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Hello All and thank you for your help in advance.  So a quick re-hap of this past year.  Diagnoised with Severe Spinal Stenosis and several herniated disc and other things.  Underwent Spinal Fusion of the C6-7 and Lumbar discectomy L5-S1.  Been in constant pain since, have not gone back to work, been on Percoset and several other medications.  Currently Taking 20MG Oxycodone every 6 hours 10/325x2 and Gaba for nerve pain and still in severe pain.  

Currently  I have the normal neck pain, migraines, arm & shoulder pain but increasingly intense lower back, leg, buttocks, knee, and foot pain.  If I stand up too fast I fall as quickly as I get up.  The pain in my buttocks and behind my left knee is a steady 8 and up to a 10 when the percosets wear off.  If I stretch my right foot  feel the shooting pain in my left lower back, If I lift up my left leg it is instant tears, if I arch my feet the bottom of my feet (both) have instant pins and needles.  The pan causes me to vomit and just be overall sick and GRUMPY to say the least.  Can't think of anything else but the pain no matter how hard I try. I have became physically dependant on Oxycodone and do not know if my pain levels are increased due to sensitivity from being on Oxycodone for a year now or not.  Hard to believe that two  years ago I never even took so much as a Tylenol.  Got a little off task there.  

I have moved to a new state and have lost my medical insurance.   I currently have a disability claim pending but have not been approved and now I am at the ALJ level and don't think that I will ever get approved.  I have LTD through my employer and pays me a monthly salary but less that what I made when working and no Insurance.

So, my question is..............

If I let my leg pain and weakness go will I have permament damage?  or will it just continue to be annoying.   (its been this bad for about 6-8 weeks now) I am only 44 and not ready for a wheel chair!  My second grandchild is on his way (any day now) and I want to be able to enjoy him.  I can't afford to go to the doctor and can't afford not to.  I did get Medi-Cal but have a 1250.00 share of cost every month so it is the same as not havving any insurance at all.  My main concern is I do not want any perment damage or to get so bad that I end up in a wheel chair permently because I waited to long.  Any suggestions?  Recommendations?  Experience in this would be greatly appreciated.  I am confused and in pan please help.

[Ellemma]

Is your health care a $1250 monthly payment, you say share of the cost is this what you must pay before they chip in? Do you have the savings to pay whatever your out of pocket would be for an ortho& neuro- sounds like you needed both yesterday. From your description I can think of a host of things that could be waiting to permanently disable you if you don't receive appropriate care. Or you could just have neuropathy and atrophied muscles that cause severe pain when stretched because of rigidity. Is there not a hospital that will see you free of charge in your area, a dr that will take payment plans, a loan you can take from family or friends, for gods sake ruin your credit but save your mobility and maybe your life. Unless you know what the problem is that's causing your weak collapsing leg you need to sell your jewelry, turn in the nicer car for an old $3000 semi reliable car, bother your relatives take out a home improvement loan do whatever you have to do to get your rear end as my mom says to the dr's office for that MRI . You can always repair your credit. You cannot repair your health for the most part and you don't get many second chances in that area either. Go find out what's wrong.

[sandiemas623]

thank you for the post but I do not have any savings left and yes that is what I am expected to pay each and every month before they will chip in and pay. I have gone to urgent care and emergency rooms in the area and all they do is give me a script for more pain meds. I currently take two 10/325 percosets every six hours 350mg Soma twice a day it cost me 88 for doc visit and another 110 for meds every month and I am doing what I can to survive. I have a hearing scheduled for ssd in April if approved I get medicare and back pay to pay off cc and med bills. Hopefully nothing happens before then and I thank u for ur post. I am only 44 and cant live like this mucb longer I hate not playing ball with my kids or picking up my grandkids walking the mall with my teens. I even miss that I can no longer do social work or fostercare bit I would just die if I ended up in a wheelchair or worse. So for now I take my meds to deal with everyday pain and rest. I will get test done just as soon as I can. Thanks again for your post.

[mosaicjayne]

Go to a pain specialist.  My Doc says that pain specialty is a relatively new field.  Many older or just less specialized doctors are not as knowledgeable about chronic pain as a pain management doctor and many are afraid to prescribe narcotics for many reasons.

Long term pain can be addressed with long-term pain medications. Methadone, Morphine, Oxycontin, Fentanyl Patches, and other drugs are more suited to chronic pain. If your pain is controlled you don't need to keep upping your dose.  People become opiate-tolerant (as you know) and have to take more and more to achieve the same results.

A visit to a pain management doctor does not cost that much and I know that morphine at least is inexpensive....don't know about the rest....When you get Medicare after the SSD goes through you can get on a Medicare Part D Prescription Plan and then drugs are nearly free. For now, some docs will sign you up with the drug companies for help with costs.

Good Luck!

Mosaicjayne

[forgottensick]

I suggest you look for an orthopedic doctor at a University Hosp. The longer the damage goes unfixed, the worse it will be. I have been there with a ruptured disk in my neck, 3 ruptured disks in my low back and a blown out right hip. They all got left go for 21 years and because of the long time, other problems arose when the other disks started blowing out because they had to take on the extra stress. Pain meds are ok for a short time, but you don`t want to get addicted to them long term. I`m going through that as we speak. It was fine as long as I was with the doctor that put me on the pain meds, but then I moved and that is when life became a living hell trying to find another doctor that would even treat me on pain meds. Detox and withdrawls are pure hell and the only one to go through it will be YOU. So please, if something is wrong, get it fixed. You are paying for coverage so use it while you have it. Get it over with so you can start getting healthy again.