I have a herniated disc and no health insurance. If I had a gun

I think I would have shot myself (well, maybe not) last night from the excruciating pain. I was up most of the night and this morning I've called a clinic nearby to see if I can get in and get some relief. My spouse started a new job and they don't provide insurance for us, so we have been checking out some companies on our own. The fees are unbelievably high.

It's scary and frustrating at the same time. :argh:

Are there any medicaid-like programs you might qualify for?

:eyes:

and not by my choice.

We recently got a bunch of low-cost health insurance options here in Mass, due to the recently-passed law requiring everyone to have insurance.

When I found out that that yellow-bellied draft-dodging coward 5 deferment Cheney and his puppet Chimpy had taken away my "free for life" VA health care, I checked out the Commonwealth Connector health insurance scam. That scam wants to clip me for $4000 (with a $4K deductible) to $10,500 per year.

I hate to disagree, but that does not meet the definition of low cost. This state insurance scam was just a Romney ploy to get attention for himself as he launched his bogus WH run. This is just a piece of shit Mitt through up against the wall to see how much would stick.

I am a single working mother of 3 children. I am getting insurance through Commonwealth care for 70.00 per month. A family of 4 making less then 62,000 can get the same insurance as masshealth on a sliding scale.

You need to look past the "commonwealth connector" and see what other options are available. Also the plans available on the connector are a bit less then when you search for a plan on your own.

Last month I had no insurance, I made too much. As of July 1st I am fully covered on everything, no deductables for 70.00 per month.

It has been a huge lifesaver for me, especially since last week I ended up in the ER with a massive infection in my bloodstream. I probably would have died without Commonwealth Care.

But I have been making above the minimum to qualify for any CommHealth like freecare or copay. And at 60, the CommConnector is setup to slam the older set with premiums up to $10,500 per year, so I'm not going to stand for it.

I have decided to pay out of my pocket, based on my family history I don't expect any big ticket costs until in my '70s, so I'm willing to gamble to save over $50,000 in the next 5 years.

As is typically the case of those who slam subsidized insurance for those of us who would literally die because we don't have a few thousand laying around to pay the cardiologist or oncologist or whoever we might need if we get sick. You're gambling you won't lose your home, portfolio, whatever you've accumulated while you save your life. Others are gambling with their life that those pains will go away because there is no doctor who will see them without that magic little card or pile of green.

Let me be clear. I am not slamming subsidized insurance for you or those that it benefits.

I went through life believing I had U.S. govt guaranteed VA health care, so if I lost my employer provided insurance I would have fall-back protection. I am slamming the system that in one hand takes away my "free for life" health care, and now the other hand says,
"Hey you have to carry mandatory health insurance or we will fine you, what's the matter with you for not planning ahead of time stupid."

The system involves the republican chicken-hawks that taketh away VA benefits vs. the republican chicken-hawk Romney sticking a knife in the back of Massachusetts veterans by threatening fines. That's the crux of my beef with this state's mandatory health plan.

I'm gambling is correct. Welcome to health care planning in Bush World.

Putting aside your VA beef, which is completely justified but beside the point - the reason health insurance is mandated is because universal coverage won't work unless EVERYBODY pays. Once EVERYBODY has to pay, and begins to see how much these premiums really are - maybe 6% of their income for single payer won't sound so bad. Would you prefer a 6% tax for 100% medical coverage?

but not the 17.5% they are trying to charge me for 100% medical coverage. The cheap policy (with $4K ded.) is 12.5%. Maybe a National Health Care Policy can get it down to 6%.

The system, basically designed by insurance company lobbyists, has weighted the highest premiums against the oldest, which sounds fine in theory since the oldest would be expected to have the higher income and be more subject to using the provided health care.

What it does not take into account are those of us (part time employee) trying to accumulate enough savings so as not to be threatened with homelessness should I live longer than expected. To have the state expect me to pay a lion share of my income over the next 5 yrs ($50K) is not reasonable to put it mildly. I understand the EVERYBODY pays concept, but to overload me with a monthly premium of $875 does not compute with my holding on by my fingernails long range financial plan.

The system seems to work like Bush's FEMA. But every encounter with the system is a maddening frustration.

But can you not see that if EVERYBODY knew what their coverage was costing them, as either straight cash or less income, then we'd get change a lot faster. So much of medical costs are hidden that the majority of people have no clue how high a premium can go. My premium is as high as yours, so I understand. But how many people are out there who are clueless because they "gamble", and everybody else has to pick up the tab when they lose that bet. I don't think we're going to get to single payer until every single person is forced to deal with the reality of paying for their own health care costs.

but I have a vested interest in seeing the Commonwealth Connection insurance scheme fail, and if I can help destroy it. I will. Only by rejecting these poorly thought out schemes can we move more quickly to national health care. I refuse to be forced into a republican-hatched insurance scam just after having them take away my VA care.

