a drug induced bitchfest

The BBQ Pit
1

I am in so much…fucking…pain.

I hurt.

This has been two years now of living with DAILY, and I’m not exaggerating here…DAILY back pain. I have two herniated discs in the lumbar region which cause my left leg to periodically go numb. When I overcompensate to take pressure off the left side, it causes shooting, burning pain between my shoulderblades and up my neck which makes my RIGHT ARM go numb.

Keep in mind…I’m only twenty eight. I walk around like a fuckin’ cadaver, creaking and cracking, groaning in agony when I get out of bed. I can’t go on road trips, I can’t carry bags, I can’t sleep in any bed except my own, I can’t sit in a recliner, I can’t FUCKING DO A FUCKING THING…

Would surgery help me? I can almost guarantee it. What do the doctors say?

“Lets not do anything drastic!”

OK, cocksmack! Let’s not! Instead, let’s run the whole fucking spinal guantlet leaving me a broken, crippled sobbing mess of humanity –

in the past two years I have:

missed a minimum of two weeks of work

had an MRI

gone through two series of physical therapy

had to stop weight training, and severely cut back my swim workout schedule so as not to OVERKICK MYSELF.

been stretched on a traction table which was like a bizarre chiropractic/bdsm event

had steroid injections DIRECTLY into my spine…decidedly the most painful fifteen minutes of my miserable life – after which I was informed that STUDENT was performing the procedure so “it probably hurt more than it should have”.

been prescribed the Brett Favre cocktail of vicadin, valium and celbrex, and two new pills that I got yesterday which don’t really do anything for my back but knock me out for about 10 hours.

On top of it, I’ve been given an antidepressant to increase my pain threshold, turning me, basically, into a Universal Soldier.

Chiropractic? Napropathy? Ostepathy? Massage? Could we try any of those? Oh hell no…the insurance company says those aren’t necessary. AREN’T NECESSARY. Perhaps the insurance compay would like to walk a mile in my spine. I’d be happy to give it to them, and perform the implant rectally.

So, in conclusion, the doctor is basically saying, “life sucks, your back is for shit…here’s some happy pills to make it go away.”

Not to mention the fact that every time I go see someone I’m forced to EXPLAIN THE WHOLE FUCKING STORY to them EVERY SINGLE TIME. Isn’t this what we have files for, you insufferable assmunch?

Next step? Who the hell knows? All I know is, my left foot is tingling as I type this, my neck is in severe disrepair, my shoulders are aching and I’m ready to throw myself out of this fucking ninth floor window and just spare everyone the trouble.

have a nice day.

jarbaby

2

So I guess sex on the trampoline is out?

Seriously - {{{{jarbabyj}}}}
We don’t respect pain in this country. I can imagine the doctors thinking, “Well, there’s really nothing wrong with her. She’s just in pain.” Well, that is something wrong, and relief of that should include “drastic” measures.

Sigh. I hope things improve.

Sua

3

AND THAT’S ANOTHER THING! How am I supposed to be this good and willing sexual submissive if I can’t even sit up straight? Good lord… :smiley:

Thanks Sua. when I feel better I’ll meet you on the tramp.

Trampoline! boy, that’s a word you sure can’t shorten.

jarbaby

4

Fucking doctors!!!

::[sub]sniff[/sub]::

{{{{{jarbabyj}}}}}

5

godammitgodammitgoddammitGODDAMMIT!
My ma has been going through the same thing last two years- an active, hilarious woman, shrunk to shit- no life, no boating, no camping…just sitting n a fucking corner knitting and watching tv and being in pain.
I fucking hate this.
And workers comp doing to her what your ‘doctors’ have been doing to you. FUCK!
Well, my sis’s are in the biz, so they got her set up so she’s had her surgery and is recovering and oh I hope it takes.
I have a bad back myslf and have an idea what you’re going through, but I’m lucky- I can work mine out and by doing so somewhat avoid the pain.

I am so sorry to hear this.

Have you gotten downright bitchy and threatening with any doc? this day in age it’s worth it, in your condition, to subtly use the malpractice threat to get the care you need. in this kind f case, the end jsutifies any fucking means you can think of, in my opinion.

Keep looking, please…don’t let this continue if you can help it…
I’m praying for you hard.

6

Inor, I’m as scared of doctor’s as I am of cops. They’ve got a lot of power. My mother once got bitchy with a doctor and now (just like seinfeld) her file says “overly dramatic and hysterical”.

When I went to the doctor yesterday I said, very calmly, “this is getting a little ridiculous, I’m considering starting a family soon, but if my back hurts when I walk up six stairs, I doubt if I can carry a baby to term” and she just laughed and said,

“take these pills. It’ll tide you over before we make a plan.”

MAKE A PLAN. I’ve got your plan right here, bitch.

jarbaby

7

surgery was the only option left, and I wish I’d done it sooner. You can do permanant nerve damage by letting this go on! Please get another opinion from a neurologist that you can hopefully get good references on. I still have a damaged nerve that when my back is stressed, makes it feel like I have a golf ball under the ball of my right foot. I can feel your pain and wish you the best!

later, Tom.

