# Please keep me in your thoughts tomorrow



## Rocky's Mom (Apr 10, 2010)

I have been in constant pain since the first week of April...what I thought was my tailbone, but now I think it is something else. Been going to the chiropractor, therapy, aqua therapy, acupuncture...but nothing helps. So tomorrow I go for an MRI. I would really appreciate your prayers or even just keep me in your thoughts...I don't do well in those things. I will be taking a XANAX this time.:mellow:


----------



## edelweiss (Apr 23, 2010)

Will certainly be thinking about you Diane! One little trick is to not open your eyes from the time you start until it is over! It really makes a big difference! 
Please let us know what you find out. 
Hugs.


----------



## Wheatenbrat (Mar 17, 2011)

So sorry to hear you haven't been feeling well. I have issues with back pain at times as well and I know how terrible it can be. Will definitely keep you in my prayers! I tend to be a little claustrophobic so when I went for my MRI they gave me the 'open' maching... not sure what type you will be having but that made a huge difference for me. The first time they tried with the normal more closed machine I lasted about 15 seconds and just couldn't do it. I'm sure Rocky will give you extra kisses when you come home to make you feel better!


----------



## kathym (Aug 5, 2006)

Prayer on the way for a complete recovery with no more pain ..God here our prayer..


----------



## Snowbody (Jan 3, 2009)

Aw Dianne - you just can't go on this way. You have to figure out what's up. I'm sending you prayers and will be thinking of you. I've had MRI's and Sandi had good advice, close your eyes. They let me pick music at the facility and I just concentrated on that and got to relax. The xanax should help too. I'm so short that the open MRI wasn't much of a help for me. The only really annoying part is all the banging in the machine. It just makes a lot of noise but that means it's doing its thing. Also you can ask the technician to tell you when you're half way thru, 3/4 thru... Helped me not feel like it was never going to end. 

It really isn't that big a deal and you need more info so you can get relief. Anxious to hear how it goes. Hugs, my dear friend. :smootch:


----------



## donnad (Aug 22, 2006)

Sorry you have not been feeling well...good thoughts and prayers being sent your way.


----------



## michellerobison (Dec 17, 2009)

I hate those things too,so tight and confining. I'm not clostrophobic but those things make me feel like I can't breathe,depending on how small they are.
I just think about a movie ,(Shrek works for me)I've seen and try to play it in my head and before you know it,the agony is over...until you get the BILL!

Hugs!


----------



## Snowbody (Jan 3, 2009)

Dianne - thinking of you tonight. Sending thoughts and prayers. :smootch:


----------



## mommatee (Jul 20, 2010)

Dianne - I'll keep you in my thoughts and prayers. I pray you start feeling better soon!!!


----------



## Rocky's Mom (Apr 10, 2010)

Sue, thanks so much for your kind words. :tender:

I took a Xanax and had a glass of wine at lunch at the Olive Garden. My daughter drove us. The noise is horrible, I hate it. No music, which was odd, but I had earplugs and headphones on. I got through it with a washcloth over my eyes. I stood perfectly still. After it was over 20 minutes later...I was pretty pleased with myself until the radiologist said, "The pictures came out fine, but next time..take a Xanax or a Valium before coming. You were breathing really hard and fast and if this was on your upper back or neck, we wouldn't have been able to do get it done. WHAT? I was too embarrassed to tell him I did all that and MORE. :blush::HistericalSmiley:
Going to the doctor on Monday!



Snowbody said:


> Aw Dianne - you just can't go on this way. You have to figure out what's up. I'm sending you prayers and will be thinking of you. I've had MRI's and Sandi had good advice, close your eyes. They let me pick music at the facility and I just concentrated on that and got to relax. The xanax should help too. I'm so short that the open MRI wasn't much of a help for me. The only really annoying part is all the banging in the machine. It just makes a lot of noise but that means it's doing its thing. Also you can ask the technician to tell you when you're half way thru, 3/4 thru... Helped me not feel like it was never going to end.
> 
> It really isn't that big a deal and you need more info so you can get relief. Anxious to hear how it goes. Hugs, my dear friend. :smootch:


----------



## Rocky's Mom (Apr 10, 2010)

Thanks to all for their thoughts and prayers today. I made it through and will find out the results on Monday when I go back to the pain doctor.

Check out my reply to Snowbody (Sue) to find out the details of my MRI.

Thank you all sooooo much!!!!:wub:


----------



## Rocky's Mom (Apr 10, 2010)

I'm in love with Shrek...thanks Michelle for your suggestion. I'm not looking forward to the bill! 



michellerobison said:


> I hate those things too,so tight and confining. I'm not clostrophobic but those things make me feel like I can't breathe,depending on how small they are.
> I just think about a movie ,(Shrek works for me)I've seen and try to play it in my head and before you know it,the agony is over...until you get the BILL!
> 
> Hugs!