I just can't get my mind around allowing myself to be victimized by the crooked insurance industry and their poodles in the MA state house.

if I were in your state. I have the same subsidized insurance in Oregon and would have no medical care AT ALL without it. So go ahead on your campaign, but do know you're killing people as you do it.

It is possible to advocate for a better solution without destroying the stop-gap measures that are keeping people alive today.

I'm not going to get into the I'm killing somebody debate.

You do your battle and I'll do mine to survive medical cost-induced bankruptcy. We have entirely different situations.

In the end, there is no need to die because when you go into the emergency room they HAVE TO take care of you.

Thanks so much. :eyes:

They won't give me my daily medicine to stay out of there though, so that's a problem.

All I'm saying is that as you go forward with whatever political solution, keep in mind that you don't have to destroy what we have now to make progress for everybody. Is that too much to ask of you?

I'll remember you and your outrageously expensive premiums, you remember me.

What's so bad about that?

will take care of everyone, regardless of income. We shouldn't quibble over who gets health care and who doesn't. Everyone deserves it regardless of income. Period.

So you go home and you make the choice between 60.00 for the medicine or food for the house and the medicine will have to wait until the next paycheck.

I've had to make those choices.

I agree with you except in the manner of obtaining the results we both want.

I would like to get universal healthcare done without shooting myself in the ass to get there.

A woman was allowed to bleed to death on the floor of the waiting room at a hospital here in L.A. (which is about to be shut down - leaving that area with NO hospitals AT ALL).

I want to see single payor insurance for everyone, but until then I don't want to have to die to prove a point. I have no savings to fall back on.

I hope that you don't succeed in you destruction of the only program that is making this possible for me. I don't really want to die for your cause any more than you want to die for mine.

part time work, and you're gambling on not needing expensive care in the next 5 years, you also need to make those savings judgment-proof. You probably need a lawyer for advice about this (I'm not one), but look into whether your home is protected against seizure for unpaid bills (this varies by state, I think). The only other thing I can think of, is put any savings or investments somewhere overseas. I may get slammed for unethical thinking, but you _do_ say you don't want to end up homeless. Otherwise it could very well happen.

Romney was full of it

That Massachussetts has PRIVATE INSURANCE not SOCIALIST INSURANCE

:applause:
My husband and I both work over 40 hours a week each, and cannot afford any of these supposed "wonderful" plans the state is now mandating we hold.

You are so correct in your statement This state insurance scam was just a Romney ploy to get attention for himself as he launched his bogus WH run. This is just a piece of shit Mitt through up against the wall to see how much would stick.

my drugs. BTW, I am 62 years old and on SS.

which is a classification for a vet with no service connected disability. Thus no more health care benefit.

I'm supporting two on my monthly SSI check.

but I won't hold my breath.

sorry for the pain you are suffering with.(((((Blue_Roses)))))

this weekend.If you live in the DFW area.We have to help each other...

Secondhand...

The Prophetess had a herniated disc a couple years ago, and it was months before she could get surgery, and a couple months afterwards before she was back to normal. It's agonizing, I know - she was basically bedridden for a third of a year and on constant pain meds. I have no idea what that would be like without any health insurance.

especially if you are in Ft. Worth. There is the state school for osteopaths there-maybe you can get into the clinic there? Also consider acupuncture or entertropic therapy to give pain relief without using drugs.

doesn't cost that much here in Arkansas. Depends on where you are and who you know, I guess.

Pain from discs is insane, but the bigger long term concern is permanent nerve damage in a limb. Given the consequences of permanent disability, trying to avoid expensive treatment for a disc that's causing limb problems can easily wind up being a huge false economy.

My brother fought off the original "10" pain from his disc down to a "4" or so without pain meds and didn't feel anything when he was on them, but the nerve still didn't get better because the disc was still abusing the nerve at its root in the spine. Hot tub, theraputic sitting and sleeping, anti-inflammatories, nothing had any effect on that part of the problem.

I used to apply a heating pad or take hot baths, but it never helped. Then I was sent to "back school" about 20 years ago and they told me to never use heat. Instead, take a bag of frozen peas or corn, wrap in a thin towel, and lie down on top of it. Make sure it's positioned where the pain is. Elevate your legs with pillows, making sure they are bent at a 90 degree angle at the knee. Slow, gentle knee to chest stretches help if you can stand it.

if Michael Moores insurance card he has on his web site would cover you at a local pain clinic. Pain clinics have injections that help alliviate this pain for a few months, and that sounds like what you need. Keep us posted on this.

