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UPDATE ...LLWB...THE NECK, THE MIGRAINES, TOPAMAX AND THE KNEES
Hi LLWB
I hope that you're well and that you're back into the swing of things now that a little more time has passed since your surgery. Let me know what's going on with you these days. I'm writing an update for you to let you know what's up on this end. I tried writing one last week but this pc was acting up or something else was wrong and I couldn't post.
My Dad was laid to rest on Wednesday of the previous week and one that I didn't know how I was going to get through but somehow I managed. Last week was a blur because I ended up with a migraine after having more therapy on my neck. My therapist told me that he had to be more aggressive and that over the course of the next eight weeks I'll be going to therapy twice per week. I never thought this would be so long and drawn out and there are still times that I wonder where it's going and what kind of end result I'll achieve after all the many trips there to work out and be worked on. Sometimes my patience still gets the better of me and I do not want to go back but I know that I have to if I want to see some results that might be positive. Topamax regimen is coming along, no ill effects and next week I step up the dose.
The previous week I was told that I would need surgery on my left knee. He said that I have very little space in the joint and I'm practically bone on bone and it's pretty apparent on xray that I haven't got much longer to go before something has got to be done operatively. He said that the damage to my knee is extensive laterally and has given me a knee brace with a stabilizer to keep my knee from shifting more. This week he injected cortisone in it and I've never in all the time I've ever had cortisone injections reacted the way that I did this time!!! I was so incredibly sore that it was all I could do to bear weight and walk to the bathroom, it was swollen and unstable feeling like it wanted to angulate posteriorly when I was ambulating. Tonight when I took off the Lidoderm patch from the back of my knee I was greeted with a 3" wide x 6" long black/blue/purple bruise. I'm guessing that it's just a referred bruising from the injection. He told me the other day after having me come back in to be reexamined due to the pain and swelling that I could delay surgery until at least November but we would have to see beyond that time how much longer it could be delayed.
I finally found another Primary Care Physician, my Ortho Surgeon's wife is a PCP and I met her yesterday. She did a battery of testing on me to see if I was a candidate for diet medication. My urine testing revealed that I was severely dehydrated and she said that could be due to my Lasix and just not keeping up on my fluids adequately and urged me to drink more water, much, much more. I had an EKG done and that revealed that my heart rate was Tachycardia (130 bpm sitting) and so I was therefore not a candidate for diet medication. She said that I was too high risk for it and she would not give it to me. She said that the rapid heart rate could be because I've been taking my thyroid medication wrong, taking it late at night with my other medication (it will bind and has done that) and doesn't dissolve at the proper amounts so that it's increasing my heart rate). She listened to my lungs and said they sounded muddy but it could be because I have asthma and our air quality has been poor due to two fires burning, one in Santa Barbara since July 4th that is still burning and we're getting smoke from it and then last Friday a fire broke out and has burned through three county lines and so we've had thick smoke and ash from that fire. She gave me two steroid inhalers to make my breathing less labored. I've begun bleeding from acid reflux at night so she's watching that and will do testing on my esophagus to see if there's erosion or ulcers forming, adjusting prevacid as needed and adding another medication if indicated.
I go back in two weeks and begin discussing a diet with a Dietician/Nutritionist since I have to lose weight before November when they begin more fluid replacement injections.
