Anyone ever have one?
I've got one in my neck. I'm all for going under the knife to have it removed, but the wife doesn't see things the same way I do. I just care about doing what ever will fix the source of the pain. She's real nervous about having any kind of surgery on the neck and spine area.

Dr wants me to do injections (cortisone (sp?)) first. I'm scheduled to have my first one on the 31st. I'm really having second thoughts about the injection, because that's not going to fix anything. The only thing the injection may do is make the pain go away, but the core of the problem still exist.

I woke up in soo much pain last Wednesday morning, it had me down on one knee in the kitchen about ready to cry like a little girl. Felt like I had a butcher knife in my left shoulder blade and down the backside of my left arm. I guttit it out and went on to work, only to last a couple of hours. Went to a Neurologist and he said it looks like I might have a pinched nerve and instructed me to go get an MRI. Got that and reported back to the neurologist this morning when he said "Well, it's not completely all bad, but..."

I've been in pain for the last week and haven't had a solid nights sleep since last Tuesday night (16th). I get the most pain at night laying in bed and when I wake up.
I'm just ready for the Dr to make a final decission to cut me open and fix me.
I'll be out of work for about 3 weeks, wearing a solid neck brace. Then the Dr told me the real bad news... "You won't be able to drive for the three weeks that you're going to be in the neck brace". I told him "Now you're really hurting me doc."

I'll keep everyone posted on my progress. I'm just looking forward to being pain free for just one night.

my mother has chronic back issues similar to yours but hers are in her lower back. She has been getting the shots for about a year now and they will eventually do surgery on her but at least the shots make her pain liveable for a couple of months at a time. According to her, just getting the shots are no fun but the end result is worth it. They are planning on doing surgery on her later this year and we're hoping that will fix her up. I havent had any kind of disc problems but I have had chronic muscle spasms in my lower back and the pain was just plain crushing...no position was comfortable, standing, sitting or lying down were all equally painful...and going to the bathroom was a whole new form of torture...hope they can get you straight soon...and I really feel your pain about the driving thing...I know if a doc ever lays that one on me he might just as well put me down.

Austin, do you know how you injured it?

I asked the Dr what caused it. He said that the disc had started to deteriorate and it wasn't anything that I did or could have prevented from happening. It was going to happen, it was just a matter of time.
I injured my lower back in Aug of 04 and I wanted to know if that could have been the onset of it, then that's when he gave me his statement about how it wasn't caused by anything I did.

Man that sucks!!! I just had to go to the Dr. too. I got some kinda crazy sharp pain in my gut. I went to get x-rays on Monday. I got to go back on Friday. We'll see. Good luck and I hope you feel better Bobby.

Hey Austin here are a few links to familiarize yourself with your condition and your options. Let me know if you need anything else. Take it easy and let us know how it all works out for you. Good luck, we will keep you in our prayers.

http://www.webmd.com/hw/back_pain/aa6282-medinfo.asp

http://www.necksurgery.com/faq.html?intfaqid=2&txtfaq=whatisaherniateddisc?

Well best of luck Austin.

I know my coworker injured his back splitting wood. He just had his MRI but I don't know what the results were. His was more lower back though and it effects his legs.

my mom had 3 in her lower back. she got the shots for about a year with no success so she tried something her ciropractor(sp?) told her to do and she went and go acupuncture(sp?) and after about 3 months they went away try that first then look into the surgery.

Thanks for the links, Buggy.
I'm going to look at all that information tonight.

My fiences dad had that done a few years ago, he had 3 disces fused together for that reason, he was in so much pain like you are in, and he said he should have done it a long time ago, he waited till he couldnt move to see a dr about it... but all the pain is gone and hes fine with it, he just can not turn is head from side to side now, his whole body has to turn to see anything to the side, but, best of luck to you! Keep us updated!!

OUCH!!!

Hope things go well for you Bobby!

Ahh the joys of getting old!!

Get well soon.

Best of luck with whatever option you choose to go with.

Hey Austin,

I've seen allot of people with the same condition you have. I worked at a chiropractic clinic for three years. Its been awhile since I've done that type of work but i remember grown people crying b/c the pain was so intense. Not sure if you have, but I'd go see a Chiropractor, he could possibly release the pressure caused by the disc and give you some relief. Take him the MRI report and i'm sure he'll sit down and go over it w/ you and tell you if he'll be able to help. Maybe its just me, but I'd try everything before i decided to do surgery.

Thanks for the info Javier, I'll keep it in mind.
Today was a good day for me. I slept with a cervical collar last night and I ended up getting the most sleep in one night than I've had since this whole thing began,
I actually just came back from riding bikes with my daughter. I'm still having issues turning my head all the way to the side, but pain has been minimal today.
The wife and I got into it real good last night, arqueing over the surgery. I'm real stubborn about "getting the core of the issue fixed now and not just masking the pain" while she's more into taking the time to see if it fixes itself, which was the first option my neurologist gave me.
Another issue I'm looking at is the financial issue. Between the MRI and the cortisone injection scheduled next week, my insurance deductable will be met for this year. I would like to take the opportunity to get it done this year so I don't have to deal with another meeting of my deductable for next year. The wife of course is more interested in doing just about everything but the surgery.
I told the wife that she is more than welcome to go with me to my next neurologist appointment on June 14th so she can talk to my Dr and get some of her questions answered. I'm sure that at this point surgery will be the very last thing to happen. She's worried about the risk of surgery, while I'm more worried about having another episode of pain that will make a grown man cry like a little baby girl.

I thank you all for the well wishes and the info that you have supplied, I'm not ignoring any of it and I have been sharing it all with my wife.