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I am OVERWHELMED by how wonderful you all are. SO many replies. So much helpful advice to ponder.

I have had progressive neuropathy for over four years now. While I was pregnant with my now 4-year old I was partially paralyzed in my left leg, but of course while you're pregnant they avoid x-rays and MRIs so I didn't find out what was going on then, just that the electromyelogram (sp?) showed that there was some real damage there. The symptoms eased afterward. Then my lupus symptoms began to show and all the increasing neurological stuff was blamed on that. I did know something was wrong with the neck (lordosis?) but since i don't have substantial pain there, except muscle pain, I didn't take that seriously. Today was a shock. But the numbness, tingling, shock-sensation, and so forth now makes sense. Maybe this is why I have had incredibly bad neuropathy in my feet and hands from time to time. I am in a lot of pain sometimes and little at other times, but I am always slowed by this. I can't walk much and use a cane most of the time, especially in public because I'm easily toppled if someone bumps me and it is so VERY helpful if kind people open doors for me instead of dropping them on me (as happens when I go out sans cane.) But I'm only 36. I was once pretty. Lupus and pain and steroid-catalyzed weight gain have made me into someone I don't recognize. Today I had to use an ID card with 5 year old picture and I could tell the guy was questioning whether it was me or not.

I take Vioxx for joint pain, amitriptyline which used to help me sleep despite the pain and kept my mood somewhat stabilized, and bisoprolol for heart arrhythmias that are probably lupus caused. (Or are they? Hmmmm.) I take flexeril once in awhile and Darvocet now and then. As a chemistry student, I always wonder if drug interactions or side effects have left me vulnerable to other problems, but I don't know enough yet to analyze that effectively, and you can bet that doctors don't know!

Go to the yahoo.com medical website for drug listings. They list all interactions and I checked before my first surgery and as each prescription has rolled in through my second one. You can see the long term effects also. Just make sure you do not get the ACDF unless you can deal with the pain involved in your hip that is a side effect. If you can't, I would get the new BAK cage for your neck, which is quite effective from what I understand.