Please welcome Maria "Lu" Figueiredo

Please welome Maria "Lu" Figueiredo of New York. Lu welcomes your contact and her email address is dorcostas@yahoo.com.

Lu says:

"HI, I am so ecstatic to find another site that has more info and support for Arachnoiditis sufferers like me. This is such an awful diagnosis to have to deal with and when there is so much ignorance and negligence on behalf of the medical community around where I live, it is so frustrating. I was first diagnosed back in 9-05 after having endured 5 epidurals pre-op, actually becoming semiparalegic for hours on the 5th one, and spinal fusion surgery which I lost 1 week out of my life due to a serious infection post-op. I was once a nurse who so whole heartedly believed in the medical community and its services but after being diagnosed my whole perception changed, when I became a victim to it. After my surgery, and prior to my diagnosis, I was still having so much pain, my surgeon after a while began losing belief in me and my complaints, he found it impossible that I could be in so much pain still. He even went as far, as refusing to give me any pain meds one night while I was admitted to the the hospital for pain, all I could do was cry and scream all night with agony!! The next day, considering my pain was still there, and the other patients were complaining and I has called every supervisor possible, finally an MRI was done and thats how I was diagnosed. the surgeon non-chalantly shoved it off as just a inflammatory response and practically tried to push the electrical stim unit on me, but I refused, and declined any further medical intervention from him. My sister and I quickly tried to do as much research as we could on the diagnosis, but of course at the time, there was limited amount, and whatever we did find surely hit home and helped explain all the symptoms I was feeling but also put great fear into me in regards to what was still yet to come. At that time pain was the main factor, no other bodily function or symptom was noted. Today I have deteriorated to a certain degree. My bowel and bladder have been affected, those functions have been made almost impossible. Practically every organ in my pelvis has also been affected, needed to have a hysterectomy(which was the worst thing to go thru because I so wanted to have another child), my kidneys are slow as molasses, and my adrenals glands are also slowing down making my sleep/awake cycle eradic. Besides that I am now in debt to my dentist due to all the constant dental work I need to get due to horrible effects of the pain meds on my mouth. I have endured years of agony but my strong faith and supportive family keeps me going day by day. I no longer live life for myself, I now live life thru my daughter's. Unfortunately they have been very deprived because of my limitations but they have taken it like champions, one is even telling me she is going to be a doctor when she grows up just to find a cure for me, even though she is only 7, her intentions are still adorable. The fact that she even has to say that saddens me, because at her age, even she understands that there is not enough help or info regarding this disease. Sure my pain doctor gives me pills to help some of the pain, the dose gets higher each time, when will it stop? how much can my body handle? I am too young to be the rest of my life on such drugs. I want a life, I am sick and tired of being Sick and Tired. Every day I am fearing a new thing to happen to me. I want to be able to not to have to fear this and think about what positive things will happen, what good will come, not bad. Does anyone else think this way?? I guess I am looking or a miracle to happen in regards to this disease, hoping they discover a treatment or cure to this, I feel more notice needs to be brought to this disease for it ever getting a chance to be recognized by the meducal community. Because when it does, thats when I believe we will get the proper care we deserve... Would love to hear any advise anyone has.....Love Lu