RE: Digest Number 91

[Guest guest]

Hi Terri

I've been lucky. Most of my family and friends don't have any problems with

my Hepc. The ones that did were not true friends in the first place so I

don't miss them very much. I wonder how many of them may be infected also

and not even know it. All we can do is try and educate them about the

disease and hope for the best.

Re: [ ] Digest Number 91

> Hi

> I was put dow today by someone i have known for years today. He

> didn't want to be around me because he found out that i had hcv. He was

> afraid even to eat by me. I blasted him about it tho someting that i

> haven't done to anyone else. But i still felt that shame of having hcv.

> I tried to explain to hi that he didn't have to worry that he couldn't

> catch it by sitting next to me . But it ended up in a big argument and

> probably ended our 20 yr friendship. I know that it is his ignorance of

> the disease, but, it still hurt. I needed to come in here to talk to you

> all, so i can try to get rid of this feeling.

> Terri

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

I have also been lucky. Especially since I went into recovery from addiction. Most of my so-called friends dissappeared and most of the friends I have today, I have met through NA or AA, and they are pretty understanding about these things. More and more of the people in NA are also becoming diagnosed with hcv. NA still views it as an outside issue, but they are considering that it is becoming harder to view it that way as more and more of us are dx. -dz-

<ralexan@...> wrote: Hi TerriI've been lucky. Most of my family and friends don't have any problems withmy Hepc. The ones that did were not true friends in the first place so Idon't miss them very much. I wonder how many of them may be infected alsoand not even know it. All we can do is try and educate them about thedisease and hope for the best. Re: [ ] Digest Number 91> Hi> I was put dow today by someone i have known for years today. He> didn't want to be around me because he found out that i had hcv. He was> afraid even to eat by me. I blasted him about it tho someting that i> haven't done to anyone else. But i still felt that shame of having hcv.> I tried to explain to hi that he didn't have to worry that he couldn't> catch it by sitting next to me . But it ended up in a big argument and> probably ended our 20 yr friendship. I know that it is his ignorance of> the disease, but, it still hurt. I needed to come in here to talk to you> all, so i can try to get rid of this feeling.> Terri>>>>

[Guest guest]

Hey Lori,

I've heard about the bleeding with progesterone. I read that I need to make sure

that I stop applying once my bleeding starts. I take it everyday though because

it really has helped my thyroid. Sorry to hear about the fibromyalgia.

I try to be good about what I eat. My problem is that I don't eat often enough.

That's when I start to really feel bad. Some eating disorder residue that I

think is also related to the hypo.

I have also noticed that everything has been improving since I have been dealing

with mental health issues. Has anyone read Women's Bodies... the author says

alot of these autoimmune disorders are related to past trauma (especially body

trauma)and dealing with past trauma will help our bodies combat these illnesses.

I really think that there is something to this.

What do folks think?

hypothyroidism wrote:

>

>

[Guest guest]

I am waaaaaaayyyyyyy behind on reading this new group. The group started just as I was getting ready to leave on vacation, and so much has happened! I got back from vacation just in time to go back to work and I finally caught up on my essential paperwork this weekend. I have a feeling it is going to take a long time to get caught up on my email

Kam, I see the big news is that you have a surgery date! There is a rumor that Neil Diamond is going to be in St Louis on December 11, so if you want a bit of fun before the surgery, that might be an option.

I had a bad day Saturday. I went for my most recent injections at the pain management clinic on July 7, and the effects seem to be wearing off. I had almost forgotten just how badly this can hurt.

I had been looking at the bills from the pain management doctor and hospital and thinking that I may have to cancel my next appointment, but after the pain hit, OMG. At the rate I have been going, my gross yearly salary wouldn't cover one year of bills. I am still not ready to risk surgery, though, since there is no guarantee that I would have less pain. I couldn't stand to have even more pain!

__________________________________________________

[Guest guest]

Wondered where you have been! Good to see you back. Take care!

Kathy

>

> I am waaaaaaayyyyyyy behind on reading this new group. The group

started just as I was getting ready to leave on vacation, and so much

has happened! I got back from vacation just in time to go back to

work and I finally caught up on my essential paperwork this weekend.