----------



## Katkoota (Feb 18, 2006)

so sorry to read this ... keeping you in prayers 

(((hugs)))


----------



## michellerobison (Dec 17, 2009)

I'm sure the MRI tech probably wondered why I was laughing in the MRI...:HistericalSmiley:

Anything to get through those things.I swear they're making them smaller these days...


----------



## Snowbody (Jan 3, 2009)

Rocky's Mom said:


> Sue, thanks so much for your kind words. :tender:
> 
> I took a Xanax and had a glass of wine at lunch at the Olive Garden. My daughter drove us. The noise is horrible, I hate it. No music, which was odd, but I had earplugs and headphones on. I got through it with a washcloth over my eyes. I stood perfectly still. After it was over 20 minutes later...I was pretty pleased with myself until the radiologist said, "The pictures came out fine,* but next time..take a Xanax or a Valium before coming*. You were breathing really hard and fast and if this was on your upper back or neck, we wouldn't have been able to do get it done. WHAT? I was too embarrassed to tell him I did all that and MORE. :blush::HistericalSmiley:
> Going to the doctor on Monday!


Oh gosh Dianne -- I think next time you need to take a sledge hammer for him to knock you over the head with!!!:HistericalSmiley::HistericalSmiley: I'm so glad it's over. Twenty minutes isn't really that bad; I had one for 45 minutes. Felt like forever but you know it's mind over matter. Nothing hurts you-- in fact I'd take an hour of MRI over five seconds of mammogram squeeze mode. :new_shocked:
Hoping you get some answers on Monday. Thinking of you and knowing that Rocky will keep you happy this weekend. He's good at that :hugging:


----------



## edelweiss (Apr 23, 2010)

Dianne, just wondering if your MRI results are back and how they turned out? Keeping you in my heart & prayers! :wub:


----------



## uniquelovdolce (Mar 10, 2010)

oh honey that sucks , my mom hated mri's she said it felt like she was in the middle of a battlefield. hope you get an answer soon will be praying for u honey.


----------



## Rocky's Mom (Apr 10, 2010)

Hi Sandi, everyone,

Yesterday morning I called the place where I had the MRI done and made sure it was sent to my pain doctor. They said yes. So I kept my app't and went. When I got there I signed in and went to give them the exrays and they said to take them in the room with me for the doctor to look at them. They called me in and an assistant brought me to the room to wait for the doc and ask questions. I had put the exrays down on a counter in the room, where the assistant was writing down my answers. It was right under his nose. I waited for almost an hour when the assistant comes in and asks me if I saw the doctor..then after he noticed the exrays sitting right there. I said no..and I asked if the report was there and he said no..but he'd call and find out why they didn't have it and see if it can be sent over. OK...now my BP is going up with the incompetency. The doctor pops his head in and said..OH, I was waiting for the report to come in and talk to you. I didn't know you had the exrays right here. OMG :smpullhair:

He holds up the exrays to the ceiling light and starts dropping them on the floor. I'm bending down picking them both up..now he has a pile of them. He looks at them quickly and goes down my lumbar and says when it gets lower I have much less space. He mentions degenerative disc disease, not too bad...blaa, blaa. Then he goes down lower and says it looks close to the nerves but doesn't look like impingement, but that doesn't mean there isn't just because it didn't show up on the MRI. This is all he says. He still doesn't have the report. I ask him what we can do and he says you we can give you a numbing injection to see if it helps..sort of a test for the epidural. I agreed and he did it within a few minutes. In short, it didn't do a thing. He also gave me Vicodin for pain. As I was leaving I asked if the doctor got the report because I didn't want to go till he read it. I think she lied and said he did read it...because when I got home I read it all looked pretty normal till the last two sentences. They gave me a copy, so I brought it next door to the chiropractor I was seeing to see if she can tell what it is. 

This is what it said:
L-4-5 A left far lateral broad based disc protrusion is present and accompanied by an annular tear. This foraminal measures 2.5mm in AP demension. There is mild bi-lateral facet arthrosis. There is no central or forminal stenosis.The facets are moderately hypertrophic.
Impession: 
L 4-5 Left far lateral broad-based disc protrusion and associated annular tear. No direct
neural impingement.
L5-S1 Bilateral facet hypertrophy.

He never read the report with me there..and he was gone with other patients, so I left. I have another app't with me next Wednesday. My brother from NJ gets here this afternoon, my sister from Vegas on Friday. Family is coming to see them at my house Friday night. My niece's wedding is Saturday. And my other niece's blessing for her baby is on Sunday. I'm hoping the pain meds work to get me through this week. I don't know if I should continue the therapy which thus far has done nothing. I'm wondering if this is Fibromyalgia related?:smilie_tischkante:

I still had pain last night but after taking a Vicodin it subsided a bit. I guess I do that till I see him next Wednesday and see what he has to say.

