Surgery Monday August 8th

[dshobbies]

I think the brace I wear is pretty standard, a firm back, stretch sides with velcro closing and two side panals that adjust individually. I also got a similar one is Hungary (forgot to pack it). It;s the same design but the back is more rigid. I only use it for all day stuff, like sitting for classes at the conference.

As for Neurontin - I hoped you tapered off gradually. I was on it for two years. It did resolve most if not all of my pain but when it affected my eyesight, enough already. Even now, when my pain level is up, it still is not bad enough to get me back on that stuff. But Judy, from what you're telling us, yes, I think you were premature in getting off of it. If you had no pain while on this drug then by all means, begin to see what life might be like without it but you are still in a considerable amount of pain, even while taking it. I think you're setting yourself up for just more painkillers. But this is your choice -

Dale

[jsewell]

It is a new pain that i was trying to describe below my neck and over toward my shoulder kind of. It is new and may be from carrying my purse, my fall last week or who knows what. I'm tired of needing pain meds that is for sure.
I think i just stopped taking neurontin because i forgot to take it, not for making a conscience decision to stop!
And that may be because my cat knocked it off my nightstand. I think it is now on the bottom shelf or the floor. The floor is terribly hard for me to get to , well to get up from. Partly because of not being able to bend the toe without pain or afraid it will be painful, on the foot that was operated on.
But i am going down for the search!
Dale, i am glad that brace helps you . I tried one of mine and was not sure if it did or not so i don't use it. My back muscles have been cut so often and must be so weak, i did not want to weaken them further.
judy

[Maria]

Ok now the worse thing I can do in the morning before I've warmed up is to have to bend forward tho have to feed the cats right away and often scoop litter so plenty big ouches going on there re my stiff back. Once I'm warmed up usually after a hot shower I seem to be much better with this.

Getting down on the floor on my knees to look for things I am finding harder to do esp things under the bed... need to warm up really good for that and look much later in the day!

A reacher/grabber is still a very useful thing to have as far as I'm concerned so that if I drop something I really need and I'm too sore to get it I don't have to bend or squat~ at least if it's in plain sight. I have one next to my bed as well as a cane for the few times I've had to use a cane in the middle of the night either due to my back being in terrible spasms or my feet killing me so much it's hard to walk. Again stiffness seems to really affect me after periods of rest at night. I don't have a cane here at dh's and I sleep more or less on the floor (sleeping bag/camping type equip) and find it fairly comfortable tho sometimes hard to get up from this position tho I manage.

I think I still have a few braces left over from yesteryear somewhere tho have not used one in quite some time. I weigh a tad more than I did at the time so mine used to be pretty small and now I don't think they'd quite fit. I may recheck one out just to have and see if it makes any diff w/sitting and/or yard work and such. Used to wear one when I vacumned but haven't felt I needed to for a pretty long time now.

Still never hurts to have these things handy "just in case" and none mentioned really take up any space so don't want to use that as an excuse for myself.

Time to get up from sitting and start getting busy around here (dh's). Lola was sick yesterday so spent most of the day worrying about her!

[jsewell]

Now i haven't had that pain in a few days , the new one and the ribs are getting better, good thing as i have a mammogram tomorrow and they are right around the side of that area.
i found the neurontin under the table as i thought. Nice kitty, I think he goes on my night stand for the sole purpose of knocking things off it.
WAlking was pretty good yesterday although i did go solo. I took Buddy around the block first.
WAshing the dishes is a bad chore with having to slightly bend over as well as vacuuming. both of which i need to do right now., so i wonder if i should take pain meds in anticipation.
judy

[Maria]

Judy,
I take mine daily about the same time of day tho I don't usually go out and about w/o it. There are days I can't really tell if I "need" it to do things and days I can't do much w/o taking it so I can do things but my dose daily each a.m.

I would imagine you could do it either way tho if you tend to overdo you may not want to take the medicine first then overdo unless you take it multiple times daily and can take it again in 4-6 hours. Or take it and see how it goes and take 2nd dose if necessary afterwards. I don't really know how many times/day you take your pain meds and what you're on (percocet?) if it's that I probably would never get out of my apt.!

We just got back from SD co. and am now home w/my animals. dh is doing some work up here today and maybe tomorrow. He brought his 25lb cat tho I wanted him to take Leo w/him to the Vets (where he's working today) as having the 4 animals in my small apt. all day is a bit much plus he eats my cats food. Guess they will be back later today after work?

Ok got to run. Not feeling good GI wise tho can't remember if I took my prilosec or not. My stomach doesn't think so tho I could swear I did...have errands to run

[jsewell]

Maria
Hi i hate when i can't remember if i took something or not. My ususal meds are in a container for the morning and bedtime , but there are others that are not used on a regular basis , only as needed. And my pain meds it absoultely annoys me when i am not sure, because then i just wait 4 hours so i don't overdose in case i have taken them.

I do take them about 3 times per day and some days that is not enough. I always need them for walking. Also for getting up and getting going.
Percocet takes one hour to have any effect and about after 3 1/2 hours starts wearing off,. I can always tell , could base a schedule on every 4 hours and never have to look at a clock.

Last night i was doing some research , although i don't remember where i started. But i came to flat back syndrome, i have all the symptoms. Difficult to stand up straight , which i have told my doc at every visit, my upper back gets very fatigued, my daughter just told me i always stand with my knees bent. Those are the main symptoms and i have them all. Not happy to have discovered that.
judy

[Maria]

Judy,
I think this must be a fairly common finding as so many people have been fused for scoliosis in younger years and extensively with Harrington Rods as well as persons having multiple fusions. It doesn't make it any easier to realize that is what you probably have going on tho perhaps you can talk to your doctor about a PT program that will build the accessory musculature and also the PM re a pain medication that lasts longer and takes care of more of the pain allowing you to be more physically active and feel OK doing that (without going hog wild butt neked crazee/seriously overdoing)!

I used to really resent taking the pain medication I do tho honestly if I can function to the degree I am most of the time re my spine and am not seriously screwing up any major component of my body or end organ system I think I'm doing OK as I'm on my feet quite a bit and fairly active with rest as necessary.

Then again I've had no hardware implanted so I think I've done fairly minimal change to my body compared to many here so that probably makes for less structural changes as well and in my case at this point and time less pain.

Having said that I believe I'm on a much stronger pain medication than you even once daily so it could be I'd be really not a very happy camper w/o this medication and hardly do anything w/o it.

Hands are hurting while I type so have to go. Will have to look into parafin bath for hands as Dale and others have suggested. This weather we're having generally adds to some aches and pain somewhere in my bod. Yesterday my knees were stiff and feet hurt. Today it's the hands more so. The back is "hanging in" pretty well~ thanks to this dirt cheap standard golden oldie pain med that must make WC very happy to pay for compared to what I could be on. It works and that's good enough for me right now!