Aa
A long time coming...
Hello to all.
I guess that this is the right place to be. (Since the docs can't figure out what the heck I have or how to treat it.) *sigh*
A little background:
Eight years ago, I was happy, healthy, fine. I was the owner of my own tv repair shop. I worked long hours picking up, dropping off, and repairing electronics. business was booming and we were less than six months from being debt free. then one day i turned wrong with a tv and... PAIN! It felt like someone had shoved three feet of hot steel through my left front hip through to my back at about a 45 degree angle! It was all i could do to set the tv down! I creeped my way to phone and called my wife. Away to the doc we went. he thought I had just twisted my back and prescribed pain killers and muscle relaxants. It was bad the first few days, but it slowly receeded and after about three weeks it was gone.
Six months later it happened again. this time i was just walking and WHAM! it was back, bad as ever. Another trip to the doc. Xrays and MRI's. Nothing found. I was in tears. The pain was unbelievable. Another round of [ain meds and muscle relaxants. This time phys therapy and back re-education followed. Again, after about three weeks, it was gone.
This happened about three times a year for the next two years.
December of 2001 it came on with a vengeance. I threw up the pain was so bad. By now we figured we had it down, but three weeks later it ws still there. BAD. The next nine months were a dance of variations on pain meds and such and trips to several docs. Finally my family doc threw up his hands and sent me to a rehab doctor. Another slate of xrays, MRI's, and CAT scans ensued. Six months of phys therapy. Six months of HELL. Finally, that doctor left practice, and a new one took over. no change. My business was in the toilet, and we were desperate for some relief.
During the following year and a half, all the docs could do was increase my meds (Normally after i begged them repeatedly for relief...) i was seriously considering suicide. I was referred to a pain mangement clinic in my third year. (By this time i was placed on disability, and after a fight was approved.) I was 37.
The pain clinic was a real surprise. After drug, psych, and physical testing, the doc came in and told me i was almost criminally under-medicated. he tripled my dose on the spot. For the first time in recent memory i didn't want to scream. I could breathe again. Nothing was fixed, but at least now i could "short-burst" some activities that I wanted or needed to do.
The last three years have been pretty quiet. Roughly once a year increases in my pain meds (After full phys exams and consultations( to the point where I can now be semi functional. (Hey, for almost a year I was flat on my back unable to BATHE myself...) :)
That pretty much brings me up to date. Yes I am still somewhat depressed. Who wouldn't be? My wife has stood by me and helped me keep my sanity. I thank the heavens every day for her. I ahve read so much, been put through even more, and still I am at the same place.
I guess my question is this:
Has anyone else out there heard of something like this, and if/how it was treated?
God bless everyone here in your daily struggles. It isn't fair, but it IS life. Every day finished is a victory!
Thank you all,
DavePrime
I guess that this is the right place to be. (Since the docs can't figure out what the heck I have or how to treat it.) *sigh*
A little background:
Eight years ago, I was happy, healthy, fine. I was the owner of my own tv repair shop. I worked long hours picking up, dropping off, and repairing electronics. business was booming and we were less than six months from being debt free. then one day i turned wrong with a tv and... PAIN! It felt like someone had shoved three feet of hot steel through my left front hip through to my back at about a 45 degree angle! It was all i could do to set the tv down! I creeped my way to phone and called my wife. Away to the doc we went. he thought I had just twisted my back and prescribed pain killers and muscle relaxants. It was bad the first few days, but it slowly receeded and after about three weeks it was gone.
Six months later it happened again. this time i was just walking and WHAM! it was back, bad as ever. Another trip to the doc. Xrays and MRI's. Nothing found. I was in tears. The pain was unbelievable. Another round of [ain meds and muscle relaxants. This time phys therapy and back re-education followed. Again, after about three weeks, it was gone.
This happened about three times a year for the next two years.
December of 2001 it came on with a vengeance. I threw up the pain was so bad. By now we figured we had it down, but three weeks later it ws still there. BAD. The next nine months were a dance of variations on pain meds and such and trips to several docs. Finally my family doc threw up his hands and sent me to a rehab doctor. Another slate of xrays, MRI's, and CAT scans ensued. Six months of phys therapy. Six months of HELL. Finally, that doctor left practice, and a new one took over. no change. My business was in the toilet, and we were desperate for some relief.
During the following year and a half, all the docs could do was increase my meds (Normally after i begged them repeatedly for relief...) i was seriously considering suicide. I was referred to a pain mangement clinic in my third year. (By this time i was placed on disability, and after a fight was approved.) I was 37.
The pain clinic was a real surprise. After drug, psych, and physical testing, the doc came in and told me i was almost criminally under-medicated. he tripled my dose on the spot. For the first time in recent memory i didn't want to scream. I could breathe again. Nothing was fixed, but at least now i could "short-burst" some activities that I wanted or needed to do.