Thanks so much for your concern, prayers and love...I love you guys!:wub:


----------



## Lacie's Mom (Oct 11, 2006)

OMG, Dianne, this just gets worse and worse. I was so hoping that the doctors would find something that was easily treatable.

I usually hate going to the doctors because I have very similar experiences to the one you had. What has happened to the medical profession where they actually cared about the patient and tried to take care of us???

The Vicodin may be the short term answer to get you through this week -- but we all know that it doesn't get to the cause of the problem, nor help with a permanent solution.

All I can say is "don't give up". There must be a doctor out there that is able to help you.

Sending lots and lots of prayers and hugs your way.


----------



## sophiesmama (Mar 13, 2011)

Do you think you need to find a new Doctor? I can not believe he threw them on the floor. How rude!!! :angry: My husbands Dr. spends at least 20 - 30 minutes with us each time we go and answers each and every question we hae. My Gyn. does the same thing. :wub: Good and caring Dr's are out there. You just have to look and ask around!!!


----------



## silverhaven (Sep 6, 2009)

Good Lord what a saga...... doesn't sound overly competent to me either. I so hope they can help you. Back pain is awful.


----------



## jodublin (Sep 27, 2006)

hugs prayers and positive thoughts on the way to you ..


----------



## Snowbody (Jan 3, 2009)

Dianne - I agree with what Lisa said -- I would see if there's another back specialist you can see because the entire scenario just sounds like they don't give a ****. What rude treatment he gave you. :angry: I really think that you might find real answers from someone else and not just be given a shot and some pills. I have to say with Vicodin, when I had my wisdom teeth pulled I was given it and it was miraculous. Other pain killers - tylenol with codeine, muscle relaxers, etc would make me totally nauseous and also gaga (without the Lady). But the Vicodin really helped me get thru the pain...but they're addicting so it isn't an answer. It should get you thru a very busy weekend though.
I'm really praying that you can get the proper care from a medical professional. Can you get a recommendation from your primary doc or a friend or else is there a great medical center you can go to? Keep us up to date.:smootch:


----------



## Lacie's Mom (Oct 11, 2006)

You may want to try to get into Mayo. Just a thought.


----------



## Snowbody (Jan 3, 2009)

Lacie's Mom said:


> You may want to try to get into Mayo. Just a thought.


Ditto!!!!


----------



## Rocky's Mom (Apr 10, 2010)

Sue, the doctor I went to is a pain doctor. I dont think he is a back specialist. Now that I have a diagnosis, I will look for one. The Mayo doesn't take my insurance, well I could check again, maybe it's changed.
There is a Mayo clinic right where I used to live in Phoenix. I'm glad I chose the Vicadin because he allowed me to make the choice. I don't know if this is all the pain from that or it's partly from the fibro. I had severe neck pain for 18 months. Epidurals did not work at all. I have a very mild herniated disc in my neck. The pain is gone now..but I have to make sure I don't get in any funky positions while watching TV. My back lower back was hurting me before this sacrum pain started up. So I'm thinking it could all be related. Thanks for your prayers!! I need them!!!




Snowbody said:


> Dianne - I agree with what Lisa said -- I would see if there's another back specialist you can see because the entire scenario just sounds like they don't give a ****. What rude treatment he gave you. :angry: I really think that you might find real answers from someone else and not just be given a shot and some pills. I have to say with Vicodin, when I had my wisdom teeth pulled I was given it and it was miraculous. Other pain killers - tylenol with codeine, muscle relaxers, etc would make me totally nauseous and also gaga (without the Lady). But the Vicodin really helped me get thru the pain...but they're addicting so it isn't an answer. It should get you thru a very busy weekend though.
> I'm really praying that you can get the proper care from a medical professional. Can you get a recommendation from your primary doc or a friend or else is there a great medical center you can go to? Keep us up to date.:smootch:


----------



## Rocky's Mom (Apr 10, 2010)

I don't think they accept United Healthcare..but I can check. Last I heard is they don't. Thanks Lynn!




Lacie's Mom said:


> You may want to try to get into Mayo. Just a thought.


----------



## michellerobison (Dec 17, 2009)

I have degenerative disc disease in my L4-L5 and it is very painful at times, enough so I can barely walk. Some times I'm ok ,but make one false move or roll over in bed wrong and I'm in pain for weeks. I generally use ice packs helps numb the nerves,sometimes I use heat,just depends. I also use lidocain patches too.

I injured my lower back 11 years ago while working in a geriatric nursing unit and it's never been the same since. I broke my C-2 in a car accident in 1989,so I got it from top to bottom...

