Aa
What else is there besides drugs?
I don't have a drug problem....yet. But if I don't find some other sort of 'solution' for my chronic, long-term back and radiating pain, I'm giving thought to a pharmaceutical one.
I hesitate to say my GP is "driving me to it".....but she says I have to be "unable to walk" before surgery will be considered. I asked if this was based on meeting requirements of "access" or "risk/reward". She says the latter. But I find that hard to believe based on how many other folks I've heard about and/or met who were referred to surgeons who performed procedures (without hesitation) that offered instantaneous relief.
I've got all the classic symptoms that would be expected as a result of 2 herniated disks plus spinal stenosis and possibly some spondylolisthesis. The sciatica KILLS me and I DO have days or portions of days where I just want to (have to?) stay in bed.
So far I've kept my pain aversion strategy to the legal stuff: T3's and lots of booze. But both of those are wrecking my guts. Haven't tried the "medical" marijuana option yet........but SOMETHING other than "stretching and walking" has to come into play here; they're just not helping.
The depression alone makes life's outlook pretty grim. Are there any great ideas out there that I've not been exposed to yet?
I hesitate to say my GP is "driving me to it".....but she says I have to be "unable to walk" before surgery will be considered. I asked if this was based on meeting requirements of "access" or "risk/reward". She says the latter. But I find that hard to believe based on how many other folks I've heard about and/or met who were referred to surgeons who performed procedures (without hesitation) that offered instantaneous relief.
I've got all the classic symptoms that would be expected as a result of 2 herniated disks plus spinal stenosis and possibly some spondylolisthesis. The sciatica KILLS me and I DO have days or portions of days where I just want to (have to?) stay in bed.
So far I've kept my pain aversion strategy to the legal stuff: T3's and lots of booze. But both of those are wrecking my guts. Haven't tried the "medical" marijuana option yet........but SOMETHING other than "stretching and walking" has to come into play here; they're just not helping.
The depression alone makes life's outlook pretty grim. Are there any great ideas out there that I've not been exposed to yet?
I sure don't envy your position up there and hope we have a turn around here in the U.S. so we don't wind up with things like having to wait seven weeks for an MRI to try to even find out what the problem is!
Thanks for your comments. I'm exactly the same kind of squeaker when it comes to receiving value for money paid. Unfortunately, the Canadian medical system puts the money out of sight (it's collected from us as part of our income tax) so the doctors never "see it", and therefore forget who is ACTUALLY paying their salary. THEY think the government is their boss. They forget that WE IS the government!
The reason I say all this, is as a preamble to my response: "If I acted the way you suggest (making multiple phone calls, offering to wait on the line, etc) my GP would likely 'fire me' as a patient......and they DO have that ability under our system."
You can only try to impress on your doctor just how intent you are on getting cured......up to a point. After that, you're starting to cut off your own nose, if you know what I mean.
Our doctors like to sob about how their incomes are limited and their hands are tied and their lives are hell.....and on and on. (Often makes you wonder why they CHOSE such a life of misery.....until you see them hop into their Porsche, parked out back.)
They do fine.........but, admittedly, they'd do much better if the government would give it's head a shake. We're giving FREE medicare to new immigrants 90 days after they arrive on our shores...as ONE example.
The reason I say all this, is as a preamble to my response: "If I acted the way you suggest (making multiple phone calls, offering to wait on the line, etc) my GP would likely 'fire me' as a patient......and they DO have that ability under our system."
You can only try to impress on your doctor just how intent you are on getting cured......up to a point. After that, you're starting to cut off your own nose, if you know what I mean.
Our doctors like to sob about how their incomes are limited and their hands are tied and their lives are hell.....and on and on. (Often makes you wonder why they CHOSE such a life of misery.....until you see them hop into their Porsche, parked out back.)
They do fine.........but, admittedly, they'd do much better if the government would give it's head a shake. We're giving FREE medicare to new immigrants 90 days after they arrive on our shores...as ONE example.
I think my brother may have tried Lyrica for awhile- would you like me to ask him about his experience with it? A different dr. wouldn't prescribe it for another sibling - one who has fibromyalgia, because of the somnolence it causes. And after reading up on it, that sibling was happy not to take it.
