@lifetime, just something to think about. You have used language like "very desperately", "ruining my life", "feel too guilty" which leads me to believe that perhaps you are also very depressed. If you go ahead and get a pap smear and a mammogram, the ob-gyn might be on another "team". He/she will at least be another person to whom you might be able to speak without repercussions from your pain doctor. And if you mention how depressed you are, maybe he/she can refer you to another doctor who can prescribe what my doctor and I found after 2 years of trying different meds - Cymbalta. (I know it will be time consuming and a pain seeing all the different people, but you got to admit it might be a good idea to get the pap and mammo exams.) Anyway, Cymbalta. It's an anti-depressant that is not addictive, levels out your mood, and helps chronic back pain. It helps me. Let me make this perfectly clear. I am not a doctor!! I am not a nurse!! I have no medical training whatsoever!!! But I have been through the wringer with doctor after doctor, nurse after nurse, MRI after CAT scan after MRI, etc. etc. etc. And since I'm devious by nature, I've learned a few ways to sometimes, if I'm lucky, play their game and sometimes win. If you truly wish to say good-bye, I will respect your wishes. I wish you the very best of luck. But I also truly hope you will stay in touch and let us know how you're getting along. @cognac
PS. If I'm thrown out of this group for what I just wrote, I wish all the other members of the group good luck in finding pain relief.

@lifetime What cognac says has merit to it if a Dr does say you need something for depression besides Cymbalta there are other meds also like Lyrica ,savella I wish you the best and if you feel like communications again we,'ll be here to listen

@lifetime

I am a Volunteer Mentor with Mayo Connect and I have been off the site for a week or so due to reinjuring my back. I want to welcome you to the Mayo Connect community. I am not a medical professional and cannot make medical diagnosis or give medical advice, but I do offer my experience and support for community members.

Your experiences with the VA medical system sound very discouraging and if I was in your position, I would be very upset. I am writing from my bed due to my back injury and pain. My physicians are excellent and consider my wellness important. I had a laminectomy in December, 2016, to remove part of the disk at my L5-S1 that was impinging on my spinal cord. This is the first time my pain has returned to that area, as well as the area around my L4 disk. My surgeon has told me that repair to my L4 will take major surgery with rods and pins and he wanted me to search for every alternative to relieve my pain, which I have done.

I learned about Active Release Technique (ART) here in the Mayo Connect community. I decided to research it and try it for pain relief after going thru 2 rounds of physical therapy, massage, and acupuncture which did nothing to relieve any of my pain. My ART doctor/practitioner is a chiropractor, and he's excellent. Three weeks after he began work on my lumbar area, my pain was almost completely gone. After suffering for over 2 years, I was amazed and very happy. Now, in the midst of moving my home, not picking up boxes but unpacking them, I have done something to hurt my back again. Dang it!

When I read the series of posts by you and those responding to you, I could feel your pain and your need for trustworthy doctors. I understand that you are stuck with the current medical system you're in, at least for now. I really hope you will continue to be part of the Mayo Connect community if only to express your feelings about what is going on. We're here to support you and listen to you. We care about you and your situation. Please don't feel guilty about bringing your problems to this forum! That's what we all do. I hope you will continue to participate and let us know how you're feeling and how you're doing physically.

Warm regards
Gailb
Volunteer Mentor

@gailb sorry to hear you reinjured your back Im still looking into ART haven't found a chiropractor around here .I'm upset with my new healthcare system they won't send 2,referrals the Dr.sent in for me In Oct I'm going to look into another one Hope you get better soon.

@gailb, I hope you feel better soon so you can enjoy your new home. @cognac

@gailb Gail, I am so sorry to hear of your back problems. I hope you get relief soon and are back to your usual self. Someone mentioned you being in a new home. Have you moved from one area to another or just a local move?
JK

I have literally been at the end of my rope. Thank goodness, I received your e-mail!!
For the last few days, I have been completely wrecked..soul, body and mind.
I made an attempt to stand up for myself and my health in regards to my Primary Care Provider at the VA Hospital.
I wrote directly (I live too far away for a visit) to the woman in charge of being an "advocate" for veterans at the hospital.
I asked her if there was any way the VA could make provisions so they could pay for me to see a local Chiropractor, or ANY Chiropractor, for my lower back pain.. I asked for nothing else.
I told her my Primary Care Provider will absolutely NOT give me ANY kind of medication, no treatment, no pain pills,and no muscle relaxers, not even ibuprofen for my severe, unbearable back pain.
I told her my very recent MRI showed bulging and leaking disks and many other things..
I sent the message to her.
It was only a few hours later that I received a reply. She had taken my message directly to my Primary Health Provider and shown him what I had written. He was furious. Beyond furious.
The woman advocate told me I am now being banned from writing any more such messages or trying to see or talk to any other doctor about my back pain.
I was stunned..utterly stunned.
The VA knows they are in total control of my health.
One thing I do know, when I see my Primary Care Doctor next (coming up very soon), he is going to let me have it in the worse possible way.
I am scared to death.
I am sorry.. this is all I know to write.
Living with such excruciating pain..this is no life.
I just will try to keep on, somehow.

The above message only meant for@gailb. Thank you.

@lifetime. I’m so sorry and so sad for your being treated this way.  The VA should know better.  The only suggestion I can make is to try Biofreeze until this gets sorted out.  It’s OTC and bout $8.  I have autoimmune arthritis and the roll on version helps me out a lot.  I hope you will find someone else to advocate for you.  To blankly state they are furious and to forbid you to send further emails is ludicrous.  @MaryLou 

@lifetime. Write to President Trump ,he said he wanted to make the veterans hospitals better. Or Dept. If health