Hard Wear Removal Surgery

[jsewell]

I had lumbar hard wear removal surgery on Sept 10th. Let me tell you what a difference that made. I had previously had a revision of T12-L3 and an L4-5 fusion in August that caused severe , confined to a wheel chair pain. I could not walk one step. This Sept surgery removed all the hard wear from L2-L5 and i woke up with the pain gone. Pretty much totally gone. My legs are weak, especially my right leg after 6 weeks of bed time but i expect a full recovery.
My surgeon put in more bone to help with the fusion seeing the bracing system is gone.
I do have low bone density, but we are still hopeful that this will fuse. The next step if it has any trouble now is going in from the front.
But all is good
judy

[Maria]

Judy,
So happy to hear that the pain is gone!!! Hopefully with a little time your legs will be strong again and so will you!

[cherylstewart67]

when i had my c 3/4 done i asked the surgeon to remove the plate and screws at c4/5/6 and he would not do it; didn't want the liablity. i was very disapointed. now that it's fused it really serves no purpose.

[jsewell]

Cheryl I had plates and screw from C-4 thru L5. I really don't feel they bother me . Only after the surgery i had Aug 2nd and that was fusing L-4-5 and a revision of a few levels above that as i had 2 fractures, only after that did i wake up in extreme pain in my right leg. So much so that i could NOT walk at all. I was in bed for 5 weeks before this could get approved and scheduled. THat is the only reason he took out the hard wear.
but now i have a big lump where it ends. Not liking that!
judy

[cherylstewart67]

My problem is swallowing. I have scar tissue on top of the hardware, and it make swallowing hard at time thing feel like they are getting stuck. the surgeon said he was afraid that the scar tissue would adhear to my windpipe and removal would make it worse. 50/50 deal i guess. he said that unless a screw comes loose, they will not remove it.

[jsewell]

That sucks to effect your swallowing. I guess i qualified with all the loose screws i had. My spine just refuses to go in the direction it is supposed to. Right now when i try to stand up unaided i look like i am about 95. With a walker it is much better. Sure beats not walking at all though.

I had a surgery which caused damage around the phrenic nerve which controls the diaphragm muscle, thus breathing, with the scar tissue buildup too. I found one of a few surgeons who could operate and end the damage, but the bottom line ended up with the scar tissue and him causing more damage than good. So i live with a lower lung capacity.
Just hope you are better than when you started out.
judy

[Maria]

Judy,
how're you doing of late? Hopefully good!
I finally saw my PM in SD this past week (dh and his GF picked me up and brought me there and back/Laguna to SD) and I got a Toradol injection cocktail with some of the steroid used in my ESI. Got it bilat on either side tho not so far down in the hip muscle but more across where my old discectomy scar it (it's horizontal) and there's really very little musculature there so it hurt more than usual cuz it felt like the needle was hitting bone!

Results were great tho! So from now on I think I'll ask for this vs. just the Toradol injection.

My feet have been better tho that's always subject to how much I aggravate them~ so walking tho not walking as much as I'd really like. Want to keep flares to a minimum.

I was wondering if you're able to get out yet and walk around? take care, Maria

[jsewell]

Hi Maria,
I thought i sent you an email. Maybe in my dreams!
I am still using a walker to be able to stand up straight and walk. My right side and to the hip area is really bothering me the last few days. If it lasts i will call my doc next week. I sure hope in about 2 weeks to get down to a cane. But i am in so much better shape than last month.
My house closed yesterday. I am giving myself 2 weeks to get out of here. I asked my ex (the divorce went through last week) to please help my son who is the only one to pack. I have had no response so i guess that is a no. I hear of so many ex's that really help their former partner, but not mine. Maybe it is his new wife. To top it all off, my son was puking all day yesterday, he hasn't gotten up yet, but i suspect he will not be in any shape to help today. I will probably just go over there and measure stuff to see what i need to leave behind. I also have to get the appliances so i need to measure and make sure they are standard sizes.

I've been in stores twice with my daughter before she moved to Irvine. It is so much easier with a walker to walk through a smooth surface. On the sidewalks the darn thing gets stuck in every little tiny crack. If i am going too fast(still slow) it almost tips over. They sell these little things like tiny ski's , i saw a walker with one the other day. I think if i have time with someone taking me i will get some. The rubber tips seem silly to have on there. I do have home physical therapy and we just started on some leg exercises. Nothing to strengthen yet, just some really easy stuff.

Now for the terrifying move!!
I promise i will not pick up a thing that weighs more than a pound.
judy

[Maria]

Things sound good then such as with the closing on your house altho the packing/moving is such a big thing. I know that I couldn't have done it without Edgar or hiring someone. I think he felt guilty to some degree so I think that is he tried to help me out with things like my car and my move and such BEFORE the GF got here from Colombia. He had called me to ask me how to write his note to take vacation time off from work. He wanted 2 weeks off so he could take her to all the theme parks in CA and Vegas for 2 days and I think the Grand Canyon. As a nice gesture he did ask me if I wanted to go to the GC but he knew I'd say no. I didn't think he was going to do it as he said it was going to be $600 or something like that but then I guess he decided to pay for her and himself.

I was surprised he hadn't mentioned the nature of their relationship tho ultimately very relieved so I can move on with my own life and date if I want. Not that I want to because I can't imagine anyone putting up with all my complaints however at least things are out in the open now.

His GF isn't very cute tho she's Ok and she's nice. I think he was seeing her before we got married too. Long ago that is.

Oh well such is life. I don't know if he'll make me pay the $ I owe him since it's over $1000 tho I imagine that sooner or later he'll ask for it. Maybe not again out of guilt. That'd be cool too so I just won't say anything now about owing him the $ as I've brought it up numerous times but he didn't ever ask me to pay when I did.

Ok good luck with the packing and I do hope your EX will help you or at least help your son!!!! Be good now!

