Chronic Pain members - Welcome, please introduce yourself

Thank you for your response, "jimiwho" (what shall I call you?)! I know I'm not alone. What's more disturbing is that, as much pain as I'm in, there seem to be people a lot younger than me who are suffering even more, if that's possible. I see my surgeon on Friday. He has been a God-send, but after this last surgery, which put me in worse condition, he doesn't have any answers. He is sending me to UCSF for a consult. I live in the SF Bay Area, so driving up to UCSF in downtown San Francisco is doable. I also plan to go to the Stanford Neuroscience Health Center to see if they have any ideas. Yes, I am a vet, and my former classmates and service mates are still in touch and very concerned that I may give up. I lost my baby brother to PTSD-related suicide, so I could not and would not do that to my loving family. I have people to talk to but very little distractions. It's just too painful to leave the house! I read, draw and bought a guitar to try to teach myself how to play it. I sincerely appreciate the response, my friend. As a US Army Airborne Ranger, I will NEVER QUIT. It's just not in my DNA. The fight is definitely getting tougher, so I posted on this site hoping someone could recommend a "miracle"!

@scampano3 Hi! When I had been told by ALL medical professionals locally that I shd no longer go on walks as I wd fall and it would kill me but cd SIT outside it was destructive to me. I did ask a neurologist to go over my entire spine on MRI i understood. I said NO! He told me nit to expect help in churches or from friends or library or out in nature. Really health-attuned professionsls. He did tell me there was only one thing: A Miracle! Ge said he had seen them but rarely. He pointed hard on his chest and said I had to find my miracle, inside me.

I still dont believe what he said. If I had thise ladt few yrs over again I wd have looked inside me and gone back to walking which I cant do today more than moments. I woukd recognise that jn each of ys there is a stength of which we may not be aware. Just as i gave my strengths/talents/gifts to otgers and listen to them i found partd of me a lost. I am still in pain but walk w canes and rollators and found advice from those I know believe in me as I have in them. Believe in yourself and go back in time to what gave you strength in hard times of your life. We all have that as that is how we survive. I have lived in horrible chronic pain since my 20s. Drs didnt believe how bad until they performed surgery and were shocked, “Never seen it so bad in any surgery! Dont know how you stand, walk, raise your famiky, wirk! So bad and your oain must be horrible!” I couldnt give ip who i love or what. Alternatives. Asked for help. Changed drs. Therapy. Tears. A rescued dog. Resigned i cd not live as i used to. Moved. New friends for life. As you, i lost to suicide a person closest in my life. Gave up from pains of life….and times whennit seems my only hope to stop pain I realize i cd not do that to my loved ones. They are my answers. So is finding things in nature and wanting to learn more about life, making a new friend often by accident. I fight to survive each day. I am hopeful fir you. Dig deep and look around to see if there is something lost you can find. Maybe reunite. Change again if new hobbie or interests. We all need each other whatever suffers us. Write again and tell me how I can fibd that miracle is the pain owns me. Help me too. Visit u in 2026!

Hello my name is Adam
I am 60 yrs old and have lived with chronic pain now for at least 25 of those years totally untreated and unmedicated.last 1.5 yrs on pain meds now but they only make it bearable most days . Now my hands are seeming to just lock up like a slow bee sting almost weird just another day and a new pain lol
Just hate complaining and Perhaps I am looking for new ideas, support ?who knows maybe I am here to support ?
Happy NewYear

