I am Tracy Goldbach, was a bartender in Ft. Lauderdale Beach, Florida, and my story is heartbreaking. Can you help me?
I have been unable to work for 5 years now, due to my chronic debilitating pain in my neck and head.
My pain continues to come front side of head, front of ear, temple and down forehead to eyebrows. Can not touch sides of my head ….. electric like shooting pain. It does not stop … still. And I am still on ice all the time.
The pain is overwhelming, it over comes me everyday. I can not work, I can not function. MY LIFE, MY SPIRIT, MY SOUL HAVE ALL BE TAKEN AWAY FROM ME. I am suffering everyday – along with all those who love me. Every fiber of my being feels this pain, by mid day I’m saturated with it.
It all started when I was driving home from work on November 6, 2006 – my vision went blurry, I had to pull over and became violently sick, vomiting out my car door. My head has hurt ever since. Something happened that day and the pain has ruined my life.
I’ve seen about countless specialists.
Specialists
- Primary Care
- Cleveland Clinic FL
- Neurologists
- Neurosurgeons
- Anesthesia Pain Care Consultants
- Ear Nose Throat
- Eye Doctor
- Chiropractor
- Immune Specialists
- Headache Center of Northwest Texas
- Florida Center of Headache and Neurology
- UPMC
Symptoms
- Chronic head pain, both sides, right side a little worse
- Chronic neck pain
- Pain goes through middle of neck through both sides through my head
- My temples hurt so bad I can’t touch them
- Feel my ear canals from sensitivity of my nerves
- I have shooting pains stabbing through from above ear to middle of head and these pains just come shooting across and stop me in my tracks
- When I arch my neck, my neck starts burning and it rises up through my neck and into my head and face, and my face turns bright red
- Was getting dizzy a lot and couldn’t move
- Burning in my face
- Fever, hot head
- Wake up each night four times to get another ice pack, from pain waking me up
- I could not get out of bed, even to wash my face
- Feel pain is saturated through my tissues of my neck and head
- Vertigo like symptoms for 2 or 3 years before November 6, 2006
Procedures
- Physical Therapy June 2007
- Chiropractor June, July, August 2007
- Nerve Blocks 2 at C-6 August, 22, 2007 and Sept. 5, 2007
- Botox shots all over my head and neck April 17, 2007
- Discogram C-3/4 5/6 6/7 diagnosing my November 14, 2007
- C 3/4 needed removed
- Cervical diskectomy/fusion C3/4 anterior December 11, 2007
- infusion level plating with peak cage, allograft fusion plate
- Burning of my nerves MBNB right side April 11, 2008
- Nerve Blocks C-4, C-5, C-6. June 30, 2008
- Occipital Nerve Block – both sides – July 21, 2008
- back of head
- Nerve Blocks C-1, C-2 September 11, 2008
Sept. 2009 Went to Texas got decompression surgery done to the back of my head. They dug out all scar tissue to try to decompress my occipital nerves. Was supposed to decompress sides but the doctor chose not to do so when I got there. It was a hard surgery to get thru and it did not help my pain.
May 2010 Went to Pittsburgh to try electronic stimulator for back of head on occipital nerves. It was put in my back of head with control to stimulate; I had it in for 7 days. It did not help.
April 2010 Put in hospital for 5 days to try to stop pain cycle. Monitored and checked on. It did not help.
July 2010 in Pittsburgh, UPMC. Had surgery for occipital neuralgia pain. I had suboccipital craniectomy with Cl-2 laminectomy intradural rhizotomy ofCl-2 and 3 nerve roots on both right and left and duraplasty, July 29, 2010. Another hard surgery to heal and get through. It has helped by numbing the back of my head but does not read pain on side-mid ear and forward.
Also had angiogram, found aneurysm in right side of head. Doctor changed mind not to operate because of risk and wants me to get angiogram each year. I was told it can’t cause my pain. I don’t believe that in my heart.. My right side has always hurt more. But pain is distributed thru the entire front head.
Tests
- Cat Scan of brain (3 of them)
- MRI of cervical spine and brain with and without contrast
- X-rays of cervical spine (4 of them)
- Sinus Cat Scan
- Numerous blood tests
- Spinal Tap
- Angiogram
Emergency room visits, and doctors told me I am above their knowledge.
Medications
- Oxycodone (present)
- Xanax (present)
- Cymbalta (present)
- Nortriptyline
- Trazodone
- Cyclobemzaphrine
- Verapi
- Topamaxmil
- Tramadol
- Acetaminophen
- Epidrine
- Methocarbimol
- Vicodon
- Azithromycin
- Alprazolam
- Methylprednisol
- Temazepam
- Amitriptyline
- Naproxen
- Skelaxia
- Prochloperazine
I need help, I need be saved. I need someone to figure out what is wrong with my body.
I think my two sets of nerves on both sides of my head need to be cut.
I have tried my own therapy
- Books
- In and out of bed
- Ice/Heat (EVERYDAY ALL DAY)
- Forced myself to walk (Increased pain level)
- Tried to break pain cycle
- Tried no pain medication to make sure I don’t have rebound headache (I DON’T)
- Positive thinking tapes
- Meditation
- Massage
- Live in the NOW but I’m suffering in the NOW
NOTHING worked NOTHING has broken my pain cycle.
I feel there is something wrong with my body and every doctor is missing something. I’m in too much pain for these tests to come out with no answers as to why I feel this way. MY BODY IS SCREAMING “SOMETHING IS WRONG HERE”. THE PAIN HAS TAKEN OVER MY LIFE. It’s taken my life.
All doctors sent me to someone else, and told me they can’t help me. I can’t find any other tests to use to help me. DO YOU KNOW OF ONE?
I can’t take anymore. The hope and faith I carried to each procedure, especially my surgery, and then after each one realizing – MY HEAD AND NECK PAIN IS STILL THE SAME. I have been through so much, and nothing has helped stop this pain, it seems endless. Please try to imagine suffering this long (5 years) and watching everything you have worked so hard for fade away right before your eyes. GONE. This is my story. Please help me reach a happily ever after ending!
I am reaching out because I can not live like this and I can’t stop seeking help because I am in too much pain. My life has no quality and I am doing my best to make each day a little better. But I need help. I need a doctor. Do you know someone like me or do you know a doctor who can help me? Please. Again this is my story and I need help.
