I'm in sooo much pain :(

[LynetteG]

I luckily had a neck brace in my closet which is what I am wearing right now. I'm in so much pain it makes me want to cry, and I don't even know whether I can take Tylenol for it or not, because at my pre-op I was told not to take Ibuprofen, or aspirin, but don't know if that included all pain medication. I found out I have degeneration at my pre-op in my neck, and strangely enough when I was finding that out, right before I had started feeling bad pain in my neck right in that area, but now it's at a pain level of 10. I'm going to call my local doctor up this morning and see if I can get in to see her and find out what the heck to do. I really could have done without this when I'm only just slightly over a week out from having my surgery :( :( :(

[debbei]

Awh Lynette, I'm sorry. You can take tylenol, but not sure if it would help you if the pain is that bad. Do you think it's the stress catching up with you? Being just a week out made me think of that first thing. Maybe you're just holding the stress in your neck.

((Hugs))

[gmw]

So sorry to hear you're in so much pain. Praying you'll get relief very soon.

[LynetteG]

Thank you Debbei and GMW. I'm sure part of it is stress, the pain is affecting me taking care of my boys because it's a constant horrible pain. I left a call in to my surgeon Dr. Cronen, so just waiting for him to call me back. I called my local doctor and she said to wait to hear back from Dr. Cronen, but that I can take Tylenol. The Tylenol dulls the pain very slightly which is better than nothing. I was really hoping to have a normal week prior to surgery, this really sucks!

[titaniumed]

Hop in the bath tub, hot water will help.

Relax
Ed

[LynetteG]

Ed - great suggestion :).

My surgeon just called me and confirmed that although my neck has degenerative discs, the inflammation is more than likely due to stress of the upcoming surgery and lack of sleep at night - so I'm off to the pharmacy now to pick up my Tylenol PM, and to pick up a painkiller that Dr. Cronen has just called in for me to relieve my neck. Geez - this week coming up to surgery is not fun - I've been lacking on doing my self-hypnosis and meditation, so I know I need to get back to doing that because it helps me tremendously. My hypnotist just spent some time on the phone with me helping me relieve my pain, and she actually brought the pain down from a level 10 to a level 2. Moving around it's hurting back up at an 8, but she really helped me relax those muscles around the inflammation on my neck :)

[rohrer01]

Lynnette,
I'm so sorry to hear about your pain. I had to go to the ER last week because of pain level 10. It was about an 8 when I got there and just kept increasing to the point that I was having trouble breathing. They gave my fentanyl, which I am already on. I wish you the best for your upcoming surgery. I'm hoping that my doctor will finally agree to do mine for pain reasons. My curve is only 46*, but the pain is absolutely unbearable at times. Hang in there girl. We're all here for you!
((((HUGS))))

[ShariMSU]

Good luck Lynette. I have been watching your journey as my surgery is just a couple of weeks after yours. I'm feeling the anxiousness creeping up.
I will pray for your pain relief this next week so you enjoy and love those little boys!

[LynetteG]

Thank you Rohrer01 and Shari - your kind words from all of you mean so very much to me. When it rains it seems to storm with me - today has been a lousy day - between the rotten pain in my neck, and then having my attorney call me telling me that my ex is not willing to give an inch so therefore we have to move forward to his deposition and court in front of the judge. Everyone keeps telling me to keep positive, think about after the surgery and how great you'll feel, well sometimes it's hard to think positive when what I have to face after my surgery is a major court battle to try to survive financially to take care of my little boys. I have no idea why God is challenging me so much right now - but I guess there is a reason, I'm just hoping and praying that life will turn round for me sometime soon, because I've been battling in my life for the last nine years, where it has become harder and harder, I could do with a break sometime soon - so God if you can hear me? :)

[mbeckoff]

Lynette, I feel for you with your court battle. My brother is suing me over my Dad;s money. My Dad passed away in 2006 and this has been going on since then. My brother wants a accounting of every penny my Dad spent while he was living with me and my family. The stress that it creates is horrible. I really do not know why God gives us all this to handle. I have 2 special needs children to raise, although they are much older than yours.They both still need help in life. Now I have the Diabetes to deal with. It seems like it never ends. I have no relatives left to help me with life. I know that they say that God never gives you more than you can handle but sometimes you wonder if God knows when you are hanging on by a thread.

I will keep you in my prayers

God bless
Melissa

[JenM]

Hi Lynette-

Just wanted to wish you good luck for April 1st! I've been following your posts for awhile now as I have two small children as well and have an upcoming surgery. My surgery is scheduled for June 8th. I totally understand how much anxiety you are experiencing knowing you are going through such a big surgery and have 2 little boys waiting for you at home. I am experiencing the same anxiety. But the way I see it is that we are in so much pain now that I can't wait until after the surgery when I can play with them and be pain free! I know it will be awhile after the surgery to feel better but I think it will be worth it. I feel bad for my kids seeing me in alot of pain and I just want to get this surgery over with and feel more normal again.

Also, wanted to let you know I also have degeneration in my neck, which I found out from my cervical MRI. The only thing that helps me with this pain is getting my neck adjusted by a chiropractor. I'm not sure if I'll be able to get my neck adjusted after the surgery. However, I'm hoping the pain in my neck will diminish as I think it is a result of the kyphosis I have from my upper 58 degree thoracic curve. My doctor said I have kyphosis, in addition to my scoliosis, which measures 68 degrees. I think my forward slouching (leaning forward instead of upright) is from the kyphosis which puts alot of pressure on my neck and I'm hoping it will get better as a result of being in better alignment after the surgery. Just wondering if you have kyphosis also in addition to the scoliosis....The pain in my neck seems to also flair up when I get stressed out.

