ok you have ddd or worse! what are you doing for career now?

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Justoneofus

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I like your title name. Unfortunately there really is something to "once a spiney, always a spiney". However minute or serious.. it seems to be a true statement.

Do ask for a copy of your report and moving forward, you should keep a copy of any reports so you have them, if when you need to see a new doctor for your back. Plus you have your own history right there at your fingertips.

You dont need to shorten your posts.. it's not necessary and say whatever you need to say. That is exactly what this forum is for.

What meRAB are you currently taking? Has PM been brought up? The PT may help you more than beyond what you are doing. It's worth a try and see if they can get you feeling better.

This is all a major pain from any angle and it just takes a great deal of time to getting it sorted out. You hang in there and please continue to post as much as ofte and as long as you need. Keep us posted.
 
hello everone been awhile I got mdicated and just was contently plugging away a work. maybe too content.....

back in october I started the downward spiral of back pain again. agravate and guard, then stress another area. finally culminating towhere I am now.
I can only describe as crowbar in the L-5. I cant do very much because pain increases with activity. add to it the muscle that are unconsiously controlled when walking, rising from sitting, or anything that the core is trying to stablize itself, can result in pain that is off the charts!! for a few moments like the crowbar jammed in and the vertebrae slid foreward or back.
my job I make 20.20 an hr. most of the time its enough to man up, and push on. But this causes my legs to buckle, and a unconsious yell to to come out I am screaming without the mental decision to do so. this alone is bothersome a sort of pain induced teretts. and far different from hitting hurab with hammer and yelling out that you feel the urge to and do yell.
So I cant work and am thowing away $4500 a month in lost income plus what I am blowing through in savings.

So heres the long winded point hat are you doing for income?
I hate not working. I feel salvation is in working. I drive a big rig and deliver to restraunts truly a backbreaking job. light duty exhausted. and only if I get FULLY released will I be allowed to BID on work that is back freindly a true catch 22 so I look around and am like what do I do? I got 30min window of a activity before needing to switch up to something else. I signed up for college and am thinking teacher. but I was getting ready to go into nursing.
I love helping people reach their potential and thought it would be a good choice. but the back reared its ugly head and said think again.

I was fairly diligent in spine health. stretching yoga mild srtrengthening even inversion table crunches. chiro never worked nor injections nor phys therapy. but I used those excersises as a preventative. but now I will be forced to do all that again just to say no that is not helping I really wanted to just replace disk but was forced into route of workers comp. I have insurance but have to go this route which likely means there will be no surgical outcome that I will be satisfied with. what good is insurance if you are forced into beauracratic mes of workers comp. it took a moth and a half just to be allowed to seek care through my doctor of choice in the mean time could no see their doctor due to second visit constitutes pattern of care. :mad::mad::mad:

supposedly mri did not look too bad whatever that means but I sure couldnt walk after being in it. I was sure that all that pain would show up.
I saw ddd but couldnt see any pushing on the cord. ***. xray looked better as far seeing possible soure of pain. ( I like to look at films on the net and learn to see whats going on) not any mor than a novice but I do understand what I am looking at. MRI did have a larger whiter spinal cord below l-5 but I dont look at mri films so could mean nothing

thanks for your input and bearing with my rant had to unload this somewhere
and by far I know there are alot who would gladly WALK in my shoes.
 
Well, right now im collecting unemployment b/c my company went bankrupt, so it was no choice of my own to leave. But I was working at a desk all day doing customer service work. Sitting was very difficult most of the time, but standing is worse for me. However, I was up and down alot and was able to get up when needed. If I had trouble walking, I would kind of push myself with one foot in my chair around the office LOL or someone else would push me or get what I needed. My chair was not very comfortable and the back, which was adjustable up & down, never stayed up, so it wasnt good lurabar support either. I tried so many different chairs there, even a folding chair from the cafeteria that was hard, but I couldnt turn in it due to no wheels. I've even sat on a box full of catalogs on the floor when my neck acted up, this way my head and arms were level with my desk LOL Just picture that one. Anyone that first saw me down there thought I fell or something. Pain just gets one in desperation and I tried everything. I've even shuffled around with big heating paRAB around my neck, shoulders, wrapped around my back and stuffed down my pants. They were very understanding. Don't know how i'll get hired now or how long a job will keep me once I get really bad pain again. Besides the DDD and having sciatica alot, my spine and other joints get extremely stiff after sitting for a bit. What would have been great would have been to have a nice recliner and a laptop!! LOL
 
I kow you guys are right. I just cant beleive I am in this position all over again. The pain is so inhumane then subsides to a 5, 6, or 7, even an 8. since its far less than that one moment I still am like wtf was that? and become fearfull of putting on pants walking croutching (proper with back straight) and worst of all is that evil devil THE SNEEZE.

