Bad Backs Discussion Forum

Awesome discussion.... I got the answer in your discussion what was finding.... Thanks

It's great to hear other peoples stories and to know that I am not alone. However it is not great to hear the reports from middle aged men the bear the cross of the same condition I do and what they go through. I am a 21 year old man that was diagnosed with Scheuermann's disease 4 years ago now but has been living with the pain since the age of 14. I had been from doctor to doctor and finally at 18 I found one that actually knew what was wrong. Since the pain started getting severe i had battled addiction with alcohol and opiates. At the age of 19 I was arrested 2 times for driving under the influence when I was just trying to get to work. I hated having to live intoxicated but I knew no other way to make it where I could function on a day-to-day basis. I am still in search of something that might be able to help. At the moment all that the doctor has prescribed me is NSAID pain relievers and anti-inflammatory drugs which, at best, scrape the surface of making the pain manageable. At this point I have given up many things I held dear, riding bikes, going on hikes, playing sports with friends, and instead spend most of the time im not working laying in bed because that is the only position where I do not feel like constantly crying out in pain. I have also over come serious issues with my self esteem and my image of my body. I have lost large amounts of weight in attempts to eradicate my "beer belly" and in every picture I have ever been in i look like something that belongs under a bridge in a childrens book. only recently have I come to terms with the way I look and have learned how to deal with it. I have actually got a beautiful wife that I love and that loves me as well as helps me through this difficult disease. Without her support I would still be in a downwards spiral of drug addiction eventually ending in inevitable incarceration. The worst part is because of my age most doctors believe I am trying to "score" drugs with imaginary pain because I have found no way to convey the torture I go through on a daily basis.

One thing that helped me a lot was looking at what this disease has done FOR me. I have an I.Q. that cannot be measured with normal test, I attribute this to the amount of time I have spent reading and improving my cognitive functions and critical thinking due to my inability to perform even the most basic of physical tasks. I also have a unique perspective on live and others that is inadvertently due to this condition. I have learned to treasure the moments that the pain has subsided or is less severe, moments I am sure not to waste watching the latest episode of my favorite shows. I just wanted to share that in hopes it might help one of the several others that share the burden I bare.

Now for a question. Have any of you lost feeling in any appendages? Recently (approximately 7-9 months ago) I started loosing feeling in my left leg around mid thigh down. Basically i can feel pressure and that it. I have poked it with sharp objects (of coarse they were sterilized first) pinched skin with pliers and used a heat source and all I can feel is pressure where the activity is, as if someone is merely pushing the spot with a finger. at first it would happen for a few hours, then a few days then weeks separated by a day or two with feeling. the past 4 months I have not felt anything in that leg. Walking was difficult at first, I learned to swing the leg with different amounts of force with some accuracy at this point. Stairs became my enemy for a long time, I would often fall down them because I was unable to tell how high my foot was lifted. I have gotten to the point where although I fall still it is not as often (god forbid there is a pebble in my way lol). I wanted to know if anyone else had a similar sensation and if they were able to get the feeling back or not and how they cope with it.

I apologize for ranting but it feels amazing to find a place where other people know what i am talking about and can provide options, opinions, information, and most of all hope. To the person that started this thread, I thank you.

Oh any when you get x-rays and your spine measured do you try to straighten your back as much as possible or just sit in the position where you are most comfortable? and for people trying to get completely off of opiates the way I did it was Suboxone . I did it myself over a 3 week period. It gets rid of the sickness and helps with the pain. I slowly lowered the dosage of Suboxone to ween myself off of it. It also deadens the receptors for opiates to help keep you on the right track. Hopefully that helps someone.