chronic pain- can anyone help?

[Gracie177]

I am a thirty-eight year old woman that used to model and do voice work.  I was hit by a truck about two years ago- I was not in a vehicle.  I have had MRI's done on all three sections of my spine and shoulder and the only real diagnosis I have gotten has been a torn labrum. My doctors have been treating me for chronic pain in with injections, pain killers, adjustments and different meds for muscle spasms.  I am in pain all the time. Pain in my neck and shoulder. I have shooting pains down my right leg coupled with muscle spasms. I have muscle spasms in my right arm.  My hips hurt, my back hurts and I suffer with this horrible pins and needles, prickly heat feeling throughout my arms, legs and torso.  To walk, stand, sit or lie down is painful.  I have numbness in my arms and hands as well as my legs and feet. The only time I am least bit comfortable is while floating in the ocean.  I cannot walk out into the ocean or swim but once my husband gets me out past where the waves break- it is shear heaven, unfortunately, I am not a mermaid.  
All of my insurance benefits have been exhausted and I have no health insurance.  My attorney tells me without a real diagnosis that pin-points the sources of the pain, I'm stuck.  The doctors tell me that I will have to learn to live with it.
I refuse to believe that I will never be comfortable in my own body again.  Every aspect of my life changed.  From the simplest of tasks like brushing me teeth or walking are painful.  Let alone being able to comfortably make love to my husband or throw my arms around my sons neck.  Recreational and sporting activities are pretty much out of the question. I know that somewhere out there - there is someone who can help.  Please, let there be someone.

[Jules77733]

It sounds like you suffered a lot more damage to the lumbar region of your spine than the MRIs showed...or perhaps you've suffered damage since (a slipped disc or something) that is only now causing additional pain. I would definitely recommend having the MRIs redone, or as ggreg said, getting ahold of your previous MRIs for yourself.

When you were a model, did you wear high heels a lot? I would definitely avoid doing this now (wear shoes with good arch support--nothing flat, like flip flops), and sleep with a pillow between your legs (thigh area, mainly) if you sleep on your side at night. This will support your back and spine much better.

Did the MRIs you had done include your neck and head? This could be important to have done.....

I guess my final piece of advice would be to get health insurance. Can you be included in your husband's plan (if he works)? Given the seriousness of your accident and the current status of your health, I would strongly encourage that you find some way to get health insurance, or befriend a doctor who works at a hospital and would be willing to look at your case and give you suggestions (so you can budget for certain procedures to be done that he thinks will pinpoint your problem, and then fix it). You might never be able to abolish all the pain, but I think you'll be able to get rid of it once you're diagnosed with the source of the problem. Unfortunately, this is going to require some amount of money.

Good luck and I hope you feel better--I'll be praying for your recovery!

[ggreg]

Dear Gracie,
I broke my back in three places in a car wreck many years ago, so I know how you feel.  The shoulder injury can be surgically repaired, which should help enormously with all your neck, shoulder, and arm discomfort.  However, since you also have pain with your back and hips and legs, and and sitting, standing, and lying down are all uncomfortable, you must have a back injury as well.  You see, if you were hit hard enough to tear your shoulder apart, the rest of your body had to go somewhere, too, and since two years have passed and you are still in torso, hip, and leg pain, then it could be your back or pelvis was torn apart in some manner also.

I have no idea why this was not reported when an MRI was done.  You must try to get ahold of both the report and especially the actual pictures of your spine, particularly the lower half.  In addition, for very little money, you can walk into an ER and ask them do a series of black and white X-rays of your entire spine, to include your hips.  Take all these things to your local county health department and ask to see a doctor who will look at your pictures and evaluate your back situation.  There is your diagnosis and thus your reason to file for Social Security Disability.  I also think you may need a back brace prescribed and even surgery.

As for pain, nothing surgically can be done for me, so medication is my only choice.  I also have a lightweight brace.  Drugs that work for me may not for you, and I'm still somewhat uncomfortable, but a combination of opiates and Lyrica is what helps me.  I take the Lyrica about an hour before the codeine, and I'm happy for about six hours.  But I cannot drive, I lose my balance when walking, I get sleepy, and my words slur for the first three hours.  Also, the Lyrica had to be increased within the first month four-fold until I reached a plateau.  I sleep with benzodiazepines.  Another helpful idea is to go to the YMCA closest to where you live and use their pool as often as possible.  Get you some kind of buoyant life preserver balloon things so you can float more easily by yourself.

I hope some of these ideas will help you.  I am pretty upset to read your post, because I too have had some long-term problems that have gone undiagnosed until recently.  The pain is also affecting my emotional stability, which makes all things worse.  So, I hope you can find some way to get relief with the limited funds you have.  Keep us posted.
GG