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Excruciating chronic left side neck pain plus lumbar issues
Spine Health | Last Active: Nov 18, 2023 | Replies (360)Comment receiving replies
Alfred, Have you discussed your feelings and fears with your wife? Does she drive? If she does, why isn't she helping and taking you to your appointments? Is she busy taking care of your sons or working, and can't leave them alone to help take you to an appointment? She can't help you if she isn't fully aware of what you are experiencing. Please talk to her and figure out a plan, and you'll feel better about a lot of this. Do you have other relatives who can help get you to appointments? In order to get help, you will need to get to appointments and figure out how you can commit to that to be a good patient. How long will it be until you see the surgeon?
If you do have surgery, there will be follow up appointments and probably some rehab too. Surgeons can back out of helping for any number of reasons, so if you want their help, please do your best. I heard a surgeon at a spine conference telling other surgeons he doesn't advise taking cases of patients with mental or emotional issues because no matter how well the surgery is done, they will not be satisfied and may blame the surgeon. I am not making any judgements here, but the surgeon will when he sees you, and you want him to see you as a good patient who wants to fix the problem and heal, and return to their normal life.
Surgery is always a compromise, and hopefully you'll improve your spine function. I am able to drive with my spinal fusion, so don't worry about that for yourself right now. It might be a good idea to talk to a counselor on how you can think about this differently and not be so stressed out about your symptoms. Remember to breathe, slow and deep and try to stay relaxed. Music is your friend, so listen and relax. I have been there too and started out being terrified, and I worked out a plan so I could relax. It took me 2 years to find a surgeon who would help me. Your plan will help you feel in control of your choices.
Please talk to your wife about all of this and how together you can both face your challenges. Good for you for going for a walk. That is a great way to lower your stress and help your blood pressure and it will help your spine. You can do this and get your mind off of your worries. Take it one day at a time. Don't push hard on exercise, just walk leisurely to enjoy it. Enjoy the sunshine and listen to the birds.
Jennifer
Replies to "@ab6540183 Alfred, Have you discussed your feelings and fears with your wife? Does she drive? If..."
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Hi Jennifer
Thanks for your support.
I did speak to my wife about how bad my symptoms are but sometimes she gets fed up with me taking about it all day.
It is hard keeping it inside and when you talk about it it distracts you a bit but makes the person listening to you more anxious.
Sometimes I say things like I don't want to live like this anymore and this stresses my sons and wife.
But she is rather busy during the week going shopping, talking to other carers, going for walks etc.
Many times I am given an appointment date that clashes with my wife's calendar, but I have to accept otherwise I have to wait another 2 or 3 weeks.
I managed to reschedule the C6 injection for next Monday.
I also rescheduled my CT aspect bone scan that I had cancelled this week due to extreme pain, for 20/3/2023.
I know this is not what I expected and asked them to put me on a cancellation list.
I did speak to my pain management doctor yesterday morning who just reiterated to keep the current medication plan (which is not working)) and take an extra targin on the days of the scans.
Today I told him again that I am not happy with the current plan because it is not working anymore.
The neurosurgeon that I saw back in November 2022 told me 'no surgery for these issues' because surgery will not get rid of the pain. This leaves me with the option to keep suffering forever. Anyway I will be getting seeing the new specialist on 23/3/2023 for a second opinion.
Unfortunately I don't have relatives or friends that can take me to these appointments when my wife is busy. I can't drive myself due to pain and drugs in my system.
When I go to procedures I request a taxi code from the transport accident insurer but they take a long time to approve these taxi code and I have to keep ringing them in order to remind them. This actually frustrates me and had a negative impact on my pain.
For cortisone injections I am required to have a next of kin with me to take me home otherwise they can't go ahead with the procedure because it breaks their safety policy as far as the patient is concerned. They won't accept the taxi driver as a next of kin.
Last night I slept well after the ambulances officers advised me to take tapentadol and Baclofen on top of my medication.
Current medication: Endep 10, Lyrica 25, Clonidine 50 mcg, Diclofenac 50mg, Targin 10/5
Last night the above plus Tapentadol 50mg, Baclofen 5mg
Best regards
Alfred