went to the doctor yesterday to have further x-rays and tests done on my back, and I found out that there is no cushioning or fluid between my lumbar vertabrae (lower back). Basically they just sit and grind on each other all day. I also have possible nerve damage because I have no reflexes in my right leg and when I put my weiht on my left leg, I collapse.

About an hour ago I blacked out due to pain. I getting something out of my mom's car and then the next thing I know I'm crumpled up on my front porch holding a broom and tapping on the door. My sister and Tony had to help me up.

This is fucked up.

OMG dude.. that sucks.. I hope that they can do something to help you out! My thoughts and prayers are with all you injured peeps!

weird...all the different symptoms we have.. i'm getting an education. Yeah man...sucks that's in your lower back too. You're probably going to need to have discs replaced w/ synthetics, as am I.. we need to post pics of our post-op scars =D

finally got my first injection

What injection was it? If it was cortisone, prepare for stiffness. I didn't have it so bad in my back, but when I had it in my arm I couldn't move it for a week ¬_¬


More importantly, has it helped at all?

It was a cortisone/steroid injection that was supposed to block the pain and decrease the inflammation, basically an epidural. I was really sore from the injection for about two days, but the stiffness and pain never left me. It basically didn't work. I tried going into work yesterday, but left after a few hours because I couldn't take it. I haven't been to work in over 3 weeks.

The funny thing tho, is that this is an entirely new situation. I had been doing very well in recovering from the accident; even though I never got these injections. The pain was going away, and I was able to move around with more ease. My body was healing itself naturally, I suppose. Then a few weeks ago I was sitting in the break room with my back to the door, drinking coffee and waiting to clock in, when a co-worker (whom I've had to remind multiple times that I have a back injury, and he can't do stuff like that to me) came in and slapped me hard on my upper-back to say good morning. The stiffness started to set in a few days later, then one morning I woke up in so much pain I was literally screaming. I went to the emergency room & spent 7.5 hours there for nothing. All they did was inject me with demeral and some other stuff that didn't work. The only thing I've left my house for in the last few weeks have been excruciating car rides to my doctors appointments. New MRI results revealed the torn disc in my neck, and a badly pinched nerve also in my neck. I had that injection last tuesday, and it's not working. I'm supposed to get 2 more tho, so maybe I'll have more luck in the future.

I hope you back-handed that co-worker into next week, fucking idiot ¬_¬

Hopefully you'll get this shit sorted by some means or another, I can sympathise with the whole "agony and lack of movement" thing...luckily my backs not been so bad, but I think after 12 years I've killed off any pain receptors below my stomach lol.


Also, for cortisone injections because its steroid based they can't give them to you too often which is something I found to be funny as fuck. Though one thing to remember is it will take a couple of weeks (I think up to 5 or 6) for the shit to have any effect so hopefully it'll kick in, or at least the other needles will dope you up. Dunno about you, but I seem to have one high tolerance to medication of any kind, due to my size they generally need to up it a bit and Im guessing this is the case with the cortisone....but I'll be fucked if I'm ever going for that again. Can't say its the most pleasant sensation feeling the needle going through the damn muscle

Yeah, I got him back. =)

Today I went to see my pain management doc after my visit with the chiro & massage therapist, and he gave me an IV full of pain killers. As I was getting into my mom's car (still can't drive) the arm they gave me the IV in started cramping up really bad. It freaked me out cuz I've had these IV's before, but never had this problem. I basically had a charley horse in my bicep, and it felt like it was going to rip and flap up to my shoulder....good stuff. Another cort/ster shot in the neck next week...then only one more to go two weeks after that...yay!

I'm so sorry you're going through all this, Erick

So I had my second injection today. The gave me a copy of the pic that's not even worth scanning. =\

Either they didn't give me enough anesthetic, or I woke up in the middle of it...because I felt the needle going into my back. It was such a weird feeling...it didn't hurt, but I could feel the path the needle was taking and it parting the muscle. I remember saying "Hey I thought I was going to be put under for this"...then I woke up.

Erm, I didn't read the whole thread but get well soon, homie

Thanks Daz.

So I've had the 3 injections, and they aren't working. I met with my neurologist today and he ordered Electromyography and Nerve Conduction Velocity tests to try and pin point the nerves that are having problems and/or the muscles that are effecting the nerve impulses. More needling! Yippee.. Also getting an MRI of the lumbar spine cuz I've had shooting pains down my legs. Gonna be a couple weeks until the tests are done, and then another couple weeks until I get the results. Then I guess they're gonna decide if it's necessary to cut me up. This better not cause me to miss any concerts...

Those tests aren't too bad until they stick the needle in your foot. I actually had to have that test done a few months ago and I was fine up until that point. The needle is really thin and it doesn't hurt to get poked by it, but the zaps will drive you crazy.

