wizer":8q47f01b said:... Sometimes I wonder if people just think I'm lazy or worse still, a drug addict. .
Actually I always thought it was a bit of both, sprinkled lierally with a generous helping of hypochondria and self pity of course. :wink:
Seriously though, I know what you mean. Chronic back pain in particular has a certain stigma attached to it due to having being used for years by scammers claiming benefits rather than getting jobs. I learnt this the hard way when in your predicament 30 years ago I was "examined" by some bods from the DHSS. This consisted of me being asked to bend over and touch my toes, which was frankly laughable - I couldn't touch my knees, let alone my toes, but had no effect on the verdict: "Nothing wrong with you that I can see" the man said, and promptly stopped my money . :roll: :evil:
I think you need to stop trying to get by with painkillers though mate, not only are they almost certainly bad for to take long term, they're also masking the symptoms well enough to take the edge off your incentive to get a proper fix. Bite that bullet and go get the surgery if it's an option, I did and never regretted it for a second. Every day you put it off is another day without pain you're passing on and one less day you can spend running round the garden with Lola - believe me when I say these days with your daughter before she discovers mobile phones and MSN are very very short, make the most of them.