Temporary Postponment of --- Well Everything!

A delay has been called on my life!  On the plus side - having a ton of steroids running through me and not being able to do - well anything - has reduced my overall pain to a nice happy level of almost none!  On the negative side, I was quite sick.  Spent a few unhappy days in the hospital.  I do have MRSA, and I am home bound with IV infusions 2 x's daily.  I was anemic and very short of potassium, had pneumonia, and my oxygen levels were nothing to brag about.  I was on isolation in the hospital, and both hubby and I are on isolation at home.  We have to wash with Hibiclens for 10 days, and use a nasal gel for 10 days as well.  Additionally, all surfaces in our home have to be bleached daily for 5 days......  (This is heaven for me!)  At that point MRSA should be gone from our home and people can once again come and go.  We sure miss our grandchildren!  Instructions on how to rid our home of MRSA were given by an Infectious Disease specialist --- so we figure it is really accurate! 

For months I have felt "unwell" and believed I had just become a lazy slug!    Now I know I was "unwell!"  Doh!

Sleeping during a hospital stay is usually next to impossible.  However, Arrowhead bought beds that are motor activated at 60 second intervals (yes, I did time this).  The motor is at the head of the bed, turns on --- loudly, the bed then moves and adjusts.  When this is done, the motor grinds to a halt.  The mattress is about 2 inches thick and plastic.  So, sweaty, loud, and annoying!  OH  -  and virtually impossible to get out of!

On to healing and bleaching!

Physical Therapy?

I have not made it back to Physical Therapy since day 2.  I did go on Monday, but I had a temperature of 102.8, and every movement I made caused extreme hacking.  They said "GO HOME!"  I didn't have to be asked twice! 

Trying again next week, if I still have 2 lungs!

Day 2 of Physical Therapy

I had another PT session today, and somewhere between measuring on Tuesday, I had let's try to hurt you ---- real bad Friday!  Ow!  I don't hurt - mostly!  There are muscles in my neck - who knew!!!!!  I don't believe the movements actually hurt - as much as the concentration on specific muscles, the holding for a count of 30, and the repetitions!  It appears that the physical therapist is trying to alleviate my pain by trying to wound me - OW!

I know this will get easier, it is not my first time through PT!  However, I used to get a bit of a massage at the end - then ice.  Today, just ice!  That is not playing fair!

My intake of vitamin D is being "artificially" raised, to the tune of 50,000 per day!   I was perhaps a bit low on vitamin D - I had a measurement of 8 as opposed to 30-100! 

Waffle House with a friend - for breakfast this morning - yum!

Physical Therapy

I started physical therapy yesterday.  The therapist seems like a really nice person.  How is it that petite women have the pointiest fingers?  I have lost a great deal of strength and muscle tone protecting my Neurostimulator from myself!  Now I will be given exercises that are not going to affect the device's location - as long as I don't over-do it!  It is hard to be an over achiever and not over-do something!

Today I visit my family doctor to talk about my 12% bone loss in the last 2 years.......  Oops!

It's All A State Of Mind

I am not 21 anymore!  I didn't hurt all over at 30!  Or 40 - well most of 40 anyway.  But now at the end of my 50's, I do hurt just about all over.  Not the knock me down, count me out hurt.  Just the aches and annoying pains.  My least favorite right now is my left pointer finger!  But other areas are looking for a competition! 

Consequently, my decision, perhaps for today only - is moving, doing, and having fun ------- it's all a state of mind.  I am going over to a friends later for some card making - and I hope my state of mind follows.  When I come home, we are grilling with family and getting to enjoy our little Naomi!   I am hoping my state of mind will hold out until Wednesday - when the floors will be done!

So This Is What Has Been Going On......

Good morning - and happy Saturday!  I went for my monthly checkup with my pain doctor,  Dr. Carlson (http://www.thepaincenter.com/jonathan-d.-carlson,-md.html).  I am glad to say my Neurostimulator is consistently relieving pain and giving me confidence to do more and more each day.  I have not had to change settings, although sometimes I do raise the amount of stimulation.  Occasionally, I turn it off, just to get a reset and rest from the buzzing. 

I am starting physical therapy in 2 weeks, to learn how I can get some exercise while not causing problems with the Neurostimulator.  I am looking forward to this.  I have great confidence in the group I am going to.  I have used these therapists twice since my spinal surgery, both times with good results. 

