Re: Hello Gail

[Guest guest]

Hi Gail, boy you sure did go thought a lot with the PT. I had a triple level

fusion on my lower back. In 99 they just did a cage fusion on the last two

disk. I was doing great then in Feb. I started to hurt really bad. My Dr. who

had done my surgery move to another building and when he done that he went off

my insurance plan and the insurance Co. said that I can keep on seeing him but

at me 70% and insurance 30% I think not. Well, sorry got off subject. But,

then I did get to see him and I did the shots things which didn't help one bit.

I

went with pain until Dec. 7, 2001 another disk had gone bad and so he did a

three level fusion (last 3 disk) and I didn't know it but I had been taking

aspirins and so when they did the surgery I would not stop bleeding. and lost 3

units of blood. (I think.) Well, I was in the hospital for 2 weeks and I was

feeling pretty good. (even thought they had to go back in to see about the

bleeding). Well, I went home and the pain came back and in Aug. 2002 they did

another 3 fusion as the screws broke. I didn't think that titanium <spelled

wrong>

but it did and to make a long story short don't want to bore you but, I am in

still in lots of pain. So, I changed Drs. My other dr. thought that I was just

wanting to under the knife again....WRONG...so I changed. And yesterday I was

my appointment and he said that what the other Dr. had done was OK the bone

was growing. But, I asked " why the pain? " He had me to do some flex x rays and

it was scarring tissue. And that I will have to do pain management. Hopefully

that will help? He changed out my meds to Tramadol. And he said that it didn't

have codeine. But the papers that came with it said if anyone has a reaction

to codeine don't take it. Sorry for repeating this to others. When I get to

talking I want to ask questions. So sorry this is very long. And if anyone out

there can answer about the pain pills please do so. Thanks.

Well, I am going now so glad you join us here and for listing to me.

Thanks,

[Guest guest]

Hi ,

Thank you for the welcome. It sounds like you're living your own

nightmare...I found this info on your new med:

http://en2.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tramadol

if it helps any. I am terrified about the meds I take and becoming a

junkie because of them. I've been on high powered narcotics for 7

months now. Today I tried to suck up the pain and go without. By 3 pm

I was crying, both the pain and I am sure drug withdrawl.

It is very easy for me to tell myself I have gone through so much

pain, now that I am finally at the stage the meds WORK (take all the

pain away for a while) I deserve to be pain free for a while.

I still think it's time for me to cut back as much as I can and ween

myself off of these things. Even if it means I am in some degree of

pain all day long anyway. I know that sounds odd to some, but we have

pain for a reason. In some respects I don't want to have it hidden,

how would I know if I was doing something wrong if I couldn't feel

the pain? How will I know it's getting better if I mask it? Does that

make sense?

I do let myself get " pain free " to sleep, but as of today (now 3

weeks post double fusion) I am going to hold off any pain meds AS

long as I possibly can and cut down the dose from 20 mg percocet

every 6 hours around the clock to only twice a day if I can....

Is there anyone here who has had successful back surgery? This is

scarey!

Gail

> Hi Gail, boy you sure did go thought a lot with the PT. I had a

triple level

> fusion on my lower And yesterday I was

> my appointment and he said that what the other Dr. had done was OK

the bone

> was growing. But, I asked " why the pain? " He had me to do some flex

x rays and

> it was scarring tissue. And that I will have to do pain management.

Hopefully

> that will help? He changed out my meds to Tramadol. And he said

that it didn't

> have codeine. But the papers that came with it said if anyone has a

reaction

> to codeine don't take it. Sorry for repeating this to others. When

I get to

> talking I want to ask questions. So sorry this is very long. And if

anyone out

> there can answer about the pain pills please do so. Thanks.

> Well, I am going now so glad you join us here and for listing to me.

> Thanks,

>

>

>

>