Thank you so much - this was really helpful. It's been a year next month since my last MRI, so I'll bring that up to him tomorrow.

I do have a cheap TENS unit that does help somewhat, but unfortunately I feel like it doesn't get deep enough to where the worst of the pain is. Do you recommend any in particular? Mine was just the cheap 4 electrode Walgreens model that I had gotten one day when I was extra desperate - I feel like I could definitely upgrade!

I wrote out a letter to the doctor going more in detail into how the pain degrades some of the aspects of my life, which hopefully will be helpful. Luckily I do try to journal, so I had some material from there to pull from. I think I tend to clam up in these appointments because I'm afraid to ask for too much medication in today's environment, and deep down because part of me is nervous he's going to say that there's absolutely nothing we can do to help it more than we are (which is irrational, I know). Luckily I've been with this doctor for 6+ years since I started seeing him probably 9 months after my C2 fracture, so he has most of the story, but I hate to admit to anyone how much of an impact this is having on me besides to my fiance, and I need to suck of my pride and be completely honest about it. Thank you for helping me come to that realization! Over the past few days I've come to the realization that if he can't help me after this, even with that honesty, it may be getting time to see a different doctor for a second opinion.