P.S. Thanks for the Hooha thread, where’d you come up with that name? Cracks me up everytime I think of it!!

8

Jar- this from your doctor?
either she’s fuck that, she’s a cunt, period.

Please, do like flatty said, if you can.

I totally know what you mean by doctors and cops-
but by now I’ve had enough exposure to them to get more aggressive with them and if you do i right, it works…problem is, I can’t quite explain what 'right’is.
But what I’m saying is that there are good docs out there who ain’t afraid to cut and know how to do it. And they’re not so goddamm callous as the motherless bitch you mentioned. And they’re not so goddamm superior- assuming you, as a patient, know nothing.

like somebody else up there said- the damage is cumulative.

I have a birth defect that when it goes out, i can’t even shit without moaning. i broke my back in an accident, which also made the birth defect worse. i am familiar with the pain and other symptoms you spoke about and that’s why I’m so hot. I’m sorry.

I’ll just shut up and close with please, keep looking for a good doctor, and let me know what’s up…

9

jarbabyj,

I can related - I was diagnosed with a herniated disk in spring of 98. However, I don’t have unresolved leg pain anymore, just hurt like hell in the morning until my circulation gets going. I’ve had 4 epidural steroid injections, two last September.

You are in Chicago, right? Email me and I’ll give you the name of a good orthopedist at Northwestern Memorial. He is really good, specialized in lower back pain, and explained all the different surgical procedures to me, and explained why at this point they are not options. If you are not better after two years, he will recommend surgery, I can almost guarantee it.

Dump your current doctor now, and tell her why. She is incompetant.

10

jarbabyj,

I can relate - I was diagnosed with a herniated disk in spring of 98. However, I don’t have unresolved leg pain anymore, just hurt like hell in the morning until my circulation gets going. I’ve had 4 epidural steroid injections, two last September.

You are in Chicago, right? Email me and I’ll give you the name of a good orthopedist at Northwestern Memorial. He is really good, specialized in lower back pain, and explained all the different surgical procedures to me, and explained why at this point they are not options. If you are not better after two years, he will recommend surgery, I can almost guarantee it.

Dump your current doctor now, and tell her why. She is incompetant.

11

inor and porcupine;

In all fairness to my doctors…I go to Illinois Masonic and the doctor’s offices I visit are for residents and students. In retrospect, I probably shouldn’t have chosen these offices as my ‘primary care’ physicians, but the amount of knowledge I have about insurance companies and ‘designating’ doctors could turn cartwheels on a pin head.

Every doctor I’ve seen there (and it’s a new and different one each time) has been relatively nice and sympathetic, (after I give them the 20 minute spiel every single time) and when the doctor yesterday gave me my prescriptions, I was elated, because I haven’t slept in two days because I can’t find a comfortable position.

Porcupine, I’ve gotten a lot of recommendations for surgeons, but when I ask for a referral to go to them (which I have to do under my HMO) I’m told to ‘just try one more thing…’, mainly because all of the doctors are outside the Illinois Masonic group. I’d still like to hear about yours…but I don’t know what good it will do.

I swear to God this whole thing might have been over with a year ago if I knew a little more about insurance.

jarbaby

p.s. thanks for the hugs all.

12

{{{{{{{{{jarbabyj}}}}}}}}}}}}

Sorry… I can’t say anything that’ll really help you out physically, but… Sorry. Looks like there are some people in the world who wield their power with impunity. :frowning:

13

HMOs suck ass.

14

Demand surgery! A friend of mine suffered with this for 15 years! His wife was ready to divorce him. He was an asshole! Who could blame him, in constant pain. He’d tried it all traction for months on end, drugs, therapy, electrodes, etc. His disc problem was in his neck but the concept is the same. They finally operated. He became a new man. They go on vacations, their marriage is back on track. He plays softball. He’s happy again. There is hardly anything worse than chronic pain. And at your age I can imagine you don’t get much understanding and sympathy. People can’t relate until they’ve experienced the same thing. I’m 42 and have screwed up my back more times than I care to mention. Yet, I’ve been lucky and it healed.

Demand that something permanent be done about your condition. If there are options besides years of nothing more than pain killers you are entitled to those options.

Oh and switch your doctor, most HMO’s allow that as long as the new doc is on their list.

Good Luck

Needs2know

15

{hee hee - “cocksmack”; can I use that occasionally? That’s why I’m here; fighting my ignorance of all the best cusswords :D}
Seriously, sorry to hear you’re in so much pain. I have chronic back problems that are not even in the same ballpark as herniated disks, and I can barely stand it some days. Hope it is resolved for you soon.

16

I saw that there is a new procedure being tried, where the doctors inject a bone grown stimulant. The two spinal vertibrae fuss into a single bone.