Away with the Fairies- The Travel Diary of an Irish WebFairy

Oh my!! How does something like that happen ? At least you now know what is causing the pain and hopefully your doctors can figure out what to do to make you more comfortable.
Hope you get over your chest and sinus infection real soon.

Oh my gosh Niamh. I agree that when you reach something like this you are at a major crossroads. In my life I probably had two of these. In my late 20's I got brochitis that almost was pneumonia, and then a couple of years ago I got that scare with fatty liver. Both times I've had to reassess my habits and focus. This could be major, but don't be scared, it may not be as bad as you think.

I think you mean orthopedic specialist. What I did when my mother broke her hip and needed surgery was ask around for people who had similar problem and if they'd recommended their doctor. I would look for a doctor who got great reviews, not just ok reviews. If other people found a doctor great then there is more to him than basic knowledge. He might still make a mistake but it's more than likely he'll have the experience and bedside manners to get you through it. Ultimately you'll have to trust him, you'll have to put faith in his decisions, and the fact that he got others through it is reassuring. You can already see how multiple doctors are giving you different advice. You want someone who will diagnoise, layout a recovery plan, and then execute it. Geez, that sounds like me as an engineering manager talking but it's the same approach. So ask around for people with similar problems and who they'd recommend. And judge the level of their raves for that doctor.

One other thing Niamh. This sounds similar to stenosis, the pinching of a spinal nerve. My mother had it in her lower back. They shot a steriod into the nerve to shrink the swelling and it helped quite a bit.

I wish you the best of luck Niamh. Keep us informed.

Oh, Niamh, my goodness! I hope everything works out ok!! That sounds really scary... totally go to the orthopedic specialist (and yea, make sure they know what they're doing)! You're a tough cookie though - just get some rest and drink plenty of tea. All the best to you, dove.

Good luck. Pain that doesn't go away is so debilitating. I hope, I really hope that you and your doctor/s can figure this out soon!

Meanwhile, rest and take care of yourself.

Ah dear Niamh, that's so unfortunate! I hope things work themselves out, and hope you can continue to be positive about it all. Good luck, and I hope the doctors are sensible about it to, or I'll come over and stand threateningly in the corner, casually waving my belt around...

Oh no, you poor thing. I really hope that everything works out for you and that you find a way to ease the pain. Take care o' yourself and make sure to keep us updated.

I'm so sorry to hear that things are as bad as they are. I've known that the last 6 months have been quite hard healthwise, but I didn't imagine that it could be something so serious. Do they have any knowledge about why your bones would be fusing, scoliosis or some similar condition??? More importantly, while I know any spinal surgery is risky, why would they not choose to treat things before they get much worse? I don't understand the philosophy of waiting till things are completely debilitating to allow treatment when they know of the problem earlier. Hang in there, and I hope that there can be some relief for you soon. Much love, Meg

Thanks everyone. I think my Doc and Physio are going to discuss what types of treatment i can get. the last time i was at physio she did this electical current type treatment which was amazing! apparently i can even get my own mini equivalent for less than €100 but i cant remember what its called. I'll see what they both have to say. But at least i finally know what the cause of everything is. It is also more than likely the cause of my sciatica flaring up lately and the chest muscle issue of three weeks ago.
Hey Virg! I've had both of those! Pneumonia is nasty... but it brought my to litnet and that is definitely the best thing ever!

I think the electrical current thing is a TENS,

http://www.bodyclock.co.uk/painrelief/backpain.html

Some people find them usefull, some dont.

I go to an oesteopath regularly, she has worked miricles with my back, and now I go for a service every 6 months or so. (That sounds so wrong)
Remember this is just an episode in your life, you will come through it.

TENS!!! thats the one! I found it so relieving!

I hope all is well and you are able to move effortlessly into recovery. best of luck and I am here for you!