by Barbara Walker

Created on: August 23, 2009

Until the age of thirty-four, I had been blessed with good health. Good health that I took for granted, assuming my body would always do my bidding. Never once did I contemplate what being in chronic pain would be like. In the twenty-three since then, I have forgotten what it feels like NOT to be in pain.

I had an on the job injury, in 1986. What I thought, had just been a muscle strain, turned out to be a herniated disc. It wasn't until I had been on light duty for three months, using heat packs and an anti-inflammatory, that I was sent to a specialist. The pain continued to worsen. I tried to work, anyway but, it was so difficult. My co-workers seemed to resent my being on light duty. My supervisor began to hassle me, telling me I could not take the pain relievers, that the doctor had prescribed, while working. I couldn't work without them!

The day came when my doctor took me off work, entirely. Even though the reality was that I was getting worse, instead of better, I kept thinking that I would wake up the next day, pain-free and ready to work! Instead, I continued to be able to do less and less.

Two years of medication and physical therapy went by, to no avail. I was referred to a neurosurgeon. He suggested surgery. At that point of time I would have done anything to make the pain go away. I wanted my life back!

I felt I had lost so much of me, of who I am! All my life, I had been active. I had two kids, was a team mother for all their sports teams. We camped, rode motorcycles, I bowled on a women's bowling league. I played first and third base on a women's softball team. Always one of those people, doing three things at once. Now, all I could do was lay on the couch or my bed.

I had surgery and spent five days in the hospital. The post- surgery pain was nothing, compared to the pain pre-surgery. I was sent home to recuperate. On the second day at home, I called my surgeon, to tell him that I had a bad headache. He told me to put a wash cloth on my forehead and rest. I did as he instructed but, I still had the headache. The next day I called my doctor, again. He told me that he was going on vacation and if I still had the headache the next day, to call the doctor substituting for him.

The next day, I still had the headache. It was only at my roommate's insistance, that I called this other doctor. His receptionist told me to come in right away. I didn't know it, then, but after having a surgery like I did, any patient calling about a headache, should

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