Background: Spinal Fusion,Pain Dx, Rx & Outline of Medical history of OO

This page will give some medical detail, history etc., as often others with chronic pain like to know what has worked (or not) for someone in the same condition as theirs, or like to have an overview of the condition/situation of their fellow chronic pain (CP) person.

Here are the bare bone facts,chronologies of my 22+ year life with constant pain:

• May, 1984, injured spine at work, rotated lumbar area and caused damage around L3-L5, and Left leg sciatica.
• July 1984, after all sorts of PT, meds etc etc, WITHOUT GETTING A 2nd OPINION (dumbest mistake of my life, for which I’m still paying, and always will, but, it’s on me…), had spinal fusion from S1->L4-5. In those days they cut across the hip and used hip bone to build the fusion graft. Post Op was worse than hell (details some other time)
• Later July, 1984, infection at site of fusion(graft of bone fragments taken from left hip) & severe bladder infection, catheter etc. fever up to 105 a few times.
• Feet felt ‘cold’ immediately after surgery (this progessively worsened, details on this later).
• Left leg Sciatica was mostly gone, but had alot of pain and burning along both incisions (this became permanent, to this day, for reasons unknown by conventional MD’s).
• August 1984, after 3 weeks flat on a Bradford frame in the hospital, and pitiful discharge advice (ie, “don’t move or you’ll break the fusion”!!), went home in a brace for a 3 month ‘recovery’.
• August 1984, began convalescence at home for 3-4 months, then went back to work, at first half time, then full time in 2 weeks (thanks alot to my employer for their compassion).
• August 1984-Sept 1986 — constant pain and increasing cold in feet; was put on talwin NX for pain, as well as a number of things for depression. The Talwin NX I learned later has “Naxalone” in it, something which is an antagonist for opiates, which means that it messed with my natural endorphin and pain-fighting neurotransmitter production. By Sept. ‘86 was unable to sleep more than 40 minutes at a time and was still working, but poorly.
• Sept.1986: fired the orthopedic surgeon and went to local orthopedic surgery (and pain) expert. He took one look at me and admitted me then & there.
• Sept-Nov. 1986: underwent cross-disciplinary evaluations and went also to Temple U. Pain Center, started on vigorous Physical Therapy and walking regimen.
• Oct 1986, had a ‘miraculous’ break in the pain via a local chiropractor who uses microcurrent stimulation using acupuncture meridians and points. That day slept 8 hours, and then 14hours.
• Same day: Oct 1986, threw out all the pills and didn’t even take Tylenol (first 4 days were hell).
• Began PT regimen, special exercises for lower back & stomach. Made a goal for myself to return to racquetball and basketball in six months.
• In 4 months played my first racquet ball (albeit not as vigorously as before, but I was out there).
• In 6 months played basket ball, full court.
• January 1987, Returned to full function (and good graces of employer) at work (I was a clinical administrator, director of a large children’s treatment facility). Pain was still there, and the neuropathy continued to worsen — BUT, I had new tools which enabled me to live with it. The same pain which kept me bedridden for 3 months I was able to lead a mostly normal life, all because of the holistic tools I had evolved/learned for myself.
• Kept to the following regimen from Oct 86 until today –
  1. Eat well, in moderation, avoid junk food, salt and stimulants; easy on the coffee, salt or alcohol — or I pay big time.
  2. Meditate or do progressive relaxation daily, sometimes more often (after a few years I could do the progressive relaxation on the fly if I felt myself tensing up)
  3. Use my own microcurrent stimulator,( frequency is below 1 hz.’ regular TENS unit does NOT help, actually makes pain worse); Use the stimulator only when pain is worse than usual (this does not work on the neuropathy.)=
  4. Avoid negative people and negative discussions.
  5. Be as physically active as I can.( In 1995 I took up ballroom dancing, then salsa; continue these to this day, but have to pace myself; more on this dance aspect in the blog itself at some point).
  6. Try to focus on the needs of others.
  7. Try to keep my mind on things which interest me.
  8. When it’s just too bad, I cacoon (lay on the couch and watch mindless TV, or a bunch of movies).
  9.Use Tryptophan or 5-HTP nightly ( a precursor to the natural tryptophan the body produces when getting sleepy.
  10. Try to love my wife and show it by doing the littlethings which please her.
  11. Listen to music daily.
  12. Read what interests me.
  13. Seek out laughter.
• Summer of 1995: Neuropathy has worsened so pain and burning in feet has moved up to almost the hip area. Walking and standing are very painful (in the feet and in the lower back if prolonged). 1996? started taking Vioxx. (argh)
• Sometime in 2003 (?) Stopped the Vioxx whenever the warning came out., Ortho & pain MD put me on Tramadol, 50mg 1 every 4hr PRN. By 2006 upped to 2 tabs every 4hrs, no more than 8 a day. Usually 6 a day, 8 when weather is cold.
• Depression has been constant, usually dependent on how bad a ‘pain day’ it’s been; depression is worse at end of day. Avoiding anti-depressants because I don’t like the side-effects.(sexual). If the darkness continues to get worse,I may try Welbutrin.OK, that’s the skeleton of my Diagnosis, Med.History and Use of Meds & Coping Tools. The blog will be used to talk all this in more detail, but with a focus on the inner processes at work during events, what I’ve learned, and what advice I can offer others who find themselves in similar straits.Even if no one shows up here, still I find it cathartic to write this for the ‘unseen listener’. It feels good, and, the act of writing forces me to focus better, to articulate things which maybe I’ve been suppressing (repressing) over time. If dialogues do ensue here, and I’m able to share what has worked for me, that would be a nice bonus.