Guest guest Posted February 11, 2004 Report Share Posted February 11, 2004 Hello everyone! My name is Rhonda, I'm 38 and I live in Florida with my husband , kids - Cody 18, a 15 and several animals. I rehab baby squirrels whenever the need arises. Baby season is coming up; with any luck I won't have any babies, they'll be where they're supposed to be - with mom. But if the need arises, I'm there! It is a very good feeling to watch them grow and thrive and know that I helped them. It's sad to release them, but we have this huge ficus tree in the front yard (and back yard) and they hang out there, waiting for me to bring out their seeds. Some still come to me. They have me wrapped around their little paws. I was diagnosed with MS in 99. I was having what I thought were tension headaches in the back of my neck, took Excedrin and they went away. After a week or 2 the Excedrin wasn't workin' and I started having dizzy spells. By the time I had gotten to the doctor, I felt like I was drunk 24/7. An MRI showed that a disk had come out into my spinal column and was crushing my spinal cord and "now, don't get upset by this, but you have lesions on your brain. Indicators of MS." They told me this over the phone and I was home by myself. I couldn't breathe. Thank God my parents live next door, I called and my mother was here in seconds. I didn't know exactly what MS was and, honestly, thought I was going to die. Six people on my fathers side of the family had/have MS. Some are dead now and even though I knew they didn't die from the MS, when I got that news that's what popped into my head. I had a spinal fusion 2/22/99. I felt pretty darn good afterwards. I had a quarter sized spot on my shoulder that burned, but everything else was fine. I even forgot I had MS. Then in June 99, my finger tips started going numb, a few weeks later it was all the way up my arm. I finally told the doc, had the steroid treatment and 6 weeks later was back to normal. (I've had 2 or 3 of those episodes) I am on Copaxone. Doctor tells me that she's never seen a case like mine, it's very "mild." She even questioned the dx and took me off the med. A few weeks later there was no denying it was MS, my finger tips went numb and it traveled up my arm. She's pretty knowledgeable about MS, goes to many seminars/meetings about it. She likes to keep on top of things. Nine months after my spinal fusion surgery, I was rear ended on my way to work. I saw him comin' in my rear view mirror, heard the tires screeching and thought I was done for, thought I would be paralyzed from the neck down. This guy slammed into me at 45mph; I was stopped. I think he was messing around with his cell phone. I had a very weird experience during the accident. I was suddenly sitting in the passenger seat watching my body go through the motions of the accident. I was very still even though the rest of the car and my body were thrashing around the car. It was weird. Anywho, I was left with chronic pain, for which I take pain meds. People just don't understand the whole pain med thing and it really bothers me sometimes. "Oh you're gonna get addicted. You should stop taking that stuff!" (yea, easy for them to say!) I usually tell them they need to get educated because they sound really stupid. Well, I've rattled enough. Rhonda Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 11, 2004 Report Share Posted February 11, 2004 nice meeting you Rhonda. Welcome to the group. You've been through a lot. I had spinal fusion of L5/S1 in March 2000. I was dx'ed with MS in August 2002. The spinal fusion was the best thing I did. Just ignore the ignorant people....lol I know easier said than done. I learned but it took a long time. I lapse of course. Shirley -- Newbie here! Hello everyone! My name is Rhonda, I'm 38 and I live in Florida with my husband , kids - Cody 18, a 15 and several animals. I rehab baby squirrels whenever the need arises. Baby season is coming up; with any luck I won't have any babies, they'll be where they're supposed to be - with mom. But if the need arises, I'm there! It is a very good feeling to watch them grow and thrive and know that I helped them. It's sad to release them, but we have this huge ficus tree in the front yard (and back yard) and they hang out there, waiting for me to bring out their seeds. Some still come to me. They have me wrapped around their little paws. I was diagnosed with MS in 99. I was having what I thought were tension headaches in the back of my neck, took Excedrin and they went away. After a week or 2 the Excedrin wasn't workin' and I started having dizzy spells. By the time I had gotten to the doctor, I felt like I was drunk 24/7. An MRI showed that a disk had come out into my spinal column and was crushing my spinal cord and "now, don't get upset by this, but you have lesions on your brain. Indicators of MS." They told me this over the phone and I was home by myself. I couldn't breathe. Thank