For what it's worth, that's what they told me.

When I elevate my legs it makes things worse. The key for me is lumbar support. If I keep a pillow under the small of my back it keeps my back pain in check.

my knees.

The standard Phys. Therapy stretches for a herniated disk have you lying on your stomach and raising your torso off the floor. That accentuates the arch and helps pull your spine back into alignment.

Trust your back. Don't do things that hurt, but definitely see if you can find some recommended stretches and excercizes online.

it hurts like hell the first few minutes, keep the ice on to relieve the pain. Sleep with pillows under your knees to relieve the pressure on your back. when sleeping on your side, place a pillow between your knees bringing it level with your back. Might help to get some sleep.

When did this happen? If its very recent, I would not move from bed. Put a large piece of plywood under your mattress to make it more firm.
You need to have anti-inflammatory meds to bring down the swelling around the area. Take advil or aspirin (in you can) every four hours without fail for that. They're not just for pain, but are anti-inflammatory too.
When this happened to me, the MD said "stay in bed, don't move, for 10 days or so" It can be very dangerous, you can become paralyzed.
I wish I could help more.
Hope I haven't scared you with the paralyzed info, but it can happen. Please take care, and know I'm thinking of you and praying for you.

I woke up and thought I was having a heart attack because my arm was hurting and tingly. I went to the emergency room at 3am and they diagnosed it as a pinched nerve. I went to a chiropractor a couple of times and it seemed to make it worse. I ended up in a CareNow clinic and they gave me prednisone and pain killers.

I finally went to my neurologist (I've seen him for 7 years for ADD) and he quickly diagnosed it as a herniated disc. He prescribed physical therapy, and told me to come back in two months. In those two months I got much better and didn't see the need to spend $150 on an office visit to say, "I feel much better," so I canceled it:banghead: A few days ago, I woke up with that same feeling I had in Feb, only worse. I called my doctor on Monday and they just now got back to me. The nurse is going to talk to him to see what he wants me to do. However, the insurance thing is still a problem. I've had insurance during the years I've been seeing him and it's only in the last year that we haven't had any, so I pay out of pocket.

In Feb., our income tax check came and that paid for a lot of it then--thank-goodness, but now it's down to the wire.

This really sucks...

the conclusion it was your lumbar spine. I have two protruding discs in my cervical spine too, from a whiplash injury back in 92. I went to a neurologist, who sent me to physical therapy (didn't help), took meds that caused a bad reaction (hives, swelling), went back to the neurologist who said "ask around, find a good chiropractor" which I did, and with a little time, it worked miracles for me. I know it hurts at first, but I urge you to keep up with it.

did the PT thing, etc.

Ortho finally recommended cortisone shots in the disks. They worked where everything else failed.

This was done through the local hospital pain center. If your hospital has one check with them as to the cost.

My doctor mentioned something about that the last time I went. He asked me how "aggressively" I wanted to treat this. I said as "aggressively" as my bank account will allow! There in lies the problem. I like this doctor and trust him since I've been going to for so long, but he is expensive. Understandably so, since he's a neurologist, but still...you would think since I've been going to hims so long he could help me come up with some kind of payment plan.

EDITED TO ADD: My doctor said "no more chiropractor!"

A herniated or ruptured disc is very different from "normal" back pain, and there is no way to treat that by external manipulation. You need to remove the disc fragments from the nerve, and given how you actually have to remove bone to even get at them, there's no way a chiropractor can do that by repositioning your spine.

It's a neurological problem, not a musculoskeletal problem. No legitimate chiropractor will claim that he can treat nerve injuries.

but they were cortisone shots directly into the affected area. The shots were done by anethesiologists(sp) and the burned for a day or so afterward, but it did alleviate the swelling associated with the herniation and have really only have had minor discomfort occaisonally since then.

and yes, no chiro wanted to touch it. they were more than willing to straighten my spine but didn't want any parts of my neck. in fact a couple of them didn't even know how to read the mri that was done.

I almost lost the use of my left arm. Traction (which hurts like hell), anti-inflammatories, heavy duty pain meds - all did nothing for me. I had an epidural (they knock you partially out so you don't have to see the scary needle) and that took the pain away. Then I was able to go to PT to restore my arm functionality. I did have the surgery to fuse my vertebrae which also helped. The epidural is the way to take care of the nerve pain though.