I really count myself blessed. I thought I conquered L-5, S-1 bulge and sacro-illiac joint disfunction, pirifomus spasm, and some tearing in the latisimus. I went to docs for a year and nada. I educated myself took control of care and went to dotors that did not wait and see, but actively tried to get at the problem ONE MONTH LATER after being shown how to put sacro back in and working out in therapy 4 hrs a day (30 min in office the rest at home at work where ever I could) I was back to full duty and feeling stronger and better than ever in my life. From cane to get anywhere more than 50ft to stong in a month. That was proper care and it was hard painfull but it paid big time. eventually I was down to 30 min yoga, streching all day and working in jobs that kept me liraber. Made use of an inversion table. I used crunches that you only lift shoulders. Yes, I still had pain and spasms. The spasms are like a mosquito, annoying but if you focus hard enough on something else you dont notice it too much.

6years give or take later

this go around, I went straight to the doctor I wanted when I realized this was bigger than what I could contain. either mri is not picking up whats going on or its being conservatively treated as worker comp now. no mention of transitional vertebrea and its interaction. I could not stand right afer that MRI or walk I was so stiff and pained. Ive done all the PT stuff and still do(well up till this new symptom arising). injections hurt worse for a few weeks then back to preinjenction pain. so Im ready for whats after that been there done that it solves it not. and now I got T-10 through T-12 going yippee.

now for the crazy talk. No PM for me. I dont like pain meRAB they make me act funny. Wilcox az I was hand trucking groceries into a prison and ended up getting into a verbal confrontation with a prisoner that was slowing me down from doing my job. I ended up telling this prisoner doing time for assault and some other junk to shut the F up. The place almost went into lock down. bosses, wife, customers, strangers were all the same. With zanaflex I had no filter for thoughts actions. I dont need to start fights with a bad back because I wont shut my mouth. with the meRAB Ive tried its either sleep or speak or get hooked. Thanks I'll pass. meditation and breathing gets me through the times the pain makes me sweat. And for all other levels... God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change...

I use antidepressants to keep me from being grouchy all the time. and really it helps me to shrug off alot of pain. whod of thunk it! went on meRAB cause I was getting angry to easy and it helped me center my life and learn balance.

I really think Oscar The Grouch from sesame street had cronic pain.
 
Hello and welcome, nomore...I was wondering if you have or could get a written report of your MRI results? If you do have it, what exactly was the impression or finding(s)? I pray that you will find "pain relief" soon and will find a good, respectful doctor that will give your answers...Please keep us all updated about your condition!
 
Hi, and thank you for sharing about your experience. You described what I experienced the last few weeks prior to my finally being unable to work. The "involuntary yelp" that had customers look at me wondering what was wrong with me. My coworkers were used to it and acted as if it was nothing after I explained to them I couldn't help it nor was there any thing they could do to help me. I asked for accomodations to give me stools to sit. I had 3 of them at the left middle and right side of my deparment but eventually that wasnt enough. I got so slowed by the pain medicine, then frustrated, then anxious, then in tears, then erabarrassed. It was a horrible domino effect. I am using the last of my sick pay that I have accumulated. I dont have much left as I used a bunch up 3 years ago on 1st back surgery and then on a hernia surgery. Tuesday I am having a fusion and laminectomy. I will recover without the benefit of a paycheck. If I am out 90 days, I qualify for the LTD policy I signed up for when I first started with the company and have had paid for via weekly deductions. This is all scary stuff, I had no idea about this side of life until I got thrust into it. Fortunately, my wife can work and she will. We will get someone to come to our house and care for our 5 month and 24 month old boys while I recover.

