I got a second opinion on Thursday about
my back. The rupture is the L3-L5 area. I
am not sure what that means but I KNOW
that it doesnt feel good at all! I opted
for surgery because I have been thrown
around from doctor to doctor about my pain
and have been given NOTHING to relieve
it!! I dont understand it at all. I mean
when they say surgery or live with it,
they really mean LIVE WITH IT!! WITH NO
HELP FROM MEDS!! I only hope that this
doctor can "fix" me and make me where my
back no lonfer hurts. Honestly, I dont
have any confidence in him, but I dont
really have a choice. I can live with the
pain and NOT take any meds because no pain
management dr. will see me or I can let a
second rate Medicaid doctor cut me. I am
taking a BIG CHANCE, I feel in letting him
cut me up, but I HAVE TO GET SOME RELIEF!!
I REALLY feel like I am going insane from
this pain!! I dont know why I cant just AT
LEAST get some meds to take for a few days
before the surgery on Monday!!
So heres to ANOTHER LONG NIGHT of NOT
SLEEPING and worrying about my "new life"
that I have stumbled upon and fell ass
backwards into.
I see now why people always talk about how
they hate doctors and how the healthcare
system in our country is so *Edited for
profanity!! I THOUGHT I understood before
and was sympathetic and had empathy as
well, but THIS takes it to a whole new
level of understanding!! I have seen and
felt it ALL firsthand! The looks of
disgust because people including ALL
doctors and nurses think that you just
want to get "high" or get some pills to
sell!! I PRAY, and I am not a religious
man, that these doctors and nurses ALL
fall ill with excruciating pain and can
at leat feel something of what we all go
through, however they can never fully
understand because they will get whatever
pain medicine they need! I MAKES ME
*Edited for profanity SICK!!
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algosdoc
Experienced User , Rather EHEALTHy
Joined: 23 Mar 2004 Posts: 186
Posted: 02-29-08 07:09am
1. Psychological counseling can be very
helpful for those that would seek injury
to others by wishing the others to suffer.
While your disease may be frustrating to
you, it is not the fault of the doctors or
nurses treating you that you have the
disease. If pain medications do not work,
then fine...do something else. Obviously
you have tried narcotic pain medications
and they have failed.
2. You really should get a better grip on
what the medical diagnosis is in your
case. To say you will have surgery and
have no idea what surgery or on what level
(L3-5???- that is two separate
levels...what surgery is planned for each
level) is quite inadequate preparation for
having a spine surgery. You need to be
more aggressive, find out exactly what
surgery is planned, and look up the
risk/benefits on the internet. It is
foolish to have spine surgery without
being fully informed about all the
ramifications regarding the surgerical
procedure.
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ashoverman
Experienced User , Rather EHEALTHy
Joined: 26 Jan 2008 Posts: 54 Location: ,
BACK PAIN Posted: 02-29-08 12:25pm
No, I havent been given narcotic pain
relievers. They will only give me certain
"things" and NOTHING that works! I dont
think that I need counseling because I
wish them to feel what I feel. That is
weak! I need counseling because I am
crazy!
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Blassfurniss
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 27 Feb 2008 Posts: 6 Location: ,
alternatives? Posted: 02-29-08 12:52pm
Hi
I sure hope and pray you find some relief
Have you considered acupuncture/seeing an
acupuncturist? Many people have had
success with this. It may be worth
looking into. I don't know where you
live, but hopefully it is in an area where
this is accessible.
Also, you can try some simple exercises,
if possible:
Lie on your back on a soft clean floor and
relax. Then, very gently pulling your
navel towrd the spine, bend your knees
placing the backs of your heels next to
your buttocks. Slowly raise your knees
toward your chest one at a time. Once the
are both up and together, lead with the
knees and very gently rotate them in
circles to lightly massage the lumbar
region on the floor (on soft carpet or
rug).
Use circles as large or as small as is
comfortable for you so that you can
massage the area gently. Dont' overdo and
go really, really slowly. You can also
just lie there with your back to the floor
and knees up without doing the circles if
that feels good or helps.
Come out of this the way you went in,
lowering heels to the floor one knee at a
time and then sliding the legs out one at
a time to straight with your navel
pressed toward your backbone. And
remember to breathe relaxed and fully,
through your nose preferably. This is a
yoga type exercise.
Re sleeping:
Unless you have extremely low blood
pressure (which I doubt) , you can, for a
safe, non-addictive, natural sleep aid
take melatonin. It is non-prescription
(OTC) and is effective. Melatonin is a
naturally occuring hormone and is safe to
take per following directions- you should
begin with very modest doses at first. I
think the recommended is @ 3 mg to start.
This seems to put me out for at least 6
hours. But I never feel groggy or
drugged. Lots of jet lagged celebs use
it.
Melatonin is also very good for you. It
is a powerful antioxidant, the only one
which reaches into the mitochondria, the
power house or energy maker of the cell.
Best wishes and Good Luck,
Sally
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algosdoc
Experienced User , Rather EHEALTHy
Joined: 23 Mar 2004 Posts: 186
Posted: 02-29-08 13:23pm
Unless there is a history of substance
abuse of alcohol, illegal drugs, or
narcotics, most pain physicians will treat
patients in severe pain in which there are
no other alternatives with narcotics.
Seek a pain physician. Also seek
counseling for suggesting it is
appropriate that the physicians treating
you should suffer in pain.
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Blassfurniss
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 27 Feb 2008 Posts: 6 Location: ,
pain etc Posted: 02-29-08 14:42pm
Sometimes, it's true, narcotics are the
last resort.
But all other options deserve
investigation first.
I think the counseling recommendation
might be appropriate in some regard
possibly, but not with regard to Ashover's
statement. It is very common for patients
to express these kinds of sentiments when
they feel that no one is really helping
them, or they feel that no one is really
listening and they aren't getting results.
I know of doctors who in residency
training tell their student doctors that
he wished they could feel all these
diseases and injuries briefly so that they
could develop a deeper sense of compassion
for their patients. I think what Ashover
might be feeling has something to do with
needing compassion on a deeper level,
which will inspire deeper and more
effective healing ultimatley. His
sentiments are completely normal under the
circumstances.
And to be honest, a lot of doctors are
money and surgery happy. There's a huge
medical industry out there, and it's
victims are legion.
I don't want to discourage people from
seeking trained professional medical
guidance. It is indispensable. But ...
in light of the fact that I don't, none of
us here do, know all this persons
particulars, we are in the dark largely...
albeit, well meaning.
I did see a medical person following an
accident years ago for chronic pain. It
was at the Sister Kenny Insistute in
Minneapolis. My doctor, a neurologist,
suggested biofeedback treatments - sounded
a bit esoteric to me, but I did get
something out of it. Really, the thing
that worked for me was yoga. If you find
a good and qualified teacher, it gives you
some control over your situation, and it
seems like a lot of these types of issues
have to do with feeling powerless.
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algosdoc
Experienced User , Rather EHEALTHy
Joined: 23 Mar 2004 Posts: 186
Posted: 02-29-08 19:51pm
"Normal" sentiments of frustration of
people who suffer are fine but when they
begin to wish harm on others because they
perceive others will not help them, this
passes from normal to quite abnormal.
Anger management is an excellent approach
to reduction in hostilities that would
induce physical harm on other human
beings, regardless of their degree or
title. Yoga is indeed an excellent stress
reduction technique and can perhaps reduce
some negative emotions that ultimately
helps with pain control.
