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Mind numbing, Excruciating PAIN…
14 years ago
General
Oh. My. God.
About a week or so ago, I woke up with a little twinge in my neck. Over the next few days, it has progressed into this… I can barely lift my arms to type this. The doctor friends think anything from ruptured disc in my neck or a degenerative disease called Spondylitis (?) Apparently thats where my immune system gleefullly goes about attacking my connective tissues, slowly turning them into bone. I've had a stiff neck before- but this is one of those times that makes you wonder if things are going to get any better.
More than likely its the usual: One muscle gets pissed off, and wreaks havoc on the others around it. Wouldn't be the first time.
Needless to say, this has slowed my art activities down, as the one thing I REALLY can't do is sit at my workstation for hours on end.
I passed a kidney stone a few weeks ago… This is about 10 times worse. I blacked out for a moment when I casually reached for my toothbrush last night. I slept while standing in the corner, because I'm unable to lay down right now, because laying down for any length of time intensifies the effects of whatever-this-is.
Eventually the pain moves out of my neck, and down into my arms and hands, across my chest and into my lower back. It feels like tennis elbow, but it spreads everywhere. My regular doctor wont give me anything for it- calls it "chronic pain", and says I need to "stop doing that". Thanks a lot, asshole. Good luck collecting that $85.
And to think it all started with a little too much stretch one morning… My neck sucks.
About a week or so ago, I woke up with a little twinge in my neck. Over the next few days, it has progressed into this… I can barely lift my arms to type this. The doctor friends think anything from ruptured disc in my neck or a degenerative disease called Spondylitis (?) Apparently thats where my immune system gleefullly goes about attacking my connective tissues, slowly turning them into bone. I've had a stiff neck before- but this is one of those times that makes you wonder if things are going to get any better.
More than likely its the usual: One muscle gets pissed off, and wreaks havoc on the others around it. Wouldn't be the first time.
Needless to say, this has slowed my art activities down, as the one thing I REALLY can't do is sit at my workstation for hours on end.
I passed a kidney stone a few weeks ago… This is about 10 times worse. I blacked out for a moment when I casually reached for my toothbrush last night. I slept while standing in the corner, because I'm unable to lay down right now, because laying down for any length of time intensifies the effects of whatever-this-is.
Eventually the pain moves out of my neck, and down into my arms and hands, across my chest and into my lower back. It feels like tennis elbow, but it spreads everywhere. My regular doctor wont give me anything for it- calls it "chronic pain", and says I need to "stop doing that". Thanks a lot, asshole. Good luck collecting that $85.
And to think it all started with a little too much stretch one morning… My neck sucks.
Asprin and IBprofin can go a long way <3 I hope you feel better soon!
Anyway, hope you'll feel better :(
First of all. I don't have it, thank goodness, but I have a similar autoimmune disorder, and a couple relatives with AS.
- Did he order a... B-27? HLA-B27 test? That'd tell you fairly conclusively whether you have it or not. If not, call the office and complain.
- Ask for Indometacin. That's what I've got a prescription for. The first time I took it it made me cry with happiness because it worked well... don't take too many of them though, the side-effect list is pretty long. Indometacin is dirt cheap too, like $10 for 50 pills. Alternately, Arthrotec was my old prescription before my symptoms got worse, possibly worth trying too, less side effects though it made me nauseous as hell, and it was more expensive.
- When you feel better, do yoga. It does wonders to restore your flexibility.
If you wanted to ask me anything else, feel free to send me a note.
The best part is: Its a recurring problem- it feeds itself by re-injuring the muscle over and over again. As the scar tissue builds up around the area, it becomes more prone to being irritated, and my mobility decreases. I went a long time without this problem, so I thought I had it licked.
I was wrong.
How does this relate to your malady? It might not, but a friend of mine had experienced roughly the same thing, only it was in the cervical region (middle to upper neck), and visited its vexations upon his hands.
I won't insist that you have what I or my friend have, but unless that diagnosis you described is definitive, it might be worth your while to consider a visit to an orthopedist. I hope that your medical insurance (do you have any?) can cover it.
Good luck, and get better soon.