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    I was first diagnosed with Scoliosis at age 16, I am now 33. Over the years I have grown used to the daily lower back pain, and over time you get used to a certain amount of daily pain and as the pain increases, its a gradual progression your body adapts to as being "the norm". From August of 2003 - September of 2004 I underwent surgery 6 times for completely unrelated issues to scoliosis. During that time I for the most part, particularly from March of 2004 to Thanksgiving, 2004 when 4 of the 6 surgeries occured, I was in a constant state of post-op recovery, hence also on post-op pain meds as well. That was all good and fine, but in the process it also took away the back pain I had over the years grown used to, not a bad thing most people would think to be pain free in that aspect, but it has proved to be just the opposite. To go from being without pain for several months with the aid of pain meds for other reasons to trying to get accustomed to back pain that took my body years of gradual progression to get used to just isn't happening. I tried for 2 months to try and get used to what I was living with daily before and couldn't tolerate it anymore and made an appointment to see my family doctor. She immediately sent me to physical therapy, where I did a series of stretches and exercies for 2 hours at a time 3 times a week for 5 weeks. Every day I went to therapy was just horrific, the pain only intensified and as time thru therapy went on it did not get any easier nor any better. I did not complete the full 20 visits of Physical Therapy that I was scheduled for, and stopped 5 visits short as I just couldn't put myself through it anymore. My family doctor is not willing to discuss any other avenues as is determined physical therapy is the answer. I have on my own began to see a Chiropractor this week. When I went for my initial consult a few days ago she suspected arthritis and told me I had the back of a 70 year old. Xrays were taken and I went back today for her to have time to look at the xrays and decide if Chiropractic is a viable option. I went in and saw my Xrays, while no arthritis was present in my spine, it is heavily present in my hips. My one leg is longer than the other, my left hip and shoulder are higher than the other, which is something I was already aware of for many years now. The Xrays showed the last 2 "gaps" that should show on the xray, the openings in between the vertibrae are virtually non-existant and that the scoliosis has curved my spine to such an extent those lower vertebrae are locked in place and non-moving (hence she originally thought arthritis), hence pinching the nerves which run in between and because of the angle they are curved at the lowest vertebrae is causing part of the vertebrae to prtotrude into where the opening should be, looking like a bone spur. She believes that thru Chiropractic therapy the manipulation will "unlock" these vertabrae and get them moving again, which I do believe it can. Up until this point everything she said made perfect logical sense and seemed like a course of action that can work. She then went onto explain to me that the form of pain I am in is considered "sub-acute" pain which doesn't even justify over the counter meds like aleve or the like (I didn't mention pain meds at this point, this was her further explaining things). Now I have always thought I have a fairly decent tolerance for pain, and in all that I have been thru I most certainly know what pain is and different degrees of pain, I didn't say anything to her and just listened, apparently the look on my face was enough to convey what I was thinking as after a minute or two she said your looking at me like I am crazy, but really you only have sub-acute pain. Now my first problem here is telling me what I do and don't feel, its one thing to say "normally" or "typically" but I am not here to see her to make issues over anything so I just absorb what she is saying. She then gets to telling me that this process of manipulation, electortherapy and exercise won't work without a good diet, and she began asking me what I eat, which I am not much of a fast food eater, but I do eat it from time to time, once every 3 weeks on the average, I don't have a sweet tooth in that I don't like cookies, cake, pie, candy or any of that sort, I am strictly a white meat, potato, vegetable person. Then we get to beverages and I inform her I am a very heavy Mt. Dew drinker, she declares that to be the sole cause of my problems and the state I am in and that none of this is going to work if I don't stop drinking it by reducing my intake by 1 can a day each and every day until I am down to no more than 1 can a day for life. She declared that if I didn't there is no point in doing any of this and "I may as well go out in the street and wait for a truck to hit me". Now I know caffeine is not good for you and I don't deny addiction to it, but this sudden proclomation from her was so overwhelming to me my head was spinning, becuase I know there is no fact and analysis to back up what she is proclaiming to me like it is some sort of commandment in stone. I also noticed on my way out on a dry erase board she has a notice to all patients stating not to ever use tylenol as it will cause your liver to fail, underlined with several exclamation points. While I feel the course of action she had discussed is a worthy solution to try, I feel that my medical care is not up for me to decide, such as if it doesn't seem to be working, and she thinks it is, then I am incorrect (hence her telling me that I don't have real pain, I have sub acute pain which is a slight discomfort). Or that if things worsen I am going to have to just suffer, as I am not in pain, or if she agrees this isn't taking care of it, its my fault because I drink Mt. Dew and have for years (but stopping at a rate of 1 can a day is going to make an instant difference in all of this).

    Where I am coming from in all of this......without getting too detailed or graphic, I spent from 2001-2003 with an ob/gyn who constantly put me off even though none of my labs came back normal and I was having huge problems, and have a medical history of pre-cancerous conditions before. I couldn't get her to even do testing on me to look into "abnormal" lab results, her answer was to go off the pill for 6 months and see what happens (this is already a year and a half later and 5-6 consultations trying to demand she do something and what I was expereincing was not "normal" as she claimed. I switched Drs at the end of that 6 months and went to a Gyn with a specialty in Oncology. Immediately had many tests done, and he stopped testing because everything, symptoms and such indicated Cancer and was asked where I was in having children, which I was done, and a total hysterectomy was done. Result, severe cervial dysplasia (the pre-cancerous condition I had previous in 1994) endometriosis, andomyosis, and ovarian cysts which were bleeding into themselves. I didn't have cancer, everything I had, except the cysts, eventually all lead to cancer. Since that I have a hard time with a wait and see attitude, I also have a hard time in not being extremely involved in my treatment, including reseraching on my own thru various sources, and I have a hard time with a Doctor who tells me nothing is wrong and is dismissive about treatment.

    Is my bad experience gynecologically clouding my judgement and feelings in the instance with this chiropractor. I have tried to keep an open mind on all of this that she has said and didnt argue any points with her at all as it would serve no point. Has anyone had the same symptoms/diagnosis and what was the best course of action that worked? Any help or advice is EXTREMELY appreciated!!
    Last edited by Shawna72; 04-07-2005, 03:00 AM.
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