MayoClinic.org
Chronic Back Pain for Years
6 back surgeries (extensive cervical and lumbar fusions) with neurological complications. Left with chronic pain. Accident happened in Nursing career 1992 and worked with first fusions until 1999 (failed fusions). At my age, and as a former nurse educator, I never wanted to had to rely on medication/s for the severe pain. Having thoroughly exhausted exploring sites using non-pharmaceutical methods, using psychological methods, biofeedback, trying to accept my limitations, i.e., I still believe somewhere…out there…is hope. The strong medicine has caused gastroparesis, further complicating my health problems. They are too numerous to write and I will not focus on them. I am looking for “help” and guidance. If I can be of assistance to anyone throughout their trials, (perhaps similar to some of what I have gone through), I will.
@lifetime my civilian Dr.is concerned about my health not there image
How blessed you are!! I am so happy for you.. you are a wonderful, caring person and deserve no less!!!
I have been doing a lot of serious thinking, and just feel too guilty because I am bringing all my back pain/doctor problems to this forum.
I will then say good-bye and thank you to all..I just have to defeat my own problems and handle my doctor the best way I can…
But….Thank you again, with all my heart…..
@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 keep that positive attitude, without iT a person is lost.
JK
I, too, have had terrible back pain, fibromyalgia and all over pain. My PCP prescribed Cymbalta for the back pain and fibromyalgia. Didn’t cure it, but it is better. Worth a try. Good luck.
I also have gastroparesis. I’m having my 3rd gastric emptying study next week. There is a new procedure to fix that. It’s called G-POEM. Google it. If you have questions, let. Hug!
@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 think there are certain things that they must suggest to you but they cannot push you if you don’t want them. For instance it was suggested a long time ago that I have a colonoscopy. I refused it and my PCP did not push it at all. She had to suggest it though. Eventually I knew two people in their 50s who died from colon cancer so I did end up having colonoscopies. That is probably what your doctor was trying to say — that it was up to you, but he had to mention it.
I hope you don’t leave the group, we do care. I hope you find a doctor with whom you are more comfortable. I think the suggestion by @cognac is a good one. That will be another doctor that hopefully will be on your “team” and be supportive of you. It can’t hurt.
JK
@lifetime. I have become very skeptical of many doctors. I do still go to a gynecologist and I love him, he really does seem to care, and my transplant surgeon and almost all of the doctors that I have had at MGH have been wonderful. I think though that with the doctors working for the hospitals, basically having 9 – 5 jobs because hospitalists take care of the patients if they are unfortunate to require hospitalization, has created doctors who care very superficially. It’s just a job to many of them. I really hate this system. If you are sick enough to have to be hospitalized, do you want to see a doctor with whom you have developed a relationship, or a stream of strangers who are hospitalists?
JK
contentandwell,
Kaiser docs are hospitalists for the most part. So much so that when I had my second child I refused to birth him in hospital. Their pediatrics follow the children through life.
My docs at Scripps here in San Diego are mostly supportive, however, they do miss things and do not necessarily pick up on how one problem could be the root of a very different problem than what they recognize. I still see a PCP due to them expecting the PCP to do the screening. It is often a waste of time.
I just self refer for most things unless, like an MRI, it absolutely needs a referral.
BUT…as far as pain goes, I found that coupling a B complex with pain meds helps rather a lot. No, I'm not a doc, not a nurse, not anything but a patient.
I hope you see better days soon.
Eileena
@eileena, When you mentioned Kaiser it reminded me of a question my niece asked her best friend, an Obstetrician at Kaiser. She asked “Is Kaiser a good hospital?” Doc said yes, as long as your not sick”