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i have degenitive desease of the spine herniated disc lower back herniated disc in neck c4 c5

Posted , 4 users are following.

pamela08670
pamela08670

I am on a wide amount of tablets.

Oramorph

Tramadol

Gaberpentine

Naproxen

Paracetamol

Gel

Amitriptyline

Had opp done in 2013 all my symtoms disappeared and was back to work with no problems now i have the worse pain ever as i returned to a crippled state and not happy due to losing my job which was neuro.

I am now back to my symptoms cramps pin and needles nerve contracting i do not feel my left foot i fall over lots and struggle to cut veg etc.as soon as i do any task i am needing to sit in a 3/4 possition i can not drive due to sitting position if i try to sit on a chair its hurts with too much pressure from top to bottom.

On top of this i am full of pride and will not give in i have shouted and screamed as much as i could to get a dianoses which i have now.

My neck and head and arms are feeling heavy at all times and my right leg has now started to do the numb feeling. I can not write with pen as i can not put pressure on my limbs and can not cut food.

All i can do now is to have plenty of good meds and keep active as much as i can do.

I get esa support and now applied for housing bennefit and applied for pip. I am waiting yo hear from them all.

So good luck i hope this helps feel free to ask any question.

2 likes, 12 replies

12 Replies

  • ellen82139
    ellen82139 pamela08670

    Posted

    Your neck symptoms were exactly as mine before I had c5/6 discs tony and fusion,before that I almost felt as though I'd had a stroke,it sounds as though u should get another Miri done,I know what you mean about feeling proud etc it's soo difficult do keep in touchx
    • pamela08670
      pamela08670 ellen82139

      Posted

      No mri is nessary now. Discharged from top consultant . nothing more can be done.if i deteriorate more so than maybe opp but my bones will always behave like this now. i will be monitored for pain relief. And ot has been notified. So just a case as being as comfortable as much as possible.

      Best way to look at it i can not lift no more than a bag of sugar. If i do attempt than i damage more of my spine so its a case of being slow and staying as one can manage.

  • Enna1
    Enna1 pamela08670

    Posted

    Please could you tell me what PIP AND ESA - I know what housinf benefit is but when I was really invalided I could get no help at all.  Now in Spain and you don't get it anyway.  

    I too won't give in until I am really bad. Today I continued with the garden and although I wasn't 100% OK, after lunch I was very much in pain.  Have had all the medications you are on too in England.  Gabapentin is a form of Lyrica which is what I am.  The others did nothing - I have 3 herniated discs - in my back.  I dread going back to England whenever because I think I will be worse off - maybe!!!

    I just take Paracetamol/Tramadol/Lyrica but have had to up the Lyrica now to 4 a day.  I am still in pain but I can't keep upping them.  Does Gabapentin make you lose your memory a bit. I forget names - of people places etc. 

    Unfortunately I can't have fusion because 2 surgeons have already mucked me up with scar tissue but if your MRI (surgeon) says you can have fusion have it.

    Where are you in the UK?  Have you read spinehealth   very useful 

    • pamela08670
      pamela08670 Enna1

      Posted

      Pip is now insted of dwp its messures how disable you are and mobility status pip is now the name of it. You can apply on line and it will take up to 14 weeks to be put to a medical board which is a meeting to explain your disability after they will notify you on which award you will be granted.

      Esa is what you apply for if you are off work this gets awarded to you for a year.

      If by that time you do not go back to work due to ill health than you apply for income support. You can apply for income support if you are single.

      Yes to your answers but doind garden is ok but you need to slow down on tasks doing it slowly and resting a bit between is far better and the pain will not be so intense.

      As i said no opp now as its far too risky due to infection if they reopen sight of last opp.

      It bothers me and the amount of tablets is unreal.

      So thats why i been referred to pain clinic. And ot.

      I feel for you and its not nice when you can not do much but chin up i am here if you need me just even if its to let off steam x

    • pamela08670
      pamela08670 Enna1

      Posted

      I am in plymouth and the the surgeon i seen was a professor and he is the top surgeon i know as i worked for them.

      in derriford hospital its the best nuero in the south west.

      I just wish i had a magic wand.

