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Continued numbness and pain.. Help:)
OK so I have had a cervical fusion in June 2010 and lumbar disectomy in July 2010. I just recently went back to work on Monday.
I have weekly Migraines which I never had before. So bad I can't do anything. Come with blury vision and vomiting. Continued pain in arms, hands, buttocks, calves and feet. Tinglng and pain. I am on meds that do't work. They help a little but still in tears daily. My doctor say I am ok to go to work but I just can't hang.
Suggestions on how to talk to my doc? What to say to him?
What are the symptoms of MS could this be the issues instead of back issues. Itremble, shake and have sharp electrical pains in neck, arms, and feet.
I am 43 years old
Thanks
I have weekly Migraines which I never had before. So bad I can't do anything. Come with blury vision and vomiting. Continued pain in arms, hands, buttocks, calves and feet. Tinglng and pain. I am on meds that do't work. They help a little but still in tears daily. My doctor say I am ok to go to work but I just can't hang.
Suggestions on how to talk to my doc? What to say to him?
What are the symptoms of MS could this be the issues instead of back issues. Itremble, shake and have sharp electrical pains in neck, arms, and feet.
I am 43 years old
Thanks
Thanks for your post/reply. Sorry I haven't been around much. Ended up with another month off work and now decided I just can't do it after my second attempt to return to work. I have been fighting with doctor and work and insurance companies. It is exhausting. I have stopped foster care, stopped any quality of life. I take my kids Nowhere anymore. Financial I have depleted our saving on doctor appointment, medical procedures, epidurals, nerve root burning, physical therapy, etc. I have no idea where or who to turn to at this point. My Ortho set up a Psyc eval for me because I can't stop crying. I cant express myself due to tearing up and unable to speak. This whole ordeal has been a mess. My husband and family and myself are getting tired of me complaining that I am in pain but I can't find any relief unless I am laying down and I have NEVER been one to just lay down. I am affraid I have lost my job at this point. my 180 days are up on December 8, 2010. I have applied for Long Term Disability, my Short term disability ran out and I also applied for SSDI I have not herd anything for months from either one. Broke for Christmas. Thanks for lettng me vent i hope to get some type of advise or guidance. I can't do PT due to cost. But after two failed attempts to go back to work I just can't do it....
Apparently the fixes they did for you may have stabilized and repaired everything, but now you've got inflammation, swelling, and perhaps new places where nerves are compromised. Also, muscles can take some time to settle down after a spine procedure, and their spasms will give you the migraines, which goof up your vision and make you vomit. I don't think you have MS.
As for what to do when you visit the doc. First, see can you be excused rather longer for work, unless it would jeopardize your job. Second, if you have not had physical therapy, you need your doc to order it, to increase flexibility and reduce pain. If you have already had PT, then might I suggest you go to a professional Swedish deep massage therapist a couple times a week for a month.
You must tell your doc your medicines are not working, he must hear you on that one. Good medicines can get you thru almost anything, and if he expects you to work, then ask him how does one work in pain? He can try changing drugs, or dose, or sometimes it takes a combination of, say, opiate-derivatives, Lyrica perhaps, and even anti-spasmodics or a tranquilizer like Klonopin is also prescribed for people who have mild seizures. Ask him to change doses or kinds of medicines, and perhaps give you a combination of medicines. You also need migraine medicine with anti-nausea properties. On your own, two simple things that help a tiny bit are an ordinary alka seltzer (especially when you need to sleep) and also drink a cup of coffee to help your headache.
I hope this helps a little. I know exactly what you're going thru, I was in a car accident and wrecked-up my spine, it was okay for a while, and then SOMEthing went wrong and I had this really sharp pain in my lower back, legs drove me crazy, and it took me a couple docs before I got someone who gave me the drugs I needed. Massage is great, but if it costs too much, have a friend or relative rub out your whole back a few time a week, just lay on the floor and let them work on each side, careful not to disturb your operation places. They should also work on your arms and legs. One thing that provides temporary relief on your own is to lay flat on the floor with your legs up in a chair, it takes all the weight off the spine and allows it to align and the muscles relax. Keep us posted.
As for what to do when you visit the doc. First, see can you be excused rather longer for work, unless it would jeopardize your job. Second, if you have not had physical therapy, you need your doc to order it, to increase flexibility and reduce pain. If you have already had PT, then might I suggest you go to a professional Swedish deep massage therapist a couple times a week for a month.
You must tell your doc your medicines are not working, he must hear you on that one. Good medicines can get you thru almost anything, and if he expects you to work, then ask him how does one work in pain? He can try changing drugs, or dose, or sometimes it takes a combination of, say, opiate-derivatives, Lyrica perhaps, and even anti-spasmodics or a tranquilizer like Klonopin is also prescribed for people who have mild seizures. Ask him to change doses or kinds of medicines, and perhaps give you a combination of medicines. You also need migraine medicine with anti-nausea properties. On your own, two simple things that help a tiny bit are an ordinary alka seltzer (especially when you need to sleep) and also drink a cup of coffee to help your headache.
I hope this helps a little. I know exactly what you're going thru, I was in a car accident and wrecked-up my spine, it was okay for a while, and then SOMEthing went wrong and I had this really sharp pain in my lower back, legs drove me crazy, and it took me a couple docs before I got someone who gave me the drugs I needed. Massage is great, but if it costs too much, have a friend or relative rub out your whole back a few time a week, just lay on the floor and let them work on each side, careful not to disturb your operation places. They should also work on your arms and legs. One thing that provides temporary relief on your own is to lay flat on the floor with your legs up in a chair, it takes all the weight off the spine and allows it to align and the muscles relax. Keep us posted.
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Wow. Hon, I feel so sorry for you. I hope you will turn to family to help you with finances for a while, if your husband's salary is not enough to help you guys get by. As for Xmas and not being able to enjoy life, well, you are SICK, so you really cannot help it, you need to just chalk this month up as sick leave from LIFE. Also, I wonder, if the orthopedist you refer to is the same one who did your surgeries this year, and if not, I'd be busy getting an appointment to see THAT doctor... HE will respond, surely, because he risks being sued for what you've been thru if he doesn't make you whole again. And if you ARE seeing that same surgeon, it is INEXCUSABLE that he won't give you enough pain relief and determine thru X-ray scan what is going on in your back, plus he ought to help you get SS Disability, too.
I hope you can beg your orthopedist to give you better medicines, at least you'd only have to pay for an office visit. And you can go to the county health department for very cheap walk-in help from a physician, altho they do not like to give out pain drugs... altho they should give you some drugs I mentioned before, like migraine/nausea pills, just not opiate-derivatives. When I was in pain, I was a total wreck, too, cried a lot, took a while for someone to take pity on me and give me the right stuff. And if you wind up visiting a psychiatrist, they hopefully might give you some sort of medicine like tranquilizers, unless it's strictly an evaluation and not treatment of you. And it takes a few months to get regular disability, and if they turn you down on first go, appeal it, get help from any free legal clinic if you aren't up to doing it yourself.
I forgot to tell you last time I replied to you that heat helps pain. A hot water bottle or a heating pad on the places on your back that hurt, provides temporary relief. Also, nice soaks in a hot bath help pain a lot, too. You could go to the health food store and see what pain type herbal stuff they have, altho some wreck a person like a hangover does. Just keep laying down, since it helps you, and don't feel bad about it one bit. As I said, chalk up Dec (and Jan and Feb) to you being sick. Get your husband to take over some of your duties, that's what I had to do. But it took forever for my family to "get it." I think sometimes they just want to cheer up a person, when all we want is for someone to listen.
GG