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| | From:  sammy01022 (Original Message) | Sent: 10/19/2008 12:26 PM |
Hi everyone I am new here & looking forward to meeting you all. I have had chronic pain for approx. 31/2 years with still no real diagnosis other then myofascial damage. Lots of shoulder/scapula pain, rib/chest, back & neck. With limited range of motion in my arms. My hands feel weak at times. This all started on the left side & has progressed to the right & back. My PM has been doing ESIs & has decided to send me to a back surgeon before anymore procedures. My pain is increasing & getting some nasty headaches that nothing helps. I am wondering if anyone here has anything simulair to what I am experiancing. My heart goes out to anyone & everyone suffering from CP, really have to learn to adjust. Happy to meet you all & god bless, Sammy |
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| | | From: CyndyK2 | Sent: 10/19/2008 5:55 PM |
Hi, Sammy, and welcome to the family! : ) Do think long and hard before you opt for a surgical solution, and make sure you get at least two opinions, and one of them should NOT be from a surgeon! They always tend to want to operate. Remember that any surgery is going to create scar tissue and adhesions, which in themselves are likely to cause more problems down the line later on. Not to mention that nerves and muscles will be cut during the operation, which will take time to heal. These are all things you want to think carefully about. When you DO decide you want to have surgery done, make sure the surgeon you choose has a good track record with the operation in question, that he's performed it often with good success and has a regular team he works with. I hope you find what you're looking for in a doctor!
Cyndy
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Hello Sammy, welcome to the group. It is a pleasure to meet you although I hate that chronic pain had to be what brought us to meet. I concur with Cyndy regarding any potential future surgical procedures. I previously worked for an orthopedic surgeon and saw first hand patients that came in having had one back surgery after another having developed painful scar tissue and resultant failed surgeries. IMHO, your back isn't something you want operated on too many times because scar tissue creates complications and it is hard to have a predictable outcome with back procedures. I suggest even third or fourth opinions before surgery and to require that the surgeon has done the procedure "x" number of times with "x" positive results. Just be careful is all I'm saying. Be sure to check out all of the info over in the left pale blue column as there is a lot of great info there. I'm sure others will be around soon to greet you as well. I look forward to getting to know you better. Make yourself at home! debra/aka tomcat |
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| | | From: Dan | Sent: 10/19/2008 11:10 PM |
Hello, Sammy. Welcome to the family. And we are a family, all bound together by that one thing, pain. We all know what it's like to hurt 24/7. I'm Dan, one of the staff. Over on the left is a lot of information on chronic pain. If you need some help or have any questions don't hesitate to ask. Welcome again. Dan PS. It's good to have another guy here. If you haven't noticed, about 90% of the members are women, and they can get pretty bossy sometimes, so it's good to have another guy around for moral support. Now don't let them know I said they could be bossy. They're liable to give me a hard time if they know I think that. So keep that between you and me, OK?  |
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| | | From: CyndyK2 | Sent: 10/20/2008 6:01 AM |
How do you know Sammy is male, Dan? Could just as easily be Samantha. : )
Cyndy
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Sorry Dan Cyndy is Correct. Feel kind of bad about that. Thank you for the welcome & advice everyone. I have no intention on going for any surgery unless its the only thing that can be done & that would have to come from more then one surgeon. Funny my PM told my husband & I dont tell this back surgeon I am sending to you to you have no intention of evert havinvg any surgery or he will ask the what heck are you doing here then,lol. My PM doctor wants to see what this surgeon has to say. No one as of yet has been able to pin point where this is coming from. My back just started to really hurt this past couple months & the pain is going up,up,up. I had shoulder surgery last Jan, & that was enough for me, long recovery & more pain then I ever dreamed of. Went to mass yesturday evening, we drive approx. 40 minutes to church, I did not think I would make it home with this back of mine. Hurt so bad I had to pray all the way home. I had taken my meds only a couple hours before so I was so upset I was in that much pain. The pain is around the scapulas & right under & it feels like someone has my back in a vice. The pain was actually scaring me & I am use to pain. I could not even remember the words to my prayers. I have to say this is getting abit scary. I will be making an appointment today with this surgeon. My PM is on vacation so I am going to pick the report up of my MRI results, cant wait around wondering what it says. Once again thank you all so much for the wonderful welcome, Sammy |
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| | | From: CyndyK2 | Sent: 10/20/2008 1:41 PM |
I didn't think you sounded like a guy, Sammy. : ) Poor Dan, he's ever-hopeful. The guys are SO outnumbered here! When you said your pain is around your scapulas, it made me wonder if they stick out more than normal. We have a couple members with winged scapula, which is quite painful; has anyone mentioned this to you as a possibility?
