back pain/thermacare/my leg and foot

[Guest guest]

Hi ,

Sorry about your foot, your back and the phlebitis. I'm sorry, I don't know

what phlebitis is. The thermacare heat pads sound wonderful, but as you

say, expensive. I'm not sure of your history, but do you get back pain

often. I'm sure you've heard of it, but have you ever tried a TENS device

for back pain?

Bozena

> Message: 2

> Date: Mon, 21 Jul 2003 00:53:03 -0500

> From: " Weston " <karenw@...>

> Subject: Re: back pain/thermacare/my leg and foot

>

> Just thought I'd share my latest find with everyone. My stupid foot (the

> one I dropped the weight on in May) flared back up again. It's so weird

> because the bruise would completely go away and then come back in the same

> spot and shape a few weeks later. You can see the round edge of the

dumbell

> when you look at the bruise. This is the second time the foot was fine

and

> then flared back up. I went to a local podiatrist this time. He x-rayed

> again and said he was about 99% sure he saw a small stress fracture in the

> area of the bruise. He is sending me in a for a bone scan next week.

> Anyway, he's treating it like a stress fracture for now. He's got me in a

> soft cast (they called it an Una Boot) that I am to keep on for a minimum

of

> 10 days. I can't get it wet so you should see me take a bath with my

right

> leg hanging over the edge of the tub!

>

> I can wear a regular shoe (if I can get it on) but he sent me home in a

> surgical shoe cause I couldn't fit my birkenstock sandals on the wrapped

> foot. The surgical shoe has a higher heel than the birks, so I think it

> threw my back out Friday evening. I used ice and heat Friday night. It

was

> better today but still not good. I had bought some of the thermacare

> disposable instant heat heating pads to use on my leg for the phlebitis.

I

> had to go to Walmart this afternoon and my back was getting worse again.

I

> decided to try one of the thermacare pads on my back. It was great! It

> helped my back much more than the ice and my moist heat heating pad had.

> They are so convenient. They are thin and they just wrap around your

waist

> and close with velcro. You can put it on under your clothes and no one

> would even know you had it on. About half way through the walmart trip,

my

> back was feeling much better. They are not cheap. a pack of two back

pads

> or three arm/leg pads is about $6.83. They had some packs with 2 back

pads

> and one arm/leg pad free for the same price as the 2 back pads. I am

pretty

> sure I saw them at Costco. I'm going to look and see if they are cheaper

> buying them in bulk. It takes about 20 minutes for the pad to get good

and

> warm and it lasts for eight hours. It could get expensive if you use them

> every day but I intend to keep some on hand when I have pains that would

> benefit from the heat yet don't have the time to simply lounge in the

> recliner with my moist heating pad.

>

> By the way, I ended up going to the ER again last night. The phlebitis is

> much better but the area where the skin peeled off was looking worse and

my

> entire calf was throbbing just like my arm did when I had cellulitis. My

> entire calf was visibly swollen. The ER doc said my leg was swollen from

> the phlebitis and it would take a while for it to quit swelling even

though

> the bruised area from the phlebitis definitely looked much better. He

said

> the area where the skin peeled off could have been an insect bite or a

burn.

> He said it was just a surface infection and a topical antibiotic ointment

> should take care of it. He gave me a prescription for bactroban and told

me

> to use it 4 times a day and keep the wound covered. It was hurting pretty

> bad for just a bit this evening but is feeling okay now.

>

> W