Hi @Former-Member

You would need a specialist for pain medication if you have problems with depression - and yes - I have read all the paper that comes with medication and they have to put the contra-indications there - even if they are not really common - so it's a lot of try-it-and-see

But first you need tests to see what's wrong and you need to go to a public hospital for that unless you have private insurance - and if your pain gets really bad again - then if you decide to ring an ambulance - ask to go to one of the big public hospitals where they are likely to have an MRI machine because they can diagnose your back problems with one of those

And they are noisy and kinda cramped - but it's okay - it's not at all painful

One thing I have found with the medication I have been taking for a long time is that it can be addictive but that is something that happens in the brain of the person taking the medication - but it is true that I am dependent on it - which means my body needs it but not my brain. The pain comes back if I stop the medication and does it ever!! - and I would have withdrawals if I stopped them altogether - but I don't crave them - I sometimes forget them - and the pain itself finds me - I don't find myself looking for the pain - 

It's a thought anyway - but still - who wants to take it? I would rather not - but it's there to give us QOL - Quality of Life - and that's an important consideration

I like heat for my back - or knees or feet - but I like a cold pack for a headache - but I would not put the cold pack near my spine - oh no no no - not at all

I hope you have a good afternoon out - and today

Wow - I have been busy getting my wireless printer connected - I have tried everything - that was yesterday - I went and saw a friend of mine who looks after all the computers where she works and she told me to ring the manufactures or the company that operates in Australia - and I am connected now.

So I made fried rice and enough for tomorrow at the same time - and I am going to ring my uncle - I have my grand-fathers war medals and now I can print out what the medals are about - I know two of them - and my cousin wants to see them too - so perhaps I can go and see my uncle when my cousins can visit their dad too -

I have to ring a tax accountant - I can print out my tax details from my bank now and get this sorted - this was the main reason I got the printer - but I will use it to print music to play on the piano too - I had some kind of trouble with the printer but now it is set up - it will be okay - even better

So @outlander

Yes - I did have some bad luck with the printer but it's okay now - but I know to tell a friend of mine who wants a printer like mine to use the phone number for connection through his router - that was something frustrating that kept me going on and on with my back pain with major frustration for days - and countless printouts telling me I hadn't done it properly

But now that is done I think I can deal with it all

Dec