Justoneofus -- Flare-up?

  • Thread starter Thread starter schragie
  • Start date Start date
S

schragie

Guest
Hiya Tammy:

I saw you post in another thread that you had a flare-up that prevented you from walking for a few days. I just wanted to check in and see how you're doing. Do you know what caused it? Did you get treatment?

We've got our two year surgery anniversary coming up in a few months and I was hoping we could go dancing for it. I've been going through a pretty annoying flare-up myself so we might have to settle for dancing in our dreams. As my grandmother always said: Oy vey!

Schragie-girl
 
Hi Schagie gal! I had this stuff all typed out and I closed the friggin window and lost it all! It figures. lol. I'll try this again then.

How are you?

Yes, Oy Vey is right!! Ya, having a big flareup right now. I dont think it's anything that I've done to trigger it. I've been a good girl.

Well, I turned down a spot in American Gladiator, gave up doing flying hamel-camels and reverse spin lately, I quit subbing for Crcus de sole, so I really don't know what could cause this. You think I should have been more active? Hahaha! If this keeps up, I'll have to cancel my spot on Dancing with the Stars too!

I've had some tale tale signs of this flare, but they came and went like most of my aches and pains do, but then it all came in to stay one night. Sciatica set in on right side so badly I had a hard time even limping about it was gripping so badly. Called my GP for medrol pak. He didnt get back to me for over a day & 1/2, only to tell me to take NSAIRAB for a few days to see if they help. So, after this, no more GP for my back care, unless he's a last resort.
I still respect him, he's just in over his head treating me for this and I got that sense on my visit with him less than a week before this flare up.

My last spine surgeon I saw around our anniversary date last year, saw me the next day as a fit in . He was nonchalant about it and thinks this is just a flare up. He took 5 xrays and the hardware appears to be in tact. He gave me a medrol pack (which I did not have to ask for) and I go back next friday to see how things are.

I lost 3 days of work last week (which I have not lost one day since I returned post op until now), and have been back all this week (except one day for a ice storm). I didnt get great improvement from the steroiRAB, but things are calming down and that real tight sciatica has stayed gone, but a normal sciatica is still present on and off, but on the left side. It travels.
I have 3 issues; sciatica (travels), nerve pain legs/feet (new of this much since 7 months post op), and lower back pain (which is not new but increase of intensity is, between L3 - S1). My SI joints are misbehaving through this but not an issue before this so I am guessing it's only aggrevation.

I am going to ask for an MRI so that we can either rule out or see something new, and treat accordingly by going to PM. I have avoided this like the plague to be honest (and I told the doc that too). It's sort of a sign Im not gonna be normal and I know it, it just kind of makes it real. Oh well, what must be, must.

I have a huge wedding that I MUST attend in Europe in late Septeraber. So they have to fix me up by then. This is one of those.. I can not miss. My BF is giving his sister away, and they were just reunited for the 1st time in 29 years a few years back. She never met him, but he met her when she was a newborn, then they were separated. It's a very sad story of this family. It's a tragic tale that would make your eyes pop out, hairs stand on end, and mouth drop, but with an incredibly happy ending. So I can not miss this wedding and the reuniting of some of this family, unless I am dust! (And if it comes to that.. I will have my BF put me in a baggy and pinned to his lapel, with a small pressed flower with me, cuz a real one would overshadow my grey outfit.)

I know.. Im sick! lol.

So while I've got this crap goin on.. Im still in good spirits.

Dance? Did you say Dance? I know this great little "shuffle" nuraber that we could do no matter what! It's a date! Hey our anniversary falls on a Friday, so we can dance the nite away and sleep in the next day! Do you have canastas?

Thanks for thinkin of me, I am always thinkin about you too! Give me an update on you, k? What have you got going on? I hope better.

Tam
 
Hey Tam,
You made me smile! :D I think you should stay on Dancing with the Stars! That guy last season had just had back surgery not long before the season. Although I have to admit he was QUITE stiff and looked a little funny! But hats off to him for trying!!

Deb
 
LOL.. thanks.. I have to laugh.. it keeps me going.

I think we should all go on or create or own. But the floor has to have a DISCo ball! hahaha! And while most people are supposed to be "bustin a move or groove", this show is a NO "bustin a screw"! lol.

