Greetings everyone, my name is Dave and I have been dealing with chronic lower back pain for 21 years. I had my first surgery, Lumbar Laminectomy L3-S1, in 2011 and never recovered (I think there is an actual term called failed lumbar laminectomy). It did nothing for my sciatic pain and actually in 2019 I discovered the surgeon had cut too deep into the faucets and my back eventually gave way and crushed my discs in L4/L5 and L5/S1.

Like all of you, I try to deal with it in many ways (exercise, breathe work, meditation, OTC pain meds and even prescription meds). In October of 2021, I was diagnosed with Polymyalgia Rheumatica (PMR) and have been on a Prednisone regimen for the past year, normally that helps most people but my declining regimen has failed 4 times and my Rheumatologist is now looking for other causes.

Thank you for your amazing stories and for giving me hope. Just when you think things are bad, you read about someone else that has it worse. Not that I want to hear that, just that I respect you all for everything you are going through.

Thank you!