I use Vicodin when nothing else works,hate taking it,it makes me loopy.

I tried epidurals,the person who did it must have been "Sweeney Todd " because it was never so painful in my life,when he finished,I couldn't move my legs or feel them for 4 hours,scared the crap out of me,thought he paralyzed me. Lost bladder control for a week too,no fun!
I don't know what the answer is. Needless to say "Sweeney Todd" never got another needle in me again!
I tried chiropractic,made it worse.

In the end, I just stretch,so some exercises to strengthen my core muscles to support my back,use ice or heat and watch my lifting and twisting. We have a workout bench so I started otu w/ very light weights and did leg lifts and sit ups,things to build ab and back mucles. NO you won't bulk up.

I hate to say it,but I don't think doctors are too interested in curing what ails you,just treating it for as long as they can drag it out and collecting referal fees by sending you to someone else..

Having working in health care,I can tell you the money is in treatment and referrals,not cures...I was told that by a med rep.

When I first injured my lower back it took me almost 3 years to walk normally,I only really got better by stopping doctor dependance and trying an alternative way.I have fibro too,so it can make the pain worse.

Before I quit going to doctors,I could barely lift a gallon of milk,now I can lift 50 pound bags of concrete and bench press over 100 pounds,highest lift was weight was 135.

Not saying this will happen to you or if I should recommending it,but I can tell you everytime I had something they couldn't cure,I would try gentle exercise,eating better ,laying off caffine (boy hard to do ,I'm a chocohaulic and Pepsihaulic)and did meditation or some calming activity or hobby or craft. Sometimes healing the soul helps heal the body. For me meditations was just sitting in a sunny room in winter and thinking about clouds floating by or the tall bamboo that grew behind out house in Florida,sawing in the breeze. Or I'd sit on our porch swing and listen to the breeze through the trees or our water fountain and take deep cleansing breaths of wonderful outside air.

I don't know if this is healthy or not,but it saved me from being a invalid practically to being able to go out and do things,even got well enough to get my pilot's license. Considering I could stand to drive or ride in a car w/o an icepack to numb the pain,says something ,that maybe I did something right.

All I do know is treatment only made my money go away,not my illness or injury...
I hope you find the path the heals you,I know how frustrating it is.
:grouphug:
HUGS!


----------



## Rocky's Mom (Apr 10, 2010)

Oh Michelle, I am sorry you have the same thing. Do you have a tear too? 
My brother is arriving any minute, husband is bringing him here from airport. I wish I had more time. Maybe later. hugs....oh I agree with you about doctors and medical profession. I really don't trust any of them.:angry:



michellerobison said:


> I have degenerative disc disease in my L4-L5 and it is very painful at times, enough so I can barely walk. Some times I'm ok ,but make one false move or roll over in bed wrong and I'm in pain for weeks. I generally use ice packs helps numb the nerves,sometimes I use heat,just depends. I also use lidocain patches too.
> 
> I injured my lower back 11 years ago while working in a geriatric nursing unit and it's never been the same since. I broke my C-2 in a car accident in 1989,so I got it from top to bottom...
> 
> ...


----------



## michellerobison (Dec 17, 2009)

My disc blew like a flat tire is how the doc put it. Too bad he coudn't fix it as easily...

Al got me in to weight lifting and you don't bulk up.
Before that I did a lot of walking and aerobics and ws generally healthy except for a things.
Menopause has been a killer...

I dealt w/ weird rashes for a couple years,the attacks would last months,I spent thousands on meds and suffered for months,it didn't go awaymy hair fell out....then tried vinegar baths and got off the meds,it went away,and so far so good. Used to be when you went to a doctor,he/she could fix you up in a couple visits,but not now,seems everything they give you has side effects even worse that the ailment.

One of the best decisions I made was when I was perscribed Vioxx, sure it helped with pain,but made my blood pressure go up. Told doc and he told me to stay on it,well I decided not too,just something told me to go off it. 

I'm not normally one to go AMA,against medical advise,but I did. A friend of mine died from a heart attack another had a stroke,they were all on it. Finally after it was pulled from the market,doc told me to quit taking it..I told him I had...two years ago! 
He was a bit ticked off .

I guess having working in health care,I've seen things that tell me it's not like it was 20 years ago...You constantly hear about meds,introduced only a couple of years ago,now having deadly side effects...
Even med commercials tell you the side effects,which I hope people listen to...

I don't know any more..
You go to a doctor for the flu or a rash and they want to put you on 
anti-depressants for everything... I'm like,just give me a decongestant or antibiotic and I'll be on my way...

Scary when you can't trust your doctor to have your best interests at heart...just paying their med school student loans.....or country club dues....

I'm such a downer...

I perscribe lots of doggie kisses,always makes me feel better. Take two sniffs of doggie and call me in the morning!


----------

