Health state of the lizard

[gekkogecko]

So, yeah, my chronic asthma seems to me acting up a lot lately. And the past few weeks, the shoulder pain has been coming back. That is starting to interfere with my sex life, certainly been interfering with my sleep, my typing, and the wildlife rehabilitation. Not fun. Last time I talked to the ortho-dude about this, he said if it recurred again, I'd have to go in for an MRI. Means, I'm going to have to go set up an appointment with him, so he can authorize it, I have to yak with the insurance company about it, see if I need to change meds: the anti-inflammatories have usually done little, if anything to knock out the pain. I'd rather not do the heavy narcotics if I can avoid them. The previous two episodes of this crap have used up all the physical therapy sessions my insruance company will allow me for the year. I think I"m rambling. Am I rambling?

[Oldfart]

Rambling?

Only in a roundabout way.

Not much else to say, except that I hope you feel better soon.

[PantyFanatic]

Rambling!

Venting:rant: is the primary treatment for all ailments our current medical system porivdes. It's a good thing. :nod:

I hope that is resolved quick and cheaply. Who else do we have to handle the wiggely critters around here? :shrug:







No Lilith. I wasn't refering to your battery-buddy. :doorpeek:

[dicksbro]

GG, you just take care of yourself. My wife and I will keep you in our thoughts and prayers. Just hoping they get it all taken care of to free you of the pain.

[Lord Snow]

You could always take my approach and revel in the pain. Live with and love the pain. Means you're still alive.

[Noah]

I sympathise. Being in contant pain in both physically/mentally draining and effects your quality of life.

Hoping they can sort you out.

[shadowsfate]

Am I rambling?

Probably no more than I do when I talk about my health :roflmao:


the anti-inflammatories have usually done little, if anything to knock out the pain. I'd rather not do the heavy narcotics if I can avoid them.

Based on my experience (which is admitted limited to more or less back issues), anti-inflammitories do little to kill the pain, though they have sometimes worked to end the problem. And heavy narcotics have (of the several that I've been prescribed) either 1) Done absolutely nothing or 2) Not killed the pain, just made it so I didn't care that I hurt but also made it hard to do anything else (and I found out that you never ever want to take a pain pill that makes you not care just before a college class. Nothing gets done except the instructor laughing at you for the entire time :rofl:)



I hope your shoulder problem can be taken care of without having to resort to heavy pain-killers or surgery. Take care and take it easy

[gekkogecko]

Ortho-dude appointment tomorrow.

[dm383]

Ortho-dude appointment tomorrow.

Here's hoping all goes well with that G-G.

[dicksbro]

Yep. Danger Mouse expressed the wishes of us all.

[gekkogecko]

..but not yet, and I'm seriously impatient to have the appointment over & done with.

[gekkogecko]

MRI prescribed, and it was a brueaucratic nightmareto get the insurance company to sign off about it. Eventually got that done. No hydrocortisone this time. The good news is that my #PT sessions allowed/year is actually 30, whereas I've use less this year than I thought I had: 17. So, *probably* more PT, but everything has been put on hold until we see what the MRI shows. Driving back and forth to the ortho-dude's office *hurt*.

[gekkogecko]

Still no MRI actually scheduled. Further treatment still on hold until the ortho-dude can look at one and figure out what's going on.

[gekkogecko]

Well, I do still have cervical vertebrae. The procedure was otherwise painful, since I had to hold my arm in a painful position for the duration. Apparently, I dozed off right at the end, since I started a bit when the radiologist yanked the tray to extract me from the tube. Next step is a follow-up visit with the report to the ortho-dude.

[Oldfart]

At least the ball's rolling.

How long till you see the ortho-dude?

[gekkogecko]

Not sure, haven't been able to make the follow-up appointment.

[wyndhy]

I sympathise. Being in contant pain in both physically/mentally draining and effects your quality of life.


true dat.

i hope they sort it out gg.

[gekkogecko]

So, I set up a follow-up appointment with the Ortho-dude for Thursday. Essentially, I'm in limbo until then.

[gekkogecko]

Ortho-dude showed me the pics from the MRI: severe compression to the point of displacement of my spinal cord; the type and degree of displacement is often seen in paralysis cases (not invariably, though: that is obvious). Basically, I get bounced over to a neurologist for a second opinion. Ortho-dude thinks it might take outpatient surgery to deal with the discs causing the displacement. If those are removed, then I'm looking at probable spinal fusion to deal with the consequences of removal. We'll see what the nerve-dude says, I got an appointment for Tuesday. Shoulder/arm/elbow/wrist hurts from the drive, of course.