I feel for you - I've since had them in my lumbar as well - epidural on those only and the pain is gone. I threatened to kill myself as well - you can't sleep, eat or anything - the pain just consumes you. Get thee to a pain management specialist (I found mine through my chiro, but I'm sure your neurologist knows one) and get the epidural - they will work out a payment plan for you. They run about $2k.

Good luck for a pain free future. :pals:

That's not a good sign at all with discs. When my brother saw the neurosurgeon and tested for tingling and numbness in his right leg, the doctor immediately strongly recommended surgery.

There's absolutely nothing a chiropractor can do about this. The problem is inside your spine.

It had been tingling off and on for over a eyr, but I am always busy and have to work, work, work, so i just ignored it. The neurologist I sawlast month said he isn't recommending surgery just yet, but I might have to have it after all, since the tingling is not going away. In facct, it has become more frequent.

I am seeing my regular doctor tomorrow morning. I think he might tell me I have to have surgery--but classes start up a week from Friday at the university where I teach. How am I going to squeeze in back surgery, for cripe's sake?

Where is the herniated disc located? I had two in my neck several years ago, and by the time I had surgery, I was left with permanent nerve damage. For the discs in your neck, some people are told to sleep in one of the soft cervical collars. In the lumbar area, the shots can help, I've got some bulging discs in that area, too, and the shots helped a lot.

This is just so not right, that people have to live with agony, and life-threatening, in some cases, illness in this country. Your pain is just as bad as my pain, but because we have insurance, I can get help, where you can't. This is so very, very wrong.

and my neck has a huge knot in it now...:cry:

A HNP is a herniated nucleus pulposus.

It was resolved by performing an anterior diskectomy with fusion. The previous posts were correct in that laying flat on your back with your calves on a regular chair helps to re-align your spine, giving some relief. Surgery was the option for me. Perhaps some therapy would help you, though. I'm sure the therapeutic activities could be found online...

I hope you get some means of easing the pain or eliminating the problem!

It's a kind of pain that affects everything you do. I hate it!

My family still talks about seeing me in so much pain. My left arm was in a retracted position, curled against my body. Nerve damage was occurring. My brother, the spine surgeon, diagnosed me over the phone, as my primary doctor was calling it a sprained shoulder, sprained muscles, etc. One does tend to get informed when problems of this severity occur. If there is anything I can tell you please let me know! Good luck!

it tingles and is very weak. Also, just sitting in a chair (like this one now) is very painful. I write and this really sucks. I have to go to the computer in spurts for now. I know looking down at it doesn't help.

I'm glad to hear yours is under control.

i have three degenerating vertebrae -- c - 5,6&7.

the disc was pressing against the nerve that controls the left side of my body.

in addition i lost the ability to regulate temperature -- when it was hot out -- i was FREEZING, chills, shaking,etc -- when it was cold -- i was hot.

my left forefinger is still numb, and it's two years ago now.

the pain was unimaginable -- it even came through the morphine.

i thought they were going to have to operate.

oh and chiropractic is not good for a condition like that -- it can make it worse.
that's what the chiropractor told me after looking at my mri.

anyway -- try -- as best you can to take care of yourself.

Blue_Roses, the ruptured discs in my neck were from 5-6, to 6-7. The neurologist who first diagnosed which nerves were affected told me to sleep in a soft collar. I had two pinched nerves. Perhaps if you get one of the soft collars from a drug or medical supply store, it might prevent more damage. Bottom line, though, is that you need medical care. Antiinflamitory meds could help, too.

There was a thread today earlier, started by Skinner, about the consequences of hatred. Of tiring of the feelings we have of hatred. You know, hating Bush, or Cheney, or Gonzales, or any of the rest of them. I can feel hatred, when I think about cases like yours, but my overwhelming feeling is grief, and sorrow, and helplessness, and guilt, too. It sears my soul, to know that there are so very, very many of my brothers and sisters here on this earth, are suffering needlessly.

There are treatments for your condition. There are both surgical techniques, nerve block shots, and other meds that could help you. I don't know you, except here on DU, but I get so heart-sick at the knowledge that you are in pain, and need help I can't give you.

The only times I wish I had money are times like when I read your OP, and wished that I had the ability to send you the resources you need to get your problem resolved. The ironic thing, is that rather than being a virtuous person, or a deserving person, I have health insurance through Medicare, and before, health insurance through my employer, because I was part of a union.

Do you want to know what virture of mine, what deserving fact decreed that I now have Medicare as my primary, and my company's insurance as a secondary policy? In 1974, the closest place I could work happened to be in a company which had a union. I had three children under the age of 12, and needed to be close enough to be able to get to them in an emergency.

You should have the same ability, and so should the millions of other citizens who are without the means to be cared for. This should be the basis of our government, to provide for the health of it's citizens. We spend so very much more than we should on healthcare, when you think of the many, many layers of profit taking that the current system uses.

