I have started a podcast in support of the chronic pain patient that will also eventually discuss my treatment. I'd appreciate your listening, sharing, and especially commenting when I get commenting...
So I have an update and I have cured myself finally...and hopefully grown some since being active on this forum. I have hesitated sharing with this community as I believe what Ive found, now after...
Hi all! I finally have some not mostly bad news! I did not come off of fent over Christmas. Right after I wrote at the 2 week point I started to experience withdrawals. Shaking, intense desire for...
If at all possible you should get filled early by your regular doctors. It is a real possibility that you could have trouble getting a script filled elsewhere. Be sure you travel with the...
Hi Pinky! Welcome, but I wish neither of us was here. I'm a 3 level ACDF veteran just past the 2 year point. I've documented my journey from the time I found this place. . .8 weeks AFTER my surgery....
There's a lot of reason for hope. It sounds like you have some momentum and are well beyond the mantra of putting one foot in front of the other. Just keep going. I wish you the best of luck and...
Howdy all. This is just past the 2 year mark for my surgery now. Time flies when you are on hard drugs. So, I am still getting a 2hr hardcore neck massage each week and it seems to be holding me...
Hi Laura, I used chiropractic daily for 6-7 years to get me through the exact symptoms you have described. Numb tongue and lips, left eye kinda twitching closed, neck ROM basically nil,...
Hey Abilene, thanks for the replies and encouragement. I have not yet tried dry needling, but I am in the process of finding the best person in the area and am going to see if they can get to my...
Nicole. The future isn't guaranteed for any of us. I struggle mightily to will myself through each tick of the clock. Just realize that whatever future there might be, the best you can do is forge it...
I've been on Gaba for 14 years on and off, for the last two I have been maxed a 2400mg per day but for a couple of months I was taking 7200mg/day. . .you read correctly. It was a knee jerk reaction I...
Howdy Y'all. It's been a while now and I actually have some time. I just finished up my stay at the truly awful job and am starting another one shortly. I think it will be better, it certainly...
Er, hmm. Ever have a post interpreted entirely differently than you intended? Happens to me reasonably often, which is a sign of something not too good about TRW I suppose. Firstly, straydog I am...
For the love of God woman, you are doing far too much for where you are in recovery! Someone needs to tell you, like someone told me. Whatever you were told about this surgery was just to get your...
Hey, I just read back a few posts. . .I guess praying for a bus to take you out is one step back from constantly reciting the combination to your gun safe. That has to be a step in the right...
TN, the subtleties of what you have written speak volumes to me. I feel like you and I must feel quite similar. It is odd that we even have similar jobs. I am truly sorry that you can understand me...
Hi all, I guess I am 16 months out now Same meds as last reported. Decided to try trigger points again and after the nurse loaded the syringe the doc filled it a little extra and went to town. God, I...
Hi All, apologies for the delay, it has been a busy many few months. Current meds are 25ug/hr Fentanyl every 2 days, 2400mg/day neurontin, and 12mg Diazapam in moderation to help keep efficacy. 5mg...
Howdy all, I'm happy to report that the EMDR on the shoulder still seems to be holding. I have now upped my fentanyl from 12ucg/hr to 25, and I am not sure what is going on, but this MUCH larger...
I had to look up corpectomy as I was not familiar with the name. No, I definitely didn't have that as the vertebral bodies are definitely there in both my MRI and Xrays. That said, I have a couple of...
Hi Alcie, Firstly, I was thinking cookie may be a slang anatomical term, but I was sure you weren't going there. I dont know about "fun" but I think your story illustrates the daily lives of a lot of...
Abilene, Thanks for the reply, I noticed that too recently, that our surgeries were close together. I saw the hypnotherapist dude today and we actually began work on getting my subconscious to let go...
Today, Dec 11, is the one year anniversary of my surgery. It's been an eventful day in itself, but in summary: I am still unemployed with nothing for sure but many things in early stages. . .I doubt...
Dixie, suicidal thoughts started to creep into my mind due to IR med use. In fact I am typing this from my therapist's waiting room. My wife also thinks it has greatly shortened my temper. But, I can...
Hey James, I know I'm a little late to the "party," but I just wanted to say I think the positive attitude will carry you a long way. You seem to treat this stuff the way that I would like to, kind...
