Thanks Sunny. I have had 2 pain specialists mention pot but "off the record" since I live in a state where medical marijuana is illegal.As part of my being treated at this pain clinic I had to sign an extensive agreement where I have to have random drug testing (all their patients have to agree to this) to show I am not using illegal drugs. Finally, I am probably one of the few people of my generation who has never smoked pot not only because I was a tremendous nerd but I have suffered terrible migraines since my teens and one of my triggers has been smoke. Even a whiff of cigarette smoke would set me off, and pot was not far behind. I also have some trouble with wood smoke. As I am perimenopausal, my migraines are improving. My poor daughter inherited the migraines and she has similar triggers, but hers have been manifesting since kindergarten. Anyway, I would have to pursue non inhalant methods of using marijuana, though it might still trigger migraines since some foods and beverages(can't drink tonic water since quinine is a trigger). also set me off. I was fortunate to find an acupuncturist within the last year who accepts workman's comp and it helps for 2-3 days. My main issue is the huge amount of scar tissue in the spinal canal so that in any position I have nerve roots that are entrapped. I have not slept a full night in 8 years since I have to change position every 20-30 minutes to shift which nerve roots are most compressed. My husband qualifies for sainthood I think, he is a natural nurturer, nursed both his parents through long lingering deaths from cancer and kept to their wishes to die at home in their own beds. Now he is stuck with me, but he is even more loving and affectionate with the years, and I am often very irritable and short tempered.  I have seen too many of my friends who developed debilitating medical problems including one who had breast cancer that claimed her life(she had to watch her youngest graduate HS remotely while she was dying in a hospice house) abandoned by their husbands when they became sick. My husband has to to all the cooking, shopping, etc while working full time and taking care of someone who can't bathe, dress or even comb my hair without assistance. I am so blessed, I don't know what I did to deserve him. Anyway,  I have seen both sides of the pain control contraversy as an MD and as a patient and there are definitely big problems that need to be dealt with, there are too many of us who are suffering and even with all the literal black and white evidence of what a tremendous mess my spine is, I still have to battle those who want to call me an addict because I take pain meds. I always had great pain tolerance , had 2 kids without epidurals despite 2-3 days labor each, dislocated my shoulder and didn't seek medical attention for 2 days since I was visiting my inlaws and wanted to wait to see my own doctor, signed out of the ER AMA with kidney stones because I felt I could handle it at home, had emergency abdominal surgery with spinal instead of general anesthesia or sedation since I was pregnant with my son and didn't want him exposed to meds that might harm him. But as you mention, nerve pain like I have is very difficult to control, that is why I have tried so many pain clinics and specialists looking for help, and have been doing better until we hit this new snag. We will get through this, but it is tough to keep upbeat right now. Thanks for thinking about me and thanks for all the info.      

Hi!  Sunny said I should come over here to introduce myself…I didn't want to start a new thread, so thought I would add to this one.

I just finally decided to jump in and try to contribute to the discussions here.  I found this forum and the blog here and TBU when I was trying to find others that may have noticed all the madness going on with the show, and I discovered I wasn't the only person out there scratching my head at so many strange things that seemed out of place on the show as well as so much more seeming to underlie it all.  And I've been devouring everything I can read here since, LOL.  I still haven't made it through all the threads, its quite time consuming :)  But I'm enjoying all the information here, and find I may have some useful input to add here and there that I haven't seen discussed yet.

Anyways, thanks for having me :)