My prayers go to you and your family. Be sure to share with your family doctor what is going on with you. I know I had to have my depression addressed before I could start making good sound choices about my health and future.

Peace and Prayers,
Brett
 
That made me laugh!

Sometimes venting goes a long way, too...

Hang in there,
Emily
 
Well, there's no career anymore. I had to let my professional license expire. My surgeon and GP have both said that there's no way I'll work again.

But I'm trying to get at-home work using my computer and phone. I would take customer service calls for a business that I would contract with. I've completed the training with the company that recruits the businesses, have all the proper equipment, and have applied for one of the opportunities that came up. I'm waiting to see if I'll be one of the chosen agents.

The beauty of working like this is that you sign up for times you can work in 30 minute increments. So I can work for an hour, take an hour off, work for another hour, and be done for the day. Whatever works for me!

There are a ton of work-at-home schemes out there. Many, if not most, of them are scams, but I heard about this one on one of the national morning news programs. It's a legitimate one and there were lots of testimonials on the news website from people who were working for this company. There were a couple of other similar companies, too, that they talked about.

I don't think I'd call this a career, but at least it's something! I won't make much doing it, but every little bit helps.

Blessings,
Emily
 
Yeah, the evil Sneeze! I had to chuckle (with you, not at you) on that one.

If we don't laugh occasionally, we'd be crying all the time.

I'm in a place of just starting to accept that I have a condition which is changing my life.

I too have a desk job where I can get up and move around, but by Friday I'm in so much pain, I'm lucky to make it through the day. I'm considering a decrease in hours.

This just stinks.
 
Hi

I have had chronic back pain for the last 3 years and had to give up my job working with horses.
Found it very hard to cope because i suddenly went from working outdoors which i had always dont to being cooped up between 4 walls.
How depressing!

I got ajob working from home on the computer and the telephone.
Not as easy as it sounRAB because the meRAB made me so tired.
Am still doing it now but have gone back to work acouple of hours just turning horses out an bringing them in in the afternoon.

Yes it hurts but after my diagnosis of a 3 level fusion or live with the pain i decided i needed to get my life back as i refuse to have surgery.

I have even taken on a 3rd job working as a night carer in a elderly peoples home where apparantly there is no lifting and it is light work.

Its my first night tonight so i hope my back holRAB out.
Positive thinking has got me along way!

All the best
 
as far as the report goes I will have to get it physically. on friday the doctor came in and said "welllll, your mri doesnt look tooooo bad. do wnt to try therapy?" "what do you advise?" I asked "hold on I getyou set up with therapy" "I do yoga and inversion table crunches ham stretches to no avail"
"well if you like yoga youll love what our guy does. I think this will help you."
and he was off. the mri still on the lightboard I never saw or heard the findings. I looked at it and was confused it looked better than the one I took in 2000 in which there was a bulging disk. the vertebrae were not as block shaped as before and the spacing was narrower tis time around. my 2000 episode ended with me refusing surgery. meditation yoga and a buttload of exercising. this was tolerable if you put in perspective of tolerable with cronic pain.

also I have a transitional vertebrea how it affects the picture is unclear also

so this is a new chapter and new type of pain. I will have to start over as if I never did any of this I KNOW WHAT DOESNT WORK ALREADY. but what do I know. the workers cmp ins lady made the mistake of telling me that ddd was genetic not knowing how much I have read up on this misnomer....

I will try to shorten my posts sorry Im still worked up over not knowing what the heck is the mechanics of this pain. since the last bout I went from unable to walk to full health only having to control cronic pain that meRAB do not touch
 
That sounRAB much in the way ofmy situation. outdoors to cooped up. I know that I can do other biRAB at work no lifting but they wont let me bid untill I am released. I wonder HOW? Even if I pull off another magic trick and can improve beyond what expectations are I'll never safely be able to handle 43,000 lbs again each @50 lb a piece. They want release to that level even though I wil not bidfor hose any more I have the senority to get the no lift jobs, just not the release.

If I wasnt looking at trying to finish college..... I might have pushed ADA on them but I have no fight with them and just want to move on.I never liked truck driving, too boring even if I worked local deliveries, and had customers to occupy my thoughts. I will miss being physically fit. but I cant continue on that road. besides the seat bounces to much.
 
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