[Maria]

I read something Dale wrote like how easy it is to tell someone to hang in there ... so on so forth. The reason I'm telling you that is because I spent many crappy years before feeling better. Years that I had wished I wasn't alive because of horrendous chronic pain. No I haven't forgotten it but it has definately gotten better.

I do wish some of the things that were offered to me post failed surgery had been offered prior to jumping to a surgical solution. I see now more often the conservative route is to try some of the measures that back when I was seeing spine docs wasn't offered at all. I guess I'm better off as I did have one ESI back when they weren't performed under fluoroscopy and it was done in the office and it was brutally painful~ tho pain meds weren't even thought to be offered at any time at least not to me back in 80's and 90's.

Like Dale mentioned depression is a very common thing to nearly all of us who happen to be saddled with rotten spinal pain probs. Right after my failed 2nd spine surgery I spent 6 months on antidepressants to get me thru an acute episode of very serious depression. So this is a very good suggestion if you've not already considered it or at least talking to someone professionally about your feelings.

Pain Management was the next move that made all the difference to me and my rotten spinal situation and helped me to "hang in there" as well as giving me an option to more surgery as I remember quite well the first 2nd surgical opinion surgeon I saw confirming that I needed a 3 level global fusion OR I could spend the rest of my life "popping pills." After seeing him I decided to try PM~ (this was 8 years after my failed surgerical results). I spent from about 2001 to 2005 trying to get a multi level ADR authorized thru WC. After that finally happened then my facets were degenerating so it was hybrid surgery recommended.. (2006) tho between 2005-2006-2007 my low back started to feel way less problematic.

Long story short after considering more surgeries and being a candidate for at least 3 types of surgical solutions recommended, my L5S1 autofused and helped me out. Yeah.. time helped that I think honestly tho so did all the things I did in between while trying to seek other avenues of care/treatment.

So when I say hang in there I mean in a supportive way however do seek the treatment needed to get you through your rough patch while you continue to find out what's going on and what can be done. Hopefully you can at least get some pain relief.