[jsewell]

Maria,
I am sorry about the girlfriend thing with Edgar. I know it hurts to some degree.
You are right now you can move on. I feel the same way about dating. And seeing i am at home most of the time, unlikely i would meet anyone anyway. I need to get my kids straightened out first and myself.

I don't know if my back will ever be at a point that i don't need something for some sort of pain.
I'm glad you got your cocktail injection and it helped so much. But i sure bet it hurt.
I always took 20mg of percocet as one dose. Then at the hospital i didn't get any for about 3 days , then i started asking for it to see if some of my ailment was do to withdrawal symptoms. I'd say i got 10mg maybe 3 times in 24 hours. Ok then my doc gives me a prescription for one every 3 hours. That worked good. Well when i went to my post op appointment, he now wants me to take only 1 every 6 hours. Not so good. He is also referring me to a new pain management doctor as i was very unhappy with mine the month i was in so much pain as she did absolutely nothing. My appointment is on the 15th of Oct and i have just enough to take 5 a day. I told him i did want to go down to the 10mg so i guess this is the weaning process. I can't wait to see what the new pm has to say about all this.

By then i will be all moved in. I hope!
I doubt my ex will help at all physically, he never helped with any other move. So now i will ask him for money to hire a mover. Actually my neighbor is going to do it with his 2 boys and their trucks. I may insist on renting a UHaul for them to make it easier. He is also installing ceiling fans in the bedrooms, the dishwasher, and building me a carport with storage as we have no garage. I am excited now. When my realtor went to get the keys yesterday a bunch of really nice neighbors came over as they thought i was there. I feel much better about the neighborhood now.
TAke care
judy

[Maria]

Please Judy get some financial help with moving or just pay. I'm sorry I didn't do it myself and if I have to move again I will pay for help as my t spine bothers me now not badly tho still it's more apparent than I've noticed in the past. It's about t-7 and I do have scoliosis there and DDD and probably a disc bulge or two or three.. (wtfknows)... anyway I really have done far too much moving in the last several years (pack move and such).

Sounds like things are much better and I think you'll love having to pay less and actually hopefully be able to have some property to keep esp since you're purchasing this upon your divorce so baby it's YOURS!!!!! YAY!!!!!!

Ok wishing you all the best and still hoping we can get together one of these days and meet!

[jsewell]

I am feeling now that 3 weeks out i am still very dependent on a walker that it is taking me too long to be down to a cane or nothing. I know last summer i was using a cane at 3 weeks after as the day jeff told me he was leaving i had it in the car with me. It worries me that my back is still so weak.

My daughter came home from Irvine today to help her brother pack. So they did the laundry room and the downstairs bathroom. She emptied out a coffee table with 3 good sized drawers as well. I emptied the other one. My room is almost ready just to be put into a few bags and go. Jamie has all of her stuff out or ready too.
My son actually picked the smallest room as it is at the back of the house. my youngest came, but sat in one room and cried. She really doesn't want to move. She hates the Hispanic neighborhood where we will be a minority. I think she is embarrassed for her friends to see it. She is so used to being in a middle class all white neighborhood. It is making me sad.

I have been good and haven't lifted or carried a thing. Tomorrow i will hopefully pack up my roll top desk which i have no room for . Sad, i really like it. Jeff might take it , he took a picture of it for his wife to see if they will take it.
Oh I just realized i don't know where i will put my Grandmothers singer machine . It is in a cabinet and she taught me how to sew on it. It is definitely coming with me. Maybe in my bedroom. All i have is one dresser, one end table and my bed. So it should fit, i took the biggest room.
Pizza is here , so i'll talk to you later
judy

[Maria]

Judy,
Sorry to read that your youngest is upset with the move. Hopefully in time she'll be Ok with it.

I've not lived in such a white upper middle class neighborhood in so long that this is culture shock to me. I've cried my own fair share of tears as well because I miss my friends and the diversity of a more city like env. which I have always loved even tho at times been uncomfortable or frightened in a bit.

Now property is starting to go up in LB so I don't have the opportunity to change my mind and buy a little place there (and I do mean little). I hope to become more accustomed to living in the "OC" ~

My neighbor who is 55 and engaged to a very wealthy and sickly dying 75 y.o. man told me yesterday her fiance was going to buy her a new Mercedes (model blahblahblah)~ she gets everything she wants and doesn't even have to be intimate with him!

Not that she's all that healthy herself as she has a brain tumor that she's being treated for and has had some other type of cancer tho she's a very upbeat lively person and very into the "finer" things in life.

I haven't even bought a bed frame or mattress yet and still need some furniture tho I'm not really that motivated to shop here. If I were in Long Beach I'd have all my spots to go to and zoom around and you could hardly stop me from shopping!

Did I tell you I took a lovely lovely long walk down at Laguna Beach near the Montage? It was incredible! It is really beautiful here tho I don't like having to drive the 8 miles to get to the beach. I was just so spoiled living a block from the beach all those years.

Re your use of something to help support you do take care and be patient with yourself. You seem to forget that this is how many more surgeries you've had since the one last summer or last year so you can't expect yourself to heal at the same rate. I think you really do expect too much out of yourself PLUS you seem to always be trying to manage multiple things as the same time and with very little emotional or physical support. I mean I know you have your kids tho really they probably just cannot comprehend hardly any of what you're going thru even tho they have seen you suffer physically and emotionally. They're too young and too healthy~

So please Judy do have patience with yourself and your recovery timeline. I'm glad you're being good and not pushing yourself too hard or lifting or anything.

take care and sorry if I sound like a nag! Maria

[jsewell]

My surgeon had me cut down to one pill every 6 hours. I was always trying to play catch up and never really felt good. Last night i was in so much pain , i hardly slept so I took one at night and one in the morning. About 4 hours apart. What a difference. So i counted what i have left and with his other prescription and how i have been conserving, i have enough to take every 4 hours until i see the new pain management doc. I'm glad.
My 2 youngest are still freaking out about the neighborhood after we went over there yesterday early evening. My son doesn't give me grief over it, but my youngest just cried, then when we got home called a friend to come and get her and spent the night at her house. She texted me a lot, all negative, like I don't love her or i wouldn't have done this and that i am ruining her life. This is going to be tough.

