Not easy going any more

[griz326]

A pinched nerve has caused pain & numbness for me every day since the end of May. Oxycodone just softens the pain a tag. Long story short, I did okay in the early part of this, but I've become a real grump in the past 3 months both at work and at home.

 

Apparently, I broke/fractured my back multiple places 40+ years ago (I never knew it) and finally the nerves are being pinched by the compression areas. The spine specialist says that at this point, I am inoperable. Frankly, if the pain stays like this, I don't know how much longer I really want to live...and I am otherwise strong as an ox.

 

This has got to be tough on my wife & daughter, but they're holding up so far...although pain and a great love life are not happy bedfellows.

 

 

I think I'll run for the US Senate so I have a place to direct my grumpy, curmudgeonly, miserable self. Getting on my bad side these days is a terrible idea

[chilton747]

Have you checked into acupuncture?

[Mick]

Griz, back pain is a real bummer. I have several friends who have lived with it for years. One word of caution: watch our for the Oxycodone - that stuff is highly addictive. As mentioned above, acupuncture might be a great idea; or maybe a chiropractor......Any exercises that you can do to strengthen the muscles in your back would also be helpful, although be careful. Good luck and best wishes.....

[griz326]

...Did the chiropractor thing, but 4 months gave no indication that I was accomplishing anything more than spending money.

 

Honestly, I don't see how acupuncture could provide any benefit given that my skeletal structure has collapsed on a number of nerves.

 

Surgery is the only alternative that strikes me as logical --- other than --- losing weight and exercising (walking mostly) to achieve improved fitness.

 

Quite honestly, I don't know how anyone could live "a number of years" with this level of pain and have any quality of life. ...my medical charts describe me as stoic with regards to pain.

Edited January 2, 2011 by griz326 (see edit history)

[NewDay2006]

...Did the chiropractor thing, but 4 months gave no indication that I was accomplishing anything more than spending money.

 

Honestly, I don't see how acupuncture could provide any benefit given that my skeletal structure has collapsed on a number of nerves.

 

Surgery is the only alternative that strikes me as logical --- other than --- losing weight and exercising (walking mostly) to achieve improved fitness.

 

Quite honestly, I don't know how anyone could live "a number of years" with this level of pain and have any quality of life. ...my medical charts describe me as stoic with regards to pain.

 

 

Sorry to hear this... trying Acupuncture might be worth a try... hope it gets better and soon.

Edited January 2, 2011 by NewDay2006 (see edit history)

[b.c]

Sorry to hear about that Steve. I could only imagine the difficulty you are experiencing. If all else fails, Montana is a medical marijuana state, correct?

[tonado]

Yes, pain is no fun. Like others, give acupuncture a try. But you will need many treatments before you will feel better.

[Robert S.]

As someone who types thousands of lines per week in my transcription job I have to deal with some pain and emu oil helps. Google for emu oil and back pain and there will be lots of claims about how it helps even for bad pain.

 

But I believe in the plain oil rather than the so-called pain creams a lot of the emu oil producers make.

 

The health food stores and herb stores have it around here.

[yemmie]

It may be a good idea to go see one or two more doctors about this. You will find that doctors differ quite a lot in what they say can and cannot be done to solve such problems. A second and third opinion seem in order. I wish you the very best

[credzba]

 

Honestly, I don't see how acupuncture could provide any benefit given that my skeletal structure has collapsed on a number of nerves.

 

 

Surgery is irreversible, but maybe holds some hope.

Acupuncture does no permanent change, so very low risk.

 

A Psychiatrist once told me "When you have tried everything that makes sense to you, and still failed, perhaps it is time to try something that does not make sense to you."

The key words are "to you", of course it would be foolish to try totally ridiculous solutions, but many people think acupuncture is a possibility, so maybe give it a try.

 

The weight loss and exercise are always good as well, but unless it is something you enjoy I suspect it will only be a short term attempt.

At least, I know the previous line applies to my exercise / weight loss attempts.

