Well, here’s the good news folks… after 5½ years of taking a much publicised cocktail of drugs (and 8 months post-op) I am happy to say that I am now 4 days completely drug free!!!! Woop woop.
Getting rid of the drugs has always been my ultimate goal - for the past couple of months I have been surviving on paracetamol with a few Tramadol thrown in for good measure! Apart from 3 weeks of horrid withdrawal symptoms when I came off Amitriptyline last year, I have suffered no addiction or withdrawal problems. And… considering the concoction and volume I’ve taken over the years I consider myself very fortunate. I’ve pretty much lived for this day – ending the daily dependency - so it was with a mix of excitement and anxiety that I approached Monday morning.
So far… well, I’m not pain-free. Hey, I’m a realist. Did I ever really think that I would be totally pain free, good as new, ‘normal’ again??? Course not. The good news is that the pain is do-able. It’s not pain of the sleepless nights, jump-out-the-window and end-it-all type that daily cursed me – it’s more of a done-too-much pain that I can live with. If an hour lying down on the bed don’t fix it then I am happy to pop the odd paracetamol or Advil to get me thru it. I can live with that! Go girl...
Btw... received 2 wonderful, informative and encouraging responses recently from 2 other ‘spineys’ who are living with Dynesys…
QUOTE ONE I had dynesis 5 yrs ago and to this day i have not had any major problems, yes i get a bit of back pain, but its not enough to get me taking those horrible pain killers again, i always rest after work, at least half an hour laying on my bed, i put hot water bottles on my back to help the occasional aches and pains. i work as a storeman /forktruck driver so i do a bit of lifting, and other than have to stop doing sport, i live a normal life, every few months if im feeling very stiff etc, i visit my physio and after a few sessions it seems to do me a bit of good, the only thing is that you still get worried from time to time, even after this long that your back may give out again, but as the years go on i wonder if you could call this succesful, if i take it easy, no pain, but you still go around watching everyone else running jumping around without a care in the world thinking i just wish i could do that, but theres no way you can or ever will again. so i wish you all a pain free life and good health. ps just wanted to let you know there is light at the end of the tunnel. UNQUOTE
QUOTE TWO Just want to say firstly for all of you who have had probs with your dynesys I'm sorry you have had that experience but also to leave a positive message that it does sometimes work! and work and work well. I had dynesys stabilisation of L3,4+5 in March 2006 following 15 years of back pain due to 3 slipped discs +some spinal stenosis. Before my op I was in daily pain (on tramadol, paracetamol +diclofenac) and during flare ups would be unable to stand upright for 2+ weeks at a time. I was offered fusion but decided against that as felt I wanted the flexibility. My surgeon (in Bristol, England) informed me that there would only be 50% chance of improvement, 30% chance i would be unchanged post-op and 20% chance I would be worse so I figured that as long as i didnt fall into the 20% worse then it was worth the risk. So far my op has been a total success. I am left with nerve damage around my bum and upper thighs but that is a small price to pay to be able to virtually free of back pain! UNQUOTE
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