I had my yearly Dexa scan done yesterday, and the results were unfortunately the same as last year.  Another 6% bone loss in my left hip.  In the last 2 years that is 12%!   It is time to use the Viactiv I bought after last years test!.  I find it interesting, that with much of my back pain relieved, it is my left hip that gives me the most pain.   That is the side I sleep on - of course!

I can feel change coming.  My family physician is taking a wellness approach to his practice, and since I have joined, I am suspecting weight loss and my activity level are going to be high on his agenda!  Not that I mind :).

Today I will be getting ready for the destruction that is going to hit my home on Monday.  Carpet is being replace with wood in two bedrooms.  The rest of the house won't be bad - wood will go over the tile - but taking beds apart ---- yuk!

I can almost bend my left index finger -- almost!

Fun awaits me!  Here is a fun card I made for my nephew who turned 32 this week!

New Year Catch-up

Happy New Year!  I am happy!  I have less pain than I have had in several years, the pain I do have is about 75% manageable, and I have learned that new/different pain should get my attention.  What is news, is that I can be up all day, doing "stuff", hanging out with my family, and parking lot stalking!  Silly, private joke! 

The best test I have that I am feeling well, and can keep up - my grandsons!  They just left from a 3 day visit.  All 4 grandchildren were here yesterday - and I had a blast!  Lots of laughing and pure joy!  Four kids are much messier than 2 - but since I can't bend - I don't have to clean up - yeah! 

I am thankful every minute of every day that I have a pain management Neurostimulator.  There is still pain elsewhere, and I still need pain medication.  However, once the pain medication works,  I am great!  Not tolerable, not "whew the pain is down and I can breathe!".  I am GREAT!

Looking forward to enjoying meditation, more spirituality, visual imagery for relaxation, and creativity!

It Has Been Awhile!

I have not kept up on my journaling of my fight over pain.  Before Thanksgiving, I had my Neurostimulator programs adjusted.  I now have 8 programs, although some of the middle programs are just there - not new and I think the same as the other programs.  I tried several of the new programs, and just returned to my favorite program, which is now program 3 (it used to be program 1).  I tried these different programs because I could not get any relief from my pain, anywhere in my body.  From this I learned, sometimes pain is just that - pain.  That being the case, it is just not going to be relieved.  This pain was caused by medication I received for a MRSA infection.  I had gone to the grocery store, and when I came home I thought I had gotten a bug bite, because I was really itchy on my lower middle back, and I had a small pimple type bump on my lower left butt cheek (really itchy there!)  By the morning this "pimple" was a lump the size of a quarter, and it kept growing!  It got so uncomfortable and large, I went into my doctor on a Saturday and got Doxycyclin.  I soaked, and used moist heating pads, and I hurt all over.  I tried and tried to get the device to cover the (literally) pain on my butt-to no avail!  My bones hurt, my spine hurt, everything hurt, and pain pills did nothing for any of my pain.  The medication completely killed my desire to eat or drink, and began causing stomach problems.  I returned to the doctor on Monday, by which time we had named the lump Hugo, and it was the size of a baseball, and the whole left side of my butt was affected.  The nurse practitioner called in the doctor I saw Saturday, and they pushed and poked Hugo.  To say the least, this angered Hugo!  They told me I most likely had MRSA and gave me a second medication, Ramifin (?).  This medication made me very, very nauseated and I couldn't eat or drink.  I returned to the doctor on the Wednesday prior to Thanksgiving to have Hugo checked and poked.  He was starting to get smaller, he was definitely MRSA, and the doctor said to keep taking both medications - regardless!  That evening, I was in so much pain I was rolled up in a ball and couldn't move without excruciating pain.  I held on to the Neurostimulator remote and tried every setting to get some relief.  Nothing helped, but I tried, by taking more Tylenol, Advil and Percoset.  Then the nausea took over and I told my husband I was not taking the Ramifin again.  After 8 hours of dry heaving, he agreed, and I considered going to the hospital.  We missed Thanksgiving, and I never took Ramifin again.  I was really dehydrated, and in excruciating pain all over my body.  Hugo was doing better, I still could not sit, but I soaked and soaked all day through Friday.  By Friday, I had eaten 2 Ritz crackers, but I drank Gatorade and started feeling a little better.  I checked both medications on WebMD for side effects, and found that Ramifin said not to take narcotics with the medication.  That explained why I wasn't getting relief from the pain meds!  I did not take the Doxycyclin again, since I had every side effect and I decided I would rather have MRSA then take those medications.  We missed tree decorating on Saturday, but Hugo continued to get smaller and softer.  I went back to the doctor on Tuesday (after Thanksgiving) and Hugo was down to about golf ball size.  My doctor told me,  I should have called, and I should have gone to the hospital, there were many other medications that could have been given through IV.  My bad!    Once I had stopped both medications I started feeling better, the all over pain was going away, and my Neurostimulator was helping.  I got a 14 day prescription for Levaflaxin in hope that Hugo would continue to go away. 

