Chronic Pain

Hi and i am so glad i found this forum, have a few question, First was it hard if anyone from kentucky to have workers comp. insurance to ok the pump. If so how long. and also have been reading about after healing time would you be able to do regular activities and enjoy life somewhat, right now not able to do anything. On fentanyl 75 and hydrocone 500 for pain plus 3 different depression and anxiety medicine. Pain management Dr. suggest morphine pump, spine dr. wants to do spinal fusion and i really would rather go for the pump instead of fusion right off. Thanks so much for any information anyone can give would appreicate any feed back on both.

Hi Otis,

I am new to this site but I just had to reply since you said you were from Kentucky. We are neighbors since I am in WV! Insurance is paying for my morphine pump trial so I can't tell you anything about workers comp. I just know that it will be a LOOOOONG process for you.

I am not a doctor and I don't know your specific situation, but I would reconsider doing the fusion first before the pump. I had 2 surgeries to repair a blown out disc. The second was horrific. I had the S1 nerve root membrane tear which had to be patched. I have had lots of nerve damage with that, loss of muscle tissue in my right calf, and numbness in my legs and feet. My low back continued to become more and more unstable. I HAD to have a fusion to stabilize it. One vertebra was going one way and the other vertebra going the opposite way. I was not guaranteed any better pain relief, however, I knew that my pain would not get any worse.

If you get the morphine pump first and you have good success with it, it will mask any new problems that developm with your back. What if the vertebra slip so far that a nerve is severed? I don't know if that can happened but that's what could have happened to me according to my doctor. I am partial to the fusion first because this is what I did.

Also, there are two kinds of fusions out there. The old way is to take bone from your hip to fuse your back and you wear a brace for 3 months. The new way, which is what I had, is to use titanium rods and screws that stay in you forever. I also have a cylinder in place of what was in place of the disc.

I would get a second opinion if I were you.
Good luck in whatever you decide to do. I am sorry that I can't be of more help with the worker's comp.

SoBlest