So sorry to hear this. I can't imagine why your disability would be discontinued. I hope this doesn't happen to you.

Best wishes,

Marianne

Did SSD give you any reason why you might lose your disability. And as much as seeing Pm DR If you get the right one he can and will help you out. My PM Dr was heaven sent. He willing to listen to what I have to say.He was there for me when all the other Dr threw up their hand and told me there nothing else they could do.

Jim

Sorry this happened to you, hang in there, I believe in miracles, sometimes they aren't what we expect though, but they are miracles none the less.
Kylie

It is such a shame that this doctor left you with a feeling of "no hope". Perhaps surgery is not an option for your thoracic herniations, but there are many things you can continue to try, which might help to ease the pain.

Adequate pain control would be number one on my list, so I'm glad he is referring you to a PM doctor.

Sometimes you have to revisit certain exercises along the way, in an attempt to strengthen your core muscles. It has been my experience that aqua therapy is the best type of exercising for thoracic pain. Grabbing a noodle, wrapping it around your back and just floating... is exercise and it helps to relieve thoracic pain. Walking is also important, but sometimes more painful to do... even with the assistance of our walkers. Holding onto the walkers can produce additional unwanted pain in our hands and arms. Heating pads and wraps help to ease thoracic pain. Gentle, very gentle, massage can also help.

We have to keep our minds open to any kind of pain relief that is out there and give them all a try. What works for others, may not work for us... but we don't stop looking for additional pain relief.

I understand not liking to take pills. I really do! I feel like I have my own pharmacy going on over here and I know many members feel the exact same way. I'm thankful we have relief through pills, otherwise, I would have no quality of life. The pain would be excrutiating without my medication. I would probably become very unhealthy, if it were not for pills... as I would be tossing my cookies all day long. I would become dehydrated very quickly.

What happened with the social security call? Did the representative indicate what had transpired? We have a couple of members who have dealt with social security issues in their professional line of work. They may be able to lend an ear and give you some helpful advice.

Hang tight to your faith... and never give up hope.

Saying prayers for you and hope tomorrow is a brighter day,

Tammy

I believe in miracles...and I also believe that Jesus is my only hope, in all of the important things in this life.

Can you get a second opinion? and maybe a third? I wouldn't take just one surgeon's pronouncement that there's nothing that can be done for you.

As for losing your disability, I can't imagine how they could just yank that away. They would have to give you a reason for the action and surely you could appeal the decision. If there truly is nothing else that can be done for you (and that's still to be determined) then you can prove the need for the disability benefits.

Will keep you in my prayers!

Jesus is not your only hope. I do not for one belive in miricles. For every good thing that happens thousands of terrible things happen . People say jesus caused the miricle but somehow had nothing to do with the terrible things? Am I more deserving a miricle than some child with cancer? Just my opinion. Anyways

You need to see another doctor. How much exp. in thorasic does this guy have? Thorasic is one of the worst parts of the spine to see a doctor who has little thorasic exp. I now a guy who lives about 40 min. from me who said the exact thing you are saying about your chest and breathing. He felt heart attack, crushing, radiating pain. The sypathetic nervous system is in that area and can cause such crazy symptoms. Have you had thorasic discogram, I felt mine radiate around and into my chest upon pressure? Nerve conduction test in thorasic? Your instinct tells you there is a corralation between the thorasic disc herniating and the chest, trust it and get second opinion. If you look up thorasic surguries other than for scoliosis there really are only about 4-5 docs in the US who I would trust. Doctors who have experience, designed techniques, wrote books on it, belive me I have reasearched for 5 years. I heard the same thing that the chest pain was not from my thorasic, just like my hip pain was not a torn labrum, my facets were not part of the problem in thorasic, the thorasic discs are not supposed to herniate, etc. You know what all those have in common, they ended up being wrong******** You have options yet, it is easy to give up when they say live with it, I have wanted to many times not seeing how i can live like this and i still dont but then I talke to one of the few with thorasic fusions that have actually worked. The nerves are a incredible invention, but they are incredibly complex in their pain generation. I will send you the names of the docs I have found if you want.

Good Luck

This was my third opinion. So I have seen many doctors. I know the Lord and I have experienced several miracles and know first hand the Lord can heal but for what ever reason in this situation He has not thus far but I trust and believe He is with me through all of this even though I fall apart and just cry.