Titanium stiff moves are optional.:D
 
I think we should all go on together. We could all do the robot as a line dance. :D

Emily
 
:D:D:D:D
I LOVE this place and all you guys! Yes, we can all still laugh and we're actually quite witty at times! Gotta laugh to keep from crying!!
Hey Tam, we got a little carried away on your thread. I really do hope your flare settles down and you are feeling better soon. Hang in there girl!


Deb
 
thanks deb! I glad we are getting carried away here. I prefer it. ALL my best to everyone.
 
Hey Tam (and the rest of my spine sistahs):

I’m so sorry to hear you had to turn down that American Gladiator spot. I, too, have been laying low, and decided not to do my usual run with Cirque du Soleil this year because all of the acrobatics really wreak havoc on me. Vegas is just going to have to wait.

Sorry to hear you've been struggling. Having multiple issues makes things so complicated. It’s almost like you don’t know what to treat first. I find docs asking me what hurts MORE all the time and it’s really hard to identify which pain is worse because all of it is so darn-awful. I hope your MRI shows something definitive and treatable and that you have the domino effect of addressing one pain and it solving all your other woes. And forget about dancing with me and my two left feet – we can do a very mellow Charlie Brown/Snoopy dance and you can save your special moves for that European wedding in Septeraber.

I relate to your resistance about going to a pain mgmt doc but if your GP isn’t doing the trick, what choice do you have? I spent a good nuraber of months avoiding it too as I felt it would be a step backward for me. Actually, I have mixed feelings about whether I am benefiting from it, because of the toll the nerve meRAB take on my body, particularly my mind.

My news is that I was doing pretty well after a second epidural in Dec. and was so happy that my pain abated from a corabo of nerve meRAB and muscle relaxants. I ended up with a really bad case of blurred vision from Cyrabalta, which scared the daylights out of me and have since lowered the dose. It turned my pupils into saucers for a few days at a 90mg dose so I know that 60mg is my limit. The muscle relaxants helped a lot but I had to cut out the Flexeril during the day due to side effects. I’m staying on a very low dose of Neurontin and believe it helps some, but am unimpressed. I guess I’m at a stand-still now, trying to tweak the meRAB so I can tolerate the pain and still have the mental capacity to remeraber what day it is. It ain’t pretty! In the meantime, I’m heating, icing, starting PT and walking or standing a lot of the time, which helps. I had some leg and foot cramps that brought me to my knees two days ago so I made an appt with my GP to get some blood work done and find out if I have any other health issues. I thought vitamins were helping me, but I’ll bet I need more than I’m taking.

Well, that's all that's fit to post! Guess I'll go practice my robot dance.

Schargie-girl
 
I am so thankful that we all can still share humor with each other...By the way, since "Justoneofus" is Tam#1...I will gladly take the spot as "Tam2." I pray that we can all soon get a vacation from our pain.

Tam2
 
Schrag - I knew I didnt spell that acrobat group right! lol. Wow.. it sounRAB like we really are in the same boat. Our symptoms are quite similar. I go back to the back quack this Friday and see where I go from there. I am a fraction better, but I would like to get back to where the sciatic irritence is gone once and for all. I am going to ask for a new MRI to be done. I want to assured that we dont have any new issues present or on the noticeable horizon. Then I would feel much more comfortable in a treatment plan with the PM guy. I actually like the PM guy when I met him. He's a very laid back guy, not pushy.. listens great. So Im willing to see if he can get me more comfy.

Where did they inject you last that you got the relief?
 
Hey Tam:

Good for you for getting another MRI and I'm so glad you like your PM guy. It really makes a difference when your doc listens to you.

My last MRI was in March and I had a CT scan in Nov (to confirm fusion). We'll see how PT goes and then I'll figure out what to do next. The epi that seemed to work was in the L4-5 disc space, one level above the fusion. The epi before that was somewhere around my S1 nerve root, but did nothing because I think my hardware was in the way.

I'm forlorn that I can't take muscle relaxants during the day because they worked great. Too bad they relaxed my brain too much! I'm also not having too much sciatic pain on the cyrabalta, but my mind is swiss cheese on it. More of my pain now is in my back, hips and spazzy calves/feet.

Ugh, I'm whinging...for now, I'm lying on my ice pack after a couple of hours shopping. Who knew trying pants on would be so painful? I used the handicapped dressing room at the store, which helped some. Times like this I wish I were a guy who could just buy stuff off the rack. ;)

Hope you have a good week, sistah!

Schragie-spaz
 
Back
Top