My daughter had come over from Irvine and packed a lot, one bathroom,the laundry room ,I'm not sure how much of our coat closet, which we won't have in the new place. Also her stuff is all set and a lot is at the house .
All i am doing is going through random drawers and I had already packed a lot of my clothes before the first surgery. I am also cleaning and packing off the top of things.

I'm sorry you have been crying and missing your old neighborhood so much.
Your beach walk sounds wonderful. I hope i can do that in like 2 to 3 weeks.

My son is at school, he has a break in the afternoon ,then school again tonight so i don't see anything being brought over today. Although nothing else is packed anyway. The move day will be on Monday. I just called my neighbor who is installing ceiling fans, my dishwasher and over the stove microwave. He is also building a carport for me and put in a mailbox, the one that was there was in sad shape and when we first went over it was gone.

I'll come visit you in the OC when i am able to. Maybe i could see my daughter at Irvine on the same day.
My pt will be here in minutes so I'm going now,
judy

[Maria]

Judy,
So sorry your youngest is sooo sad. I'm doing much better now tho I do miss good ol' Long Beach tho mostly how much I felt good about driving here there and everywhere within a certain area.

I remember when my parents had to move every few years as my father was working for Nuclear Power Plant co and we moved every two years as he was the chief field accountant (in charge of payroll and the books) and it was sooo hard when I was in high school as I was in 3 diff high schools and we moved from MA. to EL Paso Tx which was like moving to the other end of the earth... wowwww did I every cry! My Dad had to come and pick me up from High School one day as I was crying so much I couldn't go back to classes.

He always told the story of he was called because I was crying inconsolably so they called him to leave work and come pick me up. When he got there I was so happy and laughing as I had met some gal in the bathroom and now had a friend and I didn't want to go home.

Well honestly I think there was a bit more adjusting than that and I'm sure your dau will adjust at least to some degree. Meanwhile it's really all about finances and what Mom has to deal with now that Daddy left her and remarried or is going to or whatever.

I know she's so young and cannot comprehend this and you're both dealing with the here and the now tho really I do she'll come round quick enough. Staying at her friends is a good thing for now. Will help her ease the pain of transition tho she will have to adapt and I'm sure eventually she will.

Anyway this is what people say to me!!! I truly feel it's much harder when you're older than younger tho I've been doing OK lately.

This is such a big deal tho the packing and the moving and all that crap. I surely don't envy you even tho I just went thru it. I"m still unpacking and I still need furniture tho I need $$$ too!

I'd love to visit with you if you do come out there to see your dau in Irvine. If you'd want to come here and go to Laguna Beach we could do what or whatever you'd want to do since you're driving so far. Remember also you're welcome to spend the night if you wouldn't want to drive back later in the day/evening. I just want to put it out there even tho I know you have your daughter in Irvine.

One spiney gal to another! Take good care and hang in there. I so wish I was closer and could help you as I could help pack really!!! Maria

[jsewell]

Maria,
I am still doing very little and as tempted as i am to pick things up, i won't. Like the cat in the hat that is being eaten by big dog Henry. He broke open a donation bag last night and took out a few tasty to( him )things including the cat in the hat.

I am feeling much better taking pain pills every 4 hours today. I might not take any at night, i'll just have to see how i feel when i wake up all night. Last night was bad which is why i counted my pills and realized i know have enough to take the 4 a day. I think he was weaning me down way too soon.

It must be cool in temp where you are. I am a little bit tired of the heat, probably because i wait in the car a lot and no air, my son is not very good at finding shady spots.

My youngest is in the kitchen making all the noise she can. Banging pots and pans, kicking stuff on the floor. We had the guys come to clean out the mold or treat it or whatever today and they noticed it had gone into the next cabinet and just threw all the tupperware type products on the floor. So there they sit and she just walked through the middle and spread them everywhere. Of course i cannot bend so they will probably stay on the floor until my daughter comes home on Friday.

All i can say when i think of how bad my spine has gotten is it is a good thing i have always loved dairy products and drank milk. I can't imagine what shape i would be in if i didn't. Probably be in a wheel chair all the time.

My appliances are being delivered tomorrow, i just got an automated call from Sears delivery. It is great they will be delivered between 9:15 and 11:15. I thought i was going to be stuck there all day or at least half a day, things have improved since i bought something that had to be delivered.
It got dark on me quickly , i am off to get the cat in before the coyotes come out.
Judy

[Maria]

Hi Judy,
was wondering how everything is going? I haven't written because I figured you'd be way too busy to read or answer any emails tho am just wondering how it's going and if you're moved yet?

I just got off the phone with my argumentative bossy husband and one thing I don't have any patience for anymore (since learning he's got a GF) is that BS!

Ok hope all is well with you~ take care, Maria

[jsewell]

Hi Maria,
Well we had moved all the big stuff on Monday. They did forget my grandmothers sewing machine , i have a message to them to bring it in the next 3 days before i am no longer renting the house In Sierra Madre.

It is fine here , quiet. We do have a lot of dogs in the neighborhood, sometimes they all get going, but so far that is it.
The second night here i went to put towels in the bathroom on the opposite side of the house that Tim and i had not been using. It was flooded and into the room that backs up to it on about 6 inches of carpet. So i do have insurance for that, one year coverage from my realtor. but they couldn't send anyone out until the next day so i called a plumber , but i will get reimbursed. He said it was a main line clog. So nothing we could have done in less than 24 hours. That pissed me off, this is supposed to have all new plumbing. I guess not to the street. So then the plumber wanted to come back with the video camera to go to the street because he got tree roots.
I declined, but today , my son tells me there is water on his carpet at the other bathroom. The plumber told me the way the pipes splilt the other bathroom was not effected. So he is coming later this afternoon.
Homeownership is starting out to scare me alone .
I am going to check in the front yard because i think a tree has been recently cut down and that may be the reason and they just didn't rooto rooter the pipes to the street before. I wish i had the sellers phone number.