I wish I had something to offer besides my prayers, and best wishes to you. I pay taxes, but apparently it's more important for those taxes to support an immoral war, and subsidize the companies who are too expensive for you to pay in order to keep you healthy. You have my very sincere best wishes, and prayers.

I'm the same way, I like to give and it's very hard for me to receive. I guess that's just how I was raised.My mother is a nurse (she's 87) and she has always been so attentive to our health care. It didn't seem like health care was so expensive then as it is today.

My spouse's last job had pretty decent insurance and I wish we had it now, however, it will work out and prayers do help! Thanks:hug:

suggestions already posted. There is not much that a doctor can do for you other than prescription drugs. Check with some of your friends to see if they have some pain relieving drugs. Bed rest was most helpful for me. Lay on the floor and twist your body slowly from side to side. This may relieve the pressure on a nerve.

Stay off your feet as much as you can and find a good chiropractor. I've dealt with similar problems and had friends with more severe problems. The last alternative, and usually the worst, is to go under the knife for some corrective surgery. You don't want to deal with a life bound by regular Oxy or a morphine drip.

but perhaps you should go to the emergency room and tell them Bush Sent You -

“People have access to healthcare in America. After all, you just go to an emergency room.” — George W. Bush, July 2007

but i was just at my chiropractor and have a texas e-pal who could use a chiro. dallas has a very good chiropractic college-parker chiropractic college. and you might be able to get a special rate.
treatments might reduce the stress on the disk.

Sorry Blue Roses. I had a herniated disc many years ago and my insurance said it was a pre-existing condition. SO they didn't pay for my surgery. Fortunately in 1980 my hospital bill was only $4000. so I was able to pay it out.
As far as chiropractors go, they might be good for muscle injuries, but never go for herniated discs. A good chiro will not take you anyway if it is truly herniated.

"no chiropractor!"

The problem is that something is oozing through your spine and onto one side of the nerve stem, which is what causes limb tingling and numbness. There's no way to fix that via joint manipulation - as there is literally nothing wrong with the limb. The brain is essentailly receiving a BS message.

Grinding vertabrae around an already damaged disc would make it worse, if anything.

Absolutely nothing outside the spine is relevent for fixing a disc. The leg/arm pain is borderline phantom, due entierely to the pressure being applied at the base of the nerve.

Tough young (25) guy, great physical condition, high pain tolerence and he couldn't even stand up without pain blockers for close to a month. He finally got surgery after getting an MRI. My parents had to self-pay because he was between insurance (starting law school in the fall and getting university plan). The surgeon wondered how on Earth he had managed to walk around as much as he did with how bad this thing was.

Was somewhat expensive, but not as bad as we thought it would be, around $10,000 all told with the quick pay discount from the hospital.

Discs can be brought down with anti-inflammatory drugs and correct sitting and movement - if they're still fresh. My brother's had accumulated over considerable time - he's lifted weights since he was 14 or so - so it was hard as a rock and had to be removed due to threat of sciatic nerve damage.

80% of the time surgery isn't needed, but when it is needed, it really is.

on the bedsheets as I had crawled to the bed in excruciating pain. They couldn't even do all the MRI views because I was in such pain in spite of all the drugs. They tried shooting steroids into my spine which did nothing. The disc was really a mess.

I wound up having a laminectomy, perfomed by a neurologist. He took one look at me and strongly suggested I have the surgery the next week, the day before Thanksgiving. I didn't argue...I knew that I had no choice. That alleviated the foot drop, but I have permanent nerve damage that has resulted in muscle loss in
my left leg and numbness and pain in my foot.

Try moist heat and stay in any position you can find that decreases the pain....that's what the rehab people did the first time, just before the toilet incident. I think I had pillows under my stomach and maybe my shoulders, too.

This was 7 years ago. I had NJ Blue Cross/Blue Shield at the time and the bill was $27,000. With my high deductible etc. I wound up paying $7,000. You can see how much extra the "insurance" adds to the bill if you are being quoted $10,000 for self-pay.

It was a like a miracle surgery for me because I could not sit or stand. My husband had to haul me around lying on a mattress in the back of our minivan (I kid you not). I had a lot of numbness in my leg and foot before the surgery but my feeling came back completely after a few weeks. I had absolutely no pain after the surgery (never took a pain pill)and never required any therapy. That was eight years ago. Luckily, our insurance covered everything. I can't imagine being in that situation without the ability to make choices about your condition. We need universal health care in this country NOW---I'm tired of waiting and I'm tired of having people suffer because they have no insurance.

