Poor guy. I hope he gets some relief.

Saying a prayer.

Oh gosh! I know back pain is about the worst pain there is!
Prayers and my best thoughts coming your way Vikki!
How many shots and how long before you can tell if they help him?

Good positive thoughts for some pain relief.

Over the years I've seen what he likes to do,, with the yard and out having fun. I sure hope he can do all that again this year, without the discomfort.

How sad. Hope he sees some relief today and in the days ahead.

Thank guys...he has lived with this for about 25 years now...seems to be getting worse the last 5 years or so. He is in a pain mangagement clinic, but they have done just about all they can do. give him heavy duty meds which he hates, and then these shots no more than 2-3 times a year. They can give him an implant of a little machine of some sort that releases the pain meds as he needs them...not sure I understand it completly but he says he's not ready for something to be permanently implanted into him. It scares him and with good reason. Connie he gets about 3-5 shots in his spine and he should feel some relief in a few days to a week if it is going to help. Last year one series gave him about 6 months pain free...just a few aches now and then but nothing like he is dealing with now. So we're hoping for that again. He misses taking the boys out. You're right Toni he misses working in the yard like he did too.

Sending out good thoughts and prayers for MANY painfree MONTHS!

Sure hope he gets relief. Our friend, John, has just found relief after 5 back surgeries, acupuncture, too many meds, Botox injections, etc. He had a stent implanted that blocks the nerves that send the pain message to the brain. I know I'm not saying that right, but if you'd like, I'll e-mail him and ask for web sites for you to look at. He is almost without pain for the first time since I've known him (27 years).

I echo the thoughts and prayers of the others. Please God let him be pain-free for as long as is possible with these shots.

Shirley

Praying for a great out come!!!

I hope the shots do the trick this time and that your DH can enjoy his summer!

Sure hope your DH finds long-term relief soon.

Jodi-

Praying he will be pain free soon!

Hope it helps, my late MIL had a lot of pain in her knees, she got 3 shots in her spine which did help.

I hope the shots work. I know about back pain because DH has had a bad back for years. He has had 3 back surgeries.

Do you know what is causing the pain? DH had ruptured disks each time.

Linda

Thanks again....he has had 2 back surgeries, one because of a herniated disk about 26 years ago and then another one to remove scar tissue from the first surgery about 2 years later. He'll never go thorugh it again without a miracle recovery he says! It most likely won't help anyway.

Patti I would love to know more about your friends stnet implant. these shots are to kill the nerve endings from what I understand. I think the doctor mentioned the stent implant to him at some point...I'll have to ask him and see why he didn't look into it more.

Thanks....I'll be sitting at the hospital in the waiting room for about 3 hours, relaxing and reading a book if anyone needs me! Sure beats, crying kids and dirty diapers! SHHHH.....don't tell anyone else when I am...at least no one with kids! I'm trying to think of this as my little mini vacation!

Vicki, a lot has changed in back surgery in the last 26 years. It's not nearly as invasive and might be worth another look.

Linda

That's a tough thing to live with, back pain and all those shots. Poor guy. Let us know how it goes for him.

I hope he gets much relief with these shots. I can't imagine having to live with pain like that. He is in my prayers.

Prayers and best wishes that he gets relief. I hurt my back once and absolutely can't imagine living with it long term.

I can relate to what you are going through. My husband has Ankylosing Spondylitis and is in pain 24/7. He gets down at thimes also. He is on cymbalta which is for depression/anxiety and pain which does help. He is also on Oxycodone (30mg) and Oxycontin (40mg), plus other meds. He is only 55 years old and last year had to go on social security disability. There isn't a whole lot they can do for him.

Sheryl - NJ

Good luck and a suggestion. My friend went thru this and received too many shots that affected her nerves. Finally at Rochester Clinic in Minn MN they did a exploratory surgery and found a tiny chip of bone that had broken off and could not be seen in exrays or MRI or CT scans. Took it out and NO MORE pain--just a suggestion.
I really wish you the best.

