Chronic Pain members - Welcome, please introduce yourself

I hear you loud and clear. Injections, nerve ablations,PT, pain pump… virtually no effect. I thought that since my old SCS helped for a while, newer, more advanced one should help. We’ll, four days into the trial and nothing, zippo, nada. Tramadol, gabapentin, diclofenac barely do anything.
Hope you find some help.

Hope you do too. Chronic pain seems almost impossible to treat.

I never thought in a million years that I would be going through all this at age 70+.

I'm Cynthia. I don't know where to even start. I started having trouble getting up off the floor. I was stuck on the bathroom floor and had to call my next door neighbor to come get me I couldn't get up at all. So we went to emergency in January because my legs hurt so bad I couldn't walk I was falling down I was screaming I was crying. So the doctor came in listened to me and said, "Oh hey, that's an easy fix!" Wow! Really! He brings me a small Dixie cup with an orange flavored drink...potassium drink. So I drank it. Then he left the room and came back with three other doctors. He says, "well your room is ready. You can stay here or you can go home it's up to you." I'm thinking hmm this is pretty neat I think I'll stay. Then he says to me, "the room is ready, they're waiting for you." I said what are we going to do? He says "brain surgery!" I thought he was joking. So immediately I'm wheeled into the surgery room and they did brain surgery. He said I had old blood and New blood pooling on my brain and that if I didn't come in there when I did I'd probably have a stroke.
I was in rehab for 3 weeks or 4 weeks and left the hospital in a wheelchair. I'm still in the wheelchair. I haven't been diagnosed why my legs don't work and they hurt so bad it's excruciating. The muscles and the tendons contract and then I can't move and it hurts so effing bad. The primary care doctor gave me anti-inflammatory pills and some anti-inflammatory gel and some tramadol which none of the above helps with the pain. I'm not sure there's anything that can help the pain. I was diagnosed with kidney cancer about a year ago and I'm going to have the procedure done in about a week or two. Then my breast implant ruptured so I have to have those removed. And my orthopedic surgeon will be scheduling hip replacement on both hips. Meanwhile I need help I can't do anything and I dread having to go anywhere. I can't wash dishes, I can't do my laundry, I can't grocery shop I can't cook I can't do anything. I barely get out of my chair to get to the toilet. It's aggravating. Sometimes I get stuck for hours literally and I can't move I can't get from the kitchen to my bedroom takes about 2 hours. My legs and my ankles swell. I've tried everything and I get no relief I can't even sit in the wheelchair anymore it hurts it hurts it hurts. I cry every day! I'm bone on bone with the hips and that's understandable but what's all the other stuff going on in my legs what's that called? Soon as I move it sounds like I have rocks in my pocket, like pop rocks. Sometimes it bangs so bad it knocks me over and of course I scream very loud. (Not sure my neighbors can hear me.) This kind of pain should be illegal. Aqua therapy while I was in the pool helped a little bit but soon as I emerge from the pool it's back to pain. Does anybody else have that banging that popping sound in their legs with that kind of pain?

Please stay strong and welcome.

Well, I met with the Boston Scientific rep this am to get my SCS reprogammed. IAs mentioned previously, I had not received any pain relief after four days. So, after going through quite a few manipulations on her tablet, I finally got a program that is actually giving me some relief. Amazing! My buttocks don't hurt as much while I am sitting here; my feet still have some pain, but not nearly as much as before. As Yogi once said, "It ain't over til it's over". Now I have to contemplate the permanent implant. Definitely raising this up in prayer.
I hope everyone has a blessed day!

This is interesting. i struggled with my rep with Boston Scientific trying to get my implant to work properly. I was finally anle to get a Wonderful gal closer to my home. Turns out the original rep had hooked my legs up backwards. It was very frustrating. He also made an appointment with me and left brcause he forgot about it. Fortunately the hospital was able to reach him by ohone and he came back but did nothing to help me. I had issues for 7 months. I love the implant now.

Hi.
My name is Maria, 44 yrs old from Norway.
I've been having chronic pain for the last 24 yrs, mostly in my back but now my neck.
Was in a coma for 3 weeks because of Necrotising fascitis on my neck so was a long hospital stay. My back didn't like being in a coma so now I've got neuropathic pain down both my legs and my left arm.
But at least I'm alive, not bad when the mortality rate is 20%.
I've also got a very slow metabolism of CYP 2D6 so no opiates for me.
Ibuprofen and paracetamol are the only "pain relieving* medication I get, except for Cymbalta and Lyrica combined, which is starting to lose its effect.
I don't know what I'm going to if I don't get any proper help soon!
Fortunately I'm already on disability pension so don't have to worry about work.
Ive had surgery on my vagina because of abnormal cells, my last HPV vaccine is in February but here you have to pay for it yourself and it's expensive!!
Hospital in November to talk about a possible back surgery, fingers crossed.
On top of everything I've also got borderline personality disorder and bipolar 2 alongside endometriosis and fibromyalgia and inflammation of the outer thigh muscles on both sides, both hips.

This was a little medical introduction of me, the Norwegian woman .
Thank you all.

Sounds like you had quite the time. Sounds like everything is all good now. My rep is a nice young gal who has been very helpful. Now I am faced with the decision of getting the permanent implant or not. My pain doc was only able to get one lead in due to build up of scar tissue. And that lead was only able to be placed up as far ad the T9, not to T7 as preferred. Mind answering a couple of questions? How much pain reduction did you get during the trial? Was it about the same with the permanent implant? I am in somewhat of a quandry.
Have a blessed day.

Hi 34! I got a lot of relief once the new gal from Boston Scientific took over for me. The temporary implant was fantastic. Because of of first reps "handy work" I did not get immediate relief from the permanent implant. Once the new rep step in and figured out what was happening it was improved by about 90-95%. I have CRPS and the disease has given me issues. Erin has adjust my implant several times. This has helped me a lot. She listens. She has never stood me up and promptly answers my text messages and returns my phone calls.

Most folks don't like this discovery that I have made but I am going to share this with you. Get off of all refined sugar. Fruits are ok. Read up on what sugar does to your body. No sugar Substitute with the exception of Honey . This has greatly reduced my pain. It has cleared up my Arthritis. Moles have disappeared along with two warts. I was abused as a child and scars that are over 65 years old are fading. (Nice to see thise reminders lightening up!) I have more energy. Just try getting off refined sugar for several months. To humor my sweet tooth I ate one piece of chocolate candy for a week daily. Then I went to every other day and the following week I got off of all sugar.

I do not take meds. After the Covid ordeal I do not have an ounce of faith in The pharmaceutical industry. I wish you the best. By the way; I searched out a Reputable teaching hospital to get my implant. I went to UNC. I discovered them by way of the Mayo Clinic. I called the Florida Neurological department with Mayo (during Covid) and they directed me to UNC. I have gotten off of red meats, I never was much for alcoholic beverages but I do occasionally have a glass of wine. I eat mostly fish and chicken. Obviously, fruits and vegetables. I do everything I can to stay away from dairy products and flour.

I hope this is helpful you and I wish you the very best.