They sent a notary to my house to sign everything so i never went to any official closing and met the guy.
I have a totally fenced in gated driveway yard. Yet my little dog has escaped 3 times. I have no hope of getting him walking so slow and still with a cane. I should probably still be using a walker , but i never brought it from the other house.

My son is my only helper and he seems to have some disease or something wrong that is causing him to be fatigued, he keeps falling asleep on me. We still have so much to do at the other house. I have only packed what was in the dishwasher. A few other things from the kitchen too.
My sister in law was here for a few days to i got little done then and the day before Tim goes to school morning and night. We had to get trash out at the old house and the new house and that kept him busy. he is not a worker bee that is for sure. My daughter is better , but we unpacked here this morning and now she is off to work, and now i have to wait for the plumber. Meanwhile, Tim has fallen asleep! OMG and my ex never answered my pleas for help.

So he gets left with the mess. I have left lots of dirt, some furniture that doesn't fit and a lot of trash. I told him not to wait until the last minute, but he said he can't get there until Sunday . I told him he has lots to do and he will be sorry.

You can write anytime , even though i have lots to do, i can't do much at a time and my back just gets too tired to stand up anymore. So i must sit and usually go to my computer.

But the dogs have spent lots of time enjoying the fenced in yard. The bigger dog has no problem staying in. I fixed the first 2 spots my dog got out of , but i will have to fix the next. If the guy that built the shed comes back to get his mess, i'm sure he will, i'll have him fix the front people gate. I think that was his last escape route.

My younger daughter has refused to come and live here. She came one night when she couldn't find anywhere to sleep, but one night she did stay at the house alone. There is still a day bed in there that jeff is taking. He is also getting the place cleaned. He said he was going to go halves on the moving costs, but every time i ask him to talk about money, he does not reply. He first said tomorrow, but tomorrow never came.

I still think i should have progressed more with my back. I think part of it is the really low dose of painkiller. I can't catch a break , so it is difficult to stand up at all. In the middle of the night, things hurt so i am not sleeping well either. Only for a few hours. Last night i was up 3 times. I don't see my surgeon for 2 more weeks , it should have been one, but the receptionist made a mistake and made it 5 weeks instead of 4 , i tried to change it by phone and she said he had no openings. Bullshit ! if i saw him and he said 1 week, somehow there would be openings.

It is supposed to be a hot week and no air here or in my car. I will be a mess. Or maybe hanging out somewhere air conditioned. I think i am going to have to spend a lot of money on plumbing or i would get estimates on air conditioning.
well i think i will unpack another bag of clothes now that i had my kids put my bedroom furniture where it belongs.
Let me know how you are doing
judy

[Maria]

Hey Judy,
Just thought to look and see if you replied! duh!
Went on bus trip with Italian American club from here at Laguna Woods on Sunday to LA Italian American Cultural Center celebrating Christopher Colombus day and had a great time even danced after 2 little glasses of wine tho the bus trip trashed my back. Very bumpy tho glad it was just an hour back and forth. I stood alot during the speeches given at the cultural center.

Today I hurt my upper t spine lifting a 20lb bag of dog food into the car. I have been having some tspine discomfort around the bra area tho this is higher.. and actually it bothered my cervical area too. Stupid me. I swear I can't seem to stop doing things that trash my body in some manner or another but who else is there to do stuff for me but me!

I'll need to hire someone to do some things around here tho just small changes since I've gotten some of the bills from my foot surgery and I know more is coming. So far near $500 to pay. Thankfully at least I'm here and not paying rent right now and many other bills like cable and a parking space and all the other things that were over and above my rent.

I am spending too much on groceries tho lately since I've been going to the local Trader Joes that's close by way too regularly. The Laguna Hills Mall is very close by too which is also not good for me since I've popped over there a few times and done some clothes shopping when I already have too many clothes to even anywhere near fit into my closets in a 2 BR place with plenty of closet space! In fact the guest bedroom is sitting still half full of boxes and probably will stay that way since I don't feel like unpacking anymore!

As far as walking Lola goes coyotes are a serious threat here to small animals so walking Lola isn't as pleasurable as it should be in such a nice area. In fact I saw 3 coyotes today and it was daytime not even dusk or early morning! They are getting very brazen as I imagine they're very hungry.

My one cat that is still alive, Alaska, is driving me nutz crying so much at night when she wants me to come to bed. And I've still not gotten a bed frame of any sort so my old futon mattress is on the floor and I sleep on that. I think my back felt great the few nights I slept on my old mattress that I gave my husband to put in his house. That's when I thought I was going to be going there more. I still have so much stuff over there and my Mom's china is there and I definately want that tho I don't drive hardly even down the street here so don't know how I'm ever going to get stuff if he doesn't bring it to me!

Sorry to hear about your water leak problem. Water damage for whatever reason is one of the biggest probs with home ownership and something that no matter how well we go over the inspection papers sometimes can come out of nowhere. It sucks for sure.

I still haven't gotten reimbursed for the damage done by the leaking water heater here that damaged the laminate flooring I had put into the guest bedroom. I'm supposed to get $510 but they are so freaking slow here about it. I'm going to have to check and see what's going on with that as it's been a few weeks now and I turned in everything they asked for re paperwork.

I better get to bed as my neck, tspine and low back are hurting and my hairdresser is coming tomorrow to color and cut my hair!

oh re your son do you think he has Eipstein Barr virus by any chance? He should get tested or be seen soon I'd think if he's that tired or falling asleep that much unless he's not really sleeping at night. Sorry about your younger daughter. Where will she stay if she's not going to live with you? I hope she comes around and will move there too. That's got to be worrying you sick.

Ok gotta get off my tush and hit the sack! Take care and don't overdo (yeah sure who am I to talk!)!!!

