A little sitrep

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Heal up quick, bro.
As always, these fine fellas will be just dandy left to their own accord;)
 
Karda, today Lama Jigme will arrive in Reno and tomorrow he will perform very special Puja and he will pray for you and all HI customers and forumites.
Get well soon
 
Please take some pictures Auntie if that's allowed and acceptable of course.
 
Well.....
Pain meds seem to be helping some to alleviate the pain even if it doesn't do much for actual problem, the tingling, sleeplessness and resulting anxiety because I'm having trouble tending to things I need to keep up on.
Doc gave me something for the anxiety, but it waylayed me for 20hrs on Saturday. I spent the whole day sleeping and being dizzy when awake. Could barely bathroom and feed myself. Resulted in more anxiety and caused my back to go out again and my left shoulder and middle back hurt like crazy. Took an extra pain med before schedule and seems to have alleviated that problem for the time being. Waiting for doc to call me back to discuss.....
 
Hang in there, I'm sitting in the waiting room waiting :) for my wife to come back from her MRI, then off to another center for more testing on her back, hang in there friend that's all can do...
 
Agree with T. Erdelyi, Hang in there. Anxiety meds are really fierce. I tend to try to stay away from them as they have so many small print warnings and they counterindicate so many other medications. It just seems like a good meditation to handle the anxiety actually works better for me. (emphasize the for me part everyone is different) Glad to hear that the pain meds were working to help a bit. Don't fall into the trap of expecting them to completely relieve the pain. If they are you are taking more than you should. The way to work with them is to use a dose that takes the edge off the pain and allows you to deal with it naturally. Now don't he man up and take too little either, but don't float through life like your feet are off the ground. work with your doc to find a happy middle ground where you are yourself, just able to function despite the moderated pain. The benefit to that is if you are doing something that will make it worse, you will still feel the pain enough to change before you cause yourself more damage.
 
I'm not taking the anxiety meds. Trying to find a happy medium on the pain meds.
Problem is the pain keeps me from sleeping or wakes me up when I can get to sleep.
I'm already exhausted and still can't sleep. When I do sleep I don't seem to get any rest.
Without meds is painful misery. With meds is a different kind of misery. Tired of both.
 
My father has very similar problems with back pain that prevents him from sleeping through the night. I know how hard it can be when you get sleep-deprived. One thing that brought him a little bit of relief was a new memory foam mattress. They are rather expensive, but we spend a large portion of our lives in our beds, so it's not a place to skimp on quality. Just something to consider.
 
I'm sorry to hear this and I hope things improve soon. I enjoy arguing with you about locks and testing and it wouldn't be nearly as much fun if you're feeling miserable. Let the forumites know if there's anything we can do to help.
 
Karda said:
Without meds is painful misery. With meds is a different kind of misery. Tired of both.
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I definately resemble that remark. I find that I sleep best on one end of the couch where I can curl into the back of the couch and have a bit of support and where I am not laying flat. What you need is to find where you are the closest to comfortable. That may or may not be laying flat. Try anything and don't consider any sleep position weird if you can actually fall asleep that way. I hope you are able to find something and that you and your doctor are successful finding a happy medium on the meds. Perhaps you can ask about doing a 2 tier approach to the meds. 1 for the day and something different at night to help you sleep. Heck maybe you already tried that. I am just throwing out things that have helped for me in the past on the off chance something might be worth asking the dr about.
 
Had my meds adjusted and got a new one for relaxing the muscles and helping me sleep.
Got 7 hrs last night. While I still woke up extremely stiff and in a bit of pain it was much less than it was and the pain went away quicker. At least I didnt feel over medicated or wake up with my eyes leaking wanting to scream.
Always a better day when hopefulness returns. Maybe I can regain enough strength to beat this.
 
Good to hear you had a good night, 7 hours sleep must seem about like a miracle at this point. Will keep up hope that you keep improving because even a little improvement is a great thing.

mari ashirbad lay swikarnu huss!
 