See if there is a nearby massage school because they sometimes give low cost massages as part of their training (under supervision of course)

I know what you are going through. I just had back surgery in May for a mashed disc at L5-S1. It was the result of a 2002 work related injury. I also have a fusion in my neck C3-C7. I am still hurting from the neuropathy in my feet and legs. You poor dear. Neck pain is awful.

It's a type of very inexpensive, non-surgical treatment for joint pain that involves the injection of a benign liquid (sugar water, for example) into the joint. It's not the injection of cortisone or epidurals or any other type of injection. Supposedly, the body responds to the injection of this liquid by building up new cartilage and collagen fibers in the injected area to give more support to the joint. Surgeon General C. Everett Koop had the process done to him and he swears by it and he has also used it on his own patients. Supposedly it relieves quite a bit of pain.

Here's a copy of C. Everett Koop's letter endorsing prolotherapy, which became the introduction to a book on the subject. There are prolotherapists all across the country.
http://www.prolotherapysandiego.com/prolotherapy.html

we are talking about totally different physiologies here. Won't work for a disc problem.

I'm a retired nurse.....27 years and HAD 2 herniated disc's. Dear God...the pain is horrific.
If you can (a doctor showed me this) find a STURDY door (like the front door to your house). Put both hands at the top of the door and SLOWLY and I mean SLOWLY hang and let your feet get to "dangle"....only for a moment. Don't laugh, as it helps "stretch" the back somewhat to release the pressure the vertebrae has on that particular disc. Apply ice asap with 2-3 pillows under your knees and lay on the carpeted floor. Also take Advil as it works as an anti-inflammatory. I am so sorry about your situation. How do you know for sure you have a herniated disc? Did you have an MRI?
Also...be careful in signing up for companies as many of them have a "pre existing condition" bullshit clauses.

and I'll try the door thing.

I had x-rays done by two separate doctors and then my neurologist diagnosed by doing some tests on me. Pressure point tests (or something like that) and he felt around my neck. He said he deals with this all the time and sees the same symptoms and pain on a regular basis. He did mention an MRI (not to mention how expensive an MRI is) to see HOW MUCH damage is there, but I started feeling better and haven't been bothered with it for the last 3 months, UNTIL the other night. I knew when I woke up that it was back because the pain was immediate.

He told me that 90% of the cases heal themselves, but if this keeps reoccurring then I don't see how it is healing.

It's more intended for LOWER back pain. Inversion table looks great! Good luck to you. An MRI is about $800 - 1500. Cat Scan $1000-2000. Remember Ice....nice hot shower and re-ice. Also, If you are seeing a neurologist...he knows best. Surgery should be you last option...treat it conservatively and listen to him


edit spelling

for a herniated disk. five months later i was diagnosed with the identical "large, left sided herniation of the L5 disk." i have degenerative disk disease in my back. one type of therapy i have found helpful is acupuncture, and i have yet to find the insurance company that will cover it. if you can swing it, i really recommend you give it a try.

healing energy is offered

n/t

a herniated disc can rupture and cause paralysis--that happened to a friend who tried everything including alternative treatments and acupuncture. He was temporarily paralyzed from the waist down and if he hadn't had surgery to remove the pieces of disc that were lodged in his spine he may never have recovered his ability to walk correctly--as it was it took several years of intense PT and using a type of crutch or walker to re-learn how to walk without wobbling. This is not any easy or simple condition at all.

had one can't begin to imagine how painful it is!

I have good insurance, thank goodness, so I get cheap prescriptions for very strong pain relievers. I am taking it very easy--mostly lying down, walking as little as possible, using a cane when I walk, etc. I can tell the pain is easing up significantly since it happened about 4 months ago, so I m trying to avoid surgery. They say that after 1 year, whether you have surgery or not, most people are much better.

I got a handicapped tag for my car, too. I don't think you can get one without a doctor's documentation, but if you can get to a low-cost or free clinic, a doctor can write one for you. Having that tag has helped a lot. While you are there, get a prescription for powerful meds. Doctors are very good about recognizing the need for such meds with a ruptured disc.

Good luck!!

I don't think it will ever be 100% the same.

I will always be afraid to exercise the way I need to. I will be afraid even to walk too far from home, in case it foes again and leaves me helples and stranded.

there is little that will help except time even with insurance... After 3 months I was well enough to start exercise... the only thing that keeps my back in shape now is to do 10km plus on a ski machine each week... at least it is good for me in other ways as well...

:hug:
:(

Massage therapy
Cranial Sacral therapy
smoke marijuana for pain relief.

:(

I have 2 herniated discs, and I can't imagine handling this without my doctors, PT and meds.