Thanks for all your love and support. I need all the prayers I can get.

May hugs to all you beauituful people.

Jeanie

At least this Dr. is looking for nerve involvement by ordering the EMG although what will he do with the results? Taking it one day at a time and keeping the faith knowing there is always hope up ahead. Ask him with the test results if your spine is stable? Saying a prayer for you also. Take care. Charry

Have you have MRI of cervical? Sometimes causes some of the things you said. What thorasic surguries have you had, did you look into VATS for spine? How many surguries have the doctors you saw done in thorasic area? Not thorasic scoliosis, but actual thorasic surgury for herniation?

To quote anothers post on other site to show there is hope. Sorry if to long, I guess I could have linked but this is parts taken out of alot of posts by this person.

"I struggled through the rest of the trip in came home on September 20th. For a couple of weeks after that I continued to try to work. On a good day I might spend 4 or 5 hours at work. On a bad day I would just go in for a very short while before I gave up. Since then I’ve not been out of the house except to go to a doctor, pharmacy or to run a brief errand (very rare and only when absolutely necessary.) I’ve been able to keep the business going with my staff coming and working out of my house. Good days are very rare and should not be considered good days. They might start off with 3 or 4 hours up and about, around the house, before things get bad. Bad days grind by with a minimum pain level of 6 or 7 and with frequent bouts of 8 or 9. There’s not a single day that doesn’t include several hours of 7, 8 or 9. One thing that makes it so bad is that when the pain levels get up there, there’s nothing I can do to get comfortable. Sitting, standing room, lying, walking… no matter what I do, it stays bad.

I’m pretty blown away by the positive results because I did not think that this could be my facets. I thought that facets would come on slowly over the years and would be episodic to have it come on strong and last for months now does not seem like a normal presentation. I believe that what has happened is that my T7-T8 level has been bad for years, had quit moving, and was asymptomatic. In the months following my cervical surgery I did physical therapy that was specifically aimed at mobilizing my thoracic spine. My guess is that re-mobilizing this level, caused the previously asymptomatic problem-level to become symptomatic.

"It seemed as if the reconfiguration of my spine with my 4-level surgery might have provoked things. I'm taller following my surgery and I have always carried my head too far forward and now it's on a longer lever arm. I thought that things were simply muscular. A couple of weeks ago, I got facet injections T2 - T8, both sides. The results were quite dramatic as 1/2 hour after the injections, I was able to sit up and work at my computer. This was the test for me because going into the injections I was way flared up and unable to do that at all. I was comfortable for another 45 minutes, then as the injectant was wearing off, I was back in pain and unable to sit again"

Starting a new thread here. It's wonderful to post good news.

In the last week, I've:

1. Stood still wearing a lead apron for a 5+ hour surgery. (One I hadn't seen before... very interesting stuff!)

2. Walked on the beach and discovered a whale skeleton.

3. Went back over and over... kind of OCD about something exciting.

4. Sat through a wonderful play. (Tick, Tick, Boom... Jonathon Larson - creator of Rent)

5. Worked too much!

6. Shoveled sand for hours.... dug up a carload of whale bones... unloaded.... washed... carted upstairs... collapsed exhausted.

All day Saturday, I thought I'd be dying... but I survived.

I woke up Sunday hurting like an SOB... sore as hell... but it's a good hurt! It's all muscles that haven't been worked out like this in years. Nothing acute... just a wonderful soreness. Our balcony (60') is covered with whale bones! I posted a bunch of pictures on my facebook page...

It's great to come back again and recover some of who I used to be.

Diane is 2 years post-op next month... she did great too. Between the 2 of us, we have 6 spine surgeries and 8 ADR's. Our friend pictured below has a fusion that is something like T5-L5... massive, successful scoliosis fusion 2 decades ago.

Not bad for a bunch of old spineys...

Mark

PS... leaving for Germany tomorrow!

__________________
1997 MVA
2000 L4-5 Microdiscectomy/laminotomy
2001 L5-S1 Micro-d/lami
2002 L4-S1 Charite' ADR - SUCCESS!
2009 C3-C4, C5-C6-C7, T1-T2 ProDisc-C Nova
Summer 2009, more bad thoracic discs!

***Two ADR discs in thorasic T1-2 and in great pain and facet injections have him moving around get him better everday, I know the condition of your spine and the level its at can not get ADR but there are also T level fusion success stories to**