God my parents live next door, I called and my mother was here in seconds. I didn't know exactly what MS was and, honestly, thought I was going to die. Six people on my fathers side of the family had/have MS. Some are dead now and even though I knew they didn't die from the MS, when I got that news that's what popped into my head. I had a spinal fusion 2/22/99. I felt pretty darn good afterwards. I had a quarter sized spot on my shoulder that burned, but everything else was fine. I even forgot I had MS. Then in June 99, my finger tips started going numb, a few weeks later it was all the way up my arm. I finally told the doc, had the steroid treatment and 6 weeks later was back to normal. (I've had 2 or 3 of those episodes) I am on Copaxone. Doctor tells me that she's never seen a case like mine, it's very "mild." She even questioned the dx and took me off the med. A few weeks later there was no denying it was MS, my finger tips went numb and it traveled up my arm. She's pretty knowledgeable about MS, goes to many seminars/meetings about it. She likes to keep on top of things. Nine months after my spinal fusion surgery, I was rear ended on my way to work. I saw him comin' in my rear view mirror, heard the tires screeching and thought I was done for, thought I would be paralyzed from the neck down. This guy slammed into me at 45mph; I was stopped. I think he was messing around with his cell phone. I had a very weird experience during the accident. I was suddenly sitting in the passenger seat watching my body go through the motions of the accident. I was very still even though the rest of the car and my body were thrashing around the car. It was weird. Anywho, I was left with chronic pain, for which I take pain meds. People just don't understand the whole pain med thing and it really bothers me sometimes. "Oh you're gonna get addicted. You should stop taking that stuff!" (yea, easy for them to say!) I usually tell them they need to get educated because they sound really stupid. Well, I've rattled enough. Rhonda ____________________________________________________ IncrediMail - Email has finally evolved - Click Here Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 12, 2004 Report Share Posted February 12, 2004 Hi Shirley! Nice to meet you! With the fusion, I didn't have a choice. It was either have it or be paralyzed from the neck down for the rest of my life. When I saw the specialist, he didn't want me to leave his office because, he said, all it would take would be for someone to tap my bumper and it would be all over with. That's scary. I would be fine if it was just the surgery and the MS dx, but the accident just took my life, life as I knew it and loved it, away. It's hard to build another life and something I am having a hard time with. Oh the ignorant people! Sometimes I feel like strangling them. I take Oxycontin and when people find out, they'll say, "they haven't taken you off of that yet?" or "you're gonna get addicted to that stuff! It's bad!" Why would they take me off of it when it's working quite well. It's only bad when you crush it and snort or shoot it or whatever they're doing these days. I've taken it for years and I'm still breathing. As you can tell, it gets on my nerves. Sometimes I do ignore it, but sometimes its hard too. I ramble too much, so I'll shut up now! Thanks for the welcome, Rhonda Re: Newbie here! nice meeting you Rhonda. Welcome to the group. You've been through a lot. I had spinal fusion of L5/S1 in March 2000. I was dx'ed with MS in August 2002. The spinal fusion was the best thing I did. Just ignore the ignorant people....lol I know easier said than done. I learned but it took a long time. I lapse of course. Shirley Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 12, 2004 Report Share Posted February 12, 2004 Hi, Rhonda, I'm brand new here, too. This seem to be the place to be! LOL Lynne Newbie here! Hello everyone! My name is Rhonda, I'm 38 and I live in Florida with my husband , kids - Cody 18, a 15 and several animals. I rehab baby squirrels whenever the need arises. Baby season is coming up; with any luck I won't have any babies, they'll be where they're supposed to be - with mom. But if the need arises, I'm there! It is a very good feeling to watch them grow and thrive and know that I helped them. It's sad to release them, but we have this huge ficus tree in the front yard (and back yard) and they hang out there, waiting for me to bring out their seeds. Some still come to me. They have me wrapped around their little paws. I was diagnosed with MS in 99. I was having what I thought were tension headaches in the back of my neck, took Excedrin and they went away. After a week or 2 the Excedrin wasn't workin' and I started having dizzy spells. By the time I had gotten to the doctor, I felt like I was drunk 24/7. An MRI showed that a disk had come out into my spinal column and was crushing my spinal cord and "now, don't