I know I should have written this when I first joined EONS but here it is now. Seven years ago - I broke my back in a car accident. What happened was I hit ice when I was driving to visit my son - I went round and round in circles and came down on the seat belt clasp - it broke the bones in my lower back when I was thrown around inside the car. It went down backwards into a creekbank. To make matters worse - I had a computer monitor in the back seat that I was going to drop off at a friends house - but when the car went down backward - it stayed up in the air and it hit me in the back of the head. I never thought to put it on the floor or put a seat belt around it. Anyway - when it hit me - I got a closed-head injury (massive swelling of the skull), a whiplash and a concussion. But, on the bright side - I missed all the oncoming traffic and trees - even the State Cop that came to see me in the ER said I "put up one hell of a fight keeping that car on the road".

Anyway, since then, I've been going to a pain clinic to try to get help for the terrible constant pain. I tried everything they wanted me to try. I'm now getting spinal injections several times a year and taking 90 mg of Morphine every day.

Sometime, it just isn't enough - so I just stay in bed. I am to have back surgery sometime in January or February of this coming year. Then after the surgery - they say I will be looking at a year and a half recovery time.

I just wanted to let everyone know that I am working with some limitations so if I neglect to write back right away when you write to me - there is a reason. I try to always answer all my messages eventually so I hope you will still want to be my friend.

Linda