Hello all, introducing myself, new member here

[Guest guest]

I have chronic pain from the bottom of my jaw on the right side,

down to the bottom of my right shoulder blade in the back. in the

center of my right chest when I breathe. under my right arm inside

the chest, burning pain inside my right arm at the elbow and stabbing

pain in the pinkie and finger next to it.

all from arthritis in my neck (the MDs say), C5/C6 & C6/C7, cervical

stenosis,

cervical spondylosis, cervical radiculopathy, and post operative with

a

reduction of about 50% of the pain. I am able to have a few good

hours a day

where pain level is below 8.

I worry constantly that the pain is from something else, some

undiscovered cancer or aneurysm since it seems to be spreading. I

lost health insurance about 18 months ago.

The resulting weight gain from being unable to move without pain has

added to

the blood pressure problem already in existence from the pain, and am

severely

depressed from all of it, naturally.

Hoping to get some comfort from talking with others in this group to

keep me sane this upcoming winter. I came very close to ending it

last winter.

Contributed often to a disabilities online group, but found that too

general to

be a lot of help for the effort.

I woke up one morning 4 years ago with debilitating pain unable to

move to the right or left to get out of bed and it has changed my

life, as I'm sure you all know. In full disclosure, I had right side

arm shoulder pain that I self managed for 12 years before this.

I thought that was natural for someone who keyboarded and moused on

computers since they were invented 10 hrs day for 20 years. I also

was injured in a motor vehicle accident 5 years before this happened

but thought it was just a typical whiplash. I have learned there was

more damage than I realized.

I went from being a professional who paid taxes, owned a home,

raised my children, sent them to college. I thought I had enough

insurance, but employer's illusory long term disability insurance

wasn't worth squat. I was denied with no possibility for breach of

contract

lawsuit due to ERISA. I had six month emergency savings, money in a

retirement

account.

I thought I had done everything to protect myself and am now

indigent, with 0

funds, on food stamps, living with relatives today, no health care

and suffering

from my disability.

Thank God my SSDI was been fully approved recently at ALJ hearing

level in September however no actual money yet, not through appeals

council yet. I applied May 2006.

I've already identified how I'm going to proceed obtaining medical

care once I get some funds/medicare. When I first had to move to the

area, had no way of knowing where to start finding a new doctor and

with cobra insurance running out, not much happened before I lost

funds. I've been here 2 years now, and have some good datapoints.

I've also

been on food stamps for a year and a half.

That's about it. That's me. Thanks for listening.

in Oregon