I am a 51 female who was extremely active and screwed up my back. Was on vicodin for a year plus for vein problems. When my back started acting up the nerves went ape shit down my leg to my ankle 24/7. It was excruciating. All the vicodin in the world didn't touch the pain. The head radiologist at out local hospital choked on my MRI results and said basically my MRI was "fine, mild stenosis", it was far from fine. There was no way that sensation of your nerves trying to jump out of your skin was normal. But because of his report the doctors dissed me as....."drug seeking". I suffered for 9 months atleast and then the doctor who so graciously was prescribing the vicodin told me to go to this particular methadone clinic, that that would take care of all the pain. I hesitated, but had no choice. I had to fudge a little because I was not trying to get off opiates, they just didn't work, but ok yes I would like to be off them, so I was accepted at the clinic for methadone usage. I was thankful, because unlike the vicodin, after getting to like 50 mg of methadone, I couldn't feel the nerves firing anymore. For almost 4 months I was on that and up to 57 mg daily. I tried to cut back but the pain came back with a vengeance, so I pleaded to go back up til surgery. My pain started in the fall of 2018, and until July of 2019, I was miserable with that pain. So, I stayed on the methadone but was very eager to get off. I was not a addict, but needed surgery obviously. In July a surgeon finally noted that the radiologist had choked on my MRI and indeed I needed a laminectomy. Prior to surgery that night I told the surgeon that I am done taking that stuff and that would not be taking it anymore. He cautioned me not to. I was admanant but he said oh no....stay on the methadone. About 6 hours after surgery I had nothing for the pain because he sent me home with nothing. Just keep taking the methadone. I called him twice in 24 hours and told him I wasn't taking it and that I needed something for the pain in my back. It wasn't feeling very well at all. Two days after surgery I went to ER and told them the surgeon would do nothing for my pain because he wanted me to keep on the methadone. He cautioned about what the withdrawals would do to me. Five days after surgery, still no withdrawals. However the surgeon will not help me with the pain because I was instructed to stay on the methadone. Outside of the pain in the back, I have had no withdrawals at all. I am not happy with that man because I was in quite a bit of pain for the first few days. The ER gave me some morphine, though that made me sick. Another call to surgeon to replace the morphine and I was told he will not be doing anything for the pain. I can't explain why I haven't had any problems. I know what other people have had to go thru to get off that stuff and I didn't want anything to do with it. I was done, but would have liked some assistance with post-op pain. My faith in our medical community continues to decrease. I would have never expected to experience this and hope that nobody else does. I didn't think he could make me take the methadone. I was thankful I had it when I needed it though. I have heard that surgeons are responsible for post-op. This just doesn't seem right. But does anybody know if I actually have a leg to stand on? And which leg that might be?