Tpm's Update (MJC)

[jayne]

I wanna pool.................someday when I hit the lotto

[red1030]

Jayne .... come visit me...I have a heated pool and it is nice. My husband will open it the end of this month and then it is nice. We are selling this house, but the house I found in Oregon that I want to buy has a pool also. Once you get use to them, it is hard to not have one. It is really good for people with MS. I like it heated though and the recommendations for MS is cool water.

[Still in Limbo]

Tpm, I always thought of you as a kind and caring person, then I read this post and find out you like to beat-up people named Mary, bloody them up and throw them in the pool with you!! Are you O.K. or do you have vampire tendencies? Please don't keep beating up Mary's, don't you know every women on this earth is someones daughter?? Please take it easy!!(LOL)

[tpm]

Thanks for the chuckle Still in Limbo. You put a big smile on my face.
Ps. Everyone is invited for a dip in the pool and some cockails this summer
Be well

[tpm]

Hello again
I started PT yesterday. As I said earlier I have been having a lot more pain from my neck and shoulders so I was excited to get started. When I got to PT I found that the script the doctor filled out was for basic care and not for strength building. My PT is going to call the doc to see if in fact they can be more progressive. (I have a 7 week time frame to be fit for work).
Also like I've said before I have been walking 2 miles every day and I don't know if it is helping or making things worse. No one seems to have an answer for me. One therapist thinks the arm swinging motion while walking is aggravating my shoulders and neck
And maybe someone here can help me with this..
I have been taking vicodin at times and percocet at times as well (never together). Which one should I stick to as I need to fill my prescription. I find they both do about the same for me.
I also take Lyrica for nerve pain and Robaxin for muscle spasms
Thanks and be well

[Still in Limbo]

Hi Tpm and your welcome! Vicodin or Percocet, I'm not sure. My opinion would be to call your Pharmacist, let them know they both work equally well for you, and see what they advise would be best for you. Myself personally When I had a choice of those two Percocet worked better for me, but I am now up to the 200mg. Morphine ER every 8 hrs, phase. Now listen because this happened to me: If you are in a Work Hardening program to get you ready to return to work, please take it one step at a time at your own pace, don't let them push you too hard. I tried their plan because work was the only thing on my mind and I wanted to get back so bad I ended up herniating the 1/2 of a disc I have left at S1. Be careful and don't push yourself too hard, good things come to those who wait, and again quit beating up people named Mary, or you may just get a visit form the "Flying Penguin of Justice"!! Take care!

[chrischris]

Hi Tpm: I haven't had a doctor yet that told me not to walk, but PT did tell me to elevate my arm while walking as to not aggravate the arm, shoulder or neck. What they told me to do was to stuff a fanny pack full of socks, as full as you can get. Then wear your fanny pack on the side so you can rest your arm on it. My left arm is the only affected limb that goes numb when I walk. I guess you could wear two fanny packs if you need to. Better yet wear one in front and back too so if you fall you have a cushion on all four sides. Take Care

[MJC]

Hi Tpm...,
Sorry it took so long for me to get back to you as I have been busy with my elderly mother trying to take care of some business for her.  These poor senior citizens that take alot of meds and expensive ones  are really in a pickle.  Even if they have a drug plan they are paying through the rear end for meds.  Our US Congressman Billy Tauzin really did a good thing when he got the legislation passed on a prescription plan.  Yeah right, he got himself a 2 million dollar a year job with a drug company.....damn crook.  Ok, enough of my venting and on to you.  Thank you for allowing me to vent!

I tend to agree with you therapist about the walking and the swinging of your arms.  Also you have to realize this.  Your neck is at the top of your body and it is the top of your spine.  Although it may be a little bitty head, when you carry it you are using it to carry your entire body. I had problems with my arms when I walked after my surgeries. They would start tingeling and go numb so I would raise them up a bit when I walked when it did that. As for your meds, if they both relieve you about the same just take your pick or call your druggist if you are not to use both of them.  You spoke about muscle relaxer Robaxin.  I took that for a very long time but I am now on 2 different muscle relaxers the spasms are so bad.  I take Zanaflex and Bacloflen for spasms.