Anyway, I'll be thinking of you on the 1st and will be looking forward to reading your posts. Best of luck to you! You will be on the "other side" soon!

JenM

[LynetteG]

Melissa - thank you so much for your kind words. I'm really and truly sorry to hear what you're going through too, you're right, court battles are vicious, especially for you when it's your brother, your sibling who you hope to be there for you. That is awful. I hope that your court battle turns out in your favor. Then having two special needs children, that's a whole heck of a lot on your plate, and of course finding out about your diabetes - geez, I agree with you, there are many days when we wonder why we're thrown so many things one after another. I guess there's a life plan there somewhere, and hopefully Melissa, we'll come out of our situations feeling like much stronger people, and then things please God will turn round in our favor, and life will be beautiful again. I thank God every day for my kids, as that's the most wonderful gift that I could have ever had, two sweet angels from heaven, and our kids love will carry us through :)

JenM - yes it's really hard for our kids to see us in this pain, and typically I'm not in that much pain from my back, but boy, this pain in my neck has been the worst, and I hate the kind of person that I turn into when I'm dealing with this as well as other stuff, my poor boys see a yucky grumpy side of their mommy. I apologized to them when I was reading them bedtime stories tonight and tucking them into bed, for being such a grump today! I have mostly scoliosis and only recently found out from my doctor that I also have kyphosis. So anyway - yep I'll be on the "other side" soon, and hopefully have happy encouraging stories for everyone to read.

Sorry for being such a complaining whiner today, I hate being that kind of person as typically I'm a very upbeat positive kind of person. I also feel so sorry for my mother and my brother, I'm very close to them both, and boy did they have to deal with my misery today, depressed and out of sorts, what a downer for them. Thank God they stay strong for me and give me lots of encouragement and tell me that everything will be better when I've had the surgery and recover, and that life will change for the better - I hope they're right and feel sure that they are right. My brother says to fight each battle at a time, don't overwhelm my mind with all of the stuff at once, just take each day and deal with each step - one at a time. So - I will keep trying to do that, and try to ignore all the other crap going on around me.

This forum has been such a blessing to me, I look forward every day to coming on here and listening to everyone's stories, and to receiving so much encouragement, and great advice, and genuine caring from you all. So thank you my scoliosis family - you are all amazing human beings! XXX

[rohrer01]

It sounds like you at least have a good support group at home. I know it's hard sometimes, but don't give up on God. He doesn't want this for you. There are better times ahead. Keep your chin up, it sounds like you are a wonderful person, daughter, sister, and most of all MOTHER. ;)

[LynetteG]

Thank you rohrer01 :)

[Radiogirl]

Lynette, I have been having worse pain than usual too...and I think it's because my surgery is next week!!! It's God's way of letting us know we are doing the right thing! Hang in there and be soooo thankful for you little boys. Be grateful you have them. Believe me, I have no kids, and am divorced, and you are lucky to have them. We'll be on the other side soon and helping others yet to go through this surgery, like they are helping us.

[LynetteG]

Thanks Laura - you're absolutely right - we will be helping others very soon. Sorry to hear you're in more pain right now also, I've been thinking of you and wondering how you're feeling!

[Radiogirl]

Hey Lynette, I used to live in Florida, near you sort of...Indian Shores. That is my home away from home and I absolutely LOVE that area! That is where I got into radio (tampa/st. pete). I also worked at WTSP, Ch10 when I was there...oh, the days!!!! Miss it soooo!!! I was actually thinking of trying to come down to that area towards the end of my recouperation, and just lay around in the sun on the beach, Crabby Bills, wherever! haha! My friend is a rental agent and he hooks me up with fabulous deals right on the beach of Indian Shores. I wonder if I will be able to travel at about 9 or 10 weeks out??? I'm even thinking of moving back to that area! Had I known there was a great scoli surgeon in Tampa, I would have gone there for my surgery!!! We will keep in touch!!! Keep busy to keep those nerves calmed!

[mbeckoff]

Lynette

How are you feeling today?

Did anything help?

Did you sleep at all?

Hope you are doing better?

Melissa

[LynetteG]

Laura - look me up if you come down here, it would be great to meet each other.

Melissa - My neck is still hurting, but it is a fraction better than yesterday :) so I'll take that :) Thanks so much for your concern. How are you doing? Any news on your sugar counts and perhaps setting up your new surgery date?

[mbeckoff]

Melissa - My neck is still hurting, but it is a fraction better than yesterday :) so I'll take that :) Thanks so much for your concern. How are you doing? Any news on your sugar counts and perhaps setting up your new surgery date?[/QUOTE]

My sugar counts have been very good so I am very confident that come Monday the 29th when I go back to the Diabetes Doctor that he will give me the OK to have the surgery. I think that schedule wise for me the best will be April 21-22.

Thanks for asking

Melissa

[LynetteG]

That's great Melissa - so that's coming up fast for you then too. Hope all goes well with your diabetes doctor - of course I know all will be good, and we will all be on the other side real soon :)

[RitaR]

When I was in all my preop pain I would just do my very best to get beyond the pain. It was very difficult. I am not sure how I did it - but, little by little I just tried my best to keep my mind off it. I know it's tough - we all have to be the strongest people around becuase of all the pain we've dealt with and I don't know about you guys but there was very little I could do about it to make it any better. The heat pad was my best friend. If I sat in my recliner with the heat pad on Medium I would get a little relief.