About not hearing back yet about the referral, I don't know about if it would work in Canada with their already socialized medicine, but here in the U.S., often being a squeaky wheel yields some grease.
Might I recommend calling your primary care doctor's office maybe three times a week until they say they have sent the referral to the neurosurgeon you really want? Then, if your doctor says they've sent it, you might want to call the neurosurgeon's office at the soonest reasonable point in time where you think it should have arrived after they sent it and ask if they received it yet. If not, and if it were a faxed referral, you might call back to your GP and tell them they didn't get it and tell them you'd like to hold the line until they can re-fax it for you and get a fax confirmation that it went through.
Once they say they got the confirmation the fax went through okay, I'd call the neurosurgeon back up and ask them if they indeed received the re-fax. Or, if your doctor office says they mailed it, but the neurosurgeon office didn't receive it, you might tell your primary care office you would like to hand carry a copy of the referral to the neurosurgeon, since they did not receive it.
Can you tell I'm the squeaky wheel type?
About not hearing back yet about the referral, I don't know about if it would work in Canada with their already socialized medicine, but here in the U.S., often being a squeaky wheel yields some grease.
Might I recommend calling your primary care doctor's office maybe three times a week until they say they have sent the referral to the neurosurgeon you really want? Then, if your doctor says they've sent it, you might want to call the neurosurgeon's office at the soonest reasonable point in time where you think it should have arrived after they sent it and ask if they received it yet. If not, and if it were a faxed referral, you might call back to your GP and tell them they didn't get it and tell them you'd like to hold the line until they can re-fax it for you and get a fax confirmation that it went through.
Once they say they got the confirmation the fax went through okay, I'd call the neurosurgeon back up and ask them if they indeed received the re-fax. Or, if your doctor office says they mailed it, but the neurosurgeon office didn't receive it, you might tell your primary care office you would like to hand carry a copy of the referral to the neurosurgeon, since they did not receive it.
Can you tell I'm the squeaky wheel type?
Thanks for getting back. Yes, to you AND the others who suggested or implied it's time for another doctor or at least another opinion.
My GP has had me on Celebrex for close to 10 years. I started getting "serious" about discussing pain two or three months ago and was finally able to convince her to "let" me get an MRI. (In Canada, you have to get 'permission'!)
So, after a 7-week-long wait for the MRI (good lineups here, too) and another month to get the results from the GP, she said "the MRI shows classic disk degeneration disease, along with L4/L5 herniated disks and some spinal stenosis...nothing we can do."
She put me on Gabapentin (for the referred/neural pain), but in the meantime I insisted that she refer me to a "specialist". She faxed my MRI report to a neurosurgeon in Toronto who promptly stamped it NO NEURO-SURGICAL SOLUTION on the report.......and faxed it back to her. He wouldn't even 'waste his time' seeing me.
This made me livid. I then insisted on being referred to one of three back specialists whose names I'd been given by Best Doctors, a company that sources second opinions and/or better solutions when others have failed. (Their service is provided by my wife's benefit package from her employer.)
So now another wait is in progress. It's been eight days so far, and hearing nothing from the GP about a referral. (I even said I'd take a referral to a local guy for an epidural injection while waiting to see a neurosurgeon.....but nothing back from HIM yet, either.)
Has anyone reading here taken Lyrica? (My GP just took me off the Gabapentin when I told her it did nothing...and switched me to the Lyrica.) I've been on it (ramping up the dose) for only 6 days so far.....and mostly feeling a little 'stoned' so far....but still lots of pain.
My GP has had me on Celebrex for close to 10 years. I started getting "serious" about discussing pain two or three months ago and was finally able to convince her to "let" me get an MRI. (In Canada, you have to get 'permission'!)
So, after a 7-week-long wait for the MRI (good lineups here, too) and another month to get the results from the GP, she said "the MRI shows classic disk degeneration disease, along with L4/L5 herniated disks and some spinal stenosis...nothing we can do."
She put me on Gabapentin (for the referred/neural pain), but in the meantime I insisted that she refer me to a "specialist". She faxed my MRI report to a neurosurgeon in Toronto who promptly stamped it NO NEURO-SURGICAL SOLUTION on the report.......and faxed it back to her. He wouldn't even 'waste his time' seeing me.