I hope that PT will help you but I will say this.  Be careful with being too aggressive because of the pain you are still experiencing.  I guess leave if up to your therapist and the doctor as to how aggressive you should get.  If anything hurts too bad then tell the therapist....be safe.

Update on myself!
I saw the neurosurgeon yesterday for post-opt visit.  I read the operative report and I had more done than I thought I had.  He did a Laminectomy, Foraminotmy and a Micro-discetomy.  He has ordered no more PT for me but has advised me to swim like a fish.  Still no long riding in car without being able to lay down or recline and for me driving for only a short distance.  I also spoke to him about the problems I still have to stand for any period of time and also walk any amount of distance.  I do not have the pain in my leg any longer and after reading the operative report so much work was done to free up that nerve my leg should not be hurting me.  What I have is alot of back pressure and then that turns into severe spasms even with doing my PT exercises.  He stated to me that is the chronic pain that I will live with and PM doc will handle that.  I also had to talk to him about my arms and shoulders.  PM doc had diagnosed me about over a year ago with Adhesive Capulitis caused from my neck injury and surgeries but we never did any type of studies to check.  I do have a bone spur which was seen about 3 years ago at C7 -T1 level and nothing has been checked since.  The neurosurgeon checked my shoulder yesterday and when he touched me I almost flew off the table it hurt so back.  It is getting to the point where I have trouble to wipe my own rear end.  He said...ohhhh......that is not good.......lol.  He thinks I have some nerve impingement going on and wants my PM doc to run a diagnostic study to check it.  You don't know if no one checks into it.  I don't have to go back to the surgeon just PM doc unless I needed him again so I was released in the care of PM doc again.

Well, that is about all the news from my end of the world.  Man, I am still praying for you to feel better.  I could not drop anyones name in the prayer box at church Sunday because it was not there....not sure what happened to it.  I usually put my names in that box that I need prayers for every Sunday.  I will continue when the box re-appears.  Write back if you have anything I can help you with.  It concerns me the pain that you are describing and I pray they find out the cause of it.  Good news or bad news, you need to know.  Take care friend and call on me if you need.  Tell the wife hello for me!  God Bless You and your family!
Cajun Hugsssssssss to both of you,
MJC....

[tpm]

ChrisChris
Thanks for the reply and I know what you're talking about as far as putting something under my arms. Just yesterday my PT mentioned I should have pillows under each arm to act as a shelf so the pressure would be taken off my shoulders. I was to do this while I was resting watching TV. I do not think I would be comfortable wearing or placing things under my arm while walking .

MJC
What can I say other then Thank you for being such a caring person. Your Mom must be very proud of you. I must say I sit here and read these posts and cannot help but feel guilty that I'm on here whining when so many here are in so much more pain and discomfort.
I am going to finish out the week with my walking and if I do not see any improvement with my pain I'll give it a rest for a week or so.
Talking about muscle relaxers, The doc switched me from Robaxin to Flexeril. What a mistake, the stuff was horrible. Kept me groggy and caused a very dry mouth all the time. I switched back to Robaxin.
Sounds like your recovery is coming along. Hopefully the doc can tie up the loose ends and give you some answers regarding the bone spurs and that shoulder. With my shoulders I found I cannot put my back to the wall and raise my elbow to shoulder height and bring it to the wall with my hand raised to the wall. My right side is worse then my left. Trying to avoid the trip to the Ortho right now
Well try to have a good evening and I will let you know how my PT progresses on Thursday. (PT is 2 days a week)

Take care

[red1030]

MJC...your pain sounds so terrible. I am sorry that it is that bad for you. Thanks for keeping all of us updated. I wish there was more that I could do for you. It sounds like tpm is doing rather well, but I would agree that the arm motion during walking could be agravating his condition. Someone mentioned a using a hip pack to hole your arm on, this sounds like a really good idea. Be careful Tpm..push yourself some, but do not over do it, or allow PT or OT to over do it. Best wishes and my thoughts and prayers are with you both.