Hi

[Guest guest]

My name is . I have been a member for a while, but haven't

introduced myself before. I am 31 years old, and I have an

Associates in Applied Science with a major in Respiratory Care.

About 7 years ago, I found out that I had degenerative disk disease

with multiple bulging & herniated disks plus a compression fracture

in my T6 vertebrae that was too late to be fixed.

On December 1st, 2006, as I was on my way to work, I had a pretty

bad car accident whereby the airbag deployed and nearly broke my

arm, and the ER doc's at my hospital weren't worried about my back

even though I told them several times about it. When I tried to go

back to work, I was in so much pain that on my last day, I was crying

the full 12 hour shift. Luckily it was night shift and the rooms

were dark, so that my patients couldn't see me. I lost my job later

that day. Every muscle was locked, including my muscles in my face.

I was wondering if the people who used botox felt like this. It took

me over 24 hours to get relief even though both my body and my ego

were badly bruised.

On April 2nd, 2007, I had a discogram done. It is a test (if you

don't know) where they inject radioactive dye into your disks until

you have pain, and then you get looked at through the CT Scan to see

if you have tears and leaks. They did this on L3 to S1.

On Easter Sunday, April 8th, 2007, I woke up in horrible paralyzing

pain. I couldn't get out of my bed! I pushed my huge & fluffy

comforter on the floor because I couldn't reach my cell phone from

where I was and dropped on my stomach to the floor and reached up to

call for help. The paramedics had a rough time getting me off the

floor because moving me was painful. They used someo kind of

rubber/plastic sheet to flip me over like a pancake.

I was in the hospital until that Friday the 13th only given pain meds

and adjustments on the pain meds I was on. I was havning multiple

symptoms of infection but because my fever wasn't high and because my

white blood cells weren't high, they decided to send me home not

being able to walk.

That weekend is fuzzy to me. I only remember falling in my Mama's

bathroom while using a walker and at some point my sister and 16 year

old nephew picked me off of the floor. Lucky for me, I didn't go

home but stayed with Mama, although Mama didn't know what meds to

give me when I became delirious, so I didn't get any meds yet my

birthmom & sister had thought I overdosed and because I couldn't get

off the floor and was really acting weird, Mama called the paramedics.

It turns out I had a fever of over 105 degrees Fahrenheit. I only

remember them wanting to put in a central line and me wanting my

birthmom to stay with me because I was scared.

I was given Levaquin & Gentamycin (sic) and wasn't getting better. I

was in terrible pain and they forced me to try to sit up in a chair

and go to millions of tests including the fearful CLOSED MRI twice.

It wasn't until they put me on Vancomycin that I started to feel

better and was ready for physical therapy. I got sent home with a

PICC line in my arm that is just like a central line, they both go in

your heart but are put in different places to have IV Vancomycin

along with the Levaquin.

Having both those strong antibiotics was like what I imagined

chemotherapy was like and certain family members couldn't understand

why I wasn't able to do anything during that time. I stayed with

Mama and my family shared the task of taking care of my 2 pugs, my

little Yorktese and my 2 cats. Ever since then, I have been told by

many people that I should get rid of them. Folks, they help keep me

alive, keep me moving, keep me healthy! It would only do me more

damage to not have them!

In June as soon as the PICC came out, I went home. I was barely able

to lean over to pick up the water dish at all (I had promises from my

sister that she would come and help...never happened). I was unable

to afford PT. I was living off of my car insurance for everything.

I tried many times to get a lawyer for being fired, for the accident,

everything, but no luck there either. I tried to find work-at-home

jobs, but most are scams. I signed up for a Transcription class, but

the antibiotics damaged my joints & tendons esp. in my fingers, hips

& knees.

You ask " If they are hurting, how can you type now? " Well, I take

Wellese Liquid Glucosamine/Chondroitin/MSM that I found on

drugstore.com and later at Walgreens too as well as Joint Juice. The

Wellesse is 2 ounces a day, and it is my savior!

I am doing so much better! Yesterday, I took my fattest pug for a

walk at the park, and I did " Anchor Bay's Healing Yoga for Aches &

Pains " yesterday and went to bed ridiculously early. I am on high

levels of narcotics and my pain specialist has me as disabled. My

car insurance is finally paying my medical bills (that have gone into

collections... ( ), so that leaves me with the money I saved which

gives me approx. 3 months as I own my own home, etc.

I have been ready, mentally, to go back to work for months but not

physically. I believe I can handle it now if I work agency work and

space out the days and work part-time as I am still so weak and

because of the pain as well as looking at jobs where I don't have to

be so physical.

I have an agency that wants to use me that will send me to hospitals

I am already familiar with because I went to them when I worked

agency before. My problem is I need to have a physical (I have no

insurance since I lost my job at a CATHOLIC Institution which is the

ONLY ONE EXEMPT from giving COBRA & I have too much money to be able

to qualify for Medicaid).

I know if I tell my primary care physician to say I can work and to

give me my PPD test she will because I don't have any other

opportunities but to go back to work, and it takes forever for

disability. I don't want to lose everything, so I am going back to

work.

I have to ask for those who are on the narcotics (yes, I know they

only look for illegal narcotics with drug tests, and I have

legitimate perscriptions to be on Morphine & Roxicodone), but will I

be able to pass a drug test? I am fully functional because of the

medicine, and I am dying to go back to work.

The agency requires a copy of a recent drug screen, so I am a little

bit worried. I cannot live without the pain medicine, and I can't

work without them. I just want some assurance (sic) that I will be

ok getting the job because I need to work for my sanity and so I

won't lose my house and all. Any advice is welcomed. I have been

through a lot in my 31 years, and I am not going to let my pain

define me and let my dreams go by the wayside.

Please feel free to contact me at mandac76@... if you have a

similar story or advice. I feel in my heart that I will be ok in

getting the job, but it is Columbus Day, so I am not sure if any

place is open to ask.

I look forward to making friends with others who live with chronic

pain, and I hope that one day I will be able to help all of you some

way too.

Sincerely,