Hey HC, just wanted to say hi and that you've got some really good advice here. I'll reinforce one item and add a new one too. I would definitely not tell the doctor what you want from him/her or...
Firstly, you guys ever been on fentanyl? I swear I cannot sleep at all the day I put a patch on. I have laid awake for a years worth of hours listening to my wife have all sorts of crazy dreams. With...
So I've posted on here a couple of other times that for the 7-8 years preceding my recent ACDF and immediately following many helpful cortisone injections and one final very unhelpful one where I...
Abilene, it's awesome that you are doing so well! Wow, what else can you say? It's refreshing to see it in writing on this forum, which can be a little sad on sad for me sometimes. Holy cow! I just...
TN, I do not know what my popping is, but it lights up my nervous system and definitely does not feel right. It gives me a big increase in range of motion, maybe doubles it for looking up and down,...
Sunny, Firstly, yes my symptoms at least came and went. Hour by hour, sometimes by the minute. I had a bad accident while young and needed to run out the clock before the major neck surgery I just...
Hi again TN, I'm going to haunt your threads while I'm on! Just kidding, but I think I might be able to contribute here, since I am convalescing from a 3 level as well (C3-6) and have had both lying...
Hi TN! You are making progress and progress is goodish, right? It sounds like you have that attitude and it is the one that I continue to try and keep. The reason for no epidural is a very good one:...
Thanks Dixie, you can laugh at me, i don't mind. You've gotta laugh at these things or they tear you apart. Speaking of which, you used wicked in a sentence and said you "saw" me. You aren't in New...
B2L, this right here ^^^^^ is the best I have found in 15 years; just knowing the rest of us out here do get it, which is a little messed up if you think about it. I have become glad that my friends...
Howdy all, I have not had another treatment since the last described in this thread. I did take an overseas trip to the exact same place I went last year. It was pretty humbling because I am so much...
B2L - FYI max dose on Gaba continuous is 2400mg/day. I have taken 3x that much, started on accident but kept it for a period of a few months. IT is so asymptotic between 1800 and 2400 though dont...
Thank you for sanity confirmation. It is a real eye-opener for what I have in store should I choose food/shelter over medicine. I definitely can't have that going on. Even knowing it's withdrawals...
So I've been on the 12ucg fentanyl patch and 5/325 percs for 9+ months and just percs another 3. I've lost my job/insurance now and will need to pay cash, at least for the rest of the year. In...
I could definitely use such a forum right now, although family and career are different enough (for me at least) that I can't reconcile them being in the same place. I'm not willing to talk about...
This makes me very worried for me and very sad (and worried!) for you. Vicki we all know if it can happen to you it can happen to any of us. Thank you for the link. Those of us that can, should look...
This time last year, before the surgery, i took a very relaxing beach vacation that really rreplenished my neck, i felt great for a few weeks. We just got back from a 50% longer vacation, purchased...
Minor update. I worked on the truck, almost entirely lying on a creeper, for 5 hours. I took breaks but I did forget to eat. Anyway, zero pain in the spot. I was actually wondering if it was going to...
Abilene, yes the E stands for eye. I should have written it out, thank you for adding that to the thread. I think it was originally done just visually, but maybe found that the "eye" was not...
Hi scared, I found this forum when I was 8 weeks out. It seems like forever, I know. That said, to me it seems a tad early to be going to PT. I could barely make it to BM at 8 weeks, so you're doing...
Hello All, With Abilene's encouragement (spreading the blame ;) I have decided to start this thread about chronic pain treatment using EMDR. First of all, I am a guy with a decent medical vocabulary...
Hi Abilene! Thank you for reading. I've been tempted to start a thread about EMDR for chronic pain if there isn't one already. It's really a piece of cake, but there is a special protocol for chronic...
Hi Lila! Thank you for the response. I really appreciate your feedback that you found this thread helpful. I want to help others as much as I can and as I've said before this also is the only place I...
If you guys are like me you are probably wondering how I am now, LOL. The good news is that I did get the fentanyl every 48hrs and my doctor is committed to keeping me in tolerable pain. I continue...
Fishing is great as long as my neck is not out, but it takes a significant toll. I am getting to where I cant really work a full week anymore. My PM made what I think was a very wise decision and put...