Modern Medicine is wonderful!

Infi-del

Infi-del

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Apr 6, 2009
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My Girlfriend has a condition called Friedreich's Ataxia. It's a deterioration of the CNS. Part of it is terrible Scoliosis. For many years she has been in constant terrible pain in her lower back. She is conifined to a wheelchair, and most of her doctors just figured it was the disfigurement of her spine compounded by the stress sitting in the chair all day places on her back. Well she went to a pain clinic this month and they did a CT scan and diagnosed her with a special form of Arthritis in her lower back, hips, and pegs. I know what you're thinking... poor girl can't anything go right for her. This was actualy good news since it is treatable. Before, we all just assumed she was screwed and this was as good as it was gonna get. Well she went back to the pain clinic today for a massive shot of Cortisone and I'm happy to report that her pain has been reduced by 80% already. You guys don't understand how long she's hurt and how much of a relief this is gonna be. Wanted to share it with the community. Thanks to smart people and research she's a lot better off than she was.
 
Wow Infi-del, this is GREAT news. I've thought a lot about you and her situation since you mentioned it in another discussion. I hope she continues to find additional relief. Thanks for the update on the good news!
 
Thanks to going around and around till you found the right doctor.
It feels sooo good when the pain stops.
 
Esav Benyamin said:
Thanks to going around and around till you found the right doctor.
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And a good thing she got that test. At the risk of making this political, there are people in Washington right now who want to change all of that.

Anyway, I share your joy at her successful treatment. Modern Medicine can't cure all ills, but there are some that we can nail and for those patients, it is a wonderful blessing indeed.
 
It's great when modern medicine can truly improve the quality of one's life, especially when there is a chronic/life-long condition involved. Hope things continue to improve for her!

- Mark
 
That must be quite a relief. Great job finding a new doc!
 
Thanks guys, it is awesome indeed. We went out this weekend and she was able to even suffer her wheelchair on uneven ground (The bouncing about usually locked her up and caused terrible pain). We took her daughter out to a corn maze and then back to my house for a bon fire and some roasted marshmellows. It's been a long time since we've been able to get out like that. I don't think we stopped moving all weekend doing one thing after the next. Now they are suggesting cutting the nerves in her back for total and permanent pain relief. It's not like she'll lose any mobility since she's already wheelchair bound so that prospect is looking better and better as a final solution to her pain. I so gotta find out what her pain doctor is in to (Knives, watches, cigars whatever) and get him a little present.
 
THat's great news. Good to hear that you also got some good weather to help all of you enjoy your GF's relief!
 
That is good news. I also thing it is a great thing that you've stuck by her. Some would not have...
 
Great news, Infi-del!

My wife has two torn discs in her back and cortizone shots weren't doing it anymore. The doctors say she is too young for surgery and it was looking pretty bad. Two weeks ago they offered her part in a test trial of a new medication (without a placebo!). We are extremely happy and then found out not only are they covering everything they are actually paying her for the study. So, hope on the horizon here as well.
 
I can take a fair amout of pain, and for her to feel relief from a cortisone shot means she must have been going through hell. I really hope thing keep improving for her
 
Cortisone shots can be miracles, but they can have problems too. I almost died from one in my neck that went bad. I knew from the beginning something was going wrong when he pulled out and repeated it several times, finally getting what he called a "stinger". This mild sounding stinger felt like a combination of electric shock with a blowtorch.

All well and good untill two days later when I got sick. When I finally went to the emergency room I was segregated as I was presenting symptoms of mennengitis and was quarantined.

If I hadn't been taken to the hospital and admitted I would have checked out from if nothing else, dehydration. This was 5 days by this time not even being able to keep water down. I was hearing things that weren't there etc.

No more of those. BTW, the spinal tap taking more of my leaking fluid out made me even sicker, and also went through an already herniated disc, fucXXng that up for about 2 months.

Yep, no more cervical spine injections for me.
 
ednemo said:
Great news, Infi-del!

My wife has two torn discs in her back and cortizone shots weren't doing it anymore. The doctors say she is too young for surgery and it was looking pretty bad. Two weeks ago they offered her part in a test trial of a new medication (without a placebo!). We are extremely happy and then found out not only are they covering everything they are actually paying her for the study. So, hope on the horizon here as well.
Click to expand...

Let me know how that works out. It might be useful for my girl as well. They said the next step would be to sever the nerves so that she can't feel anything.
 
unky_gumbi said:
I can take a fair amout of pain, and for her to feel relief from a cortisone shot means she must have been going through hell. I really hope thing keep improving for her
Click to expand...

What I thought was one big shot turned out to be EIGHT big shots in her back. And at this point the pain is still a 4 on a scale of 10. What she has is a type of arthritus called Facets Disease. Apparently it's pretty bad.
 
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