I hope you can find a way to get some treatment.

I'm on nearly the same set of tracks that you are on now.
Haven't been able to work a day since the first part of December of last year, The doctor bills, specialist, Clinics, Imaging, Therapy etc etc. keep coming in every day of the week. They just turned me down on a short term loan for one of the hospital bills because of insufficient income, Yet they want their money ???.I enjoy Sundays now more than ever since the mail doesn't run on that day.

When I’m not drooling in the corner from the pain medication I’m
fighting the urge to just say fuck it and blow my brains out.
But I’m bound and determined to out last that no good son of a bitch Bush and his band of criminals.

I wont make the same mistake that Hunter S Thompson made, I want to see those bastards hang from a rope before I die.
And I write my Senator and Congressman on a regular basis stating that end of term does not mean immunity from prosecution.
I will hold the democrats to that, I have to.That, Sick as it may sound is what keeps my motor running.But it works for me.

Good Luck, Don't give up, Change my friend, is in the wind.

The service may not be as good, but they can "rate" you and put you on a payment plan. If they're publicly funded, they're required to treat you even if uninsured.

but even if you do find insurance, it won't cover pre-existing conditions.

I have an inversion table now... Whenever I'm down in my back now, I invert myself a couple times a day and I'm back in shape within a few days.

by placing your body in line with the downward force of gravity. Inversion elongates the spine, increasing the space between the vertebrae, which relieves the pressure on discs, ligaments and nerve roots. Less pressure means less back pain.

Every nerve root leaves the spine through an opening between the vertebrae-the size of this opening is largely controlled by the height of the intravertebral disc. Discs that are plump and contained in their ligament "wrappers" are necessary to keep the nerve roots free of pressure and your body free from pain.

Stress and tension can cause muscle spasms in the back, neck and shoulders, as well as headaches and other problems. Tense muscles produce spasms and pain by reducing the supply of oxygen and by reducing blood and lymph flow, allowing the accumulation of waste chemicals in the muscles.

Inverting yourself to as little as 25° for even a few minutes can help relax tense muscles and speed the flow of lymphatic fluids which flush out the body's wastes and carry them to the blood stream. The faster this waste is cleared, and fresh supplies of oxygen are introduced, the faster stiffness and pain in the muscles can disappear. A study conducted by physiotherapist L.J. Nosse found that, "EMG (electromyographic) activity, an indicator of muscle pain, declined over 35% within ten seconds of assuming the inverted position.
Inversion can also help to encourage good posture. When inverted, your body is in line with gravity. Your spine wants to naturally go to its proper form (a gentle "s" curve). A regular program of inversion can help you to maintain proper posture and keep your body in balance. Let's face it-poor posture is not only unhealthy, it's unattractive.

http://www.teeterhangups.com/about/benefits.html

Good information.

another injury.

He is 62 and in great shape. He managed to rip or tear something using the table. I forget (as memory issues are part of my problem). Granted it may have aggrevatiated his pre-existing injury. He is the one that used accupuncture to alleviate the majority of the pain he was in. He is now able to work again after just a few weeks of treatment.

According to the Rightards, the people in prison are all there just for the free food and health care :sarcasm:

Unfortunately, there is truth hidden in there. The US prison population has far better medical coverage than most law abiding citizens.

What kind of a country are we when people who are in pain can't go to the doctor?

Blue_Roses, I am so sorry we live in a country that treats its people this way. A family member has a herniated disc and I know it is painful.

I hope you can find relief. And I hope you can get decent healthcare soon (along with everyone else).

Everyone should have affordable access to the best medicine has to offer. Its unacceptable that people in this country can't get the care they need.

Reading your post and all the others that are going through this is making me cry.

One thing that helps for me is to lay flat on my back on my bed with my head hanging off the edge for a few minutes at a time. This will sometimes help realign the spine. Get into the position very carefully as you don't want to put pressure in the wrong place.

There also is a great chair massage therapist that works at our local farmer's market. A brief 10 minute sesson for $10 can sometimes loosen up the spasming muscles that are causing/adding to the pain.

My boyfriend also works on my neck/back about 2-3 hours a week. As we all know pain increases tension which increases muscle tightness which increases pain. It is a very viscious cycle.

I have also found that one beer helps relax muscles without the dopey side effects of medication. Then again when it is a choice between food and beer, food always wins. I've only done this a few times in the past month as there is a family history of alcoholism and I definitely do not want to go there!

A friend of mind just succesfully used accupunture for his neck/shoulder pain.

