So much pain lately.

Trace-----Hey kid, I'm so sorry that you're feeling so horrible. I wish we could come up with a solution for you that wouldn't cost a whole bunch. But in one of your earliest posts, someone mentioned the posibility that you might see a dentist for TMJ because that can cause headaches. You responded that it's really expensive to get mouth splints made in Australia.  Well, I saw my spinal surgeon today and I talked about you. He said you might want to try using a sport mouth guard, like they use in rugby games. You should be able to buy one at a sports store for less than $5. You take it home, put it into boiling water for about a minute. (It has instructions.) Then let it cool just a few seconds. You put it into your mouth and close your teeth and lips around it. That will keep your teeth in a position during the night that will keep you from tightening your jaw while you sleep. Now, it's possible that might be part of the reason for your chronic headaches. Wouldn't it be wonderful if it was this simple? It sure would be worth trying this for several weeks, maybe longer.  Try it, OK? Let us know if it helps. 

I know this won't help your back, though. What are doing about your back pain? Do you have any insurance? Is there any help available in Australia for people who can't afford medical care? I cannot imagine what I would have done without insurance when I had surgery on my spine a few months ago. Just the bill for the hospital itself was over $80,000! Ouch! I guess I would have just had to put up with the pain, like you're doing.

Hope you can find some help soon. ~~Pegasis

I'm glad you're going to try the mouth guard. Don't expect immediate results, but I do really, really hope it helps ease your pain. I know what you mean about medical care being expensive even when you have insurance. It just doesn't pay for everything, and it's terrible that you can't afford to have all the care you need to find the answer to easing your pain.  Also, about the back pain/surgery: I, too, delayed surgery on my back. I went through three years of pain before seeing a surgeon. He explained the surgery I needed. It sounded horrible and I decided I was going to wait. Another 4 years of pain went by before I decided to give in get it done. It has been very difficult. But I'm working hard on physical therapy, and I hope to keep improving and end up better than I was before the surgery.  There is another Forum here for Chronic Pain. I don't know if you already have, Trace, but you might want to check that one out, too. See what it has to offer.

Trace