Wow, I can't believe I haven't blogged in so many months!  Well, it's sure not because nothing has happened in my life, that's for sure.  You all know, if you know me, that pain is part of my life. I went to 5 pain specialists & none would give me meds any stronger than vicodin, & I'd taken it so long, it was like taking aspirin. Finally, the 6th specialist was the one to help.  First he gave me synthetic morpheine, but it was too strong, & kept me asleep or feeling nauseated (the nature of opiates).  I went back last week & he was gonna give me oxycontin (the Godzilla of pain killers) when I aaked for methadone (the least of them all). They work well for me, so it's what I need for now.  Well, hub goes in for stress testing on his heart again next week, so we'll find out if he needs another angioplasty (56K). If so, we'll do that, although he doesn't know that we can't afford to do his heart & my spine. Problems have been found in L2, L3, L4 & L5.  Herin the problem lies.. About 20 years ago, I lost my hearing, & a doctor put wires in to replace my stapies, making me nearly bionic, I could hear so well. A true blessing, at the time.  I distinctly heard him say 'wires'.  Now my pain doc wants an xray of my head to see if they are plastic or wire, because I need an MRI so the doctors know whats wrong in my lower spine. I'm pretty much in pain all the time now, but you do what you can with what you have, right? In order to get the MRI, if they are wires, I'd have to get 60K surgery just to replace wires with plastic, for the MRI plus hubs 56K, not to mention whatever needs to be done in my spine. Even though we have excellent insurance, I can't pay our portion. It would take years, & they won't wait that long. I vote for hubs heart. I'll deal with my pain best I can until he's healthy, & his bills are paid. Then it will be my turn, at least to have the stapies replaced with plastic. Then pay that off. Then fix whatever is wrong with my spine. Unless it's too late. I still vote for my husbands heart....blessed be, QuellyQ