vascular calcifications and degenerative changes at the L4-5 levels

[Guest guest]

I finally got the see a new rhuematologist who promptly ordered lots of x-rays.

The results showed: vascular calcifications and degenerative changes at the L4-5

levels.

This is all found in my spine and left hip.

My questions are as follows?

1. Does this cause serious pain? I am in so much pain, it controls my day, and

often times, I lay in bed for days and days at a time. I am currently taking

Percocet 10 and it barely touches the pain at all.

Please offer some suggestions! What do you you guys do for the extremem pain

associated with these 2 conditions? Also, I have no health insurance.

How bad can the pain actualy get, and is it different for everyone else? Ive

heard that oxycodone, roxycet, and pain patches offer the most pain relief and

allow you to function through life normal, instead of rotting away in bed.

If anyone could help me out with these concerns, please do so!

Amy, in south Louisisna, age 32

[Guest guest]

Hello Amy,

I too have the same disc degeneration in those areas and it can be brutal. I

find that when the muscles surrounding those areas are knotted up it is almost

worse than the actual spine pain.

My doctor recommended heat and ice depending on the severity up to four times a

day for 15 minutes at a time. I also take Norco and Nucynta for the pain as

prescribed. No it doesn't take away all the pain and keep me able to do

everything but it helps tremendously and gets me through the day and evenings.I

find that sitting too much in the wrong type of chair causes extreme problems

often with my sciatica as well.

This is just my experience and you should check to see if this would be right

for you. If you have increased pain from too much heat then my doctor recommends

ice because too hot of heat or too much can lead to extra inflammation.

My wishes are that you find some relief and are able to get some medical

insurance soon.

Smiles to you,

From: amyalowery@...

Subject: vascular calcifications and degenerative changes at the

L4-5 levels

I finally got the see a new rhuematologist who promptly ordered lots of x-rays.

The results showed: vascular calcifications and degenerative changes at the L4-5

levels.

This is all found in my spine and left hip.

My questions are as follows?

1. Does this cause serious pain?

Please offer some suggestions! What do you you guys do for the extremem pain

associated with these 2 conditions? Also, I have no health insurance.

If anyone could help me out with these concerns, please do so!

Amy, in south Louisisna, age 32

[Guest guest]

Hi Amy; Here;

I will tell you my story as short as I can. I had segury in 1998 and it was

because I had a cracked vertraba when I had a harley accident in 1976. I am now

58 in July.

The doctors said some day I will need to have the cracked vertraba fixed. Well I

went along in life with back pain all the time . I would take muscle (spelling

is bad hu ) relaxers for the pain. For so many years I lived with the mild pain.

I moved to Tucson ,AZ in 1996 and had to unload a 26ft uhal with just me and my

son (38 now) and half way unloaded I felt a pop in my lower back and the pain

was very bad . My son finished the unload. What happened was the L5-S1

area was where the cracked bone was and it had seperated. I had 3 verteraba's

fussed from bone in my hip and had 2 6in rods and 6 scwers implanted. This was a

very serious operation. I was cut from between my shoulder blades all the way

down as far as they could go. I was not awake . I have had segurys where I was

awake. After the segury I had 32 staples in my back with a cast over the

staples. The cast was glued on untill it was time for the staples to be removed.

PAIN X 100....They sent me home with a bottle of percaset and they did no good .

After suffering for 10 months and rehab I could not take the pain any longer. My

Doctor was giving me time to heal and it really never did. Now they fixed the

back condition but after the operation I had what is called " Failed Segury

Symdome " you can read about it on web md. If I did not really need segury and

had a choice to have it or not ( I had to have it )

I would not do it again. I was told by my doctor that I could have bad pain

after the operation so be ready for that. Now this doctor was the Chief of

nerosurgery at the University of Arizona,

the best of the best. In October of the same year he put a Dorsel Coulem

Stimulator that shots electricty down my spinal cord to Mask the pain (I am on

my 3rd stimulator)and it was a life saver. I take Morphine 4 times a day and

Valium 4 times a day for muscle spazem's . I also take Oxycodone 4 times a day

and sleeping pills ect. and other drugs. If you do not REALLY need a operation

DO not do it. You may be worse off by having it. Just my story and you do what

you need to but I would not have that in the area you have pain due to the bad

outcome from nerve damage from the knife and muscle damage and scare tissue that

will build up and put presure on the nerves. I don't know the whole story behind

your condition and I am not a doctor ,I am just telling you my experance. If I

was you I would go with stronger med's and see how you do. I can tell you that

med's work and you do get used to them and they still work.

i.e. I take alot of drugs and my body has gotten used to the drugs and I can

funtion and drive ect. With the amount of drugs I take you would not know it

unless I told you. I don't set around dopped up like a sloppy drunk. Try to talk

with a Pain Docter about drugs before you have a major operation . Just my

advice and hope you don't go through what I have had to. I have this bad back

and topped off with now 3 years of stills. Good luck and do your home work

before you get a operation ,and get a second opinion........OK;   May God guide

you in your dicission.

Proangler

GARY

 

________________________________

To: Stillsdisease

Sent: Tue, March 8, 2011 11:55:16 AM

Subject: vascular calcifications and degenerative changes at the

L4-5 levels

 

I finally got the see a new rhuematologist who promptly ordered lots of x-rays.

The results showed: vascular calcifications and degenerative changes at the L4-5

levels.

This is all found in my spine and left hip.

My questions are as follows?

1. Does this cause serious pain? I am in so much pain, it controls my day, and

often times, I lay in bed for days and days at a time. I am currently taking

Percocet 10 and it barely touches the pain at all.

Please offer some suggestions! What do you you guys do for the extremem pain

associated with these 2 conditions? Also, I have no health insurance.

How bad can the pain actualy get, and is it different for everyone else? Ive

heard that oxycodone, roxycet, and pain patches offer the most pain relief and

allow you to function through life normal, instead of rotting away in bed.

If anyone could help me out with these concerns, please do so!

Amy, in south Louisisna, age 32