Chuck
I feel your pain. I was in an 80 mph Head-on collision, and have never been the same. I did get better for about the first year. I am 3 inches shorter than the day I was in the crash, because my disks are degenerating at a fast rate now. I have been told surgery is the last option, and to exhaust all other alternatives first. Well, it's been six years now here in June, 2002, and I'm still ehausting those alternatives. I'm also in more pain than ever. I'm no longer able to maintain my job as an engineer. Yes, that's right, by most standards, it's a cushy job, but I can't sit up 8-12 hours a day anymore. I'm going to get a diskogram done soon, so I can determine if I can get a fusion or cage procedure done. I can't beleive that it would take so long to get to where I knew I should be going a long time ago. Stupid surgery. If I'd have had the surgery when I first wanted to, I'd probably be able to hold down a job. Shoot, I was making 50 grand a year, and I love to do what I did. I can only do it at home, now. My accident was on company time, in a company car. So that's why it took so long. Every person involved in a worker's comp. case in my state, (Michigan) is subject to penalty without notice or cause. Even by my own doctors. I don't mean to sound so antagonistic, but I've been in pain so long that it's not that easy to maintain a fun-in-the-sun attitude anymore. I hope you find some releif soon.