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[StarLord]

I’m a T5 incomplete Spinal Cord Injury (but with no anal reflex). I don’t think I have CP, per se, but I have fairly significant neuropathic pain. I have an intense burning pain from my waist down both hips through the legs. It’s fairly constant and ranges from 5/10 to 9/10 most of the time. I am able to concentrate for about 1 to 30 minutes before the pain intrudes and I am forced to acknowledge it. Unfortunately, changing position, etc. does not help. I also get a pins and needles / electrical shock type of pain through my back and legs. This occurs when I am hit or move. It also occurs spontaneously and sort of "sweeps" over my back and legs.

I also have strong spasms/spasticity/clonus. It’s taken me over an hour at night to fall asleep because of spasms/pain. Then, after an hour or less I wake up because of the pain. This is not as much fun as it sounds.

I don’t take pain meds because, first of all, I am allergic to opiods. Second, from what I have heard and observed from others, pain meds don’t treat the pain anyway, they simply dull the brain. The pain doesn’t go away, you just don’t care. The side effects seem too much. I’m dull enough without the help.

I have very little movement below my chest. Four neuro evaluations put me at 0/5 in the ankles/feet, 1/5 in the knee flexors/extensors, 2/5 in the hip flexors/extensors/abductors/adductors. My trunk strength is a little dubious and I have scoliosis.

I also have little sensory function and I cannot feel temperatures below my chest. I have no bladder or bowel function. This has not changed significantly in the past eight years.

I would be perfectly happy to lose what little function I have to be relieved of the pain and spasms. I’m not particularly concerned about return or cures at this point. Just coping with what I’ve got. I’m not a big athlete or anything. I have a defective heart and severe pectus excavitum (collapsed chest) with greatly diminished lung capacity, so aerobic athletics is out. Even when I was able to run I could only run two miles at most – no matter how much I ran. I’m also congenitally blind in one eye so I have no depth perception. I can throw a ball at you, but I can’t throw it to you. Sports are a waste of my time.

I was wondering if the DREZ procedure would help, or what about cutting the entire cord? Indeed, cutting the entire cord might even be preferable; as there would be not doubt then and I don’t think I have that much to lose. Is a spinal block a possibility? What could go wrong?