      I loved my job and wish i still worked there but my spine had different plans for me.

      I can say that i love life. And its so important not to give in x

    • janette34023
      janette34023 Enna1

      Posted

      Hello Enna, just saw your comment about the gabapentin.. I was put on 1500 mg per day which was my downfall. I had been away for 3 days with my husband and on the way home we stopped for lunch. On the way back to the car I couldn't remember where I had been for the last 3 days. I just burst into tears in the car park. When I came home I cut right back and now I only take 600 mg..now and again I struggle to get a sentence out but nothing as bad as that day.
    • Enna1
      Enna1 janette34023

      Posted

      OMG Just like me.  I can't remember peoples names, places and that sort of thing.  I could forget a place, because i write up all our photos and I do ask my other half where did we go?   Whats the name of the place where we saw???  By cutting back, are you not in pain?
    • Enna1
      Enna1 pamela08670

      Posted

      correct - don't give in. I looked a right duck today in Valencia I was told the brace would help me walk, what a load of rubbish.  Not only that as I have put weight on with the pills, the brace made me look far fatter than I am, so his myself behind a scarf. 

      I also think that I may be getting arthritis in my big toe, eventually called bunions.  I have not worn a nice pair of shoes for years. And summer, well I won't go into that.   Bendirom have crap shoes that fall to bits quickly but they are comfortable so next week I am going there and buying a pair of nice looking cheapo shoes!!!!

      Keep in touch.....................

    • janette34023
      janette34023 Enna1

      Posted

      Yeh, doctors today and I am now off work for 1 month and he has given me morphine...
  • Enna1
    Enna1 pamela08670

    Posted

    I am now better since i came to Spain than i was 5 yrs ago in England. I was interviewed by someone for benefits and I couldn;t get anything. Why? because I try to do things myself, although at that time I had a struggle to get up the stairs. 4 of yours I am on. Naproxin is the uk name for Pazital which is Tram/paracetamol. Amytriptoline I couldn't do with, affected my stomach. I have had more help here in Spain than I ever got in England. My dr was horrible, I changed and he was too and then another dr came onto the surgery who replaced the dr who was giving me cortisone injections and he wouldn;t do any more.   I am dreading going back to England at some time or other, but I wont be EVER going back to Kendal.

    I have just been out today and get to the stage when I just can't walk any more and I have to get a taxi.  My meds are doing nothing really, my dr think if she gives me more Pazital i will do myself in so we have to go to the chemist and buy them....I'mlike you I won't give in either but just walking for 15 minutes is terrible. I think I'd rather have a bad heart... anyway stick on this website maybe things will happen.....

     

  • Enna1
    Enna1 pamela08670

    Posted

    I hope you are all looking at this message. On facebook there is a lady called Sharron Wass - we have a discussion group and we are all in the same boat. Ask her to join, tell her that I mentioned it. Anne in Gandia.

    There are lots of people who chatter about their ills and you do get ideas... 

  • Enna1
    Enna1 pamela08670

    Posted

    If i go back to the UK i won't get any disability.   Before I came to spain I couldn't walk up the stairs, I had to sit and go up one by one step.  I couldn't go shopping and couldn't sit - I was in a bad way. I had someone from the Benefit System come round and they said I could get nothing, nowt, nada.

    Whether my partner could get a carer's allowance I don't know, but i did get a disabled car parking ticket.   Which, in spain, I wish I had but apparently they don't dish those out willy nilly either   There is nothing to be done with people who can't walk, and disabled parking spaces are just about nil.

    At the moment, our streets are being tarmaced and we have to take a 20 minute walk to the house but thats normal anyway - I just have to take it easy walking up

     the hill.

    I would say its worse now in the UK than in 2009 and I just forget spain, they don't even have dipped pavements where you can get down the step easily (if you know what i mean)

    Our house in England we are selling because its on a really big hill and we will get a flat - can't do anything about it if I can't get anything 

    Yes, keep active, we have just been out for the day and done a fair bit of Benidorm, although...... I was in desperate pain when I got to the car - up and at em.  If there is a yoga class (Hatha Yoga) go to it. All the years I have done it exercise has done me proud.

     

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