My Space, Leave it Alone

I am a FGInsurance Member. I am in the process of trying to get disability. I have already been deemed disabled by the state. (SSA takes longer.)

A little case history first.
In 1997-99 I had an accident that resulted in me being diagnosed with Degenerative Disc Disease (DDD) @ L4/L5, L5/S1 with Disc Bulging @ L5/S1. From 2001 until now I have been having serious pain and swelling which has driven me to the emergency rooms and numerous doctor visits. One ER doctor told me I needed to get my back reevaluated (new MRI) which is why I was referred to the Headache & Pain Ctr in Leawood, KS. After the new MRI, I was diagnosed with additional DDD @ C4/C5, C5/C6 with Disc Bulging @ both and Nerve Root damage Left and Nerve Root damage Left and Right @ L5/S1. I, also, have PCOS, Diabetes (Insulin Resistance), Fibromyalgia and suffer from blinding migraines (for which the cause has not yet been found. I suspect the bulging discs. The kind that makes you wished you could die.) I have a 2 1/2" binder full of medical records showing all the treatments and physical therapy I have had and Doctors recommendations indicating that no physical therapy, no Epidural, no trigger point injections, would be beneficial at this point in time. I was at my maximum level of recovery (Dated 1999). This was to end the Worker's Comp thing. All I wanted was to go back to work. That's all I still want is to go back to work. In conversation with a Social Security Staffer who noted that I had worked steadily from 1983 until 2000, three years after I was originally injured.

However, since 1999, it is safe to say that the amount of DDD has doubled. The amount of pain I have to live with on a daily basis has reached unbearable.

Now for the matter at hand ...

... on the 7th of July, 2004, I went in to see Dr B (this is like my 3rd or 4th visit) @ the Headache Pain Ctr in Leawood, KS, per a referral from my GP, and told him what Dr D (GP) said on the 2nd of July, and that was that he never meant for me to see a neurologist. Dr B said then if it was a pain specialist they meant for you to see then we can arrange that. After an EMG I was seen by a pain specialist who I swear is INCOMPETENT!

This INCOMPETENT (Dr MA G) is telling me I have limited choices. Epidural or trigger point injections. I said No. What about Spinal Fusion. He said I "didn't have enough nerve damage to warrant surgery". He was explaining to me that I had DDD because I smoked, was overweight and getting old. This really angered me because #1: I was originally diagnosed with it in 1997 at the age of 30 (and then it was said to be a "pre-exsisting condition"). #2: I wasn't always overweight. As a matter of fact I used to be really, really cute. Back when I could move and was really flexible. I was thin and cute and very vain, but cute. #3: I am now only 37 years old. At 30 I was told by an Orthopedic Surgeon that I had the back of a man in his 70's and that it was a "pre-exsisting condition exacerbated by the accident at work". (This is DOCUMENTED, which I carry in my binder to my doctor visits.)

After several minutes of arguing with him. I caved. I agreed to the Epidural to prove to him they don't work, because I've had it before and I had brought him proof I've had it before but he said that was in the lumbar not the cervical, it could be different. Two nurses came in. One swabbed the back of my neck with an alcohol swab. The other then called the Dr back in. He gets on my back (which is riddled with pain), jabbs his thumb above the injection site hard and jabbs this freaking needle into my neck. This one not only did not work, but gave me a horrible headache and made me very sick. Pain surged through my upper back, shoulders and arms. After 30 minutes I was sent home. I had to drive from Kansas to Missouri through road construction and rush hour traffic on I-435 to I-35. By the time I got home I had a slight bruise and swelling at the injection site.

Once I got home I called and asked if I could take anything for the horrible headache and was told someone would call me back. No one did. I took Percocets and the rest of my meds. The next afternoon someone finally called back and I said don't bother I took matters into my own hands then hung up on them before I said something I would later regret. The following week I went in and he was going to give me another. I told him he was not going to touch me with another. I said there was no way you are coming near me with another. My neck was still swollen from the last one.

He looked at me stupid-like then turned to the computer and said "then we need to come up with a plan c d e & f." He said "looking at your EMG you have no nerve damage. That is good". He tripled the dosage of seizure meds and hands me what was supposed to be my EMG report and new script then leaves. What I had in my hand was another woman's MRI of her brain. Clearly labeled and marked. Two copies. I started raging.

I'm telling my Psychiatrist about this last week and I showed him what that DR gave me and he's looking at it and his eyes got huge. He said, "do you know how many laws this Dr has broken?" HIPPA 

I called the clinic up and asked the manager if I could have that woman's address and phone number and she said, "the doctors know what they give their patients and it is unlikely he would have given you ..." then I started reading it to her and she shut up for a long little bit. Then she asked me what are you going to do with it. I said ... All I've been trying to do is talk to Dr B since Friday. That's it. now I'm going to go online and I'm going to find this woman and I am going to tell her what that DR gave me.

My problems are these:

This DR was looking at an MRI Brain scan of another woman (clearly labeled) and telling me that my EMG shows I do not have nerve damage there fore there is nothing seriously wrong with my back.

This is the same DR that got onto my back and jabbed an Epidural into my cervical spine without any painkillers or numbing agents, as per the Step-by-Step Directions I found. I have had a horrible dread of needles, supposedly since infantcy (Mother's story). I make sure all doctors know this. To prove this point, the one time I had to have cavities filled the dentist did so without any shots of Novocain.

My Psychiatrist was telling me I should go back to that clinic and show this DR what he has done. I told him I will not go back because if I do I just might hit that DR.

