Ted, Connie, Stephen

Please welcome our new registrants:

Ted Hochman of New Jersey. Ted has a friend with arachnoiditis. You may email Ted at TedHochman@yahoo.com

Connie Benitou of California. Email benitou@sbcglobal.net. Connie would love to be contacted with anything hopeful. Connie says:
"Feeling very afraid, hopeless. Want to know of any meds/treatments, etc. people have found useful. Anyone experienced implantations for Arachnoiditis? Looking for ways to get through the day. Thanks."

Stephen O'Rourke of New South Wales, Australia. Stephen says:
"I was diagnosed with arachnoiditis about three years ago after about thirty years of back problems. When I read the list of possible causes I ticked nearly all the boxes. Oil and acrylic based myleograms, two laminectomies for ruptured discs, a couple of bad falls in my twenties and playing rugby football in my teens. I have had to stop doing pilates because of pain coming from irritated nerves and am unable to walk for long as my feet are numb and stiff in the joints.

I have a good physiotherapist who keeps joints relatively free and have had success with cortesone injections although I now wonder whether they are part of the problem.

I take oxy-contin slow release and short acting, and lyrica and get some relief although it is not really effective as a life situation. I also use prednisolone from time to time to have a 'normal' day but the payback is bad sleep and the desire to overeat.

In November when my last child finishes school I shall go to an ayurvedic centre in Kerala, south India to see what it can offer.

I no longer work for money having spent my working life in theatre, film and television and have a 'life project' in study Asia before the arrival of the Europeans and immediately after.

I am very unfit as exercise always aggravates the pain and am unable to sit for long and write. I am turning into a grumpy old man which is very boring for those around me. I have done quite a lot of psychological work on myself and have some understanding of how I operate.

I was pleased to come across this web page and hope I may learn from others and contribute something my self. I am married with two girls in their thirties and an 18year old son. My wife works internationally in the movie business and is quite supportive of my situation but like most people believes there must be something I 'can do to change things'."