Update on me

[Deb]

Hi Everyone! I thought I would give an update on me. I had another designated doctor's appointment on the 27th of February and have received a copy of his evaluation. If you remember the insurance company was denying my depression saying that chronic pain is no reason for depression. So the state sent me to their doctor to verify. Well he agrees with everything that is being done so far and stated that chronic pain is very much a reason to be depressed. Now I sit and wait to see what happens after his ruling. Maybe now I will be able to get the medication the doctor prescribes for me.

I went to the Pain Management doctor and he now says that he doesn't think a stimulator will do me any good. The stimulator usually helps with radiating pain and that is the one thing the surgery did for me was to take that radiating pain down my left leg away. I still suffer from low back pain around the incision area then also the buttocks around my tailbone burns real bad and the hips hurt each time I take a step. I also have pain in the left ankle and prickly tingling from my knee down. The doctors keep saying inflamation causes all of this yet they don't prescribe anti-inflamatory meds for me they prescribe nerve and muscle medication. Does this make sense to any of you? Feedback and opinions would be welcomed. I walk daily on the treadmill now I really want to build up the muscles and lose some of this weight that I am gaining.

Thanks,
Deb

[red1030]

Deb... I am very happy that the judge ruled in your favor...how anybody could even imagine that Chronic pain could not lead to depression is just so far removed from any current reseach about Chronic pain. The point that they forget also, is that the person is not only in pain continuously but how that pain has changed their life...and how those life changes create more and more challenges to adapt too...

That is great that you can walk on the tread mill. Do you suffer more becasue of it. I know I can't do that for more than about 5 minutes. I do not have one any more...one of those many things that I gave away with the move to Oregon...lol...but I do have a bic and I can't get my legs to move more than 5 minutes on it either..then I have to sit there for about another 20 minutes to get my feeling back in to my legs so that they will move... thank you for the update..love Red

[AQA]

Deb, chronic pain can cause depression. In the course of my medical care I had to have two mental exams and both said "depression due to chronic pain".

I do not recall what procedure you had done. I am going to guess you had a problem with the L5-S1 disk. Your symptoms almost mirror mine. I have nerve damage to the S1 nerve root left portal. An emg/ncv should determine if that is what is wrong with you. I had a spinal cord stimulator implanted Dec. of last year. It is not a fix all cure. It does keep me from feeling the sharp shooting intermitten pains that I would get in the left leg. The left ankle, foot and lower back still hurt. Hence I still take the meds.

[Deb]

Hi Red, I am able to walk slowly for 15 minutes and I can do that twice/day. If I stay for 20 minutes my pain level increases horribly. I have tried to do the 15 min. 3 times in a day and that also increases my pain. I am going to try to increase 1 minute at a time and see if I can do that. As for riding a bike that I cannot do. To sit on that seat and try to move my legs in a circular motion causes an intense pain that I can't stand. Sitting seems to cause me the worse pain increase. The burning pain starts in the tailbone area and moves through my hips and down my leg. I hate taking the medicines so I try to do without them for as long as possible. Everything I take has some kind of effect on either the heart, the kidneys or the liver. I sure hope this chronic pain management course helps me.


Hi AQA, Yes I have problems with the L4-L5, S1 area. The operation was a left L4-5 hemilaminectomy, medial discectomy, and a microdisectomy. The one thing the surgery did for me was to stop that shooting pain down my left leg. The only time I feel radiating pain like that now is if I sit too long. I asked the doc how come he hasn't requested an EMG and he said it was too soon. My lower back almost always hurts sometimes not as bad as others but repetitive movements will cause me to have to lay down for a while so that I can reduce the pain. I don't think the weight increase is helping anything either.

Thanks you two for your response I really appreciate it.
Deb

[jayne]

I find regular walking easier than the tread mill I dont understand why but it seems that way for me

[backache]

Hi Deb my surgeon wants me to have a laminectomy with possible discectomy. Would you do it again? Has it helped much?
I should certainly hope that they know chronic pain causes depression of course dealing with the WC IC doesn't help either. I would question the doc about the anti-inflamitory meds and ask him if its inflamation why he doesn't give you something for it.

[AQA]

Hello Bachache, I had a laminectomy/dicetomy done at the L5-S1 area. I would have that one again. That is what was done when I went to the er. I was able to walk after it was done. It was not a fix all cure that they thought. But I was able to walk.

Deb, I recall it was about eight months and I was taking muscle relaxers, that they wanted to do the exploritory surgery. So they ordered the emg/ncv.

I am not a medic. I would think that 6 to 8 months would be enough time for the nerve test. You are going to want it any way. to make sure all is well. Take Care

[Deb]

Hi Backache, I sure would have it done again. That shooting pain that was constantly pulsating my leg is now gone. That in itself was worth it. It didn't cure all of my problems but it did do that much for me. Hope that helps you in your decision.

AQA, I am going to talk to the doc this Friday about the EMG and see if he will get it for me now. I'll let ya know what he says.

Thanks,
Deb