Chronic Pain members - Welcome, please introduce yourself

@jonijean Thank you.
I will look into that.
I have oatmeal.

@linda86 I think I know what that medication is. If not, this is still fairly new in the scheme of approved meds. Is it Movantik? I started taking it, recommended by a gastro specialist, and I must say it works better than anything I've ever tried. Only for those on opiates and my high chronic pain demands them. Most insurances cover part of the cost. Finally, I have something that offers a complete bowel removal and I'm through inching along 5 or 6x/a day. Denna

Good morning all and God bless you. I am Chris from Connecticut and I am 56 years young although my body behaves like I’m in my 90s. I have been dealing with pain since the early 1990s. I have DISH, Ankylosing Vertebral Hyperstosis, and have had (5) knee surgeries, (2) back surgeries, and no less than (25) medical procedures from epidurals, to radio frequency ablations, and have tried every modality (PT, tens unit, heat, cold, etc) in order to improve my pain levels. I look at life like as an adventure, as I never know what my day will be like. Nice to meet you all.

Hi. I am 53 and have been dealing with chronic cervical spine pain for 15 years, during which I have had 2 cervical fusions and one revision. The last few months my pain went from a 3 to a 7-8, and I have just been told, after numerous interventional pain management procedures, that it's something I just have to learn to live with.

I am grappling with how that will impact my life and my future. What that future looks like. And how I just live in this kind of crazy pain with no management whatsoever.

Hi my name is Bill, I am 52 and was injured in an accident at 20 years old. I have had 4 separate fusions neck (C5-C7) and lumbar (L4-5, L5-S1 & L3-4), 3 stimulator implants (2 failures) and am facing another stimulator replacement surgery. I also have a 10+cm lipoma that grew from my bone donor site that wraps the superior
gluteal nerve in my left buttock and is fused to my iliac spine. My left leg, buttock and back are incredibly painful at times, and I have developed a severe left sided limp. Epidurals and targeted nerve root injections only give me limited relief (I have had well over 25). I was able to work as the Director of IT for a Pharmaceutical company until 2 years ago when I went on Long Term Disability. I worked out every day for 15 years (almost like the gym was my temple). I am not always sure what's worse, the prison that I now feel that I am trapped in physically or the loss that I feel from my inability to work and perform. Not sure what is next for me, just have to keep pushing forward. Thank you for letting me share.

At age 45, during rare obturator hernia surgery at an Air Force Hospital in Georgia, I was 'somehow' injured from L4 to S2, also the obturator nerve, and as well had a Marlex mesh implant which migrated. With severe foot drop I did not walk for months. I have suffered with neuropathy from buttock to big toe, sit bone pain, and more . The likely pudendal nerve pain now causes burning pain to the pubic area. In recent years (now age 82) I have degeneration in lumbar and sacral spine, with herniated discs, facet joint disease, multiple Tarlov cysts, and frequent SIJ inflammation. Over the years epidurals, meds (intolerable), ablation, etc. have had no effect. Presently undergoing more targeted Depo-Medrol injections at different disc levels, before trying an injection of the pudendal nerve, but 'nothing' helps. I sit, back-lay, and stand on burning pain, in one area or another. 36 years of pain; excruciating at the beginning; and complicated worsening pain now.

@hsm9 That's unfortunate! Don't give up! Exactly what procedures have you had? Back in 2016 I had three orthopedic surgeons tell me that there was nothing I could do about my lower back pain. Long story short, with the help of some meds and a spinal cord stimulator, I was able to bring my pain from a 7 down to about a two. Remember, there are always new procedures and pain meds being developed.

@hsm9 I feel for you. I got the same message and I’m learning that pain tolerance grows, especially if I keep busy and engaged with people. I can only tolerate Tylenol and ice packs, but if I catch it early they give me some relief. Best wishes!

Hi I am Angie I have had fibromyalgia and chronic pain for over 20 yrs but this is the worst. I actually went to the er 3 weeks ago because I couldn’t walk. My legs hurt so much. I’ve never experienced this pain so bad. I also have lymphedema in both legs but that day it looked good so I was confused. They did an mri of my low back, I had had several prior back surgeries, and they did find some herniated disc but not enough to cause the pain and weakness. My rheumatologist said it was the severe fibromyalgia and lymphedema together that was causing it. I work full time still bc I can’t afford to apply for disability. I have been on the same pain meds for 10 yrs. I’m a mess

Hi, I’m Mary-Sara. I have had chronic pain for over 30 years - mostly joints. Recently, the pain has become an issue for sleep. I wake up 7 - 10 times a night - which means I don’t get the deep sleep our bodies need to heal themselves. It feels like a snowball - the worse the sleep, the worse the pain, the worse the sleep, … or a very bad version of Ground Hog Day:-)