Yeah the guy said that if I have any tattoos, then I'd be able to handle this. He said it's kinda like electrical acupuncture. The foot does sound painful... =( Thanks for the insight tho, it's a little comforting knowing what to expect.

quote:

Originally posted by Lorazepam:
Those tests aren't too bad until they stick the needle in your foot. I actually had to have that test done a few months ago and I was fine up until that point. The needle is really thin and it doesn't hurt to get poked by it, but the zaps will drive you crazy.

you weren't kidding...it's killer when they do the feet!!!

Yeah, I nearly passed out when they put the needle in my foot. I was perfectly fine up until that point, too.

I ended up needing weekly B12 injections, but we don't know what caused the deficiency. At this point, I can't really afford to find out, either

Has the ol' cortizone jab worked for you mate? Damn thing didn't seem to work for me ¬_¬ My pain doesn't sound hald as bad as yours, but I sure know how fun it isn't

I had cortizone in my arm, and pretty much lost the use of my arm for a week which was fucking retarded.

The injections didn't work... =( I'm still in a shitload of pain. The shooting pains in my arms and legs were a lot more painful when I started cutting back on all my pain meds (because of constipation). I started cutting back about 2 weeks ago, and for the last week or so I've been getting these killer headaches in the back of my head that make me kinda dizzy. Now I'm up to twice the amount of pills I was taking before just to keep my headaches and other pains down down - about 7-8 doses daily of Ibuprofen 800s, Lortab 10s, and Soma 350s (not to mention Xanax and blood pressure meds).

My mom did some research on spine injuries and headaches online and sent me a link to what she was looking at, and now I'm all paranoid that I have blood on the brain.. I hate those know-it-all medical sites.. Blood on the brain can cause sudden loss of vision, perma-sleepiness, dizzines, and massive headaches...and I just happen to have all those symptoms. I just had my eyes checked out last week cuz my vision has been getting pretty bad...and the doc said my left eye was pretty much the same as last year, but my right eye is like a whole different eye, a lot worse than last year. So they had to send my frames off to have new lenses put in, so I can hardly see anything now. I also ordered some prescription sunglasses because the Vegas brightness really hurts my eyes.. Hopefully they'll be in this week.

Anyway, I meet with my surgeon on the 1st and he's gonna go over my MRI results, new x-rays, and my nerve test results. At this point I'm hoping he's going to say I need surgery...cuz I'm sick of being a 6'2" 185lb guy who USED TO BE pretty damn strong, but now I can't even take out my own trash. FUCK!!!

On top of all that, I haven't been able to work in over 2 months...people donated over 200 hours of leave time (which I am VERY grateful for) to make it possible for me to keep receiving a paycheck...but now I'm out of time. My last paycheck was short, which means the donations have been used up, and the medical bills are starting to roll in. I want to go back to work, but my work won't let me come back without a doctor's release, which none of my docs will give me... The fucked up thing about all of this is that I was fine until one of my asshole co-workers slapped me hard on the back... It wasn't the first time he's done that, but each time he did some stupid shit like that I chewed him out and told him he CAN'T do shit like that. He calls me his friend, but hasn't called once to see how I'm doing...not that I really want him to. I've been feeling really violent lately...I'm gonna have a hard time NOT laying this guy out when I'm healthy again.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: otsegonaut,

shit dude, it ain't goot to hear the jabs didn't work. I didn't have any luck with 'em either, but you're a shitload more fucked up than me...at least I can still carry on day to day.

I'd beat the shit out of your co-worker first chance you get, big time. You can't pull shit like that even as a joke ¬_¬

I hope the surgeon gives you good news, and I hope it doesn't get too expensive for you...I'm glad I have free medical treatment. Let's start a whip-around and let the ol' NHS have a look at you lol

quote:

Originally posted by Gaz:
I'd beat the shit out of your co-worker first chance you get, big time. You can't pull shit like that even as a joke ¬_¬

i had a dream about tackling him through a window of the 3rd floor break room...i landed on him and lived, ha!

i just met with my orthopaedic surgeon for the first time today (neurosurgeon next week)...he wants me to get 2 more nerve block injections - but i'm supposed to stay awake for these so i can tell the doc when the pain starts going down (like that'll be easy with a huge fuckin' needle stickin out of my neck), and this will tell the surgeon which vertebrae need to be fused.. he said the surgery is basically a quality of life type of decision... i could either live with my condition and keep taking pain killers or have the surgery and hope for the best.. as much as i love pain killers, it's the pain i don't like, so i'm going for the surgery

i also met with a new pain doctor today, because the last one was some arrogant fuck of a witch doctor from africa...couldn't understand a word he said except for the insults toward myself and my mother in front of his entire office staff...anyway... i got some awesome new pain killers and anti-inflammatory meds...yayyyy

i'll let you know how the injections go.. it's possible the nerve blocks may actually work this time, so i might not need surgery...right away....but i still have my sights set on it