TabbyCat

I haven't tried the patches yet...are you talking about the Salonpas? I've seen the commercials, and I'm willing to try just about anything at this point! I have my next appt with my PCP a week from Thursday. I'm wondering if I can get in sooner. Thanks for your empathy, LR. This truly is miserable.

So, I posted on here almost two weeks ago now about my degenerative disc disease. I've been on Prednisone for 8 days now...the higher dose for the first 5 days, then I began tapering down on Sunday. I have 2 more days of the medium dose, and then 5 days of the lowest dose--1 pill a day for 5 days. Saturday I finally felt some relief from this goshawful pain. Sunday it came back, after I started the lower dose. I e-mailed my doc and said we needed to do whatever the next thing to do was, because this wasn't working. Yesterday he gave me a referral to the Pain Management group under

I was elated at the news of her arrest. I think she's to egocentric to even entertain the thought of killing herself. I think she truly believes she'll get away with this and has since she began planning it.

Sounds great! Oh but wait...what are the owner's political and religious beliefs? And can you tell me who they donate money to please? Their fried chicken might be "tainted" by their personal beliefs, and I sure couldn't eat their fried chicken of they don't believe like I do! Isn't Bojangles Cajun? So...maybe they do VooDoo rights with spare chicken feet and such? Oh no, I can't support VooDoo! It's EVIL!!

I'm pretty sure no one will notice. I don't go there for church or moral values; when I go there (which isn't often), it's for chicken. Plain and simple.

Perferct!!

Thank you, friend. I'm OK for now. They are all very good pet people, and have been all over me, licking my arms and legs to make me feel better. Pets are such precious people! But we're good for now. If that changes, I might ask for help, and I appreciate your offer!

Thanks, everyone! I really do appreciate the encouragement! S&D's Nana...my doc didn't really want to give me anything for pain. I understand. He's very cautious, and we talked about it before he gave me a pain med. I just knew that if it was going to take three days or so before I might start feeling any relief from the steroids, and I have to work every day and take care of my home and my pets and my husband...laying up in bed until the relief started from the steroids just wasn't an option. I'm surprised to find how many folks have experienced this. My heart goes out to al

Actually, in my discussion with my PCP today, if it becomes necessary to see the pain management specialist, the objective will be first to try corticosteroid injection directly into the effected area, and if that isn't successful, then an epidural to address the pain. I HATE pain meds, and he doc and I, of COURSE, discussed them today. I am taking them now...they were really needed to get me through this pain crisis until (hopefully) the prednisone begins to work. I hate the way pain meds make me feel, but for now? Trust me...the pain I worse than the pain med effects. I appr

Advanced Degenerative Disk Disease. The disks between C4 and C5 and C5 and C6 Are GONE, so he top and bottom of C5 are both touching bone-to-bone with the vertebrae next to them. And all kinds if nerves are trapped up in that. Seeing the x-ray made the pain make sense, but of course does nothing to help it. I'm on a three week course of steroids. I go back to the doc in two weeks to see if it's helping any with the pain. If not, I'll be referred to a pain specialist. Surgery will almost certainly be needed somewhere down the road. The goal now is to eliminate the pain as long as p

Thanks, folks. NC, I hope I don't have to take the zombie route, but at this point I'm ready to try just about anything. I woke up this morning to unrelenting pain. The only thing that's helped to an small degree is constant heat--with the heating pad at the hottest setting. If I move away from the heating pad, the pain brings tears. I am leaving in a few minutes for a 2:30 appt with my PCP in Austell. I'm going to beg for some kind of relief. At this point I 'm not picky, as long as this pain gets under control.

Mine also goes into my shoulder blade area, and is actually where I felt the first pain. Now it goes from my neck, though the shoulder joint, picks up the entire shoulder blade, and radiates down into my elbow. And the elbow now hurts as much as the shoulder blade. I really thought with some patience and time, it would get better, but it's been a week now, and it's only getting worse. And relentless pain is quite motivational, right? As in...MAKE IT STOP NOW!!! Thanks rockysmom! I wish this was just from moving...but I'm pretty sure it's from heavy mouse work on my job. I'm working o

Thanks! I appreciate the info. Even if they are benign, I'm hoping it isn't a tumor. You have actually made a pinched nerve sound appealing! Thanks for responding! I'll be going to my primary care MD and asking for a referral depending on how that goes.

I'm sorry you had such a negative experience. I'm going with a pinched nerve. If it's something other, I'll face that when I know about it. For now, um, yeah. I'm thinking pinched nerve, and not giant cell tumor...

How long ago was your experience? And thanks for responding!

So, I did a search on here for discussions about pinched nerves...I never had any idea how common this is. It's also incredibly painful!! Like, REALLY incredibly painful! Mine is in my neck, and though I don't have an "official" diagnosis, I'm pretty sure I know that's what it is. Left side, radiating pain that goes from my neck, through the shoulder, and stops abruptly and painfully at my elbow. And the lower part of my left arm is numb. I've heard people complain of pinched nerve pain before, but I neve appreciated the kind of pain they were talking about. This is just no kin

What we really need to do is to stop letting the media drive our concerns and our opinions. I neither support nor discredit gay marriage. It's none of my business. I DO think that same-sex partners in committed relationships should be able to enjoy the EXACT benefits any of the rest of the population enjoys when they enter into a union, and I believe they should be allowed the same union anyone else enjoys in a committed relationship. I wouldn't want anyone here to choose who I am allowed to love. Why would I think it was OK for anyone here to choose who anyone else can love? I

It didn't have far to digress after the first post.

Sam has our vote. Some of you people disgust me.

afewcardsshy appears to also be missing some elevator buttons, but this thread has been very entertaining!

I don't need the threat of guns to keep me away from organized religion.

Agreed! Eva's Mom told her as she went out on stage, "Have FUN!" I thought that was great. That's what it should be about if someone puts their child in anything competitive...FUN. Not winning or losing or getting all caught up in the "rules." If the child isn't having fun, why do it? If the parents get so wrapped up in the "competition" that they get confrontational with other ADULTS, WHO is the "competition" between?

I am at much greater risk EVERY DAY by the actions of those who text while driving than my life ever has been or ever will by by those who legally carry a gun ANYWHERE. Oh, and by the way...there are laws against texting while driving...that's working out great, right?