get upset by this, but you have lesions on your brain. Indicators of MS." They told me this over the phone and I was home by myself. I couldn't breathe. Thank God my parents live next door, I called and my mother was here in seconds. I didn't know exactly what MS was and, honestly, thought I was going to die. Six people on my fathers side of the family had/have MS. Some are dead now and even though I knew they didn't die from the MS, when I got that news that's what popped into my head. I had a spinal fusion 2/22/99. I felt pretty darn good afterwards. I had a quarter sized spot on my shoulder that burned, but everything else was fine. I even forgot I had MS. Then in June 99, my finger tips started going numb, a few weeks later it was all the way up my arm. I finally told the doc, had the steroid treatment and 6 weeks later was back to normal. (I've had 2 or 3 of those episodes) I am on Copaxone. Doctor tells me that she's never seen a case like mine, it's very "mild." She even questioned the dx and took me off the med. A few weeks later there was no denying it was MS, my finger tips went numb and it traveled up my arm. She's pretty knowledgeable about MS, goes to many seminars/meetings about it. She likes to keep on top of things. Nine months after my spinal fusion surgery, I was rear ended on my way to work. I saw him comin' in my rear view mirror, heard the tires screeching and thought I was done for, thought I would be paralyzed from the neck down. This guy slammed into me at 45mph; I was stopped. I think he was messing around with his cell phone. I had a very weird experience during the accident. I was suddenly sitting in the passenger seat watching my body go through the motions of the accident. I was very still even though the rest of the car and my body were thrashing around the car. It was weird. Anywho, I was left with chronic pain, for which I take pain meds. People just don't understand the whole pain med thing and it really bothers me sometimes. "Oh you're gonna get addicted. You should stop taking that stuff!" (yea, easy for them to say!) I usually tell them they need to get educated because they sound really stupid. Well, I've rattled enough. Rhonda Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 23, 2004 Report Share Posted February 23, 2004 Hi ! Thanks for the welcome. The Oxycontin has given me some of my life back and the thought of having that taken away scares the heck outta me. When the oxy is running low in my system, I know because my feet and ankles (from nerve damage) start to really hurt and if I don't take it then, I feel like I just want to curl up and die! The oxy takes an hour to kick in, so by the time it does, I do feel like I'm dyin'! It seems that so many of the doctors don't know how to handle people with chronic pain. They give stuff like darvocet, which to someone like me, is glorified aspirin! Some of them are afraid to give anything because of the DEA. Its ridiculous! All these people that abuse these meds are making it worse (they're probably the main cause). I had to fight and fight hard to get the oxycontin (the second time), I had been on it before, my insurance ran out and I couldn't afford it. So I went through withdrawal. It was horrible, I wasn't comfortable in any position, my hair to my toes hurt, no kidding. If I had a gun, I would have shot myself. I hurt so bad. Doctors just don't get it. If they had to live in the body of a chronic pain sufferer for just one day, maybe things would be different. Rattling again! Rhonda Re: Newbie here! Dear Rhonda, Hi! Welcome to the group!! My name is . I totally agree with you on the pain med situation. Oxycontin is a strong pain med but if you need it then you need it. Chronic pain is extremely debilitating and can completely strip a person of any quality of life. As a nurse, I believe in quality of life and no one deserves to suffer continuous pain. I remember when I was studying nursing, our lecturer said to us when you finish this course you will walk out knowing how to manage pain and if you don't then you won't be walking out of here. I like the way you tell people that they need to get educated!! That is so true!! Ask them when they got their PhD!! LOL. You do what you need to do to maintain some level of quality in your life - and chronic pain does not fit into that equation. Love and peace, from Australia. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 23, 2004 Report Share Posted February 23, 2004 Hi Lynne! I really like this list. A year or so ago, I was on a different list and to be honest I didn't like it too much because, even though there were a lot of members, hardly anyone posted anything. This list definately seems to be the place to be! Rhonda Re: Newbie here! Hi, Rhonda, I'm brand new here, too. This seem to be the place to be! LOL Lynne Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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