I was involved in a serious automobile accident almost 6 years ago now . I was T-Boned on the passenger side of my car . The driver admitted to going 55 M.P.H. no brake skid marks were ever seen later that day by police. I was removed from the car , and placed on a backboard , neck brace applied , and taken to the hospital . My right knee went into the dash , my head went to the left breaking the drivers side window , my head then hit the mirror , my seat belt holder went into my kidney , and the breaking a rib , and puncturing my lung . I had hurt myself before , but I never knew the real meaning of pain before until then , and now. My right knee was three time the normal size, I had a concussion , I was urinating blood , and my neck ,and back were killing me. I had to have a total knee replacement , anterior cervical discectomy with hardware , and fusion at several levels , lumbar laminectomy with hardware and fusion at several levels.
My knee is doing o.k , my neck is doing o.k , but my lower lumbar area (right side ) , and my right leg pain is worse now that before my surgery . I have had 2 mri , emg . which showed severe nerve root irritation in paraspinal lumbo area ( what ever that means ) I just had a myelogram ( ouch ) . My Neurosurgeon says everything looks fine , and my fusion is looking great , BUT why am I having worse pain now that before. The Neuro. said he cannot see any compressions anywhere , but feels that scar tissue is a key element ? I am now taking Gabapatien 300 mgm three times a day, and in 30 days will possibly up the dosage. He spoke with me about pain management ( I had several injections in my neck , and lumbar area , and unfortunately they did not work) . The doc. said that pain management can do more than just injections ) I am in pain 24/7 , and just want it to STOP . Am I being unrealistic here in my request ?
I am starting to be very depressed , and I am tired of being in pain , and am crying out for help to get me back on the right track in dealing with all of this .
I have a very high tolerance of my pain level , but that is wearing away .
I too like you was involved in an auto accident, now 14 years ago and I live with the thoughts, memories, scars, disfigurement and pain daily. I had age and fitness on my side, being 26 at the time helped me in my recovery. I was 10 days on a ventalator, then a further 10 weeks in hospital, had two cardiac arrests, several operations and tubes comming from every hole on my body and where there was no holes they made some
.
I learnt how to walk again 4 months later and have regained some use from my right arm but 6 months after the accident I began to take siezures from my head injury. This is the most worring aspect of my injury at present.
God has a reason for everything, the good things came from my accident was - I married a beautiull woman, have had two great kids and because of my seizures I had to take a diferent carrer choice. Now I work from home making more money than I could have ever dreamt off.
The physical and mental pain I don't think will ever leave you, but the correct pain killers will give you a quality of life again. Your doctor should prescribe you the correct medication, if it does not work you should not be taking it. Talking to people will always help you mentaly, although no-one realy knows what you had to endure while you were in that automobile.
I hope you can get relief from pain. Take care and God bless.
James ,
Thank you for sharing your kind words of encouragement . My wife tells me that I still have nightmares from my accident . I remember only bits , and pieces of this nightmare . After 4 major surgeries required after my accident I hoped to be pain free . My last surgery ( a lumbar laminectomy ) was suppose to have stopped my pain . I was doing great after my surgery , but all of a sudden the pain was back , and worse than before the surgery . My Neurosurgeon feels terrible that he corrected my neck , but not able to correct my back. I am on this Gabapentin 300 mgm three times daily , and will increase after my next visit to the Neurosurgeon Dec. 12, 2008. If all of this does not help than he wants to send me to the pain management center . The nerve damage on my right side is making life a living hell for me . Lower back pain right side , and leg , and foot pain wakes me up at night , cannot walk far , stand long , sit , lay still , I just cannot get comfortable from my pain . I had the epidurals previously , and they did not help me at all . My Neurosurgeon says that there is much more they can do beside injections ? So I guess I will try that again , as long as there are no more needles .
If their RX. will help me than I will certainly try it . I would like to remember what it was like not to hurt anymore .
I was 55 years old at the time of my accident , and I was in great shape . Perhaps that is what saved my life ?
You would think that almost 6 years later that the pain would have stopped . After being told that I could have this pain for the rest of my life was not what I had expected either .
I am very glad to hear that you seem to be doing better . Stay in touch Jim , and I wish you only the best !