The Silence of Our Friends

I'm No Longer In Deep Doo Doo!

YIPPEE! HURRAY! YAHOOOOOOOO! Thank you so much for your help everyone. I get to keep it! The fundraiser was a success and I only have to come up with just under $100 to pay for it, we can manage that. *whew* Again, thank you, thank you, thank you!

People who read my blog know that I have some sort of chronic ailment. I have 3 herniated discs and a bone spur which cause me pain most of the time, but usually it's manageable. When it first happened and I was in pain all the time I actually contemplated suicide, I didn't think I could live in pain like this all the time, but that was back in 2000 and my sons were still young and needed me, that's what convinced me to hold on. As time goes on you get "used to it", it sounds funny thinking that someone can get used to being in pain all the time, but you do. Even though the pain is sometimes worse than it was back then, I never think about suicide now, because I got used to it and find ways to manage my life around it.

While I was in Wisconsin my doctor became very concerned because my left arm was losing it's reflexes. You know how the doctor might test your knee with one of those little rubber mallets and it jumps? There are areas in the arm that can be tested like that, and mine didn't jump. The weird part is that my legs when tested jumped like crazy, almost kicking straight out. The doctor said that is a very bad sign, because when you lose the reflexes in one part of your body the other parts overcompensate. Anyway he wanted me to get bone graft fusions done on the two worst discs, I had already been to see one surgeon who was willing to do the surgery and was scheduled to see a second surgeon for a second opinion when my husband got the transfer to New Hampshire. There is no way I could have the surgery without him there to help me recover, so I put it on hold until I could get to NH.

When I went to see a surgeon here, he looked at my MRI's and questioned me about my pain, and refused to do the surgery. He said it wouldn't help since the worst of my pain was in the right side of my neck/back but everything that would be repaired would only fix the problems on my left side. Not only that but when he tested my reflexes in my left arm they were weak but they were back and my leg reflexes were normal. Instead he recommended I see a physiatrist. My physiatrist has been trying out a little bit of everything, I have 6 different prescriptions, plus I go to physical therapy three times a week, I've had trigger point injections, and I have a tens unit and the latest is a home traction unit.

The home traction unit is the problem here. I just got a bill from my insurance company and I found out we have a $500 deductible. I don't have frigging $500! I need this traction unit, when I do have pain or numbness on my left side it relieves it IMMEDIATELY. I have been so much better with my arm since going to physical therapy and using the home traction unit that my arm only rarely goes numb and probably only has pain a couple times a month, compared to every day when I started. Not only that, but I'm not sure if I can send it back. I don't want to send it back since I need it, but I don't have frigging $500!

I'm embarrassed and ashamed to be asking my readers to help me again so soon after I begged for funds for WAM! but I don't know what else to do. I'm especially embarrassed since I never did send personal thank yous to everyone who helped with the first fundraiser, I had been offline for nearly 3 weeks because of a flare up and still haven't caught up with everything online. Anyway, if you can help, with any amount no matter how small, it would be greatly appreciated. I'm pretty desperate here.

Spine-Health.com has alot more information about cervical spine herniations and injuries. Check out the video on the right, the reason I have three herniations is due to degenerative disc disease and that is what the video is about. The discs affected in my case are C4 through C7.

posted by Donna at 3:22 PM |