Updating my medical condition and prayer needs [Update at #'s 843,721,643,910]

I have faith that the implant is going to help me...when they took the trial away it was like taking candy from a baby...it was cruel! And waiting so long for the permanent one is cruel too. I am praying I am making the right decision in getting this done. It’s a huge step and one that I struggled with at first. I remember the few days I had the temporary unit in my spine, my legs didn’t hurt, I could lay on my sides and they didn’t hurt! My right hip still hurt like crazy and my back was horrible and my stomach hated me from the buzzing, it would make me sick when I ate! But when the tech messed with the unit before it was removed, she got the buzzing out of my tummy and all the way up my back to the middle of my back! It felt so good, I hated when they took it away!!

Went to the doctor on Wednesday...he asked me how long have I been having the increased pain...I told him that I had complained to his Nurse Practitioner for a few months now and that she has told me “He’s not going to give you anything stronger, period”. He said “I’ll have to have a talk with her, I don’t like to see you in the much pain”. He asked if the percocet was working at all anymore and I said not so much...even when I take 2 of them at once. He said “quit taking those, I’m going to give you dilaudid instead, and give you a numbing PATCH to put on your back...leave it on for 12 hours then replace it with another” He wants to see me in 2 weeks to make sure my pain is being manage. I started the dilaudid a few days ago (as soon as I got through the pharmacy drive through) and so far it only helps at night when I take 2 of them with my nerve medicine and my sleeping medicine. I get the idea that the Nurse Practicianer could be losing her job for not talking to the doctor when I said I was in pain and she said I wasn’t getting anything stronger. She didn’t even TALK to the doctor, and I told him she said that and he confirmed that he didn’t know!

Just found out one of the meds the doc wants me on is not covered by my insurance and it is $275 for a one month supply....no way I will be getting that one. :( The medicine the doc wanted me using is a lidocaine patch, 12 hours each patch then replace it. They say since my insurance won’t cover the patch, they will do the cream instead...but I can’t reach my back to rub a cream on and I’m not comfortable asking my teenage son to rub a cream on my nude back (I am really fat). I am on gabapentin for nerve pain. I’m on amitriptiline 50 mg to help me sleep. As for the new medicine...one 2 mg dilaudid doesn’t do it. I take my middle of the night dose at bedtime...so I take 2 at bedtime as well as taking the gabapentin and amitriptiline. I manage to sleep with that cocktail but the rest of the day is still stiff and sore. I’m hoping I can get the patches so I can get some relief! They talk it up like it’s a miracle drug. Maybe I can find out the name of the manufacturer and see if they can help me get them.

Also, my procedure to implant the spinal cord stimulator is set for January 27th...same day surgery, will be home that night. Really look forward to it, though I’m still scared about having the unit in my spine.

I've said prayers for both of you and followed your stories. I hope everything works out for you both and your pain is taken away.

Your stories hit more home for me since my recent surgery. I had dull abdominal pain through most of December and occasional stabbing pains on the sides of my stomach. I didn't want to “mess up” Christmas for the family so I put off seeing my doctor. The day after Christmas I was in the ER, again on Jan 6th. After being sent home Jan 6 with a bunch of different pain killer prescriptions, even though I told the hospital I was hypersensitive to narcotics,(they gave me a nausea patch and pills) I finally got an appointment with the surgeon that had fixed an ulcer 6 years ago. I say finally but it was rather quick as I insisted, and to be frank he knew my insurance paid 100%. I showed up at the office and told him a CT scan was in order and I hadn't eaten so he could send me to diagnostic that day! And he did! I really did expect him to. A couple of days later and he's talking surgery for erosion's on my stomach wall and a hernia. The stabbing pains had gotten worse and he scheduled me for surgery at the end of January. Something in my facial expression made him check his schedule and say he would do it Jan 15 which he did. If I had not known him and he had not been my doctor and known my normal pain threshold before I doubt this would have happened. I understand the importance of knowing your doctor. I was able to completely bypass my primary care and save money for my insurance provider. Anyway, I'm on the mend and although the internal stitches hurt a bit the stabbing pain is gone.

When I went for my follow up the other day, the first think I was asked was if the stabbing pain was gone. I said yes and I was so thankful. The surgeon said after getting in to my surgery, he thought I would have chronic stabbing pain because there was a lot of scar tissue and he thought it may have caused nerve damage! I said this pain just started in December, I haven't had any surgery in 6 years! He honestly expected me to have chronic pain for the rest of my life. Like I said I can't do pain killers. I am very lucky.

I truly have a better appreciation and understanding of your chronic conditions and I don't know how you do it. I'm still in the healing process and am a baby right now with my own pain, but what I have/had is nothing to what you guys are going through. I feel stupid for making a big deal out of my condition. I still have to follow up as the CT scan showed something odd with my left kidney but doctor said not to worry. (prayers)

So right now is transportation the main issue trussel? I'd be willing to help out with paying for some of that. If they got your story on the air I'd like to see it and I'm sure others will help. Also, if they keep postponing your surgery and you don't want it postponed get tough. I laid it on thick that I'd just be back at the emergency room and wasn't prepared to wait much longer with the pain I was having. It was stabbing beyond belief and I've had a baby without any pain meds, kidney stone, and gall bladder attack and surgery without pain meds, ACL surgery all within the last 15 years and before I was 35. But this was unbearable. Don't take no for an answer! Also, could your doctor put your treatment down as something other than pain management? A different code calling it a back injury or some such but not just addressing pain? My daughter needs to get her wisdom teeth out, and the insurance kept turning it down. It turns out the insurance was reading the code the doctor put down as a cosmetic procedure. But when he changed it to impacted wisdom teeth in need of coming out within 3 months (which is true as is your injury) it was then covered.

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