Degenerative Disc Disease

Hi, my name is Angel64. I'm here because I have suffered from chronic pain constantly for 33 years. I was diagnosed with Degenerative Disc Disease and IBS 33 years ago. 12 years ago just was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia and . I have terrible fatigue. I get pain down my left side, but the worst is the severe pain I get in the left side of my stomach.
The medical profession does not know why, but has put it down to Fibro.
Does anyone else get this terrible pain in stomach?
Thanks

#MightyTogether #Anxiety #Fibromyalgia #Migraine #PTSD

Hello, I’m new here and I’m dealing with some really rough relationship issues that I feel have a lot to do with my health. Where do people discuss these challenges on The Mighty? I will admit that tim struggling with the relationship and it’s a 10 year relationship and we love each other very deeply yeah I feel like my medical condition. Makes it too scary or risky for someone to take a chance to be with me based on the numerous systems have been affected by my systemic connected tissue and auto immune disorder. The person I was dating for 10 years that we’re about to be engaged is a physician had a kidney transplant and I think understood too well how much risk I’ve had recently with several near death medical crisis according to my present medical history, my trajectory is not going upward at all. In fact, my immune system has attack more organs systems and now I’m not a surgical candidate, major spinal deformity or hammertoe/bone spur injury.
Im still here. My bf broke up w me. We were supposed to get engaged shortly. Hard week. I think it’s too late I missed my chance. I was in a to me and my kids which took me 15 yr marriage that was destructive to me and my kids. It took me ten years to get a divorce. I’m still dealing with the fallout from that. Dating# #mixedconectivetissuedisease #PrimaryImmunodeficiency #DemyelinatingNeuropathies #MultipleSclerosis #CrohnsDisease #AutoimmuneDisorder
#Epilepsy #Arthritis #DegenerativeDiscDisease #ChronicFatigueSyndrome #Arthritis #DiffuseIdiopathicSkeletalHyperostosis #seronegativearthritis #Scleroderma #Endometriosis #Gastroparesis #ChronicVestibularMigraine #Migraine

Dealing with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS) and other chronic muscle and joint conditions has taught me a lot about how the body works under stress. One key takeaway is that when muscles are overworked or injured, they tighten up as a defense mechanism. This process takes up a lot of energy, so to conserve resources, the body smartly creates scar tissue to bind everything in place. It’s a clever form of resource management, designed to prioritize immediate survival needs. But the trade-off? Long-term function gets compromised.

One of the most important things I’ve learned is that getting those tight, restricted tissues moving again is the critical first step in recovery. Over the past decade, tools like foam rollers and massage balls have become mainstream. But while they’re great for some people, they don’t always work for bendy bodies. Our muscles overlap differently, and areas like joints require special care. Plus, when you add issues like Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS), dysautonomia, and fragile lymphatic systems into the mix, direct compression often does more harm than good for many of us.

For people with hypermobility, it’s all about balancing the release of bound-up tissue and restoring healthy function—without irritating the body further. Once the soft tissues regain mobility and inflammation calms down, the body stops compensating and is ready to rebuild strength and proper function and with even better body-mind awareness. Proprioception (the body's ability to know where it is in space, e.g. how you can touch your nose with your eyes closed) can improve, and daily tasks can start to become less burdensome.

It's all incremental though, hypermobile bodies deserve and need gentle progress.

I'm so thankful to the Muscle and Joint Clinic for their diverse and gentle approach to healing. Focused shockwave therapy brings instant relief to my tired muscles and red light therapy down regulates my nervous system. Getting myself into the rest and digest mode has been so vital to my healing.

While my symptoms can flare up in sudden and unpredictable ways, my recovery time is dramatically shortened. I most recently had a migraine with a brainstem aura that had me 1. worried I was having a stroke and 2. asleep for close to twelve hours and sensitive to light for more. I was worried about what that much bed rest would do to my recovery. Luckily, I have some more wiggle room when it comes to full bed rest. My strength and function have been rebuilt enough that I get a day off from physical therapy. A year ago, one day off would cause a cascade of debilitating subluxations and autonomic dysfunction. So while these days feel scary and like there's no end in sight, I'm sitting at my desk two days later amazed that I'm back at 80% function, and not the 20% I would be a year ago.

I’ve focused here on the physical aspects, there's also the emotional layers of healing. Underneath a lot of this body pain, there's definitely the younger version of me, ignored by doctors, teachers, and even childhood friends. I also have to look after her and remind her to not minimize the pain, to acknowledge it, talk about it, and seek the treatment I know I deserve.

#EhlersDanlosSociety #EDS #POTS #HypermobilitySyndrome #DegenerativeDiscDisease #AutonomicDysfunction #ADHD #neuro #Fibromyalgia #MastCellActivationDisorder #MentalHealth

Hi, my name is ksmcq1967. I'm here because I'm new to Psoriatic Arthritis.

#MightyTogether #Anxiety #Migraine #PsoriaticArthritis #DegenerativeDiscDisease #ChronicPain

I read Brianna’s story about when friends get tired of hearing about your chronic illness, and then a “friend “ texted me and asked how I’m feeling and I said “the same”… but this is
What I really wanted to say…

l have better days and then really bad days where I can’t do anything at all because the pain is so bad or the symptoms are in full force- it depends on the day.
It’s like one day I can pick my leg up instead of dragging it and then the next day I can’t. The pain is horrible and constant- the muscle spasms are constant and my neurologist is talking about a pump for the muscle relaxer medication.
I’m learning a lot about syringomyelia though and trying not to get depressed or discouraged but it’s really hard because it’s a very rare and Besides doctors appointments or being in the hospital I haven’t been out of the house since august 13. I literally can’t go anywhere because I can’t walk. My right leg doesn’t work-I have to drag it more or less. A friend of ours offered a wheelchair but dave hasn’t gone and picked it up.