Cyndy
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| | | From: Dan | Sent: 10/21/2008 12:26 AM |
Ahhhhh, phooey.  Someone got a towel? I gotta get this egg off my face... You would think with my mouth being a shoe size 12 I would be able to hit it. But nooooooooooooo... Blech! |
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I believe it has been mentioned once by the PT, but since its pretty much my whole upper torso, much on the left side with right joining in I dont think that is it, I would love to just have a solid diagnosis. I struggle with the not knowing for sure as much as the pain. I am praying something comes up soon. I believe my PM is hoping that this surgeon will run more tests that have not been done. I know the one my Rehab.doc thought about doing but I was in so much pain that he said he thought it would be to much for me. I am ready, I dont care anymore about how much pain it may cause I want some answers. I have to raise my arms for my ESIs & I come out of those in agony. My arms cant be raised above my head for any length of time, but yet I still have went back for me. I am blessed to have a good PM whos staff wont let me suffer after the procdures. After the first time they were ready for that pain, god bless them all. The best staff I have ever seen. Heard do many horror stories about PMs & their staffs that mine is outstanding as far as having a caring staff, thus far. I pray & hope that all this new pain will lead to finding the source. I would so love to have some relief & just breathe painfree. My scapulas hurt so bad that at times I just want to glue my arms to my sides & not move them at all. I am sure there are those who know. Everyones pain is differnet but just as life altering. If anything comes out of all this pain it has made me a much more compassionate, patient & understanding person when it comes to others pain. God bless & that you all for caring. Sammy PS sorry, my husband feels the same, surrounded by females, he often threatens to move in the garage,lol. |
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| | | From: Hannah. | Sent: 10/24/2008 5:19 AM |
Welcome to the group sammy!
Please do join our new group, at
http://forum1.aimoo.com/DealingWithChronicPain
as this one will be closing in February 2009.
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Sammy: I'm sorry you have so much pain....know what that feels like...it sucks!! You can read about me under "meet the managers" under "Dee". I've had 4 shoulder surgeries, so can emphatize with you about that pain....there is nothing like it. And I've had 9 lumbar surgeries, 3 knee replacements...and a total of about 50 surgeries...mostly all bone related. I have pain in my 'thoracic' area which just about makes me fall to my knees...and I can't do that...lol. I've had MRI's which show that nothing much is wrong....they THINK that it could be coming from the nerves....DUH. They did try trigger point injections....the first one seemed to have helped somewhat...but the second one did not...sadly. Nothing helps except to lay down for a while...and I have no idea what makes it worse....seems to be just little things...or it just happens. It literally takes my breath away. It's horrid! I know, like you, I would love to have a solid diagnosis for what is causing this pain. Then I think I could accept it....but now, don't know what causes it, and that is most annoying...lol. Like you, I do have a wonderful pain doc, thank God. My neurosurgeon recommended him to me...he had operated on his back. He told me on the first visit that 'there was nothing much he could do for me, except to prescribe narcotics, probably for the rest of my life'. I had already been through most all the procedures....which did not help; so there was not much left for him to try. I've been on the same dose for a number of years....and don't want to go higher right now....I've on very high doses of Oxycontin and Actiq for breakthrough pain. I hope that you wil get a diagnosis....since I know that is SO important to us....just 'knowing' what the problem is and that it has a name. Hope you find some help at that clinic. Please let us know how things are going. Hugz, Dee P.S. It's GREAT to have another female.....sorry, Dan....>LOL. |
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