The last three years have been pretty quiet. Roughly once a year increases in my pain meds (After full phys exams and consultations( to the point where I can now be semi functional. (Hey, for almost a year I was flat on my back unable to BATHE myself...) :)
That pretty much brings me up to date. Yes I am still somewhat depressed. Who wouldn't be? My wife has stood by me and helped me keep my sanity. I thank the heavens every day for her. I ahve read so much, been put through even more, and still I am at the same place.
I guess my question is this:
Has anyone else out there heard of something like this, and if/how it was treated?
God bless everyone here in your daily struggles. It isn't fair, but it IS life. Every day finished is a victory!
Thank you all,
DavePrime
Sometimes for some reason a certain part of the body can lose blood flow to it and there is no circulation in that area.
Thank you for your responses. :)
Although there is a slight compression at L4, they do not think this is what is causing a problem. For a long time, I was of the personal opinion that I may have torn/damaged the left ileo-psoaz muscle where it joins the hip. (Pain starts deep left groin where leg joins the body, then goes through to the back at about a 40 degree angle.)
I am a current member of the ACPA, though mostly what i do now is read their newsletter. I feel sometimes that i am on the breaking wave of this new field and am waiting for them to come up with a 'cure'. *sigh* I know it isn't apt to happen, but i keep hoping none the less.
I HAVE found that a trochanderic lidocain shot stops the pain cold. Total relief. Unfortunately, i have not the funds to pay a nurse to come into the house and shoot me twice a day. (Not that they would do so if i asked...)
The docs seem to have ruled out bursitis. (Something to do with three or four 'hot spots' on my back. Who knows?
Once again, thanks for your responses. (It's lonely out here in cyberspace some days.) :)
Although there is a slight compression at L4, they do not think this is what is causing a problem. For a long time, I was of the personal opinion that I may have torn/damaged the left ileo-psoaz muscle where it joins the hip. (Pain starts deep left groin where leg joins the body, then goes through to the back at about a 40 degree angle.)
I am a current member of the ACPA, though mostly what i do now is read their newsletter. I feel sometimes that i am on the breaking wave of this new field and am waiting for them to come up with a 'cure'. *sigh* I know it isn't apt to happen, but i keep hoping none the less.
I HAVE found that a trochanderic lidocain shot stops the pain cold. Total relief. Unfortunately, i have not the funds to pay a nurse to come into the house and shoot me twice a day. (Not that they would do so if i asked...)
The docs seem to have ruled out bursitis. (Something to do with three or four 'hot spots' on my back. Who knows?
Once again, thanks for your responses. (It's lonely out here in cyberspace some days.) :)
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Hello
First of all I am really overwhelmed by the courage shown by you and your wife. I am happy to note that things are better but yes, I know not back to normal.
Here is a link that gives all the information about back pain and who you can contact for the latest in treatment for the same http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/backpain/detail_backpain.htm#Organizations
Please go through this and see if you can detect something that was not done to rule out the cause of your pain. Pain medications only give symptomatic relief but do not cure underlying problem. A combined approach of a neurologist, a physician and an orthopedic doctor is required to reach a proper diagnosis.
Please let me know if you have more queries. I’ll be happy to answer your queries. I would appreciate if you keep me posted. All the best!
First of all I am really overwhelmed by the courage shown by you and your wife. I am happy to note that things are better but yes, I know not back to normal.
Here is a link that gives all the information about back pain and who you can contact for the latest in treatment for the same http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/backpain/detail_backpain.htm#Organizations
Please go through this and see if you can detect something that was not done to rule out the cause of your pain. Pain medications only give symptomatic relief but do not cure underlying problem. A combined approach of a neurologist, a physician and an orthopedic doctor is required to reach a proper diagnosis.
Please let me know if you have more queries. I’ll be happy to answer your queries. I would appreciate if you keep me posted. All the best!
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Hello,
How are you?
Although many of the possibilities for lower back and hip pain have been ruled out,I’ll list the possibilities which can be related to it.They are ankolysing spondylitis,degenerative disc disease,renal carcinoma,mulifocal fibrosclerosis,spinal stenosis,arthritis,Paget’s disease of the bone,prostate cancer and multiple myeloma.
Pls check out these possibilities and rule out the ones which already have been investigated.
Hope it helps.Take care and pls do keep me posted on how you are doing and also let me know which of these possibilities have not been investigated so far so that I can provide you with complete information about those.
Rgds and take care.
How are you?
Although many of the possibilities for lower back and hip pain have been ruled out,I’ll list the possibilities which can be related to it.They are ankolysing spondylitis,degenerative disc disease,renal carcinoma,mulifocal fibrosclerosis,spinal stenosis,arthritis,Paget’s disease of the bone,prostate cancer and multiple myeloma.
Pls check out these possibilities and rule out the ones which already have been investigated.
Hope it helps.Take care and pls do keep me posted on how you are doing and also let me know which of these possibilities have not been investigated so far so that I can provide you with complete information about those.
Rgds and take care.
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