11/6 A quick rule break

I know I'm not talking about my back pain on this blog anymore but I wanted to give you some good news. The radio wave procedure that the doc did last week on one quadrant of my back has actually worked. Of course I'm thrilled. And we just need the procedure done on the rest of it.

He can't do the whole back at once because the procedure itself is so painful (in his words) that people can't tolerate it. So he has to divide it up. As with everything else at the pain doc, it's not "curing" the problem but making the pain go away is good enough for me.

If this will only work elsewhere it will change my life for the better.

Doc said it will last from six months to two years. Sounds like good odds to me.

Okay, I'm moving my "bitching and moaning" back to my other blog. Love to all.

10/03 Much better news!

I don't have pneumonia, which is great news. So here's hoping the damn bronchitis goes away soon.

And I met with the new pain doctor and for the first time I really have hope. He is going to do a new procedure on Monday. It's similar to an epidural, but the needle goes on the individual facets of the spine. He's also going to do something with radio waves on a nerve running next the spinal cord.

And for a change, I won't have to ask someone to give me a ride back from the procedure--my kids will be here. That'll be nice. So Monday is going to be a quiet day rather than an active one. But one day out of seven won't be bad.

The doc asked me what I wanted to do (activity wise). I said I wanted to do the Avon Breast Cancer Walk (40 miles). He asked when it was and I told him June. He said, "Okay."

That gives me hope.

In the meantime I slept all afternoon, which felt good. Tonight I'll use the nebulizer for the bronchitis and try the tens machine for the back pain. I got it from the physical therapist this morning. It's a personal version of the machine the therapist uses. Pain doc said that it works more for muscle pain and not the kind I have, but that anything (but surgery) was worth a try.

There's still lots of work to be done around here, but I may have my family make their own beds. That will help. Joe and Cindy came over and helped move stuff after the carpet cleaners were here. Jane is going to go grocery shopping with me tomorrow. So everything will be ready when my kids arrive.

I can't wait!

7/23 Puppies and doctors and stuff

Today Gus and Snickers are at the groomer's. They're getting a "face, feet, and butt" trim. So they'll still be nice and fuzzy and adorable.

Got a call from Wash U Medical Center in St. Louis to screen me for the neurosurgeon appointment. Now they'll give the info, plus the MRI results, to the doctor there and they'll call me back with an appointment. There are no choices about date and time. So I'll wait...

Also, we're setting up the next epidural. They'd told me I may need more than one. Unfortunately I was only pain free for one day and it started to get worse day by day.

So there it is... but tonight I'm having potatoes, sweet corn, tomatoes, and cucumber and onions. And yeah--it's going to be great.

5/23 Doc

Either my back is just strain or it's something more serious. The doctor's concern is that there are some other symptoms that may mean it's something other than a muscle strain.

Will begin physical therapy soon, and I'm having xrays taken on Wednesday. Will report back then.

3/7 I'm not perfect

Hope you're not disillusioned, but I'm not perfect.

Besides arthritis, I have bursitis in my shoulder and hip. Plus my right leg is a half inch shorter than my left one. Additionally I have a hernia. But it's not a problem, as long as it doesn't strangle the internal stuff that's involved. Then it's a medical emergency. I am not supposed to lie on my right side. Plus I should either have a bigger bed or not let my dog sleep with me. (My bursitis flare up is because of the dog.)

Other than that, I'm perfect.

Oh, and there's good news. Genia is indeed riding to Quincy with me. Hooray! I'm very happy. And secondly I got my pre-approval on my mortgage in Quincy. Called Kris and she's happy too!

Now all I have to do is sell the Biloxi house.

1/11 A week from hades

What I didn't say in yesterday's post was that I hurt my wrist at dog training. And late last night both my dogs rolled in the mud and swam in the holes they dug. So both had to have baths which exacerbated the injury.

By this morning the pain was horrible but I had a meeting I couldn't miss. After the meeting I went to the doctor. I knew it was just a sprain but wanted to make sure.

It is a sprain but involves tendons, ligaments, and a muscle. It has to stay immobilized for a week, then we'll see.

6/23 Fat, fat, fat

So my body is finally sending me a big message--LOSE WEIGHT!

A routine blood test found that I'm pre-diabetic. My only complaint when I went to the doc was that I'm always tired. That is from dehydration perhaps. She said that in hot and humid climates we need to drink 1/2 of our weight. If someone weighs 180, pounds they need to drink 90 ounces of water a day--not tea, not soda, not juice, not beer, WATER. She said that this type of climate is really different and our body responds differently.

But anyway, pre-diabetic. When the nurse called she said the doctor would put me on meds or I could do it through diet and exercise. I want to try without meds, but it's a little scary. If I fail, I could develop diabetes. This news is difficult for me because I can't blame heredity. I gained weight. I did it to myself. What an awful feeling.


(Part of my tiredness, I'm sure, is that my dog gets me up in the middle of the night almost every night to go outside. The good part is that she's housetrained pretty much, and doesn't have accidents. Last night was a different story. She had diarrhea. All over the dining room rug. Why can't animals use tile? Why must they use carpeting? I felt bad for her, because it was obvious she couldn't help it. But I felt sorry for me too---3 AM, shampooing the rug.)