt want to use prialt for me if i go this route

I am so ready to get on with something for my pain, i have finnally gotten over the depression i was in for so many years and am ready to get back to "the world", start exercising agian as alot of muscles have atrophy,d but evry time i have tried in the past couple of year i just exccaserbate my back and end up paying for it for days,the doctor has me doing nothing as far as lifting and just mainly stretching until further notice.

My grandson is 5 and my grandaughter is 2 i do what i can with them, my grandson spends alot of time with me, we are best buds,i want so bad to do all the outdoor stuff i did with my kids,(camping,fishing,hiking,arrowhead hunting,ect...I have a 16ft. runabout that we havnt been out on in a few years and he plays in it pretending he,s out on the water, so hopefully when he,s a couple years older ill be "ready" to take him out tubing and get him started on the kneeboard, then on too skis., i cant wait for him to see how good of a skier his mommy is,

We have a camper over at mark twain lake at one of the local campgrounds we spent the whole summers there when my kids were growing up the grandkids love it up there also but i end up having to lay around up there also,It is past time to get something done whether its the pump or the "other"........mending chronic pain is alot like crossing the monkey bars,,,sometime you have to let go in order to get to the other side...Gary

Gary, I have made some paragraphs in your post to make it easier to read. Some of our members have tracking problems when reading. Thanks.

Post Edited By Moderator (straydog) : 9/6/2014 2:21:43 PM (GMT-6)

Posted 9/6/2014 7:17 PM (GMT 0)
Hey again Gary...I love hearing about your place and your plans with your grands!  I sincerely hope that the IC pump will be your answer.  As to your nerve damage...others here can tell you more about their experience with surgery.  I've not had spinal surgery, as my neurologist has said that surgery is not for me.  I have blown discs at L4, L5 with mild compression on S1.  I have 2 annular tears, and blood filled tumors on my spine (I think endometriosis on my spine, but that's a separate story).  I have reversed curvature of my cervical spine, which neuro says "could be corrected" with significant hardware, recovery time, and mind-numbing pain post-op.  He went on to say that he could pretty much guarantee the failure of the surgery "down the road".  Can you say "failed surgery syndrome"?  No thanks.  So, last Fall, the neurologist concurred with 8 other specialist across 3 states...Seek PAIN MANAGEMENT.

 

I have known no life without pain since high school. My mom, my sister (8 mos. pregnant) and I were airlifted from a near-fatal car crash in 1978.  Thank God we all survived (baby was born healthy), after multiple surgeries followed by months of PT for all 3 of us. Our bones were shattered like glass.  I digress.  I say that to say this...We are ALL survivors.  You have much joy to embrace in your life, if you can obtain pain relief to some degree.

I believe good things are in store for you...for us all=)

Dixie

Posted 9/6/2014 8:15 PM (GMT 0)
Gary, I would not, I repeat I would not do a trial with Prialt. You should fear for your life when Prialt is mentioned. Please get with a different PM dr.. If my dr ever said Prialt or nothing, I would & will opt for nothing & have the pump removed.
Posted 9/6/2014 10:56 PM (GMT 0)
yes susie, i am not going through the trial with prialt,i did go ahead and schedule it back in july when i saw him,but now that i have found new pm in kansas that doesnt use prialt,in fact said she wont use it.i honestly dont know why i said yes to that trial, i geuss i was hopeing i could talk them into putting something else in it other than the sea snail toxin, but they wernt budging. I have an appt. with new pm .she is a neurosurgeon and will likely tell me if any surgery will help me or she may just offer me the pump,we will see.so far the pump seems to be the main thing evryone wants me to try, if this next surgeon says that surgery will not help than bring on the pump, w/an opiate. and i guess i can always have surgery in the future if theres one that will "fit".
Posted 9/7/2014 3:06 PM (GMT 0)
That stuff is just dangerous & lethal for some. I know of two people that nearly died friom Prialt & I have yet to hear of one person that could tolerate it without bizarre side effects. The ignorant drs that push Prialt are putting so many people in danger. What good is a pump if you are a vegetable from Prialt? Can anymore tell me the answer to that one????

I am glad that you are going to see a neurosurgeon, that is the only way to go with as much nerve damage that you have.
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