who else can I see please?

[Sandy L]

There is a sacroiliac support--a stiff elastic band closed with Velcro that supplies some of the support that you are not getting from the sacroiliac ligaments. There is also a technique called prolotherapy that might help; Ihave no experience with it. It involves injecting salt or sugar solutions near the SI joints to create an inflammatory reaction that stimulates fibrous growth.

[sarahh]

Hi H as Sandy has pointed out you could try a SI support belt it might help. I have a Serola SI support belt that I wear.

Sarah x

[H]

Right, this is an update of how c**p he serice is in my area. I became in so much pain, I went to casualty.
The doctor I saw was very nice, very thorough, very keen to get to the bottom of my problems.
I left casualty (I wanted an xray of my hip and leg and lower back-no could do)
I LEFT THAT STUPID HOSPTAL AND WAS TOLD THERE WAS NOTHING THAT COULD BE DONE AS I HAD MULTIPLE SPINAL INJURIES AND NEEDED AN MRI SCAN. MY WORLD FELL APART-ALL I'VE GOT IS A BAD HIP, BACK AND KNEE. i HAVE A BAD HIP, LOWER BACK, KNEE AND i SPENT THREE DAYS CRYING.

[H]

if you're wondering, I offerred to pay for ANY xray-they would not do it. They wouldn't xray me at all for anything.
Instead. I have spent some money on a laptop so I can have contact with the world from my bed!
Absolutely disgustingly inhumane!

[Shadowlady]

Oh H, I'm so very, very sorry that you went through this I wish I could just magic away your pain and upset but I can't, so please, how are you doing today?

How did that Doctor judge you to have 'multiple spinal injuries'? By looking? That seems... odd? I don't see that that's something that anyone could diagnose without the X-ray you were after or the MRI that he annoyingly dangled. I find this ... exceedingly unprofessional. You don't just say 'multiple spinal injuries' goodbye.

What kind of 'shooting sensations' do you have? Any pains/numbness/anything down your arms and legs or otherwise radiating from your spine? (I'm not a Doctor, just trying to get a better idea!) How did he jump to that conclusion?

The problem with A&E is that they're there literally for accidents and sudden emergencies and the Doctors can, very occasionally, be complete and utter ******** when it comes to stubbornly not treating chronic conditions when you can't tell them of an 'accident' that you've had in the last ... however many hours.

We need to get you some further investigation to find out what's going on with that back and hip of yours. Being as A&E aren't coming up with the goods, we'll have to get onto your GP. Whenever I'm upset, I really need to do a decent job of some notes about what symptoms I'm there to see the Doc about else, well, it tends to go wrong! If I have notes, I can keep myself calm to write them and make sure that they say everything I need to say, very clearly, and really spell out why I am going (e.g. I've had lumbar pain off and on for 10 years, more on than off as time goes by, it has been agony for the past month and is not showing any sign of easing up. I think that this is caused by something more than my 'usual' HMS pain because it hurts differently, there are severe radiating pains down my left leg...). I'd tell your GP that you went to A&E and about what that Doc said too if you can? I'd say this is definitely worthy of an emergency appointment.

Please can you reply to let us know you're ok, and to keep us up to date with how things are going? We do worry!

Huge gentle to you H, and some too.

My very best wishes,
S

[H]

I am still very upset.
My knee has given out/twisted or whatever you would like to call it because I've been struggling to do things with a painful hip and back. Now I can do nothing-think I'm going back to casualty? STUFF IT. what will they do this time. Sorry, we can't x ray you because ...!!!!
Anyway. Completely different topic.
The best dancers ever-the nicholas brothers....you may go ouch at the end of their performance-later years, they had arthritis so bad that they couldn't walk!
http://video.google.co.uk/videoplay?docid=-7166448883120539209&q=the+nicholas+brothers&total=2080&start=0&num=10&so=0&type=search&plindex=1

[H]

thanks all for your concern. It's nice to know others can empathise

[H]

I only mentioned the nicholas brothers because I did martial arts and stuff when younger and wondering if that is the cause of my pains. They were fantastic dancers but what we all need to hear when down is thisw;
http://video.google.co.uk/videoplay?docid=-2878493165507132193&q=somewhere+over+the+rainbow&total=5441&start=0&num=10&so=0&type=search&plindex=0

[sanguine_emma]

Hello H, How are you doing now?

I totally empathise with SI pain, you don't realise how much you need a pelvis until it splits into multiple parts and starts wobbling around all over the place do you? Do you have any walking aids? aside from an SI belt (the serola one is good) I'd say that was the best thing. I was given crutches at the hospital but they were so uncomfortable I bought my own (these ones). I also got myself a red cross wheelchair so I could get out and about. In the end I saw an occupational therapist who fixed me up with my own wheelchair (not used it so far ), and gave me advice on mobility and adaptations. I know that OT won't actually cure the horrible pain you're in, but it might be that an OT can help you to get braces, supports, crutches etc, and possibly help you assess the things that are exacerbating your pain. It might save you from having to be confined to your bed.