I have a form for the Secretary of State to get a handicapped placard for parking but I have to find out how to get it. the police department here in WC doesn’t do them but —city—- does but i think i have to be a —-city—- resident. I don’t know how to get it.

Since it ls -SPORT- season everyone is busy doing that and with everything that happened to- husbands NAME- he’s not much help which i totally understand. He gets up at 3:30 in the morning every day. Then goes to SPORT practice right after work and comes home and eats dinner and goes to bed at 8:30. On Saturday they have practice and go over film and he and YOUNGEST SON get home at 12:30 then he takes DAUGHTER to the grocery stores and there’s a few hours but he has to do stuff around the house like the garden, yard etc. they do a zoom meeting on Sundays for SPORT too so literally he has no time and I understand. This is what life is always like due SPORT season but usually I’m included in it. I want to go to the games but can’t. It was such a big part of my life and now that’s gone too.

Someone literally told me if I imagine myself walking my brain will make it happen- Nobody understands or gets this. If I had a stroke or broken leg I think people would understand it better but because it’s so rare some doctors don’t even understand it. My primary care doctor said “but aren’t you glad it’s not MS?” Well of course but this is an awful thing in and of itself.

In addition to my degenerative disc disease (I have multiple herniated and bulging discs in my neck and lower back which is painful and causes sciatica in my legs) and I have multiple hemangiomas (blood vessel filled benign tumors on the spine) in my neck, thoracic and lumbar spine which can cause pain too- and now the Syrinx is located at C7 to T1, it’s 5mm wide (your spinal cord is around 6mm wide) so it’s blocking the normal flow of cerebral spinal fluid which is what is causing all the symptoms. (Pain, numbness and pins & needles that travels over my whole body: arms legs chest face back etc , the inability to use my right leg, incontinence and constipation, migraines, dizziness and vertigo,

There’s literally nothing they can do for the syrinx in my spinal cord other than treat the symptoms. It is interrupting the flow of cerebral spinal fluid and also putting pressure on my spinal cord from the inside out - and causing all of my symptoms. I may have had it since 2021 based on MRIs but it was much smaller and since recently it’s swelled and grown in size (see the MRI image) .

In some cases they can put a shunt in to drain the fluid but it literally fills right back up so they drain the spinal fluid into your body- but my team at HOSPITAL NAME said I’m not a candidate for that because of my degenerative disc disease and in some cases it doesn’t help or makes symptoms worse- it’s not a very successful thing either- sometimes they can do a “decompression “ surgery but they usually do it only for syringes that are really big - but they want to monitor it to be sure it doesn’t grow bigger since it has recently swelled and grown. Sometimes syrinxes have a rapid onset and growth period. They keep asking me if I’ve had a recent trauma like falling down stairs etc and the only thing that I can think of is just repetitive motion at work that one day with all the customers in a row but other than that … nothing has happened. They said that could have flared it up but I truly thought at the time it was my degenerative disc disease and associated symptoms.

I want to use my neurologist appointment in October as a second opinion- and I found a doctor in TOWN NAME that has experience with syringomyelia
but his wait list of 12-18 months out.

As for work- I have no idea if I qualify for social security, I haven’t filed yet for it but I’d rather make money other ways- and not depend on that- sooo…
I’ve been doing BUSINESS NAME because it’s all online and I am trying to keep it going because it’s the only way for me to make money. I’m also joining some brands to be an affiliate/ambassador trying to earn commission on sales (also since it’s online) in a nutshell , I’m trying to make the best out of a crappy situation. It’s just hard because one day I might feel ok like I can manage the pain and the other symptoms and the next day might be awful where all I can do is lay on the couch because of the pain or a migraine or can’t feel my arm or hands. Every day is different and I have no idea until I wake up what it’s going to be like.

I’m really sorry to dump all that on you but I’m so not in a good place at all. I’m not saying it to be a “poor me” person but honestly my life sucks right now.
#Syrinx #Syringomyelia #chromic #PainManagement #Loneliness #Depression #cps #EhlersDanlosSyndrome #DegenerativeDiscDisease #DDD #spine #Chiari #ArnoldChiariMalformation #myelin

I have been struggling with Pain for many years. There is a saying that that Pain is an old friend ,,,but I don’t know if I would call Pain my “friend”. Friends are nice, they like to do fun things with you, they like to celebrate accomplishments and they support you when your down. Pain does none of those things! When Pain is around,,,she’s not nice at all! She doesn’t like doing fun stuff nor celebrate, and when I need support,,,she kicks me while I’m down! So yeah, I debunk that saying. What do you call your Pain?
#Arthritis #DegenerativeDiscDisease #Fibromyalgia #ChronicMigraines #IBS #ChronicFatigue #Anxiety #Depression #MentalHealth #BackPain #ChronicPain #ChronicIllness #InflammatoryArthritis #chronicinflamation #chronictendonitis #Bursitis

Hi, my name is DaisyRain7. I'm here because #EhlersDanlosSociety #Fibromyalgia #PTSD #Migraine #DegenerativeDiscDisease #PostTraumaticStressDisorder #PosturalOrthostaticTachycardiaSyndrome

Currently I am on LOA and getting ready to undergo my second back surgery. I have suffered from chronic pain for years. And am I EVER worried about becoming addicted to pain meds again. That was one wild ride I don't plan on standing in line again for!! #DegenerativeDiscDisease #ChronicPain #AddictionRecovery #Backsurgery