Only 3 sugeries for me. I do yoga for chronic pain. Specific instructor. It is in a heated room. This has helped my life but with little pain easement. The breathing exercises made meditation easier. Look up mindfulness. May help. I take a stomache coating pill which has stopped my GI bleeding. Take care.
Rob

@robeaver That is wonderful to be able to do Hot Yoga. When you first joined us on Connect, you mentioned you got epidurals with a “cocktail of freezing and cortisone.” Can you explain what they do to freeze a bit more. I’m very familiar with epidurals, just not the freezing part.
Jen

Hosta here. I would like to join this conversation. My name is Eve. I to have been thru so much with my spine. I had surgery when I was just 19 years old for a herniated lumbar disc. My back problem continued. Another surgery for herniated lumbar disc when I was 32. Then I had kyphoplasty for compression fracture at T7. I had a pain stimulator put in (didn’t help at all) Later I fell was told I had internal contusions and would take time to heal. I got to where I couldn’t breath. Then had a chest x-ray and found out I had three compression fractures at T3,4,5. By the time I got the referral to see the surgeon, I had to have the stimulator removed (hadn’t used for over 2 years) before I had a MRI. Then was told the fractures had healed wrong and that there was nothing could be done, and was also told I had fractures in the lumbar area also. I have had so many injections I have lost count. Now I am scheduled for the Medial Branch Nerve Blocks. One will be done on 7/3 and another on 8/18 in the cervical area. I have so much pain in the upper back and neck when I use my arms. I just don’t know any more. I just want some relief from the pain. I have been on pain medications that don’t help that much with the pain, just make me sleepy. I have things I want to do and don’t want to sleep all the time. Help!!

When my doc told me I needed back surgery I had trouble finding any patient to talk to. Due to the privacy laws my surgeon could not connect me with any of his previous patients. It was frustrating. Once I had my surgery, I began keeping a diary with my notes on what to expect, what I needed at the hospital, what mobility tools would have helped, what exercises were most effective and so forth. I just launched this book on Amazon, and I it will be free next weekend (Sunday and Monday – July 9 and July 10). I want to give a shout here so people can bookmark the book at get it for free – I wish I had this information before my surgery! The book name is “Step by Step Back Surgery. A Recovery Guide: What your doctor can’t tell you” by Kady Dash.

At first I had to look at your name because I thought at first I wrote your letter. I am 71 and have been in chronic pain for years. Mainly with my back.

Only 3 surgeries for me lower back. Including double spinal fusion of L5S1. Now have Verticore Lift. Also have anerve block every 4 months at local hospaital.. .see you in toronto at NABC

I am Marie (marield65) and can connect with most of you with 5 back surgeries and just had a knee replacement and all I know is pain, and how it has robbed my life.
BUT I wrote a long letter to all of you, in pain,laying down with my iPad and pushed some buttons that I wasn’t supposed to and the 2 letters I wrote are somewhere in space and I can’t retrieve them. I am tired now but I will be back with my story because I want some feedback on a 2nd fusion the Dr. wants to do.
I will write back. Sorry I lost my letters.
Hi Mickey, hi Jeff. From Marie

Hi jlfisher56, I’m Juliann. I certainly understand your frustration. I am 52 years old and have been in since I was 16. I have had 7 spine surgeries with extensive fusion, rods, and screws in both my neck and lower back. I’ve also had 23 surgeries overall. I use a Fentanyl patch for my chronic pain. It really helps. It keeps me from having to take my morphine on a daily basis. Now I only need my morphine about once a month, which is amazing for me. I also take Robaxin, a muscle relaxer, for all the leg cramps I get. My story is very long; my therapist thinks I should write a book about my 37-year journey in pain. I’ve had some strange and really horrible experiences with doctors over the years. Hang in there, once you get on the right medication, it makes a world of difference.

Hi Marie, I’m Juliann. Your words, “all I know is pain, and how it has robbed my life,” really struck a chord with me. I’ve been in pain for 37 years, and suffer from treatment resistant depression and PTSD. I’ve been on anti-depressants most of my life, and until lately, they did nothing for me. But after getting on the right medication and getting a part-time job, I’m doing much better. I still struggle with how pain and doctors and robbed my life from me. I do see a therapist once a month and it helps a lot. I do use a Fentanyl patch for my pain, maybe it would help you too. Please hang in there, life can get better.

hi my name is jessie i had lumbar fusion 1999 and been in pain since did everything possible i csnt tske it anymore im alone no one to care for me

Hi to my friends Juliann,robeaver, Jessie. My name isMarie and I already met Juliann. I want to tell Jessie that I am your friend. You are not alone, now you have this group to give you support and hope.
I have been there. I am a young 71 year old and whatever you or some one else had, I had it. I think I was born under a black cloud but then I think of what I do have in my life and count my blessings.
Eventually I will tell more about myself but right now I think you need some positive attention.
Things will not always be this bad. Tell me something about your self and what you do to occupy your time. You can’t spend the day thinking about your pain because that will make it worse. Who do you have in your life that you can talk to? And you can always write to us.
When you are down, open your door and smell the air. It will always be new and fresh and embrace the new and take one day at a time. Don’t even think about tomorrow. “Unless you have a Dr.s appointment ” ha ha don’t forget that.
Talk to me, and thanks for joining the group, it will be your family. I am a newbie also. I joined 1 week ago and I have learned so much.
I hope we can help you and you have to do your part and help us get to know you and your pain.
Marie (marield65)

Jessie, I understand it’s very lonely be having pain. I do have family but they got really sick of dealing with it. Then I end up feeling really guilty. I’m sorry that you’re by yourself I hope that you can find someone to talk to and be friends with that might be kind enough to help you. Even when you do have people around, it’s still a very lonely and isolating.