NOTE: When I signed the release for records from the other doctor to send to the new one, I received a phone call from the new one this morning saying that the ECHO that my old doctor had done was missing from the records. The receptionist called and inquired and was told there was no such thing in my chart, when she called me and told me this, I CAME UNGLUED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! There was absolutely no excuse for losing this record or it being misplaced!!! The doctor was present in the room when the echo was performed so the test was completed and there should've been a report. When I called and stated that I wanted the record sent, I was told that there wasn't anything. I told her...LOOK!!! There was an ECHO done and the doctor was present in the room along with the specialist performing the test so you can't tell me that there's no report!!!!!!!!!!! The LVN came on the phone and told me "There's a little note in your chart with some numbers and it looks like it could be the report but it's just not in your chart"...so not only does this doctor leer at me and get too close during my exams, he doesn't keep proper records of my medical care. I think I've made the proper choice in finding another physician. The one thing I WILL NOT EVER TOLERATE is any part of my medical records/charts/tests, etc. being lost or misplaced. He made the biggest error in my medical care that he could possibly make in my eyes without ever realizing it. Sloppiness will one day cost him and I won't let it be at my expense!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I hope that you're well and that you're back into the swing of things now that a little more time has passed since your surgery. Let me know what's going on with you these days. I'm writing an update for you to let you know what's up on this end. I tried writing one last week but this pc was acting up or something else was wrong and I couldn't post.
My Dad was laid to rest on Wednesday of the previous week and one that I didn't know how I was going to get through but somehow I managed. Last week was a blur because I ended up with a migraine after having more therapy on my neck. My therapist told me that he had to be more aggressive and that over the course of the next eight weeks I'll be going to therapy twice per week. I never thought this would be so long and drawn out and there are still times that I wonder where it's going and what kind of end result I'll achieve after all the many trips there to work out and be worked on. Sometimes my patience still gets the better of me and I do not want to go back but I know that I have to if I want to see some results that might be positive. Topamax regimen is coming along, no ill effects and next week I step up the dose.
The previous week I was told that I would need surgery on my left knee. He said that I have very little space in the joint and I'm practically bone on bone and it's pretty apparent on xray that I haven't got much longer to go before something has got to be done operatively. He said that the damage to my knee is extensive laterally and has given me a knee brace with a stabilizer to keep my knee from shifting more. This week he injected cortisone in it and I've never in all the time I've ever had cortisone injections reacted the way that I did this time!!! I was so incredibly sore that it was all I could do to bear weight and walk to the bathroom, it was swollen and unstable feeling like it wanted to angulate posteriorly when I was ambulating. Tonight when I took off the Lidoderm patch from the back of my knee I was greeted with a 3" wide x 6" long black/blue/purple bruise. I'm guessing that it's just a referred bruising from the injection. He told me the other day after having me come back in to be reexamined due to the pain and swelling that I could delay surgery until at least November but we would have to see beyond that time how much longer it could be delayed.
I finally found another Primary Care Physician, my Ortho Surgeon's wife is a PCP and I met her yesterday. She did a battery of testing on me to see if I was a candidate for diet medication. My urine testing revealed that I was severely dehydrated and she said that could be due to my Lasix and just not keeping up on my fluids adequately and urged me to drink more water, much, much more. I had an EKG done and that revealed that my heart rate was Tachycardia (130 bpm sitting) and so I was therefore not a candidate for diet medication. She said that I was too high risk for it and she would not give it to me. She said that the rapid heart rate could be because I've been taking my thyroid medication wrong, taking it late at night with my other medication (it will bind and has done that) and doesn't dissolve at the proper amounts so that it's increasing my heart rate). She listened to my lungs and said they sounded muddy but it could be because I have asthma and our air quality has been poor due to two fires burning, one in Santa Barbara since July 4th that is still burning and we're getting smoke from it and then last Friday a fire broke out and has burned through three county lines and so we've had thick smoke and ash from that fire. She gave me two steroid inhalers to make my breathing less labored. I've begun bleeding from acid reflux at night so she's watching that and will do testing on my esophagus to see if there's erosion or ulcers forming, adjusting prevacid as needed and adding another medication if indicated.
I go back in two weeks and begin discussing a diet with a Dietician/Nutritionist since I have to lose weight before November when they begin more fluid replacement injections.