[jsewell]

Hi Maria
Are you lifting properly with your legs and not your back. I asked my doc at my 1 week after apt when i could start lifting, he said with my back, NEVER.
My legs are not really strong enough to get up from a squat so i have to work on that.
I am really trying to be good. But my son is really lazy. I just went to target,my first time out alone since July.
Actually my younger daughter came here last night to move in and she came and lifted the heavy stuff that she picked out. She and Tim carried it in.While we were gone i asked him to take Buddy out, put my clean laundry in my room, empty the dishwasher. None of it was done. He claimed our neighbors came by with my grandmothers old singer which missed the move and he didn't have time. I'm sure they were here for 5 whole minutes.
So i took the dog out, put my laundry in my room and need to empty the dishwasher . Becka is here , but mad as can be and she won't do a thing except complain. She wouldn't even pick out some food for her self at Target to tide her self over until i get real grocery shopping done.

WE have been here a week now and my rent ended yesterday at the old house. It is a mess, but all for jeff to deal with. It has a dryer , some other furniture which i told him to call Habitat for Humanity as they pick stuff up. But he waited until the last minute to even get to the house, so he must have made some deal with the old landlord to have extra time. He keeps texting me saying, we have to etc. I told himj what he needed to do and that i was totally done with the place. I left some pots and pans that i would have liked to have, but Tim was too lazy to get them so , I am just done. Then he was nice and asked me if i wanted any of them. I told him he would have to come get me and then i could decide when he got them out, no reply to that one.

I had my sister in law visit for 2 days at the end of last week so that kind of slowed us down a bit, but i welcomed the diversion. She did help at the house packing up some kitchen stuff which was nice. Then we showed her China town and had lunch there. She is Chinese. Has been married to my brother and living here for 9 years.

I decided to go back to my one night a week job tonight. DrFriedman emailed me a few times saying they missed me. So i told him a few weeks ago that this was my goal day to get back. My back is still needing the support of a cane to try to stand up straight. Those back muscles are taking a long time to recover.

I met my new pain management doctor yesterday. He seems very knowledgeable. He is the only doctor of mine that bothered to have me get my liver and kidneys tested after being on percocet for 4 years. He wants me to try to get off it. So he is giving me 30mg of Ms Contin twice a day and one percocet per day. I sure hope this works. I am used to taking them every 4 to 6 hours during the day and not at all at night which means i wake up miserable throughout the night. I need to get to Sierra Madre to get the prescription filled and try his program. I already got permission from him to call him if it isn't working. I took MS Contin in the past , but can't remember what dose i was on. I was also allowed to take percocet every 4 hours as needed. This will be different.
I thought i had weaned myself down pretty good. I used to take 20mg of percs as one dose and went down to 10 only 4 times a day. Sometimes only 3. But i guess these doctors want me off it soon.

My older son in Ga got all suicidal with me. So he is a great source of worry. He is very depressed and needs to turn himself into the army. He now was advised by his attorney to turn himself into a hospital VA or civilian. He hasnt received the message yet because his phone broke and i think he is waiting to get a new one.

WE really dont have that many boxes to unpack. I have only my winter long sleeve clothes to get out of one bag and another unknown bag of clothes. So not much at all. I threw out so much or donated it. It was horrible not being able to do anything at all though. I have unpacked my stuff that is about it.
I love shopping at Trader Joes too. I dont mind my kids eating their frozen food as it is all preservative and color free and that is the way i started out raising my kids. Got a little slack with the last 2, i was overwhelmed with no help from you know who.
I'll let you know how working tonight goes.
You stop doing too much.
Judy

[Maria]

Hi Judy,
Had a pretty bad backache for a few days tho yesterday went w/friend to Laguna Beach and walked it off pretty much. I think when I sit it comes back if I ride n the car for about an hour or so which I may be doing if going to Long Beach today (which I hope I am).

I still have a room to unpack that isn't getting unpacked as I've no motivation to do so. No furniture to put unpacked objects in!

How's the adjustment going to new neighborhood? How's your younger dau taking it? Have you had a chance to get your son to a doc re his tiredness/sleepiness?? That does sound a bit like Eipstein Barr virus if I was thinking of the most common thing in a younger person to cause such symptoms of course there are plenty of other reasons that can happen and sometimes just apathy.

Ok hope you're doing Ok. I'll write more when I have more time as I have to get poor Lola out the door soon since she wasn't walked since 6p.m. last night. Poor dog I can't imagine holding my bladder that long!

take care! Maria

[jsewell]

Hi Maria,
Tim's tiredness and sleepiness is gone. guess that and the throwing up were a virus of some kind. Now just back to his being unmotivated unless i ask him a few times to do something.
Becka is here but basically just hangs out in her room. She waits until i go in my room to go to the kitchen too. Just tries to avoid any contact with me. Unless she needs a ride somewhere then she is sweet and will even call me instead of texting.

i woke up today with pretty bad upper leg pain. It has kind of stayed with me all day so i haven't done much of anything. My older daughter was home for the weekend so i just really sat around after we went out yesterday and did a few little things. I was planning on shopping today after she left and i probably would have if my son had not wanted the car to go to a friends house. so i let him go and now the pain is pretty bad if i try to bend at all , the right way too. It was time for my mscontin so maybe i will see what is going on in a few hours right before bedtime. I hope it is not the leg pain coming back.
I'll let you know
judy

[jsewell]

My leg pain did continue to get worse so i saw my spine surgeon. He ordered an MRI of lumbar spine and gave me a medrol dose pak. The dose pak sure cleared up the leg pain. Although he could not see any cord compression on my MRi he was going to go over it with a neuro-radiologist. He had also ordered steroid injections . Things got better so i cancelled the epidurals.
Then i had some episodes of fecal incontinence. Brought me back to my surgeon's office . He tested all my reflexes and they were all hyper. So that i think indicates a neuro problem so then i went for MRi of my thoracic and cervical areas. ON those the tech got me so comfortable, i didn't believe it could happen. My first MRIs had been postponed as the first tech did not have the experience to deal with all my metal in my spine. I was lucky to get the tech i did who they said had the most experience.
Well now my leg pain is coming back once again. My surgeon is going to go over all my MRI's and i am set up once again for steroid injections in a few weeks.
This body gets way too challenging for me. Another symptom i have which certainly may be unrelated, but i am exhausted and falling asleep all the time. A nap after waking up and again early afternoon is quite normal , even though i try not too. then by 6 i am ready for bed again. I had polymyalgia rheumatica once before and i sure hope i do not have a relapse. It is possible and a bad disease. Inflammation in muscles and causes extreme tiredmess.
so a trip to my primary to discuss this tomorrow.
Hope everyone is well or getting better
judy

[Maria]

Judy,
sorry to read that you're having so much trouble again w/pain and some other probs. When do you have the neuro appt?

