Never again

sand52 · #1 (**permalink**) 04-19-2009, 11:51 PM

Dear Phylly,

I would take it a little easier and maybe take a few more meds. I know I want to get off the meds but you have gone through something nobody else has and it takes a long time for that to heal. Especially if you are a little older. Ask the doctor what you can do physically at this EARLY stage of your recovery.

All the best!

phylly · #2 (**permalink**) 04-20-2009, 12:36 AM

Hi Sand,
I did move up my Dr. appointment and I will try to take it easy as I think I have been overdoing everything. My PM doctor is cutting my meds, I hate that. I wish they would let me decide when to cut. I do have a small stash thank goodness. Something seems a bit messed up but I hope it is temporary. My husband thinks I am now okay (maybe not) because I had felt better and I guess the expectation to get on with my life is there. I am now on an ice-pack. Thanks for the concern, usually when I rest it does feel better so I am going to work on that.

My puppy walks may have been too ambitious for now. My doctor has said do what I can and I will know but that may have been too vague. He said simple stretching, walking etc. It is hard to believe that I was walking pain free a few weeks ago and cooking dinner and now have this buttock and leg pain again. Older sucks. I just passed the big 60! Isn't that the new 50?
Thank you again for my reality check,
Phylly

treefrog · #3 (**permalink**) 04-20-2009, 09:29 PM

Awww, Phylly. Your pups are so cute. I am a cat person, but I do appreciate cuteness, in all it's forms.

Sorry you are having more pain. I hope the Dr. can alleviate your fears and the pain. Take it easy, rest more.

Maria · #4 (**permalink**) 04-20-2009, 10:33 PM

Might be coincidental re timing of rhizo wearing off and then the recent increased activity with the pups.. I say this only because Lola can bring on a whole wave of pain stuff in all kinds of places on my body!

Have you tried any muscle relaxers just in case you're having muscle spasms that are coming along with some of your other symptoms? Just in thinking that your increased activity could also be creating some spasming and thus maybe something like a Toradol shot and/or some oral muscle relaxers might be helpful or take the edge off at least.

Decreasing your meds on a schedule that is not of your own seems over zealous to me but then again I guess i's ok altho if pain levels increase significantly I'd impress that upon your doc that you may not be ready to be taken done quite so quickly while recovering.

If you mention the new puppies actiivity surely you'll be told that's you're having more pain and to be careful but you already know that.. you just need something to help with relief and/or to be very careful with taking care of the pups.. again you know this too!

adaptive equipment for poop scooping and also something that doesn't allow Lola to yank me about (feels like she's pulling me around by a collar around my neck)!!!!

phylly · #5 (**permalink**) 04-21-2009, 04:43 PM

Maria,
I agree, those pups do pull and I am trying to get a handle on this. I am sure that you are correct about the extra activity etc. I may have to take one at a time to avoid pulling on the leash. I am going in to see my Dr. a few weeks earlier to see what he says about the pain. I am hoping it is just a slight setback which will respond to rest, ice, and muscle relaxers. I want to go back on celebrex. I do have all these great pooper scoopers, etc. The pups make me laugh although not my husband when he cleans the accidents. He is being a good sport about this. Our trainer comes tomorrow and we have accomplished getting the dogs through the dog door for the pee part. Somebody still like the carpet by the speakers.

I did want to ask you about the Forteo. I have now been on it for 2 months. I am not as tired as I was but still feel more tired than before I started it. How are you? Are you still on it? I would like to stay on it for now. Let me know how you are doing.
Phylly

Maria · #6 (**permalink**) 04-22-2009, 12:47 AM

Phylly,
I went thru such a long period of feeling almost dead tired and I'm sure this feeling was related to the forteo.. I also noticed that if I missed a day which I have once or twice that I was very exhausted (my imagination? I think not)... but anyway I seem to be on the upswing now and feeling more enegetic.

I just started working out a bit which I think might be killing my low back a tad but at least I feel like I have more energy. We'll see if I can balance working out and not getting an aggravated back as it does give me more energy.