NOTE: When I signed the release for records from the other doctor to send to the new one, I received a phone call from the new one this morning saying that the ECHO that my old doctor had done was missing from the records. The receptionist called and inquired and was told there was no such thing in my chart, when she called me and told me this, I CAME UNGLUED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! There was absolutely no excuse for losing this record or it being misplaced!!! The doctor was present in the room when the echo was performed so the test was completed and there should've been a report. When I called and stated that I wanted the record sent, I was told that there wasn't anything. I told her...LOOK!!! There was an ECHO done and the doctor was present in the room along with the specialist performing the test so you can't tell me that there's no report!!!!!!!!!!! The LVN came on the phone and told me "There's a little note in your chart with some numbers and it looks like it could be the report but it's just not in your chart"...so not only does this doctor leer at me and get too close during my exams, he doesn't keep proper records of my medical care. I think I've made the proper choice in finding another physician. The one thing I WILL NOT EVER TOLERATE is any part of my medical records/charts/tests, etc. being lost or misplaced. He made the biggest error in my medical care that he could possibly make in my eyes without ever realizing it. Sloppiness will one day cost him and I won't let it be at my expense!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
So glad your therapy is going well..sorry you chose the wrong place for cortisone injection. I never know whether to choose the arm or my hip. The biggest problem now is my torn Achilles tendon that never healed right. I know have tendonosis which is different that tendinitis. Tendonosis is where you keep getting minute tears in the tendon, and it builds up scar tissue in lumps. Have a big one after I walk. Wore the brace today at work, and that seemed to help. Unfortunately the only correction for it long-term is surgery, which I can't do, because my boss won't give me an automatic to drive. Would be in a walking cast for 6 weeks for it to heal. And can't take 6 weeks off after being gone for a month for neck surgery. Too much time off, don't want to lose my job. The problem is that a sudden twist or hard jolt to it could completely tear it, leaving no choice than surgery. My Dr said my swimming was just as good as PT, as that is what they would do in PT, since it puts less stress on all the joints. I have so much other arthritis along with the fibro, that it makes it hard to treat one area without putting undue stress on another area. You know exactly what that feels like! Have they decided when they are going to operate on your knee? What about your neck? And I'm with you, I just wish this da88 war would get over. My son is 17, and wants to join the service. I am petrified he will do it before the war is over. But he has college first, as he wants to fly. I pray every day for it to end. I hope your asthma is better, are the fires out? So glad to hear from you, have been wondering how you were doing. You sound better. Enjoy the weekend..and fetch your pillow!!! LOL
Hi LLWB
I was really sorry to read that you've had some setbacks with your neck since your surgery. Don't let that discourage you though, maybe you'll just have periods of soreness if you overdo it. Maybe you should ask your neuro about doing some therapy for a little while since you do have a job where you do long periods of driving. That's very fatiguing on the neck when you have to sit there and keep it focused on the road, you know.
I went over to my daughter's lastnight and of all things to do I left my neck pillow over there. I realized it when I went to lay down for the night and could've smacked myself lol. I went and got my beach towel and made a log roll out of it and then put some fleece material on the outside and clipped it with a couple of my banana clips on each end. I went off to sleep and slept from 1 am until my alarm went off at 7:30 am this morning! My neck was a little sore but I think it was because I didn't wake up or roll over to the other side. I had 6.5 hours of uninterrupted sleep and that felt really great! Tomorrow I increase my dosage of Topamax, this should be interesting so we'll see how that works out. I think I'll decrease my pain meds the first time I take it with them just to see how I'm dealing with the higher dosage. I've discovered on my own that the peroneal nerve is beginning to get pinched off a little more. I've had this searing pain in my arch, shooting from the back of my foot down through the middle and into my toes, I thought okay this is kind of a weird spot for my plantar fasciitis because it's not the same as my left foot pain. Today, standing at the bus stop, I get this pain that shoots all the way down from the outside of my hip, down my leg, and into my foot...my doc said it's not sciatica, that goes down your butt...so I'm thinking okay, it's got to be the peroneal nerve. It makes sense now that I think about it and that diagram that I found online for that one other person and it explained it in absolute detail. I've had considerable pain in my hip and I thought about an injection but when I was given a choice of knee or hip...oddly I chose my knee. Something that I can wear a brace on for support and my hip has to bear all of my weight without any support whatsoever, where in God's name was my freaking mind????????????? I can only have three big cortisone injections per year, why did I choose this knee???