Dr B, who I really liked and thought was a good Dr, has never returned any calls. (I really liked him because it seems he has been able to cut drastically the number of migraines I have.)

Should the other woman be made aware, as I have not been able to find her?

I have yet to see my EMG results.

Here it is July 28th and my neck is still hurting at the injection site. The pain is actually worse than when I originally went in.

I want to know what can be done about this! I think this is serious.



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Information for Patients and Friends - Medical Procedures - Epidurals
(Problems I was NEVER advised of. These people KNEW I had a MAJOR headache when I left that building. They KNEW I had a MAJOR headache when I called them asking if I could take something for the headache and they never returned my call UNTIL THE FOLLOWING AFTERNOON. I wanted to die from the pain caused by this DR.)

Epidural Steriod Injection FAQ
Will the injection hurt? The procedure involves inserting a needle through skin and deeper tissues (like a "tetanus shot"). So, there is some discomfort involved. However, we numb the skin and deeper tissues with a local anesthetic using a very thin needle prior to inserting the Epidural needle. Also, the tissues in the midline have less nerve supply, so usually you feel strong pressure and not much pain. Most of the patients also receive intravenous sedation and analgesia, which makes the procedure easy to tolerate.

Epidurals for pain relief after surgery - Side effects and complications

I was reading the news and I see Ephedra is all over it again.  I am still seething over the ban issued earlier this year.  Millions of people have taken the drugs/supplements, whatever, and had absolutely no problems and, yet, 155 people have died from "supposedly" Ephedra-related causes, most notably, Steve Bechler of the Baltimore Orioles (I didn't know the man so I obviously wasn't a fan of his).  I am one of the millions of users who used it regularly in a product called Xenadrine RFA, and with much success, I might add.  Not only was I able to lose weight it helped with the debilitating pain I deal with on a daily basis.  It worked better than any pain killer my doctors ever gave me. 

You see when I started taking it I had PCOS, Degenerative Disc Disease at the L4/L5 & L5/S1 with a Bulging Disc at the Latter.  I, also had Fibromyalgia, although that wasn't diagnosed until much later.  I suffered a lot of pain.  I was told I needed to lose weight.  I was barely eating as it was and I was in so much pain all of the time I barely moved to ever get any exercise.  Then I read about this Xenadrine RFA.  The instruction on the first bottle I ever bought said something like 2-3 before or with meals.  I took three right off the bat (and I never did that again).  I was high as a kite and felt pretty funny.  I opted to never take more than two a day after that.  Within a couple weeks, the pain was less intense.  I was getting more exercise and my work uniform was falling off of me.  I had lost 60 pounds within 4 months.  I had not felt this good in a couple of years. 

I hear about these people dying because of Ephedra I am left wondering how much where they taking?  How long where they taking it?  Did they ever seek medical attention or tell their doctors they were even taking it?  I not only told my doctor I was taking it, but I also told the USPS at drug testing that I was taking it.  I was not ashamed.   We hear about morons like "Rush" getting addicted to one of the "Oxy" drugs.  How the hell did he do that!?!?!  That crap didn't even kill my headaches.  "Rush, I have more if ya need them.  I don't even take them any more.  Hear ya go, ya pathetic loser."  People like "Rush" are the very reasons why doctors are afraid to give real pain killers to the very people people who need them.  Therefore, the very people who need them look elsewhere; i.e. Ephedra, illegal stuff, etc.  "Rush, if you want to know what real pain is like, come here."    I know someone personally, who abused the hell out of Ephedra in the early 1990's, and probably should have died.  He knows this and has admitted as such.  He, too, is angered by this ban for the very same reason as I.  The pain relieving properties it did have.

Now that you bastards got what you want, Ephedra banned, I can not get it any more.  The pain is back.  So far the doctor has prescribed Ultram, Vicodin, Darvocet, Percocet, Fioricet, Endocet, Oxycontin, Oxycodone, ect. and none of it kills the pain.  I am left here to suffer with Degenerative Disc Disease of the L4/L5, L5/S1, C4/C5 & C5/C6 with Bulging discs at all 4 and nerve root damage at L5/S1 Left & Right and C5/C6 Left.  The pain has gotten much worse.  I'm not able to work any more.  My new career is that of a sponge.  I'm not happy about it.  I really wished I could share this pain with all of you pukes who got the Ephedra banned.  Including Tommy Thompson and George Bush.   Actually, I'd love nothing more than to be able to give it to them.  They worked hard for it.

Millions ....  155 ....  Where is the equality? 

Are we going to ban asprin next because there has been something like 104 people die from aprin-related deaths in recent years?  I hope so.  (I read this figure on MSNBC today.)

Today our media is filled with hate, lies, halftruths, untruths, misquotes, miscommunications, theivery, squandry, pork barrel spending, governement wasteful spending, political crooks, political mobsters, mob ties, illegal campaign contributions, S&L ties, Nazi ties, name-calling, mud-slinging, rapes, molestations, degradations, murders, etc. 

We, also, have the on-going US-Iraq war, which should have been short and to the point, but is now lengthy and extremely costly, in lives and money.  I  wanted to post this thread to bring everybody closer to home.  Rural America.  A story I read this morning that brought tears to my eyes.  While our government is pi$$ing away taxpayer money salvaging foreign countries, crime is still running rampant in our own country.  As is homelessness, education funding losses, job losses, etc.The immigration into this country is astounding and needs to be curtailed.  Everyone needs to band together and tell Georgie Bush, Vincente Fox & Tony Blair and the entire United Nations to sit their pansy a$$es down, "We, the People, are taking our country back!" 

Remember all of this when you all head to the polls in November. 

Thank you!