My doctor told me I needed to do aerobic exercise.. (hello.. does she even remember who she's speaking to in terms of all my bodily aches and pains?)

Bottom line: I started Forteo Feb.10 and I think I am starting to feel better now so I'll keep you posted. Hope you will be feeling less tired as well ~

phylly · #7 (**permalink**) 05-02-2009, 06:03 PM

Hi All,

About three weeks ago, right before acquiring my dogs, I was becoming more active and using my leg muscles to bend. Well one day I bent down a bit too much and really needed to push up. I have never been the same! My sciatic pain started to come back as well as pain when sitting. It is the spot mid butt which seems to radiate into my low back (sacrum) during the day and into the back of my leg. It is the same pain that was not concordant on my discogram. I am so very bummed. (to be continued)

Then the dog puppies came and were so very sweet until they started fighting. Actually the younger one wanted to be the top dog and was killing the other one. Stupidly both my husband and I were bitten at different times but during the last horrible fight he ended up in the ER with 10 stitches on his finger. We were traumatized and after spending tons of money, hiring a trainer, cleaning up accidents, ruining the lawn , and then finally having to clean the blood out of the carpets, we were emotionally done. WE gave it 3 weeks and the dogs went back to their original owner. So NO more puppies for awhile. I guess I took on too much and we were also physically exhausted.

(Continued) I moved up my doctor appointment because of the pain. We are leaving for graduation trips in three weeks. He is amazing and is sending me for new MRI's of my pelvis and hips. He has sent me to another Dr. for EMG's and possible shot in the piriformis or muscle that may be clamping down on my sciatic nerve. He is disappointed as am I but he is not going to give up yet. I am still hoping that we can find the source of the pain in that dark black box. I will keep you posted. He does not think it is SI joint or a thousand other things I had on my list. At least the other back pain is better so it is easier to deal with the butt and leg although by the end of the day it is quite painful and affects me a lot. I wonder if it is my fault from using those muscle too soon? He did not say this. My tests are moving along at warp speed which is amazing and the office has arranged all the Dr. appointments also. After all the dragging along these past years I am amazed at how his response has been. It is wonderful. I will keep you all posted and am hoping we can find this other source of pain. What kills me it is the same pain I originally had after my fall in 4/05 when i broke my tailbone and no one had ever found the cause. So for 4 years, more epidurals and caudal and nerve blocks than I can count, and 3 back surgeries, I still have the same original pain. I knew I had multiple issues so maybe with the back taken care of I can go forward and find this.

I guess I was hoping that this would be my last surgery and still hope that. There is always a piriformis release which he says is a lot easier after what I have been through but it may not work, and there is always that dreaded SCS which I really don't want. So this is the latest most up to date news.

Phylly

phylly · #8 (**permalink**) 05-02-2009, 06:22 PM

Forgive the spelling error in heading.
BTW, I am open to any suggestions regarding my pain to ask this new Dr. on Tuesday. Like Why, Where, and What to do now?

Kathy · #9 (**permalink**) 05-02-2009, 06:24 PM

Phylly,
I'm sorry that you are having a bump in the road. Hopefully, it is just that, a bump in the road and you will feel better soon. It does sound like the puppies were too much, so your body may just still be worked up from that. I puppy sat my nephews puppy yesterday, they are a ton of work (up, down, take them out, let them in, feed them, clean up accidents, play with them, up, down, and all over again). I was tired and I only had the dog for 8 hours! I know it is disheartening having a setback, you feel like you will never be better and it's depressing. This recovery takes way longer than we would like and you are only 2 months post op. Don't you wish you could just wake up from surgery and pop out of bed and be healed? Wouldn't that be nice. I'm not patient, so this has seemed like a horribly long time to me. I spoke with the research department lady yesterday and she said that she hears this all the time and that in a year, I will look back and hardly remember the setbacks. I'll be praying for you and a stellar recovery, Kathy