Hi! My name is Steve. I am an Army veteran (West Point Class of '82). Powerlifter for 25 years. As of 8/25/25, I've had twelve spinal surgeries, including L3-S1 fusion, C4-T1 fusion, and NEVRO spinal cord stimulator (now removed). I am now 65 years old. My first surgery was after a deadlifting incident in 2011, at which time I found out that I have severe degenerative disc disease and arthritis. Suffering from severe chronic pain in my neck, low back, buttocks, sides of legs, and both feet (progressively worsening neuropathy in both). Riding a stationary bike temporarily helps the low back pain, but walking increases the pain. Taking 3 each 7.5mg Percocet, along with 3600mg Gabapentin, a day, which temporarily reduce pain from a 9/10 to a 7/10. Pain in excruciating most of the time, but it is worse when I wake up in the morning (probably a 10/10, but I hate to even suggest that!), even with a new, top-of-the-line Tempur-Pedic mattress. Not sure what else to do, but I will never give up on trying to get better! Even my Orthopedic surgeon is scratching his head at this point! I am not a crier, but even this pain has me in tears almost every morning! Any suggestions? I'll try anything at this point.

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@scampano3 I am so glad to hear your positive spirit of not giving up. I am sort of in the same boat, but I am quite a bit older at 78(how did that sneak up on me?). I was in excellent health right up to my most recent lapse in 2021. I have tried just about everything, too. Sounds like the spinal cord stimulator did not work out. Mine worked quite well for about two and a half years, then it suddenly just stopped working. I had a pain pump implanted in 2023. The trial dropped my pain from about an 8 down to a 2. The permanent implant has not given me any relief yet, except for one day. I am in the process of having the output increased until I reach a therapeutic level(I hope). This may be an option for you. I have read that it has a 94% success rate. Keep on keeping on.

@jimiwho inam 78! I dont see myself the way ithers see me. Perhaps you need a better vision of your gifts as you dont feel them!

@scampano3 Hi! When I had been told by ALL medical professionals locally that I shd no longer go on walks as I wd fall and it would kill me but cd SIT outside it was destructive to me. I did ask a neurologist to go over my entire spine on MRI i understood. I said NO! He told me nit to expect help in churches or from friends or library or out in nature. Really health-attuned professionsls. He did tell me there was only one thing: A Miracle! Ge said he had seen them but rarely. He pointed hard on his chest and said I had to find my miracle, inside me.

I still dont believe what he said. If I had thise ladt few yrs over again I wd have looked inside me and gone back to walking which I cant do today more than moments. I woukd recognise that jn each of ys there is a stength of which we may not be aware. Just as i gave my strengths/talents/gifts to otgers and listen to them i found partd of me a lost. I am still in pain but walk w canes and rollators and found advice from those I know believe in me as I have in them. Believe in yourself and go back in time to what gave you strength in hard times of your life. We all have that as that is how we survive. I have lived in horrible chronic pain since my 20s. Drs didnt believe how bad until they performed surgery and were shocked, “Never seen it so bad in any surgery! Dont know how you stand, walk, raise your famiky, wirk! So bad and your oain must be horrible!” I couldnt give ip who i love or what. Alternatives. Asked for help. Changed drs. Therapy. Tears. A rescued dog. Resigned i cd not live as i used to. Moved. New friends for life. As you, i lost to suicide a person closest in my life. Gave up from pains of life….and times whennit seems my only hope to stop pain I realize i cd not do that to my loved ones. They are my answers. So is finding things in nature and wanting to learn more about life, making a new friend often by accident. I fight to survive each day. I am hopeful fir you. Dig deep and look around to see if there is something lost you can find. Maybe reunite. Change again if new hobbie or interests. We all need each other whatever suffers us. Write again and tell me how I can fibd that miracle is the pain owns me. Help me too. Visit u in 2026!

@heisenberg34 I was told that I was too young and active a few years ago when I inquired about the pain pump. I'm 65 now and can't walk a 1/4 mile without significant pain. I used to spend 2-3 hours a day in the gym. I cancelled my membership 10 years ago. I can ride 2-2.5 miles a day on my stationary bike. That's it! I assume the pain pump is a morphine drip. My questions are, with all of that morphine in your body, can you carry on normal daily activities? Can you feel it in your system? Can you still drive a car? How does it affect you? Where is the pump located? What happens if you need an MRI? Thanks for responding, my friend!

Hi Kelsey, I’m new to this group, just wanted to say hello to everyone