Surgery Monday August 8th

[dshobbies]

Just for the telling - I buy holiday gifts all year long. When I see something someone would like, I buy it on the spot. I am usually done and wrapped by October. I'm also assured I'm buying something I truly believe the receiver will like and not something I had to buy because I was running out of time.

The only last minute gifts are for the kids - their sizes and desires change too fast. Then once they reach teen-age years they want cash!

Try it - it takes so much pressure out of the holiday season which makes it more enjoyable. The big negative, you miss the sales which is offset by speading your spending out over a years time.

Now if I could just remember where I put those gifts

[jsewell]

That is a great plan and my new one. I always feel i have to get through the Sept . birthdays (3 in 12 days) and then start christmas shopping. One less person to buy for this year. The kids are all difficult they must tell me exactly what they want and from where. Actually my 23 year old will tell me she does not need or want anything. I tell her she will end up with a bunch of stuff she does not like, because i must put things under the tree!
She just gave me her birthday money back after holding the check for 3 weeks so i cant even give her money unless i found it on a tree!!
My older son also said he does not want anything from me , just add up all i have done for him and count that as his present.
they are sweet kids, the youngest would just say yay spend their money on me.

I was freezing in class last night, so much money is being wasted at that school on the air . then it gets cool when the sun goes down, next week a pillow and a jacket. the pillow did the trick for my back.
I still wake up feeling like my whole back is on fire even with the extra cortisol. I still need to figure out if it is helping enough to stay on it.
judy

[Maria]

Judy,
Are you feeling any better today from the additional cortisol? I wonder if all that cold air and sitting put you into some serious back spasming night before last (Sunday)? Hopefully if so things are calmed down a bit or will be soon.

[dshobbies]

Judy,

I'm more conservative than others on this forum. The burning you feel tells me something is still going on. I tend to baby my pain instead of pushing through it unless I know for certain, pushing won't make it worse.

You have pushed since the day you got home from the hospital. 2 months out and you need serious meds to get through the day. I would fear I was setting myself up for a life cycle. I have absolutely no medical expertise but when my body talks, I try to hear what it is saying.

Taking whatever meds necessary to ease your pain helps us all get through the days but upping your meds because you're pushing, you simply don't know of possible negative affects. I know my view is obviously not shared by all and we all have to decide for ourselves how we're going to conduct our own lives but....

Just my 2 cents - Dale

[Maria]

I share Dale's viewpoint in terms of not giving one's self adequate time to heal post op. Then again there are times you say you feel better Judy and are making improvement so I tend to believe you however I do think you've pushed yourself in some activities a bit much (like sitting for classes).

I would have never scheduled any classes until I saw how I responded to surgery and with an adequate period of healing. Then again it seems you've been thru spine surgeries a number of times and sort of plan based on past experience?

I do hope you will heal and recover well however I do have to wonder if you just don't push yourself too much to actually give yourself adequate recovery time.

I guess time will tell~ let's hope for the best! BTW I didn't have a fusion so really can't address pain levels post this type of surgery however I took no actual pain meds post my 2 discectomies (even tho 2nd one had horrific outcome) past the one week post op mark.

So in essence even tho I had worse pain post my '92 surgery it wasn't until 2001 I actually got any "pain" medication of any sort!! talk about a long wait!!! I don't count the elavil or Neurontin (for neuroapathies).

[jsewell]

Hi Well i already wrote out a post that did not go through. I saw my spine surgeon today. I found out i am his patient that has the most metal in her or him. Wow.
About not being comfortable standing up, and a few other aches he said it has only been 2 months and I need time to heal and for things to adjust. So still no therapy or exercise besides walking .
The cortisol is do to my pituitary problem which effects every other endocrine gland. Also do to my adrenal glands not producing it any more, i was on a low replacement dose to try to get my adrenals to come back to life. I waited 2 years now or maybe even longer. Now it is determined with the added stress of you know who leaving and more surgery , i needed to up the dose. If too low or too high it causes all kinds of body aches. So nothing to do with overdoing it.
My classes , I registered for in May with no hint of surgery in the air.!!!
I don't know if i should have stopped in the middle of the program or not, but glad for the distraction.

I know i did not rest at all after the first week and a half, i was really bad!! I will never do that one again , that's for sure.
judy

[Maria]

Judy,
You've been the most active person I think I've read about on a spine forum post your most recent fusion! I still think the ESI at the point you got it probably helped that along even tho it was for your leg! So maybe it actually helped you overall as it allowed you to be up and active (maybe too active maybe not).

Hopefully you won't have to have more spine surgery (re never doing that again)!

I understood why you're taking the cortisol. You had mentioned the increased dose might make you feel better so was just inquiring as to if it made a difference there. Was hoping perhaps it had~

Re the classes I think you could have gotten your $ back re the back surgery being advised at that time or taken the classes when offered again tho I do recall you mentioned the possibility of a job opening that you were considering applying for so wanting to try and make that deadline. I'm amazed you got thru those long hours of sitting when you were doing the 7 hours tho you made it so guess you could do it! Are you nearly done with the classes? They do seem to have been a good distraction for you during this time.

Holidays are on the way so do be careful to not overdo with shopping and cooking long hours! At least for me I can bring on a good back ache by seriously emerging myself into either activity (long hours standing in the kitchen and probably longer hours running around shopping)... I don't think I'll do either this year actually as we've been invited to my relatives for TG and I'm not shopping this year unless online!

Ok seems like your doctor thought you were progressing pretty normally for the period of time post surgery so I'm off your case about resting and leaving it up to you as I'm sure you'll rest as much as you feel you need to or can stand! Hope your walks are continuing. Mine are getting better, longer, faster and I'm much more energetic overall!