Re:Thank you Debbie!

[Guest guest]

Glad you liked my post, Ann. I've done more research on the Web for

spine-related issues than anything else. When hubby had his microdiscectomy a

few years ago, I knew more about what he had done than he did himself. I'm

a stickler for getting the exact terms off the MRI CT and x-ray reports so that

I can be an informed patient/mother/spouse.

I used to be on all kinds of meds - generic Soma and Lortab, also Paroxetine

(Anti-Dep), Paxil and some others. Just about a year ago was my first round

with Bronchitis and I wouldn't wish that on a bitter enemy! It was harder than

the spine surgeries. I occasionally use Combi-Vent inhaler due to problems with

wheezing at night, but if I take it at night then that makes sleeping almost

impossible. Did not realize how I needed the inhaler until I tried to get rid

of it.

Your ortho doc is right - aging is the key factor here. But in my case (and

probably yours as well), what really set off my road down the bumpy path of

medical problems is from a battle with my teenage son. It was literally a

physical battle that I believe was a case of his raging hormones combined with a

violent movie at a friend's house and for some reason _I_ was the focus of his

aggressions. Add that my husband is usually very passive and the two daughters

are younger than my son, and it was a bad recipe. I suffered from Post

Traumatic Stress Syndrome - sounds like you might too.

My " bad " doctor, or rather I should say he was a Nurse Practitioner, just wanted

to throw Effexor extended release at me and was not the least concerned about my

panic attack. He just wanted to cover my symptoms - not find anything. I had

all kinds of problems after my son left, but did not realize the connection with

PTSD. Then I had a Brain Injury (self-inflicted) that really messed me up but I

was so different from this " accident " that I did not know who I was any more.

My personality changed overnight and that was quite a struggle! After about 4-6

months I realized that I had to rediscover who I was all over again. And start

walking down the road of acceptance. Also had some other health problems that

crept up all at once, and that led to a hysterectomy almost a year after the

head injury.

Six days out of the hysterectomy, my " old " personality came back. And I had to

learn - again - who I was going to be now.

Your physical struggle with the guy that you boarded might have done more to

your body's stress level than you realized at the time. I think it's safe to

say that he did injure you more than you thought.

Add to that, your lifestyle of physically demanding labor roughly 25 years ago.

And working hard sure does take it's toll on the body. Even if it seems " right "

at the time, there are consequences - big ones - later down the road. Sounds

like you have discovered how to make do by yourself and that's something that I

struggle with all the time - the independence thing. I'm 47. I told my hubby

that he better not do anything stupid like go through a mid-life crisis and

threaten divorce because I just might let him go with a kick in the butt. I've

been through one divorce and know that another one would be devastating,

especially now. I love my hubby dearly too; just not good at showing it most of

the time. I depend on him more than I ever wanted to, but that's okay.

You built your own home - that sounds like a dream come true, so I imagine you

are very satisfied to live there now. I've designed my own home and worked out

the floor plan. Maybe some day it will actually happen.

I also like to write, which is why my posts get so long. <VBG> I used to write

stories in Countryside (homesteading) magazine and occasionally I still get

letters about some of my articles. Most of that is because I was raised a city

girl and later moved to the country. Learned everything the hard way - by

experience. I've always enjoyed typing and research stuff.

Some of the ladies that I correspond with at my church tell me that I should

become a medical transcriptionist but I'm not up to it. I have enough family

members with medical problems that I need to focus on that. Just found out

my dad had a nerve block injection at L2-L3 a week ago and it's really doing him

good so far. Made my mom promise not to tell him that statistics usually are

not favorable for lasting effects of those injections. Somebody referred to the

Pain Management docs that do the nerve blocks as " needle jockeys " and that

probably is pretty accurate.

My experience with Pain Management doing injections is VERY BAD. They did not

use any anesthesia for my trigger point injections and if I could have come up

off that table and slugged that doc, he sure would have deserved it! My 18-year

old daughter was diagnosed with a transitional / segemental lumbo sacralization

(L5-S1) and had the injection process (w/anesthesia) but it really didn't help

her at all either. She fell on a slick floor at church just a few weeks before

my fusion surgery was scheduled and we really did not take it seriously. Looked

like she had been in a car wreck. She just had fusion surgery before Christmas

and is doing FANTASTIC. Only two weeks post-op, she was off the meds

completely.

OH THE POWER OF A YOUNG BODY. I wish that I could redo some things in my

life, now that I'm older and wiser . . . and KNOW BETTER. I would have done

things a lot differently, and some things not at all! For instance:

" playing " lumberjack for 6 weeks after a tornado hit part of the town we do

commerce in

helping hubby do firewood cutting/hauling (and occasionally splitting) for about

4 years

hauling 50 and sometimes 100 pound sacks of feed for my livestock

wrestling livestock without proper restraint in order to give meds/vaccinations

doing dog rescue . . . seriously, some of those dogs are strong and will

surprise you!

Anyways, yes, I know where Duncan is; my brother lived there for a few years.

I'm located due east of Tulsa, right on the state line. Most of our doctor

stuff is done in Tulsa. There are VERY competent doctors in NW Arkansas but our

insurance doesn't cover them 90% of the time. We do a lot of stuff in Siloam

Springs, Arkansas since it is the closest town of significant size. And has a

Wal-Mart.

My youngest daughter (15) and her problems are this next week's concerns, at

least on Monday and Tuesday. Tomorrow I'll drop by the hospital and get the

report on her AP and lateral x-rays for Thoracic Outlet Syndrome. I think they

will state some thing significant and then on Monday morning I'll walk in to my

PCP's office and " work in " a visit with him. I found some similar info at:

http://content.karger.com/produktedb/produkte.asp?typ=fulltext & file=000103309

and it sounds very similar to her situation. I hope - for her sake - that it's

not.

She had a significant left elbow injury a few years ago and that led to major

surgery - basically for cubital tunnel. Then all this stuff with her spine came

up and we're just now getting the doctors to understand the significance of her

pain.

On Wednesday I go for a carotid doppler scan to see if my carotid arteries are

blocked; that would explain my blurry vision episodes last week. My new

neurologist is a very good lady with a lot of experience and I'm finally seeing

progress in this area as well.

Basically I'm taking Namenda (even though I don't have Alzheimer's) and it's

working better for me than any other meds I've ever taken, including the

anti-depressant. Occasionally I take Flexeril as needed, but that's not been

very often lately. And I'm thankful. Just keeping track of all the meds that

my family takes is a real chore!

Well I better stop here and leave something for the next post I write/type.

We have a new motto here . . . life is never dull at the Dahl House.

Debbie Dahl

Colcord, Oklahoma