Hi Jennifer,

thanks for your wise words.

I have gotten another referral to see another neurosurgeon in Melbourne last Friday.
All the documentation has been uploaded and am awaiting for an appointment day that I can see him.
I will ring them up on Monday to gate the actual date.
I hope that I don't have to wait too long because I am not coping.

As I said, last Tuesday, 10 Jan 2023 the right side of the neck started to hurt badly around the C6/C7 area I believe. I do not know how this started.

Since this begun, I have been getting bilateral excruciating pain of the neck also exacerbated by my lumbar issues. The pain feels stronger than the left hand side in a different way, it feels a lot sharper. For the last few days I have been experiencing unbearable pain starting from right of neck, then going into right trapezius, shoulder, arm, forearm, wrist, hand and some fingers. My whole right arm is in continuous really bad pain despite me taking the recommended medication comprised of 2 x Endep 10mg, 1 x Lyrica 25mg, 1 x Diclofenac 50mg, 1 x Clonidine50mcg and Targin 10mg/5mg. This morning I woke up at 3AM in excruciating pain in my right arm, the medication is not helping at all.
Last Friday I told the pain management doctor about this new issue which I can't explain and was told by him to keep taking the medication, but it is currently not working.

My body is full of referred pain going everywhere. I tried meditation, but the pain is so bad that I couldn't meditate.

I have been with these neurosurgery group for 2 and half months now (initial pain started in Aug 2022), but I have made little progress except for getting pain medication and 3 cortisone diagnostic injections in C7/T1, T1/T2, T2/T3.

My anxiety has reached astronomical levels, I am not coping. I am totally depressed becuase I am always in pain. I try to sit, lie down, but no position relieves it.

I told them that this is an emergency because the pain is too much.

I am even contemplating to have the cervical spine re-scanned with another MRI to see if anything has changed in the neck.

In Melbourne if I call an ambulance, they will take you to the closest public hospital, settle you with a morphine injection, overnight stay, then they will discharge you the next day.

Yes, we have a truly appalling system here.

Alfred