Anyone else out there have DDD?. Degenerative Disc Disease?

yup i have,, i have C4 and C5 removed and a titanium plate put in and also i have 4 discs shot in my lower back, have had surgery on L 4 and am facing surgery for the other levels, i dont remember which ones, i also have been diagnosed with DDD and i was also born with a deformed lower spine, it is called batwing syndrome, meaning that the lower two levels were fused together, have been thru alot of pain since 1993 and to painclinics and therapy which dont help but only irritates it, add; i also am facing more surgery on my neck on the opposite side from the other C levels

I have had it for about twenty years - aggravated by an auto accident, but my C3-5 discs have been losing "gel" since high school.

I have just managed the pain thus far, with an occasional shot of a musle relaxant (I use Soma) and a codeine type pain killer when it is just too bad to bear. I have also used an acupuncturist and chiropractor a few times - both have helped with the pain, even if they don't really do anything for the underlying condition.

I'm holding out for the "artificial disc cushions" when they come out (less than ten years now, they say) and have refused all surgery to date.

The pain is constant, sometimes reaching an 8 or 9. I'm happy when it's under five all day. Nevertheless I manage to lead a pretty active lifestyle - still play basketball, ski, canoe, and bike on occasion.

I really do think that activity helps a lot with the pain - don't give in to the disease is the best advice I can offer.

I had 3 laminectomies,(ruptured disc repair surgery) 2 in 1980 and 1 in 1982. Had 3 different ruptured disc, each repaired with the surgery meaning they opened me up, scraped away the disc material that had come out and closed me back up. I currently have a bulging disc that bothers now and then if I over do. The pain before surgery was horrid and the surgeries were great but I don't know if they dot hat any more, after all, that was a long time ago. Never had the spine fusion thing, the thought of that scares me. I don't want anything fused! I do have permanent nerve damage from the ruptured disc. I cannot lay flat without extreme pain and cannot sleep except in a hospital bed so I can adjust the position to suit me. No one wants to fix the bulging disc as I have lots of scar tissue from the other surgeries so I cope. Good luck.

I ACTUALLY fell out of a tree in advanced training at Ft. Washington. At night and the tree was mostly dead..Mine are in L-1 to S-1 never doesn't hurt...If on10 scale only a 2 or 3 is a good day.. Refused all surgery so far..plan to continue refusing..I sympathize with you backs and necks are very fragile..and once hurt never seem to get completely better..

Anyway good luck hope you feel as good as you can.

im sorry, Im not but I knew someone who had it.