Patients' Stories

Vicki's Story

Hello

I thought I would share my story.

I'm 42 years old and live in Ohio.I am the mother of one 14 year old son.  My husband and I have been married 15 years.

I have had multiple back injuries. As a child I fell on the ice and fractured my  back.  This was about when I was in the 8th grade.

Then when I was 16 I fell through my parent's attic. From what I was told,  if I had landed within one inch differently I would have been paralyzed.

Then in 1994 I had to have a lumbar laminectomy for a herniated disc. I was fine after the surgery or so I thought. Considering before the surgery I could hardly walk.  But two years  later I was putting a pan in the stove and went to the floor.  Ever since then my back has been terrible.

After my surgery I was on Toradal  with Vicodine.  And now I'm on Daypro, Vicodine and Flexiril.  They want me  to go to a pain management specialist but as I yet I haven't been

This last year  I noticed that I had a lump on my right leg, my right leg is the one that  my sciatic nerve was pinched when they did my surgery.  Well, the doctor did all kinds of tests thinking that I had a lymphoma or something of the kind on my leg.  After many, many tests they told me that it was my sciatic nerve again, and that I have degenerative disc disease plus Arachnoiditis.  At that time I didn't know what all this was.  When I found this out I was sent to a neurologist and he told me to use Capzasin on my leg.  This has helped so much but I was told to only put it on with rubber gloves as it would harm my hands if I didn't.

I have gone from 5'9" to 5'7" in the last three years.  And some days I look like an S,  I'm so crooked.  I'm permanently disabled and I am only supposed to lift anything lighter than a gallon of milk.   And no long term standing  or sitting.

While all this was going on with me, my husband had a subarachnoid brain haemorrhage.  So now we are both permanently disabled.

Thought I would share parts of my story with you all.

With God all things are possible. Wa Do my friends and family.  

Love Vicki

Wi Gi is Vicki in Cherokee. 
Proud member of Western Cherokee Nation of Ark and Mo