What to expect...?

[Guest guest]

Hi all. I am new to the group, altho I think I'll fit in well here.

In June of 2008, I had a T-12 compression fracture and the emergency

room ct scan showed previously undiscovered degenerative disc

disease. I had always had low back pain, which flared up from time to

time. Only while I was pregnant did it not seem to bother me at all.

In the past year I have been having much more pain at L4-L5-S1 area,

where after having a further mri, a doctor discovered that the discs

are almost completely depleted, with s4-s5 having a leaking hole in

the disc. The fracture site had been healing well and was pretty much

pain free until last week, when I had a sudden flare in fracture site

pain, followed by a pinched nerve in my neck, weakness and numbness

in my right forearm and hand, and then edema of my right hand.

I am currently on the following pain management regimen:

-Tens unit during the waking hours, applied to lower to mid back.

-Lidoderm patch applied to low back, 12 hrs on, 12 hrs off.

-Darvocet n-100 every 6 hours as needed, altho I try really hard not

to take more than a few each week unless the other measures aren't

sufficient.

-Flexeril 10 mg. every 6 hours as needed, again, I try to avoid them

if possible.

-Currently also taking Medrol dose pak for the next 6 days for recent

pain, swelling and edema.

-Physical therapy weekly, including traction @ 70 lbs, seated rowing

machine, and moist heat.

-Limited lifting, bending, squatting, pushing, pulling, twisting,

reaching, etc.

A few other key points:

-I am an addict in recovery and a breastfeeding mom, so I try to

avoid narcotics if at all possible. This has certainly limited me in

my options.

-I am a candidate for fusion surgery in the future, but right now I

am only 37, and my spine specialist wants to put it off as long as

possible.

-I have a 38 lb 10 month old, he is a joy, and I love him, but I

simply cannot manage his care alone. He is just too heavy and

energetic for me to deal with all day long, so I do have help taking

care of him.

I am hoping to find some useful information on what to expect in the

future. My doctor has said he would support a disability claim if I

decide to file one, which would allow me to go back to school and be

a contributing member of society someday. At this point I am barely

able to function or perform simple daily tasks. I do have good days,

but if I over-do it even a little, I am bedridden for days after.

Last week I vacuumed, did a load of laundry, and pushed some snow off

the deck. I have spent 5 days paying for it. As an addict, I try to

be very upfront and honest with my drs, and I have my meds under

someone else's lock and key. I do not manage my own meds! At the same

time, I feel as though drs sometimes think I am medseeking when I

have legitimate pain. It has never been a documented concern, and

likely just my own insecurity. I just would like some support from

others in my same or similar situations, and some suggestions for how

to handle this condition as it progresses and gets worse. I may

consider medication related ideas if there is something out there

that works well, I just need to wait until my son is weaned before I

can switch to anything stronger than what I am already on.

Thank you all, and I am glad to be here!