I just realized I need to make an appt. w/my PTP in Long Beach since I have been having some pain tho it's higher up. It's not there all the time tho often enough and usually instead of where it used to be. I wonder about the status of my facets.

No radiation of pain or neuropathies, ridiculopathies or anything.

I do need to get my regular labwork done for this year which I've just been really lax about.

Ok gotta get off this computer chair. Can't stand to sit hardly at all first thing in the morning.

Hope you like your new place. Hope your PCP can figure out what's causing the tiredness. take care~
Maria

[mmglobal]

Judy, I understand if you don't have the energy to post, but I hope for an update... Call me if you want and I'll post for you.

mark

[jsewell]

Hi Mark and others,
As far as my update from my last post. Still occasions of fecal incontinence. I have not heard back from my surgeon regarding his conversation with the neuro radiologist. It may be a situation where he won't call me , will possibly remind him at my next viist for my post op from the injections. I might , depending on how frazzled he seems ask him if he got a chance to talk with any radiologist .
I have tingling in my left leg, weakness, pain and it all gets worse the longer i am on it. Can be like 2 minutes too, not a long time.

I never made it to my primary as i called and they told me i was not on the schedule until Dec. So someone made a mistake. I can't decide if he could help me or not so i haven[t rescheduled for a sooner apt.

I saw my gastr doc to tell of my new embarrassing problem. He said something like oh no. Then what he did do was ask me to find some hard to find fiber supplement, have me stay off dairy products, spicy food and caffeine for 2 weeks and keep a food diary for him and return to see him in one month.

I'm really not sure what to do now. My spine surgeon did say because i have hyperreflexia i do have some type of neuro thing, so maybe i should be going back to my nuerologist that i have seen a few times.

As far as recovery from the last 2 surgeries, i am not really progressing very well. My back muscles are weak so it is difficult to stand up straight without hanging on to something. I don't know if it is beneficial to use a cane or leave it home so i will get stronger. I am kind of unsteady on my feet. I just try not to turn fast. I still have hip area pain, mostly on the left side now. Also black spots in front of my left eye. I did read up on autonamic hyperreflexia and that is one symptom.

I am open for any advice .
thanks
judy

[Maria]

Judy,
I'd recommend to contact your surgeon again and if he doesn't respond your neurologist. I 'd also recommend using a cane with the 4 prongs because the potential for a fall or actual fall in no way could help you and may make something else worse. As you build up a bit with a cane or even a walker you may increase your strength and balance.

I have had a horrific flare up that lasted about a week so far and most of it spent in bed. I was hugging the walls to get up and getting off and on the toilet was nearly intolerable due to the amount of low to mid back pain. I swear I've not had a flare up like this in AGES!

Meanwhile in order to walk my dog which was a challenge as she pulls quite a bit I had to use a golf stick (also because of coyotes) and I used the head for the handle like a cane and the actual handle has a rubberized material on it and makes for a very steady walking type stick. I leaned on it heavily and used it for support when I had to pick up Lola's excrement as I couldn't bend from the waist without horrible spasms or even squat down for fear of not being able to get up because of the pain.

So case in point it helped me to use the golf club (putter) like a walking stick/cane.

With your symptoms I'd want to try and see as many practitioners as I could until someone could figure out what's going on sooner than later other than supposed weakness due to all the surgeries and some neurodeficit or neurogenic type of situations (hence neurology visit).

Good luck and take care~ Maria

[jsewell]

Maria
I'm sorry you have had such a hard time with your back. After such a long time of being fine too.
Next week i am having lumbar spinal injections to calm down the area. So i will see my surgeon shortly before , but not really for talking much as he just goes from one of us to the other. Then i will see him on my follow up apt. He won't let me down. I just keep debating if i should get my primary involved .Yesterday I did one of my 15 hour in a row sleep sessions and then 4 hours later was ready for bed. With everything aching and being so tired, i am really , really worried it is a return of polymyalgia rheumatica which will really upset me. If all my muscles are inflammed again, it would explain why i still cannot stand up straight for more than a minute or 2.
I was using a cane . then i thought i am 2 months out of my last surgery, i should be doing better than this (my surgeon agreed on that one) so i thought i would push myself and try to build up my back muscles by forcing them to work. So far that has not worked. Maybe i will go back to the cane. I'll see how much it helps i guess.

Thanks for the advice and i sure hope you are feeling much, much better. Have you figured out what may have triggered it?
Any acrobatics, horse back riding? Only kidding of course
judy

[Maria]

In my dreams of course!
Well what might have triggered this... hmmmmmm... I did try to move a piece of furniture tho that alone would not have caused it as it was a push with my legs more and not that heavy.. then because I hadn't been walking much or exercising I pulled out my step thing to try to do step type exericise and that lasted less than 5 minutes I think. So I just feel the low back was just tired and ready to pop so to speak because of the inherent nature of my low back and problems it's had for a long long time.

The next day after that I was soooooo in horrific pain. I couldn't get up off the floor (futon on the floor to sleep on) without hugging the wall for support. Then on to the toilet and lowering self and getting up was really horriic pain wise.

Didn't even try to scoop cat litter and no way could I attempt to pour more litter into the litter box tho the cat thought I should be able to!

