Posted by Harold (209.240.221.94) on June 27, 2001 at 01:31:11:
I found out about your site after searching the internet for 2 months trying to find out what was wrong with me.
I had a neck and back injury in April of 2000. I rptured the discs at c-5 & c-6, c-6 & c-7, and at t-5 t-6.
I had a very slight headache about 4 hours after the ruptures, about a 1 or 2, ever since but they were something you could ignore.
I underwent neck fusion surgery on 11/09/00 and the neurological pain in the arms and hands went away but the tiny headache was still there.
then in March 2001 the headache started to get a little worse. I thought that the Vicodin I was taking was maybe the cause of the worsening.
Then in April my face on my right side started to feel lke I had a hand prssed on it and trying to pull it straight down, my eyelid felt like a brick was tied to it, then my right eye exploded and the pain went from the surgigal site ,up my head, over to my right temple and to my eye enging in my sinus, which immediatly (sp) closed up.
the pain was horrendous. and was notepisodic, but 24/7 for about 60 days.
The tears flowed and life was hell for Myself and those living with me. God Bless my wife for staying.
sleep came when I ran out of gas, or got so doped up from Vicodin, Valim, and Soma, that I got a few hours.
But the pain always woke me. it wasn't even polite enough to be incorporated into my dream. It landed ontop of my dreams and violenly woke me. I would just sit in my chair with my head cocked to the left on a couch pillow and groan. 24/7 no stop.
Went to ER twice. first time they gave me Toradol (sp). brought it down from a 9-10 to a 4-5, for about 4 hours. it was like heaven, then it came back, eyes tearing and bulging. I am blind in my left eye from birth and you would know that the SOB hit me in my only good eye.
the second er trip they gave me 5 mg Morphine. nothing. then he said "I wanna do a sinal tap. But I must warn you that it could make your headache worse." I said NO!
I finally got work comp to send me to a Neurologist in nid June. He prescribed butalbital/apap w caffeine.
My headache went to a 6. then it started getting episodic. it hasn't gotten above a 7 in the past 2 weeks and the past couple of mornings I woke up with the tiny number 1 or 2 of months past.
I am up tonight because I had a 6 in bed but the butalbital is kicking in and I am finally feeling sleepy.
I know this is a temporary solution. but I'll take it.
I just wanted you all to know that sometimes the spells can last 24/7 for months at a time. I thank God that that is over.
sorry for the oration, but this has been going on for a long time and I wanted to share it with you in hopes that it may help someome.
harold (with a 3, right now)