I hurt so bad. No pain medication has helped. I am chained to a couch, forced to watch the world go by as I lay there. The only time I leave is to go to a doctor's appointment. Life was so good before this. I want my life back. There is no way I can "learn to live with it." It's not worth living if this is all life will give me from now on.

My pain started after my first surgery, when the cage slipped out. My doctor went back in but couldn't see through the BMP material. I am left in pain 24/7. No pill has helped, no patch, and there is no surgery left to try. Workman's Comp. bailed out on me. The doctor (their doctor) turned me down for a SCS implant. He said, since the pain didn't shoot down my leg, it wouldn't work on me. On the next visit I showed him research information I found on the web that showed it could help me. I never saw him again. Only the nurse came in on my appointments. She had my scripts already filled out. Soon after that Workman's Comp. wanted to settle. I didn't. Suddenly my checks stopped coming. I lasted 10 weeks. I was left with no choice.

Medicare, here I come. Or so I thought. I am 15 months since settling and still waiting for some kind of hearing. Medicare doesn't cover the SCS implant. They only cover the pump implant. No medication has yet helped me. My pain stays at 7 or higher. My pain rises when I am standing. It bombs me out when sitting. I can't drive. Besides the medications the bouncing around drives my brain to boil. I have to recline the seat all the way back or ride in the back seat.

This part is personal. While the doctor was poking and cutting me that second surgery he cut some very important things to me. The nerve damage to my leg was something I could handle. Medications control that. But the retrograde #### and diminished erections tends to really bum a guy out.

Fentynal, Methadone, Oxy, Morphine hasn't helped. What medication can I try? It has taken me 3 hours to write this. Sit up for 20 minutes, go lay down for 45 - 60 minutes. Repeat as necessary.