Meet Dee-Assistant Manager    "After having 3 back surgeries before I was 21, I met and married the most wonderful man God ever created!!!  Ed has been so supportive, caring and loving through our 38 years of marriage (and still going!)...he has been there for me through all of my 46 (or so!) surgeries and many more hospitalizations.  We also raised two wonderful daughters and have two awesome grandsons!! After having 9 lumbar surgeries, 3 cervical surgeries (fusion with plate & screws), knee surgeries on both knees (9 on left 3 on right), 2 total knee replacements (on the same knee!), both shoulders (3 left, 1 right), ulnar nerve transpositions (both arms), radial nerve, thumb fusions, foot surgeries,  removal of bone tumors that "grew" over the years  (pieces of donor bone for spinal fusions), breast tumors, plus a few other surgeries.  I've also had epidurals, Radio Frequency Neurolysis, Nucleoplasty, etc.  done to try to alleviate the pain in my spine. I still suffer from DDD, spinal stenosis, osteoarthritis, arachnoiditis, anterolisthesis at two levels (grade II), 3 herniated discs in the lumbar area...and God knows what else in the rest of my body........And I don't think I want to know either!! I am lucky enough to have a very caring and supportive Pain Management doctor who is trying to help reduce my pain levels.  I am currently on  high doses of Oxycontin and Actiq;  although it will never take away all of my pain.  At least it does alleviate some of it though, fortunately.  And I guess "something is better than nothing"!! But I have found that God also blessed me with a sense of humor to get through the difficult days and the surgeries I've had to endure....and I am grateful for that!!!  It is because of that "sense of humor" that I am able to do the 'little things' in life!  I have always felt that "things could always be worse"; and they can be!!  So I am "grateful" for what I have endured; it's given me the opportunity to learn from others, to be patient and to share my experiences with others, too.  Once I learned to "accept" what my life was going to be like, it got 'easier' to handle.  The main thing I have learned is to "smile" each and every day...because there is always something to smile (or laugh!) about...even if it's "myself"!!!    Hopefully, I can help others who also suffer from chronic back pain...or any other type of pain.  I have "broad shoulders" and a "willing ear"...and will try to help anyone who needs it!!!  Hugs are given "free of charge", too!!    You can contact me at   E.and.D at comcast.net; just replace the second "at" with the @ symbol!     NatzoSwift aka..."Dee"