Hey Karda have you considered some Heat therapy? I know it will sound stupid at first but take it from a crippled old Gremlin it really works for me.
1. Invest in a gel wrap. This is a long flat gel filled latex, or nitrile, sleeve that you can either roll up and soak it in a stock pot of hot water almost boiling or some you can even put in the microwave.
2. When its hot wrap it around your waist / arm/ leg/ foot. Fold it or spread it out and lay upon it. Floor or bed. I roll mine up and place it behind my necke The thing is remarkable. Costs anywhere from $30 to $80 depending on style or model but it lasts for ever. Wash it off with soap and water and use it over and over. Try it. It has NO side effects but you can get 'addicted' to it. Ha!
G...
 
blue lander said:
That period where they "dial in" your medicine always sucks. Good luck!
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Last time I tried to get well I went thru a dozen meds and all caused side effects that I could not bear. I gave up.
I hate taking pills. This time we hit a good one on the third try. Iam going to try to run with this ball.

Shavru said:
Good to hear you had a good night, 7 hours sleep must seem about like a miracle at this point. Will keep up hope that you keep improving because even a little improvement is a great thing.

mari ashirbad lay swikarnu huss!
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Yes it is. I can't help but think yours and everyones hope and prayers have helped also. I am thankful.



Greykilt said:
Hey Karda have you considered some Heat therapy? I know it will sound stupid at first but take it from a crippled old Gremlin it really works for me.
1. Invest in a gel wrap. This is a long flat gel filled latex, or nitrile, sleeve that you can either roll up and soak it in a stock pot of hot water almost boiling or some you can even put in the microwave.
2. When its hot wrap it around your waist / arm/ leg/ foot. Fold it or spread it out and lay upon it. Floor or bed. I roll mine up and place it behind my necke The thing is remarkable. Costs anywhere from $30 to $80 depending on style or model but it lasts for ever. Wash it off with soap and water and use it over and over. Try it. It has NO side effects but you can get 'addicted' to it. Ha!
G...
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Yes, I've tried heat and am now going to go to PT for massage and other therapies including heat.
My problem is that heat can cause the disc/s to get better, but also to get worse, so I need to watch what I'm doing.
Thanks for the info!
 
I admire your stubborn persistence. I tend to only give doctors two chances. If they don't get it right the second time I give up. I'll remember your perseverance next time.
 
Karda, I was diagnosed with degenerative back disease last year. The pads between my last three vertebrae above the sacrum have disappeared. The blessings of a long life and career in the Forest Service as an archaeologist, fire rehab specialist and long-time wood cutter. The old bod does wear out. I went to a physical therapist and have exercises to alleviate the pain with a daily naproxin. But it ruined my road biking and jogging. The thing is that a relatively healthy old age is something that many people do not have the opportunity to enjoy. Count your blessings and find joy in the daily things one can do, instead of mourning the loss of others. But do see a physical therapist - they work wonders.
 
blue lander said:
I admire your stubborn persistence. I tend to only give doctors two chances. If they don't get it right the second time I give up. I'll remember your perseverance next time.
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I'm stubborn for sure. But I've also given up before......
In truth I'm a big old wrinkly baby that doesn't like being poked, prodded, made to take pharm and all that.
It boiled down to do I want to continue to suffer in this manner, or do I want to listen to reason and try to be well again.
I'm not doing myself, nor anyone else any good by being too stubborn to try.
If your physician doesn't listen or isn't effective for you. Try another. Doctors are a dime a dozen.... A good doctor is a precious resource finer than gold.
Medicine still isn't an exact science. Due to physiological differences treatments must differ. Options must be tried until one works. Sometimes it's easy. More often than not, though, it's not so.
I also found something today from his holiness. I wish I'd found it long ago.

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“I think that, as life is action and passion, it is required of a man that he should share the passion and action of his time at peril of being judged not to have lived.”

― Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr.
 
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