My therapist changed up the therapy again and you know what, this might have been a good thing because today I left there and I'm not the least bit sore from the treatment. Before I was going there doing exercises, getting all the modalities of treatment then he would work on me and we'd ice up my neck and shoulders before my visit was over. NOW I go on Monday and exercise, do the modalities, get iced up and leave. Exercise in between at home...go in on Thursday ...no exercises and he does the modalities on me and works on me then I leave. Much, much better plan of action and I will be letting him know. I told him that we're going to have to figure out something for my left arm though because I already have issues because of my neck but I can't tolerate the pain in arm. I feel pretty sure that some of this pain is from this arm being injured in the accident and I still to this day do not know if it was ever fractured.I do know that I've developed arthritis in it though and the muscles in that arm get more sore and inflammed when the bones inflame from the force of the theraband.
Have you seen on the news that helicopter crash and the family that lost two sons? The third son was in the rescue mission of the crash...well they live here and it's just so sad. This family has made the ultimate sacrifice of their family and when they said that the third son's tour is over and so is his service in the army, I sobbed. I thanked Our God in Heaven that he's going to be spared from this war and just so sad that he's lost two brothers in it. As I went to my daughter's lastnight flags were popping up around us in support of this family. I can't imagine their grief but my prayers are certainly with them!!! This makes any pain I'm going through seem so completely frivilous and inappropriate compared to what they're having to endure!!!
I was really sorry to read that you've had some setbacks with your neck since your surgery. Don't let that discourage you though, maybe you'll just have periods of soreness if you overdo it. Maybe you should ask your neuro about doing some therapy for a little while since you do have a job where you do long periods of driving. That's very fatiguing on the neck when you have to sit there and keep it focused on the road, you know.
I went over to my daughter's lastnight and of all things to do I left my neck pillow over there. I realized it when I went to lay down for the night and could've smacked myself lol. I went and got my beach towel and made a log roll out of it and then put some fleece material on the outside and clipped it with a couple of my banana clips on each end. I went off to sleep and slept from 1 am until my alarm went off at 7:30 am this morning! My neck was a little sore but I think it was because I didn't wake up or roll over to the other side. I had 6.5 hours of uninterrupted sleep and that felt really great! Tomorrow I increase my dosage of Topamax, this should be interesting so we'll see how that works out. I think I'll decrease my pain meds the first time I take it with them just to see how I'm dealing with the higher dosage. I've discovered on my own that the peroneal nerve is beginning to get pinched off a little more. I've had this searing pain in my arch, shooting from the back of my foot down through the middle and into my toes, I thought okay this is kind of a weird spot for my plantar fasciitis because it's not the same as my left foot pain. Today, standing at the bus stop, I get this pain that shoots all the way down from the outside of my hip, down my leg, and into my foot...my doc said it's not sciatica, that goes down your butt...so I'm thinking okay, it's got to be the peroneal nerve. It makes sense now that I think about it and that diagram that I found online for that one other person and it explained it in absolute detail. I've had considerable pain in my hip and I thought about an injection but when I was given a choice of knee or hip...oddly I chose my knee. Something that I can wear a brace on for support and my hip has to bear all of my weight without any support whatsoever, where in God's name was my freaking mind????????????? I can only have three big cortisone injections per year, why did I choose this knee???
