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Failed spinal fusionw
Hi.....I'm new to this site, and could really use some input. In the past 30 years I have been the victim of 5 car accidents....from being rear ended 3 times at varying speeds to a collisions where I was sideswiped at 55 mph and my final collision 10 years ago when i had a utility truck pull in front of me when I was doing 55 through an intersection. Besides the terrible bad luck, bad backs run in the family.
i went through the typical mill of treatment, pt, drugs, and more drugs. Nothing seemed to work, and I couldnt hold a job. From fibromyalgia, to ddd and now rheumatoid arthritis, on top of stenosis, herniations, sciatica and crippling migraines, and the mild splondytis and curvature of spine never caught by a doctor, I finally found a neurosurgeon who thought he could help with surgeries. The first one was a 3 level cervical fusion, to be followed in 3 months for a 3 level lumbar fusion. At first everything seemed to be much better. The migraines had decreased, and the sciatica which had me walking with canes anytime I had to walk in the mall or stores, that was crippling, seemed to be decreased quite a bit. But now I am 2 years post op, and the problems have returned. Migraines at least once per week lasting up to 3 days, and sciatic pain so bad that I am back on Mophine Sulfate and Oxycodone HCL. I thought these fusions were supposed to fix this.... I am so tired of living on pills. And then I am so tired,, yet have nights when cant sleep.....cant get comfortable....then lack of sleep increases pain and migraines.....Now I am having problems with falling, and now have pain shooting down arms into hands to where I cant even play the piano...... ANY SUGGESTIONS?? I have not been able to work in 4 years.....cant hold a job when I am not reliable, or able to concentrate or in such pain that just cant function yet Social Security keeps denying me..... What do I do??? Right now the pain in my thorasic hurts so bad from degeneration that its hurts to even breath. Yet doctors think Im nuts....had one doctor just tell me that what I really need to do is get off the drugs......but then I would do nothing but cry from pain and would live in emergency room.....And on top of that I am on blood thinners because I constantly produce blood clots, so I cant take NSAIDs.....I know I am not crazy...I know the pain is real......