Hi everyone,
I am a newbie and in desperate need of help.
I am in the middle of a custody battle for my seven year old daughter—the trial is May 5th. My soon-to-be ex-husband is claiming that I am unable to care for our daughter because of my MS.
I have relapsing remitting MS and am on Copaxone. My husband initiated our divorce when I had my first severe relapse in October 2013—I ended up using a wheelchair and was partially blind.
I’ve regained my ability to walk, my vision, etc., since then, and my MRI shows no disease progression. I was fully functional until the end of this January, when I began to have severe lower back pain. It feels like spasticity. My neurologist has continuously raised my Baclofen and that helped through roughly the end of this March—it enabled me to stand up straight and be mobile and take care of my daughter, though I still hurt.
But at the end of this March I reached the maximum of Baclofen 80 mg per day, and it stopped working on my back pain. I have had an MRI to look for a slipped disc or arthritis and it has come up empty.
It’s been 21 days and the pain has gotten worse to a point where I can’t stand up straight—I’m always hunched forward. I whimper in pain when I wake up.
The only thing that’s getting me through the days is a tens unit my Physical Therapist ordered for me—I keep it on constantly and blasting.
I have tried other muscle relaxers through my PCP and nothing makes anything but the smallest dent in the pain.
When I feel my back from mid-back to lower back there are specific muscles that are so tight that I feel the urge to take a needle and burst them, if that makes sense.
I have an appointment at a pain clinic on Thursday, April 23. I was just able to speak to them and they said it would only be a consultation, and that they couldn’t say if they could do any injections or if they could they would have room to fit me in before my custody trial.
I need to be able to stand upright for my custody trial and I am horrified that this is happening. I’ve never experienced anything like this before. I’ve had spasticity in my left hip, tops of my ankles, and a muscle in my left calf intermittently but it’s never been debilitating.
Have any of you ever experienced spasticity in your back to this degree? If so, what did you do to help with the pain? Do you know if there is any way I can get something to make the pain tolerable and allow me to stand upright for my custody trial on May 5? My daughter’s life is hanging in the balance.
I’m scared. I know that I’m new and you don’t know me, but if you have any advice or feedback it would be so much help. I don’t know where else to turn.
Thank you!
Maggie
I am a newbie and in desperate need of help.
I am in the middle of a custody battle for my seven year old daughter—the trial is May 5th. My soon-to-be ex-husband is claiming that I am unable to care for our daughter because of my MS.
I have relapsing remitting MS and am on Copaxone. My husband initiated our divorce when I had my first severe relapse in October 2013—I ended up using a wheelchair and was partially blind.
I’ve regained my ability to walk, my vision, etc., since then, and my MRI shows no disease progression. I was fully functional until the end of this January, when I began to have severe lower back pain. It feels like spasticity. My neurologist has continuously raised my Baclofen and that helped through roughly the end of this March—it enabled me to stand up straight and be mobile and take care of my daughter, though I still hurt.
But at the end of this March I reached the maximum of Baclofen 80 mg per day, and it stopped working on my back pain. I have had an MRI to look for a slipped disc or arthritis and it has come up empty.
It’s been 21 days and the pain has gotten worse to a point where I can’t stand up straight—I’m always hunched forward. I whimper in pain when I wake up.
The only thing that’s getting me through the days is a tens unit my Physical Therapist ordered for me—I keep it on constantly and blasting.
I have tried other muscle relaxers through my PCP and nothing makes anything but the smallest dent in the pain.
When I feel my back from mid-back to lower back there are specific muscles that are so tight that I feel the urge to take a needle and burst them, if that makes sense.
I have an appointment at a pain clinic on Thursday, April 23. I was just able to speak to them and they said it would only be a consultation, and that they couldn’t say if they could do any injections or if they could they would have room to fit me in before my custody trial.
I need to be able to stand upright for my custody trial and I am horrified that this is happening. I’ve never experienced anything like this before. I’ve had spasticity in my left hip, tops of my ankles, and a muscle in my left calf intermittently but it’s never been debilitating.
Have any of you ever experienced spasticity in your back to this degree? If so, what did you do to help with the pain? Do you know if there is any way I can get something to make the pain tolerable and allow me to stand upright for my custody trial on May 5? My daughter’s life is hanging in the balance.
I’m scared. I know that I’m new and you don’t know me, but if you have any advice or feedback it would be so much help. I don’t know where else to turn.
Thank you!
Maggie
I have my tens unit blasting as I write! I will have to see about a back brace. 
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