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Hello, my name is Tom Kozlowski and I to have had to live with chronic back pain for years

Posted , 2 users are following.

tkozlow1
tkozlow1

I have had two back fusions, L 1,2 and 3 and cervical fusion 4,5 and 6.  Am currently taking 100 mgs of hydrocodon 4 times a day, Tramado HCL  50 mgs 4 times a day,  Diazepam 5 mg 3 times a day and still suffer from severe back pain.  I can't begin to tell you how many sleepless nights I have.  I try to stretch, use a heating pad and even have a hot tub which I use daily.  There are times when I will go out in the hot tub 2, 3 and 4 o'clock in the morning just to try and get some relief.  Currently go to A pain clinic and have had numerous injections with some to little no relief.  Only good thing I can say is that thank God I am retired now.  There were times when I could barely walk out the door to go to work.  Ran machinery for a municipality this is where I hurt my back the worst.  To much bulldozer work!  Anyways I can relate to where you people are coming from.  Also forgot to mention taking Gabapentin 300 mgs 3 times a day.  I can't tell you how many times I lay on the living room floor stretching, twisting and in general just trying to get some relief. 

0 likes, 4 replies

4 Replies

  • melissa91009
    melissa91009 tkozlow1

    Posted

    Gee Tom. Sounds awful! Is there anything else they can do for you? So much medication! I'm 33 and have at 7 surgeries since 2012 on my hips and ankle. I'm having another one on my right hip in a month. My hips were dislocating from an accident in 2012. I have osteoporosis as well from dis-use because I was bed bound for so long when they couldn't figure what was wrong.
    • tkozlow1
      tkozlow1 melissa91009

      Posted

      Sorry to hear that you are going to have surgery again.  I know how painful that is.  When I had my first fusion which was on my lower back, L1.2 and 3 Dr. did tell me that pain control was going to be hard because I was taking so many hydrocodons everyday just to go to work.  I can remember the first night and had to have the nurse call the Dr. to get something for pain.  They did hook me up to morphine drip which I could have every 5 minutes.  I remember asking the nurse if she could just tape my finger to the button.  Anyways did make it through the night.  Remember they had to cut through alot of muscle to get there so I understand why so much pain.  Well anyways hope all goes well for you and don't have to suffer so much.  Good luck and I will be thinking of you.
    • melissa91009
      melissa91009 tkozlow1

      Posted

      Thank you Tom. I was a nurse in spinal/orthopaedics (then neo-natal intensive care) before all this happened so I know how terribly painful your surgery would have been. Glad they have a morphine PCA. I had a fentanyl PCA after my original hip surgery which unfortunately didn't really work because I had sciatic nerve damage and narcotics don't work on nerve pain. Anyway, I hope you start to feel better soon. Take care
    • melissa91009
      melissa91009

      Posted

      Sorry, I meant to say, I'm glad they have you a morphine PCA.
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