The Pain Relief Network

In April 2001 I woke up with intense back pain and from there the pain journey started. It started out with an L5 herniated disc pressing on the S1 nerve root. To this day I still have the herniation, then as the years passed I ended up having DDD working its way up my spine, Nerve damage in my lower left back down my left leg to my toes. Arthritis in the facet areas of my low back and the bottom end plate of the L5 disc is cracked and deteriorating.

My L5 Disc has shrunk in size and is on the verge of being bone on bone. I have Myofascial Pain Syndrome that at times gets so bad that I have had huge muscle knots the size of apples that were covered in scar tissue in my neck and shoulder area. I also have Neuropathy in both upper legs that cause very painful skin sensations such as numbness, tearing and ripping sensations. It literally felt like someone was stabbing my leg and dragging the blade down my skin. Other times it would feel like it was on fire. I also have bursitis in both my hips and Piriformis syndrome on both sides of my butt which thankfully the hips and the Piriformis syndrome are not causing me many problems now.

Now for my quest to seek help. I have been to my GP, 2 Neurosurgeons, 2 PM clinics and a spine center. I also saw a chiropractor and tried Spinal decompression on one of those machines. I now refer to it as the torture rack. I did all of the usual stuff like PT, Tens, exercises, massage, Epidural Steroid Injections. I have had many Cortisone shots for Myofascial pain syndrome in my upper back and injections in my hips. Not to mention all of the tests, some painful and some not. Basically I did everything they asked of me.

During this whole time no one would help me with the pain while I was trying all of the interventional therapies. The one thing that has been a constant is extreme lower back pain that spreads to my hips and down my legs. I was told by the Neurosurgeon that they would not operate because there was too much stuff going on and they don’t know where the pain generator is. Basically they didn’t know which of all of my lower back problems were causing the most pain.

I have been called a drug seeker more times than I want to remember. I was basically bed bound. They gave me all the usual meds except opioids. I was on Neurontin, Topomax, antidepressants and oh yeah I was on Darvocet for a couple of months but that didn’t help at all.

During the first 6 years I might get pain meds from a Doc for around two months but that was it. Then I would get the lecture about the evils of pain meds and addiction.

In 2007 I was riding my 4 wheeler when I had no business on one with my back being the way it is but thought I would go slow and be ok plus I had a back brace on. I came up on a blind curve and wrecked and really hurt my back bad. I had some swelling but no new damage at the time. It sent me into a flare that was awful. BTW I love to go 4 wheeling and now that is another of life’s little joys I can’t do anymore.

I went to my regular GP who I have seen since 1993. He told me you have tried everything and I think you’re at the point where a trial of pain meds might be best. All I can say is what a blessing it was to finally hear a Doc say those words. So in the summer of 2007 I was put on pain meds.

I am still under-treated but it has made my life more livable. I know if he would titrate up some more my life would be more than livable and I would actually be productive and be able to work. I would be more like the Mom, Wife, Daughter and Sister I use to be.

I oftened wondered why they let the pain continue when you are trying all the interventional crap and why they could not or would not make your life more comfortable while you are trying other therapies. Actually the bottom line is I didn’t understand why they wouldn’t help people at all regardless of what they have tried or haven’t tried that have CP/IP. It just didn’t make sense to me. I have been treated for everything else health wise but not this. Then I was amazed that no one really knew about the pain crisis. I didn’t know until CP hit me. You would hear of all these animal cruelty cases where they were left suffering and the public out cry was huge but not a single word of humans who suffer on a daily basis with no help.

Since joining PRN I understand a lot of it now but understanding it still makes it sometimes difficult for me wrap my brain around what’s going on to millions of people a year. PRN gives me hope. I have been to the other pain orgs and none of them are doing what PRN is doing and has done.

I do strongly believe in being educated about the pain crisis and why it’s happening and educating yourself about your pain condition. By being educated and being your own advocate it makes it real easy to tell when a Doctor is feeding you a line of crap. I also benefit greatly from the support and understanding form other members here who actually “get it” and care.