Hard Wear Removal Surgery

[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