This made me livid. I then insisted on being referred to one of three back specialists whose names I'd been given by Best Doctors, a company that sources second opinions and/or better solutions when others have failed. (Their service is provided by my wife's benefit package from her employer.)
So now another wait is in progress. It's been eight days so far, and hearing nothing from the GP about a referral. (I even said I'd take a referral to a local guy for an epidural injection while waiting to see a neurosurgeon.....but nothing back from HIM yet, either.)
Has anyone reading here taken Lyrica? (My GP just took me off the Gabapentin when I told her it did nothing...and switched me to the Lyrica.) I've been on it (ramping up the dose) for only 6 days so far.....and mostly feeling a little 'stoned' so far....but still lots of pain.
Hi...I understand the way things r done in Canada is diff then here in the USA, but ur PC or GP should not be making that decision, a NL should and they would be the one to dx and refer u to a NS when one is deemed necessary...and no they do not wait till u r not able to walk....
Not sure how to appeal or over ride this Dr or even get a new one, but I would try.
Good Luck
"selma"
Have you considered whether spinal decompression might be an option for you or not? See private message.
You definitely need to get a second opinion, and someone with more expertise than a family physician.
May I suggest you do some research on who is the best experienced back surgeon in your area? It's so important to get the right surgeon if they say surgery is feasible in your case, spinal stenosis and all, maybe starting with those who have been recommended by those people you've met who had successful surgery?
You might also explore non-surgical treatments that aren't just medications that are out there (not sure how much of them are in Canada, but here in the U.S.A.).
There are definitely mixed results about back surgery. I have one sibling that did fine with hers, but another, who has had multiple back surgeries, still lives in daily pain. He had nerve damage from the acid like substance of a herniated disc dripping onto a nerve. He had a surgery that sucked out the disc. He tried a spinal stimulator, and had to have it taken out. One surgery, he had scar tissue removed. The last surgery he had was a fusion using cadaver bone, which I've heard they don't use anymore in fusions. He takes prescribed medication and does physical therapy and is disabled by his back condition. If he didn't have the Lord helping him, I don't know how he'd manage.
With the alcohol- definitely can cause a lot of damage to your liver. Marijuana, not federally legal in the United States and addictive, can affect your brain, shorten your attention span and often leads to harder drug addictions. Please don't give up on checking into getting a second opinion from a medical professional far more qualified then your family physician.
May I suggest you do some research on who is the best experienced back surgeon in your area? It's so important to get the right surgeon if they say surgery is feasible in your case, spinal stenosis and all, maybe starting with those who have been recommended by those people you've met who had successful surgery?
You might also explore non-surgical treatments that aren't just medications that are out there (not sure how much of them are in Canada, but here in the U.S.A.).
There are definitely mixed results about back surgery. I have one sibling that did fine with hers, but another, who has had multiple back surgeries, still lives in daily pain. He had nerve damage from the acid like substance of a herniated disc dripping onto a nerve. He had a surgery that sucked out the disc. He tried a spinal stimulator, and had to have it taken out. One surgery, he had scar tissue removed. The last surgery he had was a fusion using cadaver bone, which I've heard they don't use anymore in fusions. He takes prescribed medication and does physical therapy and is disabled by his back condition. If he didn't have the Lord helping him, I don't know how he'd manage.
With the alcohol- definitely can cause a lot of damage to your liver. Marijuana, not federally legal in the United States and addictive, can affect your brain, shorten your attention span and often leads to harder drug addictions. Please don't give up on checking into getting a second opinion from a medical professional far more qualified then your family physician.
Hi there and welcome....have you tried discussing any of this with your doctor? If so,maybe time to switch doctors.You say you don't have a drug problem...yet. IF prescribed,do u feel u would become an addict? Booze is not the answer.As for medical marijuana,the site prevents me from telling u my feelings on that. Stretching is great but I know exactly what you are saying...in the end the pain is there. There are plenty of drugs out there,both narcotic and non narcotic...maybe time to give one of those a try (the non narcotic kind) and maybe something for nerve pain as well. Talk to your docotr one more time about this.The fact that they are doing little to help you concerns me.Keep us posted,pm me anytime.Take care..
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