Walking Lola.. whatta challenge! This 20lb mini schnauzer has no clue with regard to owner ready to fall over due to back pain.. she wanted to walk way more than usual. I was just the biggest bummer as a dog owner/walker the last week!

I'd been experiencing some thoracic level twinges/pain for a while now but the lumber stuff sort of crept up at the end of the higher level lumbar stuff.. it was soooo really weird as a pattern of pain and probs!

As to what caused it.. hmmm anybody's guess. You know how we've been with moving and such these last few months~ guess we are just putting our spines thru it and hoping for the best~ I so wish I could still get injections but WC just won't authorize them for me since they do work tho cost them too much $$. WC just wants to settle me out completely or drop off the face of the earth ~

good luck w/your stuff and please keep us posted. I'll do the same here!

[jsewell]

I still was feeling a lot of problems and painful areas in my lower back . I had steroid injections last Wed and so far so good. this is one of those times i can say they have done wonders. I have ditched my cane . I still have mid back problems which seem to follow a rib but that will be next. I am just thrilled so far and almost holding my breath hoping I keep feeling this well .
judy

[Maria]

Judy
I've been wondering how you are and even woke up thinking about you and wondering how things are going for you so I'm so very glad to read that you had the injections and they have helped you so much!

My back was a terror for 3 weeks and then it got better for about a week but then I cleaned yesterday and it's all crappy again! I am so freaking frustrated with my stupid back!

I have an appt. with my primary treating doc on Dec 17th (or 19th?) I have to look and see if I wrote it down tho I"m sure he will tell me there's nothing he can do for me. I swear I feel like paying cash for an ESI tho I'm pretty sure I cannot afford it.

Ok good to read that you've ditched your cane and hope the pain stays gone for a long long time! Maria

[jsewell]

I can still walk better and sit painfree in the lumbar area one week after shots. But my thoracic area is in pain. It feels almost like it could be a broken rib. I didn't do anything i remember to break it, but i don't remember doing anything to break my spine either!! I guess i will get it xrayed next monday if it still is hurting this much. Always something.
Judy

[jsewell]

My thoracic area hurts mostly when i am walking. It now kind of covers half my body as it wraps around from front to back. That plus my incontinence issue has come back after a few weeks off.
This is not the way i planned middle age.
My primary doctor called at 7 this morning. He spoke with my spine surgeon , they are both a bit worried about this incontinence issue. i think once i tell someone it came back i will be sent to a neurologist. OH, my gastro doctor also thinks it is probably neurologic.

judy

[Maria]

Hi Judy,
Is your thoracic pain hurting badly whenever you walk as in the house or just do errands or do you mean as in taking a walk (prolonged)? I'm just wondering. Is it anything like it was before you had surgery? I hope not.

Re the incontinence is that at just anytime? I had some incontinence long ago before my first discectomy. It wasn't stress incontinence as it'd just all of a sudden appear.. it did go away after my first spine surgery at L5S1 and came back briefly before my 2nd spine surgery but not quite as bad.

Lately my back has been doing better. Got a new bed. Tatami platform bed with 2 two tatami mats (very very firm) and placed a rather thin and soft cotton futon over it and then had to add several layers of comforters as the surface is really hard however extremely good for my back.

I've been able to walk more and go to the gym here and even been able to sit a bit more at the computer. Don't want to overdo anything however as I know this old back of mine even tho that last flare up was "different" tho may have been L3 acting up considering that everything felt "higher up" in terms of pain most of the time (than low lumbar altho that occurred as well).

Was supposed to have an appt. with my PTP OSS Dec 17th but I was not on the schedule so that has been put off until January. That's Ok w/me as I have all my medical stuff to get out of the way re end of the year cramming everything in. The back is WC so that can be anytime. Just hope my back doesn't go out before the appt. happens!

Anyway keep us posted re what's going on. I hope you do get a referral to the Neurologist to rule out what's happening with the incontinence and hope the thoracic pain isn't too bad.

Are you still volunteering at your doctor's?

[jsewell]

My thoracic pain scares me, it is new. I did not have it before surgery. I didn't have it right after, i would say it started a few weeks ago. I told my spine surgeon who doesn't even want to hear of trouble with my thoracic spine. Only because i have been through so much and i have the lung deficiency do to DrRegan's thoracic surgery.
It gets worse when i am up , i haven't yet been able to go for a walk. i just mean if i am standing and cooking or walking in the grocery store or Christmas shopping.
My surgeon said he will inject it in the office, just the one spot if it is still bothering me in January.
I could go to a neurologist if i wanted to , i don't need a referral. My primary was going to send me when i saw him last week, but i had gone a few weeks free of problems so i said i would rather wait. But it happened each of the last 2 days , once out shopping and i have no sensation of it. Mine is mostly fecal incontinence . Maria is that what you had ? I don' t like this at all!!
That is my update up to the day!!
judy

[Maria]

Judy,
wow the thoracic pain sounds scary to me to as does the incontinence. Mine was urinary and it would just happen as well. All of a sudden it was like "whoops!" Never had fecal incontinence. Either way not pleasant and would be something I'd want checked out sooner than later. Do you have any saddle numbness? For a while I was concerned I might develop a fecal incontinence prior to my 2nd back surgery as I had a very numb sensation around my anus. What happened was after that sensation I developed the disc bulge at L4 or at least pain started like my old pattern at L5 and I went to my Neuro. So first I had the numbness, then the pain (by this time I was probably already bulged at L4 ... the numb part that is but I always seem to think that the pain represents the starting point of something. Not necessarily true I imagine).

I think you should see your Neuro ASAP. That's just me. Before things progress if they're going to.

Have you talked with Mark about the thoracic or other? I would.