I'll be thinking of both of you Vikki. My DH and I both have had series of epidurals. He got more help from them than I did. I sure hope they give your hubby some relief this go round.

I was offered some sort of an electrical type stimulate to be surgically implanted last year. As a last resort rather than surgery. So far, I'm trying to hold off even on that. A pain doc can set you up with one on a trial basis for about 3 days, and if it helps, then a surgeon permanently implants it. I'm just glad to know there is something else in my future if the pain gets worse. Jerry Lewis says something like I just described saved his life. He was at the end of his rope with back pain from all of the falls and stunts he did in the movies years ago. I think he has a website where you can read about it.

Let us know how your DH is doing.

Here is the link Vikki. It may be something your DH might consider down the road. I know I will be and maybe my DH too.

Here is a link that might be useful: Jerry Lewis' story

Gwanny--got your e-mail, but Summer's post about Jerry Lewis sounds exactly like what John had done. When John e-mails me, I'll forward it on to you.

Thanks for all the suggestions and prayers. He did better this time, usually they have to semi-sedate him, but today was a new procedure with the meds to make him groggy. It was done by some kind of exray machine and is more precise as to where the needle goes in. It always feels worse before it gets better so he's watching TV in bed right now. they say within as little as 8 hours he could feel some relief, he always did before. I sure hope this more precise insertion one does the trick for him. I will read up on the Jerry Lewis story, thank you for posting it. DH is also on Oxycodone plus dilaudid and would so ove to get away form them. Years ago the doctor gave him a liquid morphine, and that was awful stuff. He nodded off in mid sentence and it he tasted it for hours after he took it. Finally it messed with his stomach so bad he quit taking it. I am so afraid of all of this nedication, but without it he can't work. He's on his feet most of the day at work. He just turned 58 and still has a few years to go before retirement. He is so looking forward to that day!!! So we really wonlt knowif this worked or not until tomorrow or the next few days really.
Thank you all again for the well wishes, suggestions and prayers!

I hope your DH feels relief soon!

Sheryl

Sending good thoughts and prayers: I hope that he's feeling better soon from these shots.

And that one of the suggestions offered may be helpful to him.

ole joyful

My goodness--he's on those very powerful medications and still working?? I am very surprised he won't at least try the pain pump if they offered it.

Didn't see this post until this morning - sorry. Glad to hear that the procedure is over. Hope he soon starts getting some relief.

My DH, too, has had two back surgeries. That trial stent business sounds interesting to me, Summer. I'm gonna see if I can find more info on it. (Another one whose DH is on heavy meds...)

After reading this article about Jerry Lewis to hom he said that it is the proceedure the doctor wants him to do....I must have missed something because the last one I emember him telling me about was the pump one and he didn't want it because it's still keeping him on the medication he so wants to get away from. He siad the doctor discussed this neurostimulation with him a few months ago but he really doesn;'t want to do it until he retires. It sounds wierd to me ...I would think it be more helpful now to help get him through his last few years of work. He sees the doctor again in 3 months and I want to go with him to ask more questions. My DH trusts this doctor completely and he has been a great doctor, but this makes no sense to me. His nephew's wife works for a very well known orthopedic surgeon and I'm going to have her ask him about it today. But he did say he would have it done at that time and can;t wiat to try it. He just hates the medication. He works and functions just fine on these meds, been on them for aver 2 years now. BUT he hates the fact of what it nmay be doing to the rest of his body although he gets hisliver and kidneys, etc checked often.

This morning he got up and went to work, I tried to get him to stay home but he hates to waste his sick leave hours. He says it feels better but the pain has shifted from one side of his back to the other and the anke isn't as bad as it was before. I told him he should take a day to stay off of it, but he;'s stubborn and went on. He did say he'd come home early if it got worse. But so far it is helping...we'll see and keep our fingers crossed for at least a few months!!

Thanks all!

I don't know what kind of work he does, but you are restricted as far as lifting, etc. for a while. He should talk to the doctor about that, too.