Hello everyone,
I am new to the forum. You all have inspired me to take ownership of my health.
I had the top half of my back fused with two rods in 1995 (I don't know the specifics). I was 15. I didn't have any major problems with it until last year.
I started having very bad pain in my neck, left arm, and hips. So I started to get massages and go to a naprpath, who gave me adjustments. The pain disappeared until the next time I got stressed and my muscles tightened up. A few years before that I would get pain in my back and bulging muscles. I went to a chiropractor who told me a rib had popped out. He put it back and I felt better. I had no health insurance at the time.
Well with the pain in my joints my primary care physician last week suggested I get x-rays to see if I had arthritis. I got the x-rays and asked the technician if I could see them since I hadn't had x-rays in 8 years. I was shocked to see that something had broken loose from one of the rods and there were jagged pieces sticking out. Also my curve looked worse than I remembered.
The tech suggested I get my original x-rays from my surgeon. I called to get the x-rays but they don't keep x-rays past 10 years. I'm waiting on the surgeon to return my call once they locate the case notes.
I called my primary care physician to see if she'd seen the x-rays yet and to get a referral. She hadn't and her nurse told me it would take up to two weeks for her to get a report from radiology. So I decided to do some research while I wait to hear. that's how i ran across this site.
I am terrified. I am a very active person, I dance (egyptian style) in a dance company, I work full time and part time, I attend grad school full time, i'm starting a new internship. and i'm preparing to move to New York in 6 months. If I have to have a revision it will postpone my plans for a long time. Being so afraid has made my back tighter and now i'm afraid to get a massage or go to the naprapath (if something is sticking out with jagged pieces I don't want them to aggravate it accidentally).
I don't want to have to take pain medicine everyday. I'm into natural medicine and pain meds don't correct any problem, they just mask symptoms. But if the pain continues i'll have to take something if i can't get an adjustment.
I don't want to interfere with school, I finish in 12 weeks. I don't want to have to stay here in my low paying job once I finish school, just to keep the insurance. I don't want to not be able to dance for 6-12 months of recovery. I know that my back is very important and being that i'm only 25 at least it'll be easier to heal than if I were 40.
I just don't know what to do, where to look, or what to ask. What's worse is that my doctor and the surgeon who performed the surgury all those years ago are not taking this particularly seriously. It's this a dangerous way to be walking around?
Where do I start?
Rakgirl
I am new to the forum. You all have inspired me to take ownership of my health.
I had the top half of my back fused with two rods in 1995 (I don't know the specifics). I was 15. I didn't have any major problems with it until last year.
I started having very bad pain in my neck, left arm, and hips. So I started to get massages and go to a naprpath, who gave me adjustments. The pain disappeared until the next time I got stressed and my muscles tightened up. A few years before that I would get pain in my back and bulging muscles. I went to a chiropractor who told me a rib had popped out. He put it back and I felt better. I had no health insurance at the time.
Well with the pain in my joints my primary care physician last week suggested I get x-rays to see if I had arthritis. I got the x-rays and asked the technician if I could see them since I hadn't had x-rays in 8 years. I was shocked to see that something had broken loose from one of the rods and there were jagged pieces sticking out. Also my curve looked worse than I remembered.
The tech suggested I get my original x-rays from my surgeon. I called to get the x-rays but they don't keep x-rays past 10 years. I'm waiting on the surgeon to return my call once they locate the case notes.
I called my primary care physician to see if she'd seen the x-rays yet and to get a referral. She hadn't and her nurse told me it would take up to two weeks for her to get a report from radiology. So I decided to do some research while I wait to hear. that's how i ran across this site.
I am terrified. I am a very active person, I dance (egyptian style) in a dance company, I work full time and part time, I attend grad school full time, i'm starting a new internship. and i'm preparing to move to New York in 6 months. If I have to have a revision it will postpone my plans for a long time. Being so afraid has made my back tighter and now i'm afraid to get a massage or go to the naprapath (if something is sticking out with jagged pieces I don't want them to aggravate it accidentally).
I don't want to have to take pain medicine everyday. I'm into natural medicine and pain meds don't correct any problem, they just mask symptoms. But if the pain continues i'll have to take something if i can't get an adjustment.
I don't want to interfere with school, I finish in 12 weeks. I don't want to have to stay here in my low paying job once I finish school, just to keep the insurance. I don't want to not be able to dance for 6-12 months of recovery. I know that my back is very important and being that i'm only 25 at least it'll be easier to heal than if I were 40.
I just don't know what to do, where to look, or what to ask. What's worse is that my doctor and the surgeon who performed the surgury all those years ago are not taking this particularly seriously. It's this a dangerous way to be walking around?
Where do I start?
Rakgirl
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