Hey Toots, I'm gonna suggest here that those emotions you're having are normal & part of the pre-procedure willies. I had a big knee surgery when I was 17 & was very nervous & scared. I had to have it after car accident, lots of narcotics for the pain & finally after a time, I could no longer walk. It all worked out very well in the end & I'll tell you that I had my surgery on a Friday the 13th (I have considered the 13th lucky for me ever since.) I was supposed to have a permanent limp, which I do not, so really, I was very lucky! But I also went crazy for physical rehab after the surgery. I swam EVERY day for months, did ALL my exercises & was super-motivated to get full function back! So I'll repeat, I think it's normal your feelings are all over the place, pity, anxiety ... you'd have to be made of stone not to be feeling these things. Pls. remember as you said above: you are strong & otherwise healthy & these two make excellent prospects for surgery! Am hoping DH can be supportive as well. Afterwards, pls DO let people help you, even if that's not 2nd nature to you, it will be a MUST for a while. Wishing you a big YOU GO GIRL!!! Will send you warm, healthy & healing vibes throughout the week! Karen

My mother suffered from severe back pain due to degenerative discs, arthritis and spinal stenosis. She used a walker to barely get around and had to rely on pain medication to get through the days and nights. She went to a Pain Management Dr. here who suggested a morphine pump. She hesitated because she pictured herself a morphine junkie, but she had it implanted just beneath the surface of the skin. She never had to take pain medications after that and was not addicted. She merely went to the Dr's office every 6 weeks for a pump refill and then went on her way to do her own things. Oxycontin is a drug that patients can easily become addicted to. The pain of withdrawal can be greater than the original pain that required the Rx. Without knowing your wife I would conclude she is now addicted to the medication and giving her more meds is not going to solve her problem. I would speak very frankly with her doctors and voice my concern about this desperate need for Oxycontin. She cannot go "cold turkey" on her own. She needs help. She's already taking such high doses that increasing it could lead to an overdose and death. It sounds like the doctor that suggested she go to a rehab clinic is the only doctor that's telling you the truth. Consider going back to him. The other doctors seem to be taking the easy way out by giving her more meds. I feel for you and your wife. You're in a bad situation.

I want to thank everyone and am so glad I came across this forum too. I was diagnosed with DDD back in 1999. after being injured wrking with a child with emotional and physical disorders (god bless) they did not understand I was injured again after having surgery a disc fusion at c5-c6 which resulted in a second fusion at c6-c7. I have a bulge at c7 and at c3-c4. I am considering if I need to have another surgery I will look into the new laser surgery. I have also been diagnosed with DDD iny lower back I fell at a local store back in October in which resulted in my lower back issue and an increase in my neck and shoulder issues. I too began having numbness in my left face after the fall. I too was afraid it was a stroke and was chked for blockage and found non it seemed to slowly let up some to only increase. I am getting ready for another MRI. I have pain radiating down my arms and have arthritis in my neck back shoulders arms and hands now. I do have nerve damage in my left shoulder as well as a loose shoulder joint. I so miss wrking with the children but to high risk for me. I did apply for disability back in 2000 was denied I thought I was not ready to consider myself disabled. again I was told I needed to apply so I tried again in 2005. in the meantime I started a home business/hobby to help take care of my family. I had children at home back then. again I was denied. my doc told me I needed to apt again so I have in and applied only to be told that I was being denied and that I no longer had any disability available to me. apparently if you are not wrking they have the right to start subtracting your disability that you wrked and payed in. where it goes I do not know. Here I thought I was being a strong and good person. my advice to those of you in this same health direction don't Waite, apply. this only seemed to get worse unfortunately and as many of you said. others do not understand the daily pain we go through. and for those of us that want to fight and live, we def pay for it at the end of each day. My husband is a saint. massages me every night to help Eliviate the pain. the headaches I get are deabilitating I either end up with shots or taking a heavy med that knocks me out. some days I'm not sure what scares me more. I want to thank everyone for sharing as well as allowing me to express. it's def a lonely ace to be when those around you do not understand. I don't look for sympathy I just try to find answers and be my own advocate . I too have tried pt several different times and only find that it aggrivates and inflames . I wish you all much strength and support through this. it's sad there are so many of us with this diagnoses and unanswered questions. I am glad however that I stumbled upon this sight. Sorry for the long text! I hope this helps even one person not to end up with no support or no disability. If you would like to talk let me know and I will be happy to share my emai! I wish everyone my best! <3

You want to avoid a condition called frozen shoulder. The doctor failed in his/her "diagnosis" you should have been advised as to whether rest, physical therapy or?? would help. Since s/he did none of those the chiropractor is looking better. But you could also get a second opinion somewhere. You might even find that when you get copies of your records to take to another doctor for the second opinion that in fact there's a diagnosis in the records that the first doctor didn't bother to inform you up because s/he didn't think you were smart enough to understand. Some of these doctors' egos are just a little out of control. The chiropractor will actually deal with your body hands-on, doctors avoid touching your body so long as you're conscious. But before I would let anybody manipulate my back or neck, I would look long and hard at their reputation for skill and if possible talk to other people who have gone to that person.