To make a long story short, my pain specialist has told me, "In Canada, you will nevr have surgery" so now after seeing 10 different doctors as well as the pain specialist I am still at a loss for medications to help.
Diagnosed 4 years ago with 7mm herniation, I have tried many different medication and now have recently found out that I am not only allergic to ASA which is in alot of things but NSAIDS as well as Acetominophen. I am at this time limited to narcotics for pain control unless I can come up with other options to ask my doctor about before I see him on July 16. I have tried amitriptyline, lyrica, celobrex, torodol, percocet, oxycodone and a few more that I tried in the beginning. All without any help.
Here my doctor tells me just to get over this Chiari thing (he is my family doctor) and really as a general practitioner has no idea, but over the years has been willing to try anything that I might bring up as long as I have the knowlegde to explain. It is kind of tiring explaining to doctors over and over again what I have but it is what it is.
I was off work for 2 years, fought with my medical coverage(from work) for a year and a half before they gave me my benefits. After seeing 10 different doctors and sending in every report and medical test they finally paid but then sent me back to work after when one physiotherapist said I could go back to work. I would go to them every other day for an hour, walk for 30 minutes on a treadmill, 15 minutes on a bike, then 10 minutes of TENS treatments. That was enough for them to say I could go back to work fulltime.
Anyhow, now I am at the point where I need something for the pain everyday. With chronic pain, we build up a tolerance then have a day or a few days worse than before. I have already used all of my sick time, plus the sick time I banked while I was off for 2 years. I have used all the holiday time I banked while I was off (244 hours) plus another week (40 hours) from this year to cover sick days. pretty soon I am going to start losing money and need to find something that can help.
I would love to have that option, but have been told that in Canada I will never get that option. That if I saved 50 thousand dollars I could go to the United States and the surgeons there will do the surgery.
My guess would be that in Canada, they don't want to do a surgery that is not guaranteed to help. That the risks out-weigh the benefits..I question if I have to be unable to walk or talk or see or something drastic before it would be a consideration and don't get answers. All I know is that I have seen 4 neurologists, 3 nuro-surgeons, been to a few pain clinics, my regular doctor, everyone telling me they can not help me and I have to find ways to cope.
Right now, knowing the risks and the possibility that surgery may not help, I would jump at the opportunity to have it done.
Boy, you must be so frustrated to say the very least. Razzle gave you some surgeons names and numbers..hope that maybe one of them can help you.
It is so true that once someone starts taking pain meds they build a tolerance and then what to do??? I am currently using a patch med called Butrans 20 mg...It is a week long patch ..I have had ok results with it...meaning that it does take some pain away but on 'bad days' I have to take Vicodin for break-thru pain. I do like the patch for the fact it does not have many side effects like most opioids.
You mentions the TENS unit..10 minutes is not a long time to have it on..I know that my pain doc says to keep it on for 1/2 an hour at least. Do you have one of your own to use at home??
Keep us posted on how you are doing and if you got anywhere with the docs Razzle mentioned.
I have actually seen the first 2 doctors on this list. Unfortunately surgeons here I have found want approval from the neurologists. And in actualty Dr Arts was shocked to hear that his name was on a list of experts in the area of Chiari because he is not.
I do have my own TENS unit at home and use it for longer periods. I do not find that it does very much for me though.
I guess wish I knew every test to ask for and that the doctors were more knowledgable. But I guess we all feel that way