[Lord Snow]

My aunt has her neck fused and my mom had her lower back done a little while back. You'll probably end up being very sensitive to the cold.

[gekkogecko]

You'll probably end up being very sensitive to the cold.


That would be a first.

[dm383]

Ortho-dude showed me the pics from the MRI: severe compression to the point of displacement of my spinal cord; the type and degree of displacement is often seen in paralysis cases (not invariably, though: that is obvious). Basically, I get bounced over to a neurologist for a second opinion. Ortho-dude thinks it might take outpatient surgery to deal with the discs causing the displacement. If those are removed, then I'm looking at probable spinal fusion to deal with the consequences of removal. We'll see what the nerve-dude says, I got an appointment for Tuesday. Shoulder/arm/elbow/wrist hurts from the drive, of course.

Sounds unpleasant! Hope things can be sorted out a wee bit easier than that .... positive thoughts winging their way westward, even as I type.....

DM

[gekkogecko]

Just the next best thing: neurosurgery! At least, that's what the neuro-dude said today. Something I was unaware of: apparently, a piece of intervertebral disc has actually fragmented, and drifted over into between some of the vertebral spines: this is what is pressing so severely into the spinal cord. And, the diagnosis of degenerative disc disease was confirmed. I'm probably going to have two discs partially removed, and replaced with prosthetics, and that covered with a titanium plate. Bone re-growth should eventually cover that. The spouse wants me to get a second opinion, though, so I'm not sure when this can be scheduled. If I forgo the "second" (would be a third, actually), I could probably schedule the surgery for next week.

[Lord Snow]

Good luck.

[dm383]

Just the next best thing: neurosurgery! At least, that's what the neuro-dude said today. Something I was unaware of: apparently, a piece of intervertebral disc has actually fragmented, and drifted over into between some of the vertebral spines: this is what is pressing so severely into the spinal cord. And, the diagnosis of degenerative disc disease was confirmed. I'm probably going to have two discs partially removed, and replaced with prosthetics, and that covered with a titanium plate. Bone re-growth should eventually cover that. The spouse wants me to get a second opinion, though, so I'm not sure when this can be scheduled. If I forgo the "second" (would be a third, actually), I could probably schedule the surgery for next week.

Well, if nothing else it'll be, um, interesting going through airport security!!

Easy choice for me, I think, but good luck whichever you choose.

DM

[gekkogecko]

Pre-op bloodwork, physical, EKG, and contract to hand over my soul on Monday. Surgery scheduled for Thursday.

[wyndhy]

Pre-op bloodwork, physical, EKG, and contract to hand over my soul on Monday. Surgery scheduled for Thursday.
good luck and speedy healing.

[Irish]

So, yeah, my chronic asthma seems to me acting up a lot lately. And the past few weeks, the shoulder pain has been coming back. That is starting to interfere with my sex life, certainly been interfering with my sleep, my typing, and the wildlife rehabilitation. Not fun. Last time I talked to the ortho-dude about this, he said if it recurred again, I'd have to go in for an MRI. Means, I'm going to have to go set up an appointment with him, so he can authorize it, I have to yak with the insurance company about it, see if I need to change meds: the anti-inflammatories have usually done little, if anything to knock out the pain. I'd rather not do the heavy narcotics if I can avoid them. The previous two episodes of this crap have used up all the physical therapy sessions my insruance company will allow me for the year. I think I"m rambling. Am I rambling?
Discounting all other things-I also don't like to use "heavy narcotics" as I think
that I am easily addicted!You might want to ask about the pain killer called
"Tramadol".I requested it because it is not a narcotic. Irish :rant:

[shadowsfate]

good luck and speedy healing.

I second that!

[gekkogecko]

Discounting all other things-I also don't like to use "heavy narcotics" as I think that I am easily addicted!You might want to ask about the pain killer called "Tramadol".I requested it because it is not a narcotic. Irish :rant:


Nah, you start asking for specific drugs, then you get labelled as a "drug-seeker", and accused of "doc shopping", so you can abuse prescription drugs.

Oh, yeah, the hospital called yesterday: they insist on doing blood screenign/typing themselves: I figured I may as well do the other stuff (physical, EKG, CBC, etc) when I'm there, it will save me an office visit. About to head out now, get that done.

[AZRedHot]

I'm keeping a good thought for you, GG. I can totally sympathize with this chronic pain/tried everything deal, and I feel for you. Your surgery will go great, your recovery the best that could be hoped for, and you'll be feeling better soon. I've decreed it, dammit! And in the meantime, hugs.