I really feel for you.
Emma x

[Shadowlady]

Ello H

Oooh - their dancing is really impressive isn't it? It's like they're on strings coming up from those splits!

I don't know how massively you were into martial arts, and how much pain you forced yourself through in pursuit of your art but really ... what it comes down to ... Your HMS caused these problems. I'm not denying that the decisions we make can and do have an impact on our health long term, for myself I went through a phase of 'fear of pain, fear of movement' and really stopped 'moving about' so much, let alone exercising, and that lack of exercise caused significant muscle deconditioning leading to a significant worsening of my condition.... I point blank refuse to blame the problems on myself though - it's not my fault, just as it's not your fault either! We didn't know, and even if we did know, we didn't ask for these fragile bodies that react this way now did we? Nope - therefore - not our fault. Just keep telling yourself over and over and over and over until you beleive it. In my experience the message takes a long time to get through, but I just keep telling myself - not my fault, all that matters is what I chose to do now, because those decisions can lead me to better places, but these health problems are not my fault - and they're not your fault either H!!!! Unless you did this deliberately? Did you? Decide to take up martial arts to deliberately mash your bod up? ... I suspect not.

Oh hun, I do indeed empathise a great deal, many of us here do. for you and for your knee. I hate that 'one thing messes up, putting strain on another so another messes up'... aaargh! Not fun. Not fun at all.

I love that Over the Rainbow Clip too, you should post it on this here 'Cheer me up' thread.

Hmmmm being as you haven't mentioned your GP, I am going to now jump to the conclusion that your GP ain't all that helpful? Is that right?

Occupational Therapy could be handy as Emma suggests because you can self-refer to them without asking your GP.

Take good care of yourself honey, you deserve it,
S

[H]

My chiropractor was kind enough to phone me back today and said that if I can hobble around my flat, then I can get in a car to see him-in a nice but direct way and he's right. I just hope there is something he can do.
Hobbling. Hmmmm. I can't sit down, standing hurts, lying down hurts-what options are left?
I have a tens machine on-tenscare painaway and it is powerful. It doesn't cure but causes a redirection of pain (as in, I had pain so bad in my foot but when I had the machine on,I could put pressure on it). I bought a SI belt and I was so uncomfortable I had to break out rip it off. Got a lot of belly flab in the way Maybe I just didn't use it right.
Anyways, my leg is getting a workout with the tens machine-only £36.00 (if you're lucky enough you can get it tax free-I wasn't! so that bumped it up to 40 something)
See what the chiro says.
Yeah, you're right about not realizing how much we need our pelvis until something goes wrong. What is worse is that you look normal-well I do and so people just can't see that you are in pain.
I was so bad for another reason at one point that I had meals on wheels. They were great and helpful and cut up my food-until the weekend and I saw a different pair of people who said that I didn't really need the help as I was more able and could look after myself and the elderly are more in need!!!!! So 'bye bye' I said to them.
I guess you got to take what you can get in life if you're ill but trying to do so, is very hard going-a time when you are not at your best, a time when you are vulnerable and scared, is the time when you need someone to help you and not condemn.
Why the ill are 'crucified', I will never understand. It is when a person is weak and unable to speak up for themselves-because of this, a person is treated very badly (putting it mildly)
Heil Hitler springs to mind!!!!!!!!!!

[gila]

well luckily it isnt quite as bad as under mr hitler (I love all those p**s taking brit war songs!)- we'd have all been carted off to a 'nice' sanatorium...never to appear again...
and sorry for taking this 'hitler' thing up, but I am a german...so I sort of cant help but react to his mention...still so grateful the brits fought the good fight!!!!

re "the bad treatment of sick peops"- think it is some darwinian (survival of the fittest) basic gut/reptilian brain(kind of a 'misnomer' as reptilians can be v caring) reaction...
and yep you'd have hoped that humanity would have risen above that by now...
but I'm more and more coming to the conclusion that humans are in a lot of ways the most stupid and uncaring life form on this planet...

xxg

[Shadowlady]

...still so grateful the brits fought the good fight!!!!

And I expect you to be grateful to me personally for some considerable time to come!

( that is a joke in case anybody missed it )

Ello H,

That is nice of your Chiro to call you up. Have you been to see him? Hope he's good and gentle with you, and I hope it helps!

Have you made an appointment with your GP yet? It is very important that you do. Your GP is supposed to know what's going on with your health, and there's nothing they can do to help unless you can communicate your problems to them? If they don't understand .... tell us! Maybe we can help somehow?

I am really worried about you H, and I'd feel an awful lot better were you to have a chat with your GP about all this. They should be supporting you, offering you help... If they're not doing that... Then maybe we can help you think of something new to try? Because I do think that things need to be 'different' for you somehow?

Take good care honey, you deserve it, and thank you kindly for your pm
S

[sarahh]

Hi H I am so sorryh you've had to go through all this. I can't believe they didn't do an xray even after you told them you would pay for it. Glad your chiropractor was good phoning you back. Have you been to see him yet I really hope he can help with your joints.

Take care

Sarah x