> >When I ask for specificity it means describing when what she has started.. how many years ago.. at what age... and how it progressed... Then the treatment and whether it is something that can get better.
Maybe some ramblings, but specifically here goes.
My wife was 24 when it started (back pain), and she’s 44 now.
In my wife’s childhood years. It was discovered she had epilepsy. She was treated back then. Seizure-free till she became pregnant 1988. We married in (1987) She was 23. Just petty mauls though. Witch she was afraid to tell me. Scary time for us. Her OBGYN doctor wanted her to go on medicine. Taking a drug of any kind during pregnancy. A concerning time for most any new parents. She did, take the prescribed medication. She was well monitored through it. We had what most any parents could ask for. A healthy baby. A lovely girl.
She started experiencing very mild back pain just after she had our first child. We both went through Lamaze classes. So I could experience, and be with her for a natural child birth. She never went into full labor even though induced at the hospital for a long time. Three weeks late? They planed a Caesarean section. We decided on an epidural so I could still be with her and experience the birth.
The anesthesiologist did go over possible side effects. Witch one was back pain.
Unbeknownst to me after we both decided for her to stay home and raise our new daughter. She started taking Ibuprofen. She didn't think to much of it then. We had another healthy girl three years after. Another Caesarean birth. No medications during this pregnancy, my wife wouldn’t take any, except vitamins. I didn't know how bad her pain really was. She kept it in. She thought it would go away with time, it didn't.
She started opening up because the pain was hard to hide. I made sure she started going to her medical doctor. Where he prescribed mild pain relievers at first. This kept on for quite some time. Keeping her pain, under management, till a new pain medication of the time, called Ultram.
We switched doctors because Ultram wasn't keeping her pain under control any more. The new doctor had some testing done with different specialists. Milograms , MRI's and some others. I've probably forgot some. All this while treating her pain with Oxycontin. WE saw several different specialists and pain centers. New non narcotic treatments(Tegretol) medications, Nerve blocks, cortisone shots some of the treatments. Remember seeing some herniated disks in an x-ray. Finally one neurologist who tried some radio frequency burning of nerves (unsuccessful). Saw a small boney like mass by her spine entangled in the nerves. This is the way I remember he described it. He thought she would be a good candidate for a spinal stimulator. Insurance kept us waiting for an answer. My wife’s new primary a great doctor IMO. He cared and treated her pain when others would not. Other specialist had a hard time believing or didn’t want to prescribe any narcotics for pain. He sent her to one of the best neurosurgeons in this area. Ted Turner went to this doctor. He conducted new tests an X-rays. I think he was the first to give us a diagnosis of Facet joint syndrome and a degenerative disc condition. Said very honestly he wouldn't touch her with a ten foot pole. Inoperable condition is what he meant to say. Wife eventually started on morphine pills and a combination of Methadone and fast acting morphine. Then to Fentanol patches. Fentanol helped pain, but left her in a non functional state. Wife’s pain got to a point she didn't want to live. Primary started treating her for depression as well as pain. Her doctor finally hooked us up with the pain center at Strong. Her debilitating condition progressed to be able to collect SSD. From what I know personally. You don't collect SSD unless you really have documented provable disability. Finally, insurance was going to pay for a spinal stimulator. The director who is also a surgeon of the pain center was to do the surgery. The attempt failed because they couldn't get the leads into the spinal area they needed to. A couple hour operation lasted over six hours as they had to do a blood patch because of complications.
That surgeon referred us to another neurosurgeon for another implant try. After a successful trial. He successfully put in her spinal stimulator.
Upon putting it in. Some of the leads to the spinal cord moved during her healing. He agreed to go back in after healing to try and reposition the leads again. Never quite recaptured what he had during the trial. A Meditronic technician tried also
on the outside with a remote hand held unit.
Wife kept going to her primary as well as the Strong pain center. Stimulator helped somewhat. Director of the Strong pain center said because of her condition she would be a candidate for an implantable morphine pump. The benefit of the device is the morphine (morphine cocktail)goes directly to the spinal area and not through the bloodstream. Cutting down the oral medications. After a successful trial. The head of the pain center put the device in with help . The device holds a nearly three month supply. They have to fly it in and put it in soon after made up. This device brought my wife’s life back again. She doesn't use her cane , but very rarely now. She has gone back to work on the SSD back to work trial program. It will not cure her, but it will manage her pain. I am very thankful for that.
From our experience.
Chronic pain is debilitating condition for someone else to believe. Especially among doctors and friends. This was our experience. I'll be more then happy , to try and help steer anybody in the right direction. If they want my input and they fall into some common grounds I've stated.
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