[gekkogecko]

I'm really looking forward to my neurosurgery tomorrow.

And note, I did *NOT* post this in the "all lies" thread.

[gekkogecko]

The surgery itself went as well as I had hoped, but the overnight stay was the worst experience I've ever had in a hospital. Lot longer that I had thought before I got to my stay room: surgery was scheduled for 1230, I was actually in there at 1305. I figured two, maybe three hours for surgery, 1 or 2 hours in recovery. 1700, right? Maybe 1800 at the latest?

I didn't get into my room until 20:40. And then, the recovery room nurse & floor nurse somehow miscommunicated: I saw the floor nurse briefly when I was wheeled into my room, and then not again until an hour and a half later, and even then, only after I made a call to the nurses' station. Security had all my stuff, so I couldn't see without my glasses, couldn't read my magazines I brought with me, it was basically TV or nothing. And I didn't find out for sure what I was allowed to eat or drink until after the floor nurse finally really showed up. And then turns out, I was only allowed clear liquids: at least apple juice counts as a clear liquid. Wasn't allowed out of bed until this morning. The only amusing part was that when security finally did bring me my stuff, the security guy told me he was "afraid" to touch my plush spleen. And my plush brain cell was a big hit in the neurology wing. Got almost no sleep at all, the guy in the bed next to me kept triggering his equipment alarm, or my equipment alarm kept going off (first time for me was the low battery warning because the nurse forgot to plug it in: the other two times were because the equipment was giving a false reading of air in the IV line: the nurse carefully checked, I carefully checked the line, there was no air in it.) For whatever reasons, the was an equipment alarm going off about every freakin' 20 minutes. And then the lights for the other bed only refused to work, so every time the nurses had to deal with him, they had to turn on the whole room lights. And breakfast this morning: their eggs rivaled the Air Force's for awfulness. And they gave me coffee instead of tea.

So, I have follow-up with the neuro-dude in 10 to 14 days. Not allowed to exercise, drive, lift anything over 5-8 pounds, or reach for stuff over my shoulder/head level until then. Neck is still stiff, and because the neuro-dude had to retract my esophagus, it hurts to swallow. Other than that, though, I am pain-free. And very happy about this.

[Lord Snow]

That is a crappy over night stay. Remind me to never go to that hospital. Glad to hear you pulled through the surgery okay and are now pain free (with the exception of the stiff neck and can't swallow thing).

[Pussy Willow]

I also know what it's like to live with pain......I wish you all the best, and I'm seeing you surrounded by white healing light.

I will keep you in my prayers.......

XO GG XO

[Lilith]

Glad the surgery went well. Hospitals suck but it seems to be the only choice we currently have. Take it easy.

[AZRedHot]

That's the worst, GG, but at least you're home safe and recovering now. I hope you feel better soon.

[Aqua]

Surgery going well > Sucky hospital stay

Hope you have a speedy recovery, gg!

[Oldfart]

You seem to have come out of the tunnel better than you went in. That's a win in my book.

[gekkogecko]

But ironically, I got an e-mail from my sister stating that my cousin is in the hospital for a 30-day stay. Leukemia. I had no idea.

But I did call said cousin, and we had a long-ish conversation, and things are going about as well as can be expected under those circumstances.

[Lord Snow]

Leukemia is a really sucky cancer (I watch a lot of House). Though it is one that's treatable if caught early enough.

[Oldfart]

There's nothing simple about bone marrow treatments.

[dm383]

Good news on the surgery GG. My sympathies re the hospital "thang", but few hospitals are good places to be!

Fingers crossed for your meet with neuro-dude.

[dicksbro]

Glad about the news on the surgery, GG. Hope your cousin's treatments are very successful. You and your family will be in our thoughts!

[Pussy Willow]

I also wish your cousin well and am keeping your whole family in my prayers.....

[wyndhy]

i, too, am glad your cutter did you up right. you are your own best advocate in hospital. speak up and speak often.

i'm sorry to hear about your cousin.

sending good thoughts to you and yours.

[Maleslut1186]

Glad to hear all went well with the surgery and that you are now pain free. I wish you a speedy recovery !

[gekkogecko]

So, Friday I had my follow-up with the neuro-dude. Was supposed to be Wednesday, but shit happens.

So, now I"m neurologist-approved.

Cousin seems to be doing well, as well. Hm.

[Oldfart]

Good stuff.