Thanks guys,
I am trying to relax, but the pain is worse when I lye down. Right now I am wondering if I should try a flexeril since the motrin didn't work and the norco that I'm tapering with should help with some of this pain, I would think.
The other thing is I am wondering if it might be symptomatic due to the fact that I allowed myself to have fun at work, AND go over to a friends house last night. the fear of making my own decisions. Sometimes, my therapist says I tend to punish myself for my own decisions and own fun. It is very hard for me to seperate the two. If it's not real then I put myself down, if it is real then I shouldn't need to talk about allowing myself to go out. Catch 22! She always asks why it can't be a little of both. So I am trying to figure this out. I might be able to get a hold of her today. I did make an appointment with my ortho for january 18th. I will call tomorrow to see if I can't get in earlier since it does seem to be following the nerve pain course. I'm telling you, I can't even sleep it hurts so bad and I am sweating bullets from the pain. I just don't know how to relax and let myself rest, think things through until I can talk to the doc.
I do not want to go to my gp, she will give me more pain killers and I don't want to start that again. I already feel like I failed by taking the extra half, which did absolutely nothing.
So I can work on the feelings associated with having fun, why the need to turn it into pain, and go to the doctor to check things out. That's about all I can do right now. I trust this doc, and I know he will take xrays, and possibly an mri. The thing that I did remember this morning was when I was in the ER, the xray lady jerked my head to get my mouth open wider. I kind of snapped at her saying I can't because I have 6 screws in my neck. She didn't care, she wanted the proper x-ray. That is about when it started. My hand is pretty much the same except the cyst came back and I am so used to that feeling.
I'm just afraid that if something is wrong, I can stay on the clean path and AWAY from surgery. They did tell me it was a possibility for two other discs. But the last x-ray from them looked fine. I do not know if they were looking at the other ones. OMG it is throbbing like a ice cube in the back of the bottom of my head. Right at the neck. whew, I gotta try to sleep.

I definately do worry too much. And when I worry the pain gets worse. Last night, or yesterday, I put my neck brace the soft collar one back on. It did help. It cut down on the pain in my neck, not my shoulder but that is tolerable. So right now i have it off. The pain is getting worse, so I'll just put it on and keep watching it. I don't have any muscle relaxers, my flexeril is expired and I took one, nothing. I usually get tired and sluggish, not this time, not even dry mouth.
So i'm gonna stick to the brace for now. I go back to work tomorrow, hoping it will feel a little less intense.
thanks, still scared though cause it does feel like nerve pain, and it's radiating downward.
mary pat

Unfortunately Brian I am allergic to that stuff. The lyrica makes me swell up like a balloon and the neurontin, tomax, etc all made me pass out. I dropped straight to the ground and didn't even know it. The only thing that did work was the child's dose of something I can't remember. I'm also severely allergic to steroids. Just my luck!!! I go in today to see the doc. I am really scared, or curious because this is exactly the pattern it went last year when I had herniated discs and a whole bunch of problems.
What I hope is either two things if it is something, I can wear the collar more often, that is something people try to avoid because of muscle atrophy.
I can also have this worked out through physical therapy, or rest and ice, heat, motrin.
Or everything is ok and my muscles in my neck are spasming. He might be able to give a refill on flexeril today.
I won't know anything until I go. I go this morning but since it's an emergency visit I might be there all day. That's what I don't like about neck doctors. If they get an emergency, it really is life or death. Don't they know I'm sitting out there in pain? ha ha cuckles.
Mary Pat
PS as I wrote this the pain got so bad the tears started rolling down my cheeks. Kept me up again last night.