Ok take care and keep me posted. Maria

[jsewell]

At first i really thought the thoracic pain was a broken rib. My doc said there was no point in x-raying as there is nothing you can do for broken ribs. True, i have had at least 4 or 5 in the past that were confirmed. He told me to come back the first week in January and he would give me one injection in the painful area. Now that it has spread from front to back, i don't even know where he would inject. But of course when i get outside the office door and go to make my apt they tell me he has nothing available until Jan 21st. I told them this is a problem when a doctor wants to get you out of pain ,if it still is there in a few weeks and then you have to wait even longer. So i am on a list if anyone cancels. But i must remember this always happens to me.
I think i am holding my breath when doing stuff like putting dishes away because when i am done and breath it really hurts for a few breaths. More than the usual.
I am not panicking yet!
judy

[Maria]

Judy,
Did you have thoracic outlet syndrome before or thoracic bulges? I have forgotten why you had the surgery done w/Regan.

That stinks re doc's office not being able to make an appt. sooner for you to get out of pain. A month is a long time to wait esp if you're hurting when you're breathing!

I walked so much today that my tendonitis got reactivated while I was walking. I mean I walked and walked and walked like I've not walked since before I had my foot surgery! Hope tomorrow my feet will be Ok and my back too. Kinda hurting sitting here.

Ok better go and lie down and hopefully ward off anything that I've brought upon myself today!

take care~ Maria

[jsewell]

I am on a sticky note for the office to call me and see if someone cancels. I told them that has never happened with me. So we will see. If it is just a broken rib it should be better by then.
I think the shots are wearing off. When they were first workijng great , i could stand up as straight as i can and walking was easier, of course the side , thoracic pain was not there either. Now it is once again difficult, i have not even gone on one walk. I walk around shopping, but have not gone out for a walk. I know i can't go very long. No exercise since July. I am going to start going to the gym and riding the bike and trying walking on the treadmill .I think my youngest would like to go too and that will help me get out the door .
I just wish i didn]t have this severe fatigue thing where i am sleeping a lot of the day, doesnt leave much time.
I will have to see if my ex has cancelled my membership.
I hope you have no ill effects from all your walking. Glad you could do it all.

I have an apt in Jan with my foot surgeon. I think my toenails on the big toes have got to go permanently. They cannot stand being in shoes. They get all red and painful. Hurts to even touch the nail. He told me last time i saw him that removing them is considered a surgical procedure there and done in their surgery center. I was hoping i could have fit it in this year, but i waited too long.
Time to go shopping, Fun
judy

[Maria]

Seems to be Ok from my long walk experience on Sat. In fact my back was hurting Sunday and I took a walk around here to Aliso Creek w/Lola and got lost on the way back so the walk turned into near 2 hours instead of 1. Fortunately nothing was bothering me by the time we were done just tired.

My neighbor just came over earlier and she showed me her MRI. I think she's going to need cervical surgery done at 3 levels. Seems like she has severe stenosis at 3 levels at least. She recently moved from Oregon.

Do you have anyone you'd recommend in the LA area or Orange County that's a neurosurgeon? I'm going to call Mark and talk to him tho I was thinking of referring her to Dr.Coufal in San Diego (La Jolla if my memory serves me correctly). She doesn't want to see an OSS just neurosurgeon.

As for me and my feet.. I was walking on the treadmill at the gym and felt like my right foot was hurting at the ball of my foot when I walked. I can tolerate the treadmill now with my back tho my feet seem not to like it as much as walking outside. I also was only able to the do the eliptical type machine 5 minutes as that's like running and my thighs just burned like crazy right away. A bit too strenous for me even on no level!!!

And I'm trying to do some upper body work without doing anything to my neck or thoracic area so that doesn't leave much room for too many exercises or machines!!!

Oh re your toenails I wonder if you wore bigger sized tennis shoes if that would help? It helped me when my toes were healing after surgery greatly. I ended up wearing a half size longer than normal and actually wearing a super wide size during recovery from foot surgery that helped alot. Also now I buy men's D size width vs. a B width in womens shoes but my regular size in length now.

My toenail that got messed up in the beginning of August from dropping laminate flooring on it is finally growing back. I saw a podiatrist and he said it's growing in Ok even tho it doesn't look like it. It's taking forever!!! I still have to wear a bandaid over it during the day or when I have shoes on!

Ok hope your doc's office gets you in quickly re your thoracic area so you can that checked out. take care! Maria

[jsewell]

My toenails are hurting more and more and all i wore so far today was slippers. I just wish it wasn't done in the surgery area and could be an office thing. Not that i want to feel any pain from it all! Just seems like a bit much for general anesthesia for toenails , i guess because it is a permanent removal. I've had them each removed twice in the last year or so. As they got to the top they are just trying to grow under, the whole nail, not just the corners. VEry deformed.
Also i am due for another colonoscopy and my gastro doc said mine has to be done under general anesthesia because of all the pain meds i have been on for years, he doesn't think the conscious sedation will work on me. Lucky me i get to go to the hospital again and at 6am check in, my poor son, he will love that one. Usually they are done at this gastro docs center which is run fantastically. Everyone there is so awesome. Oh well.
SEEms like my lumbar pain is coming back so the shots lasted a month. I have to wait 3 more months before i can have any more.

I really can handle that if it were not for the very uncomfortable feeling walking upright. I can't really straighten out at all, but i get very bent over when tired, like after 5 minutes of walking. I just don't see how this can imporve and it is really bumming me out. I have to find a level place to test out my walking ability. Going down to the beach would be wonderful, after Christmas if it is not raining all week. I will have to leave Buddy home because on a leash he pulls me like crazy. He is so excited to be out after our long exercise layoff. I am also planning on starting at the gym again too. I will start on the bike first then see about that eliptical!! See if i can make it 5 minutes.
I imagine next time i see my doc he might be ready to send me to physical therapy.
Right now my bed is full of wrapping paper and i still have a bit to wrap, then grocery shop too. There is no way i can get it all done, because i will fall asleep just like yesterday at 6pm!!! I woke up for a few mintues here and there when the kids came home, but really was zonked by 6pm.

WEll Happy Holidays to all.
jucy