Bring me Sunshine in your Smile!

[Andjg66]

Hi I suffer with degenerative disc disease/disorder. Started when i was 18 and i am now 54! Hospital told me when i was in my 20's i was too young to operate on as op would not last long enough. When I was in my 40's after deep root injections and osteopathy, acupuncture, physiotherapy and a couple of month long stays in hospital i was told they couldn't operate as they'd left me too long!! So now im a morphine addict for 10 years as that was their solution to my problems! Thats me folks! Good to be here though amongst others who maybe understand more than most. My motto gotta keep smiling & you gotta laugh n love life!🙃

[Manorlady]

Hi Andjg, Bless your heart the pain you have suffered must be horrendous ! I am in this position now because of Covid 19 . I should of had injections in March . Now l keep thinking they have forgotten about all other patients with other serious illness . I cant believe this world right now. I am finding it hard as l live on a farm there is much work to be done and my Border Collie can only do so much lol . I am frightened of getting these injections l have read so many bad things .but the pain is so bad now l am a morphine head like you at the moment it makes me soooo sick l hate the stuff how people get addicted to it god only knows at least we can have a chat on here have a good weekend if poss

[Andjg66 in reply to Manorlady]

Hi Manorlady, good 2 hear from u but so sorry for your pain and suffering! Only u can decide on injections, i tried them one i had gave me nearly a year pain free and it was wonderful until the pain came back as another disc started to go. I had others deep nerve inject but they did not work but nor did they leave me any worse! Everyone reacts differently i suppose so i guess u ask yourself and the dr's can it make me any worse and go from there! I have not worked for 15 yrs and i miss it but i try to give myself projects to keep busy, you obviously have enough going on with the farm. Do u have help other than ya collie (bless nature 4 dogs I'd b lost without my two best friends!)? I'm trying 2 cut down on sister morphine but its a hell of a trade ofg and i very slow process, it doesn't make me sick but it seems to make me tired and wvery so often it floors me and i sleep 4 24hrs! I have lost too much life sleeping and refuse to let this prob back n drugs rob me of anymore so i make myself get up and do whatever I can on the day lol small victories can b so enabling dont you think? I hope you have people round you who support u it can be a lonely struggle day today. Keep your head up and try to laugh as much as poss its a great tonic even if its not a cure! Look after yourself. Write if you need a fellow morph head who maybe understands a bit.

[Manorlady in reply to Andjg66]

Hi Andgj your mail made me smile l feel exactly the same as you as l said terrified of injection when l had bad knees through running a pub for years l got injections as you say no pain so you work walk then when they wear off your twice as bad . Yes l love dogs can't live without them . I feel annoyed as l can't walk through the forest up the road just a simple thing .l have stopped morphine . Well l hope you have a good weekend looks like weather is going to be better , have a swallowsnest just outside my front door and they are about to fledge so bring on the sun

[AML80]

I have degenerative disc disease diagnosed about four years ago. I am to old for an op and the injection on my neck made things worse. I use Voltarol when the pain get too much. I have stopped taking pain killers as they were effecting my kidneys.

[Andjg66 in reply to AML80]

Hi AML80 Good 2 hear from you, I'm sorry for your situation. I wonder would we be too old if we could pay for the op (not presuming u can't i know i can't) or if we were in high social standing who knows but i think not! I was on voltarol a long time ago then my gp called me in and said i had to stop taking "antiflams" as they could affect my stomach i asked what i could take instead his reply just painkillers! You really are at their mercy and you seem to just have to say thanks Doc and go on ya shuffling way it makes me so cross but after seeing dr n specialist come and go one after the other you rather loose faith in any medical help or at least I have.

I hope you are living the best life you can under the circumstances. Take care

[EternallyPainDriven]

Am in the same boat. Was knocked down in 06, sent home from docs more times than i can remember feeling more and more depressed, pain is horrendous am stuck on 25mg morphine. I did have surgery but they only fused 2 of 3 degenerative and punctured discs. So dont see missing surgery as a bad thing. I am just as bad now and have less energy as time goes by. The morphine helps but doesnt do enough to make me able to cope with the pain so well anymore.

[Andjg66]

So sorry to hear that EPD, I must admit i thought at first the trade off of morph v pain would be worth it being a bit dopey but no pain! But it didn't mask the pain like i thought it would! So now what hey its not like sister morphine is much fun least that'd be a consulation! Seems like brain surgery has come on in leaps and bounds but back probs is not even shuffling ahead! I don't know about you but i feel like i belong to some long forgotten lost tribe! So i just keep on shuffling and laughing like some crazy stick using rum'en ! Take care mate 🙃