I am back to "normal" now - spinal pain is being helped and is responsive to the Neurostimulator, for which I am immensely thankful.  Hugo is almost gone.  I will not miss him.   The whole experience was awful, and made me realize that sometimes the cure is much worse than the problem!

There is a point where I must learn that new pain is not the Neurostimulator failing, but it is there for a reason, and will likely not be permanent.

It Is Still Day to Day

Feeling better, and having freedom over pain is a day to day challenge.  Some days I am simply not up to the challenge.  The weather appears to be a big factor in arthritis and Fibromyalgia pain, and the Neurostimulator just doesn't help those aches and pains.  The last 5 days I have gone about my plans, regardless of these or any other pains.  Yesterday I gave in to the exhaustion and rested.  Before resting, I went to Barnes & Noble to get several items.  This was very enjoyable, and energized my soul.  I bought the 25th anniversary edition of "The Polar Express" for a grandchild my husband and I plan on seeing when he reaches his "majority"!  This allows my soul to be at peace.  I write to him in a journal, make cards on holidays and include cash, and I have a box of things that he can have when he is older.  We count him as a grandchild, because he is.  A child should never be held responsible for a parent's stupidity!  I am doing "The Elf on the Shelf" at grandma & grandpa's.  This got me excited, and it will give me something to look forward to every day for a month, while I take pictures of the elves doing naughty things at grandma & grandpa's.  The elves will be part of the items he will get when we meet him - that and a lot of money! 

I enjoyed my trip to Barnes & Noble, I felt normal.  I walked around without a cart or walker, and although I started hurting, it was quite manageable.  By the time I got home I was ready to give in to the pain, it had gotten the better of me.  I read in bed for part of the day.  My mind remained active, although my body said --nope!  The interesting thing I find about being so physically exhausted, is my inability to sleep.  Today, may be another rest day, after the exterminator leaves.

On my last visit to Dr. Carlson, my pain specialist, I asked for a lower dose of pain medication.  Oops!  The lower dose doesn't take away all of the different pains I have.  So I am still in pain when I am ready for another dose.  After a few days of this, I found myself getting very irritable, because I just never felt all the way better.  Pain is relative, you either feel it or you don't.  I may have requested a lower dose to early.  I have felt so much less pain since having the Neurostimulator, that I foolishly forgot about "other" pain. 

Living pain free is my goal!  I guess I may have to lose weight also ---- but that is for next time!

I Wish I Could Be Pain Free All Over!

Happy Friday!  Off to a card making group in a bit, and hoping my hands make it.  I wish the Neurostimulator could help all over my body!  My hands are full of pain -- even my cuticles feel arthritic!  My knuckles are getting bigger, and it is hard to straighten my thumbs.  My palms are swollen also!   The places I walk into doors and walls at night hurt also --- I should open my eyes!  My hips are of great concern.  I had shots on both sides - and I am still waiting for relief.  My ankles hurt - but not consistently - just a surprise here and there!  My shoulders and upper arms are arguing with my hips about which bone gets a new joint first!  Finally, I am burning from the inside out.  Welcome to Fibromyalgia land!    I keep thinking I should write this "attack" on my calendar, in case it happens on the same days next year. 

I won't be able to take a muscle relaxer until later, because I won't drive with that medication.  When I get to the group I am making cards with, I will take Tylenol, Motrin, and a pain pill - reduced dose, and it will have worn off by the time I leave to drive home. 

No alarm clocks for two days!

What I saw when I left my home today --- there were 6!

 

 

The one that was on my 6' block fence last night was probably with these guys!