It started as overall body aches, with burning throughout my skin, pain in m’bones, joints, occasionally involving my tendons.
There were muscle aches and a few headaches. There was a diagnosis, fibromyalgia. Or was it? What is it? Was it stress, was it my diet?
No ma’am, it’s chronic pain…for life! And oh, it’s common in women your age. YIKES!
It all began after the I sold the practice and filed bankruptcy. Becoming a single mother, an airforce officer, commander, medical director… divorcee…
Then a little neck pain, then my upper back. Those didn’t really bother me much at the start. Then more neck pain and hip pain and knee pain… hmmm
Then knee swelling, and painful cysts. I can’t run, walk, kneel. I can’t. It hurt. A lot.
Then numbness and paresthesias in my hands and sometimes, my feet.
Then more neck pain, and now with neck stiffness
Needing massages multiple times a day, but my muscles hurt, so massages were out!
Then physical therapy, which they said would help, but it still hurt to do everything.
Then doctors, doctors, and more doctors, more orthodox medical practitioners.
Ayurvedic doctors, DOs, MDs, dieticians, house wives, friends. The essential oils, the snake oils…Then the neurologist, the pain doctor and the neurosurgeon, everyone!
Then X-Rays, CT Scans, MRIs, dietary change, eat this, drink that, avoid this, apply that.
Then LOTS of PAIN, I mean LOTS!
Then crunching sounds when I move my neck
More crunching sounds
I HATE the crunching sounds…!
Then pain medicines, injections, radio ablation, Tinz unit, Vicks, Robb, “Ukwuma”.
Muscle Relaxants
Doctor visits, follow ups, referrals.
It hurt when I typed, it hurt when I did my hair. I LOVE doing my hair!
Pain on the right side of my neck, my right shoulder. Lots of pain and difficulty even with opening cans, opening the front door, shaking hands, you name it.
FEAR!
What if I have to suffer this way for the rest of my life? What if my spinal cord gets affected? What if I get paralyzed? What if, what if, what if?
*During one procedure by the pain doctor, my Blood Pressure crashed, and I was nearly a Code Blue! HELP! I will do anything!
More pain.
Much more pain.
I wake up some nights, my fingers are numb, and ask my wifener to pull at them to “wake’ them up. She does.
More pain, I am now consumed with thinking about pain… Is this my life?
But, like a true trooper, I smile, take my meds, exercise, do Facebook lives, inspire people, coach them.
I cook, clean, mommy my kids, wife the wife, daughter my parents, sister my siblings, doctor my patients, love my friends.
More pain.
Then one day,
My LMC said, “Mom, I am tired of massaging your neck.”
“You need to see a doctor”.
Oh?
I thought I was already seeing them, too numerous to count…
Then a pandemic, lockdown, no elective surgeries…
Then September 14, 2020
4 years
4 hours
4 screws
An ACDF (Anterior Cervical Disc Fusion)
A scar
And STILL I had pain!
But this time, I have a scar
Do you have a scar?
Mine reminds me that I have had pain. I did have surgery, I did try doctors, lots of them. And I gave orthodox medicine a chance
Over 3 months after my surgery, my neck, shoulder, back and entire body still hurt…WORSE!
Until last week. My repeat neck CT showed proper alignment. All my screws are in place. So why am I still hurting? What is that about?
I can’t sleep at night, I am obsessed with (not) being in pain. It is all I can think about.
So, I decided no more meds, I had taken all of 5 bottles of pain meds and muscle relaxants. I was done. I vowed to heal myself. To do it myself. I returned the meds to the pharmacy.
And that was when the universe sent me Dr. John Sarno, a doctor with a difference. The brain behind TMS (Tension Myositis Syndrome)
A doctor who asked questions. One who challenged the norms. One who changed the narrative, my narrative.
And now I am pain-free! TOTALLY!
After nearly 10 years of suffering with fibromyalgia, I have no more pain at trigger points. No neck pain, no back pain. no shoulder pain. NONE!
Are you in pain? Are you a chronic pain patient like I was? Check out his books, they will save your life! But you must first believe…it’s that easy.
My name is Dr. Lulu
I am a former chronic pain patient.
What about you? Where do you hurt? Let’s talk.
“You never know how strong you are until being strong is the only choice you have” ~ Bob Marley
BB
Words by Black Butterfly 