I hear your pain and I completely understand how you feel. Sometimes it is hard to continue thinking that every day will just bring more pain but then once in a while I will have a good or better day. I try my best to cherish those memories and use them to get me through the toughest days/nights.


I understand the surgery risks are quite different for cervical versus lumbar problems, with cervical being much riskier and not as successful (50%).

I wish you all the best.

Maybe we should all meet up on the disability board as I will be applying as soon as my undisclosed former meth lab house issues are dealt with.


Single payer, universal health care is a RIGHT, not a privilige.

A very vocal Kucinich supporter!!!

of where I was... all therapies have been of limited value... that included everything from meds, massage, to ayuveda... time and exercise has been the only big healer...

but as soon as I attempt to do anything which involves twisting or lifting it knocks the vertebrae out of alignment.

Unfortunately I was and sometimes still try to be an active person......

It is very, very hard to be so limited in what I can do...

I just have to adjust to a new and different lifestyle as this has been going on for at least 8 years....

I have degenerated vertebrae so likelyhood of returning to "normal" is pretty much out of the question.

Still I plod on and will continue to do so as long as I have Ibuprofen, my boyfriend, my friend at the farmer's market and George Bush in office!

walk, stand, lie down... it hardly mattered...

It is seriously a difficult thing to deal with...

Trust me when I say my thoughts are with you... :)

I knew I had done something bad to my back about 5 years ago. Even though I was forty, I was pursuing a graduate degree and qualified for the student health insurance plan. It was pretty cheap but decent plan. It seems that their plans are lower cost because most college students are younger and less likely to have a long term costly illness. I only went to a walk in clinic that gave me a script for some pain med so fortunately there was no preexisting diagnosis of my ruptured disk. I had to lay on the floor for about 2 months before the health plan kicked in.

It was excruciatingly painful. I had sciatica running up and down my left leg. When I went to the doctor they immediately did an MRI and referred me to a neurosurgeon. It looked like a piece of the disc had ruptured out and pinched my spinal chord. The neurosurgeon did a micro-discectomy to repair it and I'm relatively pain free. The only thing I avoid is any activity where I have to bend over a lot.

Check around with your local universities. See if they have a student health insurance plan and it's cost. It might be worth it to register for a few night courses to get cheap insurance. Some of them, especially those with medical schools, also might have a pretty good health clinic on campus.

Yoga and days lying on his stomach to fix his disc's, or at least make them bearable.

The idea that our waiting times for elective surgery and SOME MRI's makes our system inferior amazes me, but that's the most common condemnation.

I broke my kneck a couple years back. I got my MRI's and CT-scan immediately as needed.

But it IS something to think about...

compressed nerves can be disastrous, resulting in permanent nerve damage and loss of a lot of feelings and functions below the waist . . . I know, because it happened to me in 1990, and I've been dealing with it ever since . . . one of the symptoms is also several types of pain, some chronic, some intermittant, and some worse than the pain before the surgery . . . look up "cauda equina syndrome" on the net and you'll understand what I'm talking about . . .

good luck, my friend . . . I really DO know what you're going through . . . and what the potential is for going through even more if it's not fixed . . . hope you get some help soon . . .

believe me, I took note of many because when the pain is this bad, you're desperate for any relief. I'm amazed at how many people are affected with this. I think this pain is worse than childbirth...

On a better note today, my doctor called in a "pack" (that's what they called it) to my pharmacy, so I'm going to go pick that up shortly. At least maybe I'll get some relief with that.

You all are great and I thank-you once again for your kindness.:grouphug:

Pain is such a miserable event - I hope yours goes away

My ex had to do that when he couldn't afford surgery here with no insurance. It worked out quite well for him - he didn't have any regrets at all.

Not that it helps your schedule problem, that's a whole other thing - but maybe it's something to consider. You might even be able to just get the shots in Mexico or Canada if need be.

Hospitals don't do shit for your back. A chiropractor will fix you right up. I told the guy my situation, that I am a student and lived off of like 500 bucks a month, and he set up a plan for me. He tried to get me to sign up for a whole year, but I just committed to a few months for like 50 a month. I ended up only going about a month though, then canceled my arrangement and finished paying off the 50 for that one month. But I went to a hospital several times and they didn't do anything. They just loaded me up on aspirin, told me to ice my back and come back. Each time I came back they basically did the same thing. If you can get your X-rays at the clinic, then take them to a chiropractor it will be cheaper and you can take it from there. But the bottom line is, I highly recommend a chiropractor, not a doctor for your back. I literally went from barely being able to move, and taking over an hour to dress, to being nearly 100 percent after just one adjustment. It was instantaneous. I suffered like for almost a month and a half, then was fixed right up when I went to the chiropractor.