 

Good luck to you.

[knloregon]

Steve,

 

About three years ago, retuning from China, (coach) and having slept against the bulkhead for about 5 hours with my head in a strange position, I woke up and physically had to reach with my right arm to straighten my head. I'm left handed, but that arm was useless. Within a week, I regained use of my left arm, but not the last three fingers, which took a month to become useful, but still had no feeling. My Chinese doctor, while sympathetic, Told me: " I know this is hard to believe, but you need to just wait." He told me that anyone who suggested surgery, didn't have my best interests in mind. 2 years and 6 months later, it occurred to me: " hey! my fingers aren't numb anymore!" ---and to this day, I can't place a date on when that occurred, since I had become so used to numb fingers in my left hand.

 

.....not sure that helps, but I'd be very cautious about major surgery...

[griz326]

I'm a week in on my diet - Atkins - and have lost 8 pounds of the 34 pounds my wife put on me with her glorious Chinese cooking. In filling out the i751s, I learned that my wife is a certified Chinese chef with her little red book and everything! Holding my previous weight was hopeless!

 

My daughter helped me to explain just how serious my back problem is to Lao Po...and that she must not be offended because I now cook for myself. (This was a real dance, because the wife is correct that if I ate less of what she prepared I would lose weight. But knowing the impossibility of that task for me, I stuck to my guns and won.)

 

For exercise, I am using a Wii Fit Plus. I don't know it's true exercise value, but it's certainly better than sitting on my fat 455! When the winter breaks, I'll start walking my usual path of 2 miles each morning.

 

I might be more interested in acupuncture if we had true pros doing it, but I'm not interested in the local pot head who took a 3 day course sticking little needles in me. ...and I don't know if my insurance covers it.

 

At this point, I've seen 5 different docs about this and am more comfortable with my own assessment of the situation than any of the docs.

 

When I lose 20 pounds, I think I'll know if my plan diet/light exercise plan is appropriate for the situation. My weight loss target is 40 pounds plus another 25 if I can (which would put me at <180). That's a lot of weight, but it should ease the burden on my spine.

 

As for keeping off weight, the last time I went on a major diet, I kept the weight off 10 years...and then I married this great gal who is a licensed Chinese chef. B)

[dan_ling]

A pinched nerve has caused pain & numbness for me every day since the end of May. Oxycodone just softens the pain a tag. Long story short, I did okay in the early part of this, but I've become a real grump in the past 3 months both at work and at home.

 

Apparently, I broke/fractured my back multiple places 40+ years ago (I never knew it) and finally the nerves are being pinched by the compression areas. The spine specialist says that at this point, I am inoperable. Frankly, if the pain stays like this, I don't know how much longer I really want to live...and I am otherwise strong as an ox.

 

This has got to be tough on my wife & daughter, but they're holding up so far...although pain and a great love life are not happy bedfellows.

 

 

I think I'll run for the US Senate so I have a place to direct my grumpy, curmudgeonly, miserable self. Getting on my bad side these days is a terrible idea

 

 

I have a suggestion, have you tried using an Inversion table. I have back problems from weight lifting 25 yrs ago and after reading how people swore by this thing I bought one and it has helped a great deal.

[Highlander 08 09 10 11]

I have had back problem, and left side numbness almost 50 years now. I lost weight, 30 pounds, to 175 for the past few years, helped alot. I walk seveal times each day. I made an incline bench similar to the Inversion table, which helps more than anything. Taking the weight off my lower back several times each day for a few minutes at a time, has made life alot better.

[Robert S.]

Chinese cooking uses too much sugar and too much oil, WAY too much. My wife is also a real chef, but she modified her style for me in order to use a great deal less sugar, salt and oil. Now even though we are separated by work and other issues (taking care of her daughter's new baby) she still cooks in the new way because she realized it was better for herself as well and the food still tastes great.

Edited January 11, 2011 by Robert S. (see edit history)