Hi again Lauren, Archie here—

Still having a tough time I see. Let’s face reality, every case is unique, and yours feels far more complex on its surface than most. Your history is daunting, your current condition is less than robust, and the easy solutions have already been tried just to get you where you are now. So here we are.
When I was younger I thought surgery was the answer. Then I discovered that every surgery changes you in some way— large or small. Then I looked to medicines, only to discover that mostly it’s a marketing crapshoot with profound effects on the patient ( that’s us). Then I’ve waited for research— I still can clearly remember the day I got my AA dx in 1978– the professor found it in a back chapter of a Neurology textbook. The incidence is still so small that we suffer from a lack of resources to study solutions. And finally, we know that there is not one solution but a toolbox of methods to control symptoms, because AA is FOREVER, there is no cure. We need to be strong in our understanding of that reality.
I have an intrathecal pump- Medtronic— and it is a wonderful help. Has allowed me to get off of oral pain meds 100%! Results can vary, but for a pretty well-defined pain profile, it works well. Never again worry about how many pills you have left. To control pain, you get about 1/300 th of the amount of medication, because it is delivered directly to the nerve roots.
Lauren, I’ve tried to communicate that we are with you, understand your issues and live in the same environment of poorly controlled desperation. Please don’t give up. Archie