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Back Pain Forums › General & Support › need advise

11/30/2009 10:06 AM

need advise

jaylyn2201

Posts: 183
Member

ok so I have DDD as many of you know. I hurt my back over the holiday. I called the dr today and they schedualed me an appointment for this afternoon but urged me to go ahead and go to the ER for a scan and injection. Problem is my two bosses are on vacation this week and we are very short handed here at my office. Should I try and wait it out till my appointment(during my lunch break) or should I go ahead and get my husband to take me to the ER. I have been hurting since Thursday and I am taking norco and darvecet with not relief. Please advise to what you would do

11/30/2009 11:13 AM Top

blazyn

Posts: 263
Member

I would say it depends on what you think is best - you know your body best. Me personally, I tend to put off those kinds of things as a last resort or if I know there's something wrong, but I've also been dealing with my pain heavily for about 5 years now. My only question is are you having injections done during your lunch break, and if so, are you returning to work after? For me, injections always left me inflamed and really tender for the first day or two, but I always had them done at surgicenters - though most docs offer them in their offices, which it sounds like you're having it done. Generally they give you something for pain initially after the injection, so hopefully you can get relief from that and soon after the injection.

Good luck,

Dana

~Dana
*I* am my own advocate, as no one else can do a better job than me at this job. Take your health in your own hands, and I'll do my best to offer any advice or stories of personal experience I may have that may help you.

11+ years of pain, including degenerative disc disease, a herniated disc, fibromyalgia, and arthritis.

Previous discussions I participated in:
I need OT help RE insurance
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Quick Fixes?

11/30/2009 12:45 PM Top
ray2135	Hi Jaylyn If it were me I would go the see them as soon as possible - your co-workers will understand - of course you should tell them what your problem is. I hope you feel better real soon. Raoul

11/30/2009 01:15 PM Top

fluffyluggage

Posts: 4723
VIP Member
I'm an Advocate

Hey Jaylyn,

Clearly I'm very late to this topic, but please post an update on what you decided and how things went, k?

For future reference, just my own opinion... I'm a lot like Blazyn, but I, too, have been suffering some pretty tremendous pain for about 15 years. If I can put it off, I tend to. Is that good? Probably not... But I have been really bad about not wanting co-workers to suffer my inability to work. I no longer work, haven't for about 1.5 years, and I'm seriously considering going for SSD/SSDI (whichever it is I would get, I can't keep them straight!). I think, tho, as blazyn said, that you know your body better than anyone else, and it's most important to remember that you are the one who has to suffer the most--and when you aren't working at the best of your abilities, you may instead be impeding your co-workers rather than helping them.

Hugs,

Jen Smile

Just because it's impossible doesn't mean it can't happen.

I'm not a doc, so anything I say is my opinion only. Nothing I say is meant as offense, I offer what I can as help. I believe in educating myself on all my medical issues and being my own advocate, for no one else with do that on my behalf. I recommend we all do the same!

The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. Perhaps I truly am insane for expecting these docs to listen to me when I say the same things repeatedly to no avail? LOL. I am tired of seeking out new docs and getting the same result time and again...Forgive me if I seem bitter some days.

Something has changed within me/Something is not the same/I'm through with playing by/The rules of someone else's game/Too late for second-guessing/Too late to go back to sleep/It's time to trust my instincts/Close my eyes and leap...I'm through accepting limits/Cuz someone says they're so/Some things I can not change/But till I try I'll never know/Too long I've been afraid of/Losing love I guess I lost/Well if that's love/It comes at much too high a cost/I'd sooner buy Defying Gravity/Kiss me good-bye I'm Defying Gravity/I think I'll try Defying Gravity/And you won't bring me down...
--Defying Gravity (Glee Cast version)

Previous discussions I participated in:
I need OT help RE insurance
Hello
I'm back, and in more pain than ever. Happy Thank.

11/30/2009 03:33 PM Top

jaylyn2201

Posts: 183
Member

Well I decided to go ahead and go into the Er. And it was for the best. they did some x-ray and a ct they said that I need to get a new MRI done soon from the x ray and ct it looks like from L-1 down there is no more disc. ( which rules out a slipped disc) There was a lot of inflamation around the spine and in the muscles so they gave me a shot of methylprednisolone and started me on Flexeril, vicodin and depo-medrol. The dr said that it also looks like I have developed DJD ontop of the DDD. I have to call my PCP tomarrow and make an appointment and get a script for my tens pads, they wouldn't give me one at the ER. I will let you all know something as soon as I hear. THank you all for your support.

Previous discussions I participated in:
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12/01/2009 05:26 PM Top

fluffyluggage

Posts: 4723
VIP Member
I'm an Advocate

Hey Jaylyn,

I'm glad you went ahead and went on to the ER. It sounds like it was a good idea. That's interesting news about the TENS pads--you don't just call and order them as needed, huh? Interesting to hear...

Please keep us updated when you know more about what's going on with your care, too! I'm sorry to hear you have developed DJD. I hope your MRI will show more information. I'll keep you in my thoughts. Please take care of yourself while you're waiting for everything to settle down and for the inflammation to subside a bit!

Hugs,

jen Smile

Previous discussions I participated in:
I need OT help RE insurance
Hello
I'm back, and in more pain than ever. Happy Thank.

12/02/2009 07:52 AM Top

jaylyn2201

Posts: 183
Member

I ordered new tens pads today, It is much easier if the dr gives me a script because we have a rehab place here that will give them to you at no charge with a script. but I found a pretty good deal on them through an online medical supply. I am feeling a little better. I had forgoten how moody I get while on steriods. My poor family... Good side to it is the steriods have cleared up my complection...lol. I came back to work this morning.. don't know how long it will last sitting her is killing my back. My husband is calling every 20 min to check on me. begging me to go home and get back in bed. Love him for wanting to take care of me, but with the holidays coming we can't afford for me to miss to much work.

Previous discussions I participated in:
here we go again
hello
What Is DDD?

12/02/2009 08:28 AM Top
ray2135	Hey are you using a portable tens unit? How is it working for you? what unit are you using? I am sorry to be a pest - but I really need the information .... But, even more than that - I am interested for you. I have never heard of the lumbar spine - just dissapearing - and that sounds so huge - that I am concerned. Love, Raoul

12/02/2009 09:21 AM Top

jaylyn2201

Posts: 183
Member

thanks Raoul for your concern. I have had DDD for almost 9 years now and in that length of time all the disc in my lumbar spine have just dryed up and colapsed. They have been trying to get me to go in for spinal fusion for the last 5 years but I only want that as a last resort, As a mother of two I can't afford to lose my mobility. But with the joints begaining to degenerate also it looks like I may be out of time. As for my tens unit I have an older model EPIX XL portable unit. It seems to help some mostly while I am at work sitting for long periods of time. I ordered larger pads this time hoping to simulate more of the area that is having problems. I am keeping my fingers crossed that it will work.

Previous discussions I participated in:
here we go again
hello
What Is DDD?

12/02/2009 02:33 PM Top
ray2135	Hi again Wow that ddd is nasty - my latest MRI's for the cervical spine and the lumbar spine show the ddd and asteoarthritis, and facet joint athrosis - that being the case I am quite concerned. And I also had genetically narrow spacing for the nerves - causing pinching already. Most of my relatives on my mom's side have very bad problems. Raoul
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Back Pain › Back Pain Forums › General & Support › need advise

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