My therapist changed up the therapy again and you know what, this might have been a good thing because today I left there and I'm not the least bit sore from the treatment. Before I was going there doing exercises, getting all the modalities of treatment then he would work on me and we'd ice up my neck and shoulders before my visit was over. NOW I go on Monday and exercise, do the modalities, get iced up and leave. Exercise in between at home...go in on Thursday ...no exercises and he does the modalities on me and works on me then I leave. Much, much better plan of action and I will be letting him know. I told him that we're going to have to figure out something for my left arm though because I already have issues because of my neck but I can't tolerate the pain in arm. I feel pretty sure that some of this pain is from this arm being injured in the accident and I still to this day do not know if it was ever fractured.I do know that I've developed arthritis in it though and the muscles in that arm get more sore and inflammed when the bones inflame from the force of the theraband.
Have you seen on the news that helicopter crash and the family that lost two sons? The third son was in the rescue mission of the crash...well they live here and it's just so sad. This family has made the ultimate sacrifice of their family and when they said that the third son's tour is over and so is his service in the army, I sobbed. I thanked Our God in Heaven that he's going to be spared from this war and just so sad that he's lost two brothers in it. As I went to my daughter's lastnight flags were popping up around us in support of this family. I can't imagine their grief but my prayers are certainly with them!!! This makes any pain I'm going through seem so completely frivilous and inappropriate compared to what they're having to endure!!!
Just take your time answering, you have a lot on your plate. Hope your therapy goes well tomorrow. Rained past 2 days and my neck has hurt a lot. Hope I haven't become a "weatherman" LOL Also headace at base of neck. Will let you know what neurosurgeon says on Thurs, and how fusion x-rays come out. Just take it easy on that knee! Hope the fires have calmed down, and your breathing is better.
I'm sorry that it's taken me so much time to get back with you. I'll try really hard to write something after I return from therapy tomorrow. My knee has just been giving me all kinds of problems and I've been really tired lately for some reason, likely because I've missed so much sleep and my body is just fatigued from it, just feeling really drained.
Cutie~
Cutie~
I am so glad to hear from you! I'm glad that you got through the week of the funeral, it's so hard anticipating it, and the letdown can be immense afterward. Your knee sounds very bad. Will they replace it with an artificial joint? I also agree the losing records is unacceptable. We have enough stress, without doctors stupid mistakes. I was going along quite well, swimming a lot, and walking a mile a day. Then the last couple of days my neck has been hurting.kind of like a pulled muscle, on the same side as surgery. And my collar bone is intensly painful to the touch. Then this morning when I woke up, my right hip really hurt! I though it was from laying on it, but it's afternoon, and still VERY painful. Going up stairs is very difficult. I have 14 of them to my Condo, and my little dog has to go out. I've had trouble with my left hip and cortisone injectins in it, but never my right. Now I'm worried that the bulging lumbar disc is getting worse. The dr has started my on Lyrica for the fibro, which has helped a great deal. But I had to take 2 vicodin to help with hip pain. And of course it's the weekend. I see my neurosurgeon on Thurs, and get xrays of my neck to check on fusion. Maybe it didn't. That would suck bigtime. Fires can really cause a lot of breathing problems such as you have, try to stay indoors as much as possible. Can you get an indoor air purifier. I did, and it has really helped my allergies. So good to hear from you. Please know that you are not alone in your grief. I just passed the 1st anniversary of my husbands death July 29th, and it has brought back all of the pain and total feelings of sadness and feeling alone. It is very hard to try to act normal and do activities around other people. My job contributes to being isolated, since I don't see very many other people while I'm driving. And on weekends I just want to hibernate and try to heal up physically from the week.Do you have children or other close support persons? They can be of great help. God Bless and take care of yourself. Eat lots of veggies and protein. Protein can help in the healing process. The best weight loss I have ever had is with the Adkins low carb diet. It really does work without a lot of hunger pangs. I'm glad you found a new PCP. The last one sounds like a jerk.A good dr can make all the difference. I had to have the operation for acid reflux 7 years ago, and it worked wonderfully. No more acid reflux.not once. But.I also can't vomit....at all, never.which is hard when you get flu etc. But it's worth it not to suffer with acid reflux. I'm sure you know about raising head of your bed 6 inches. It helps. Take care and keep in touch. God Bless
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