I have a feeling it is going to take a long time to get caught up on

my email

>

>

>

> Kam, I see the big news is that you have a surgery date! There is

a rumor that Neil Diamond is going to be in St Louis on December 11,

so if you want a bit of fun before the surgery, that might be an

option.

>

>

>

> I had a bad day Saturday. I went for my most recent injections at

the pain management clinic on July 7, and the effects seem to be

wearing off. I had almost forgotten just how badly this can hurt.

>

>

>

> I had been looking at the bills from the pain management doctor and

hospital and thinking that I may have to cancel my next appointment,

but after the pain hit, OMG. At the rate I have been going, my gross

yearly salary wouldn't cover one year of bills. I am still not ready

to risk surgery, though, since there is no guarantee that I would

have less pain. I couldn't stand to have even more pain!

>

>

>

>

>

> __________________________________________________

>

[Guest guest]

Hey there, Suzanne! Nice to see you are alive and kickin!

We arrive in STL on December 11 at 8:45 a.m. I will have to run it past

my mom and sweetie. Coud be a hoot!

Who are you seeing for pain management? Is it someone close by? I am

seriously revisiting this option as I have done little more than stay

in bed the last several weekends. Problem is, when I stay in bed, I

don't have to take as much pain medication. But, it's interfering with

my desire to get up and go to the gym in a very bad way!

Hope you get some relief! I broke out the TENS unit today and it is

distracting me, but I think I've been sitting way too long - had lots

of web stuff to do today.

Call me!

kam

[Guest guest]

I have been seeing Eckman at Spine Hospital for pain

management. He is fantastic. I have been very impressed with his

caring and his thoroughness in trying to pinpoint the source of the

pain (mostly by jiggling various nerves while he has the needles in

my spine).

He is also very perceptive -- he could tell I was at the end of my

rope when I first went to him and on the second visit he said he had

been extremely concerned about me. He was surprised that I had such

a good result (virtually pain free after the first visit) but said

he thinks I am still trying to do to much. But how else can I move?

I still have a maze of boxes. This moving thing is taking way

longer than it would have 10 years ago (or even 5 years ago).

I did manage my two vacation trips ok, though. My husband went with

me to Omaha and did all of the driving. That is not always a good

thing, because I have noticed that I have less pain in the drivers'

seat than the passenger's seat, but I tried to keep my legs and feet

as straight as possible, and it was shortly after the trip to the

pain management clinic. I braided my hair on the drive up and slept

on the way back. I had a great time but my family didn't enjoy it

nearly as much as I did.

I had most of a week to try to unpack and get organized before the

second trip. I didn't get as much done as I hoped, and ended up

packing for the trip the night before my plane flight. I finished

packing about 30 minutes before my alarm went off for my extremely

early morning flight. I slept in the airport waiting for the plane

(but lightly so I wouldn't miss hearing the boarding call--and I

couldn't find my travel pillow for my neck--it is still in a box

somewhere). I slept very soundly on the short flight to Dallas and

dozed a bit on the way to Indianapolis

Once I reached Indianapolis, there was no more time to rest for

seven days. I got stuck in a horrible traffic jam and it took an

hour to go 10 miles (I kept getting very sleepy during that!) I

finally made it to the little town to pick up my chat buddy and then

drove diagonally across Indiana to pick up another friend. I think

I arrived in Indianapolis about 10:30 AM and it was about 10:00 PM

before we arrived at our hotel in Detroit. I didn't take nearly as

many breaks as I should have, but once I had friends in the car, it

was easier to stay awake.

My legs were killing me during the first part of the drive. I had

reserved a small car because one of my friends had cancelled on me.

She changed her mind at the last minute, so I was afraid we wouldn't

have enough room for luggage for three people. I have never

mastered the art of packing lightly -- I tend to be prepared! The

car rental agency let me upgrade to a small jeep for no extra

charge, but I am not used to having me legs hang straight down like

that. I seriously thought I wasn't going to make it. But, after

picking up my friends, it wasn't so noticeable.

The next hardest part of the trip was after I took everybody else

home. We took a detour by the beach on a Great Lake between Ohio

and Indiana and I ended up driving all night without getting any

sleep to make it back to Indianapolis in time for my flight. I got

there with an hour to wait before the car rental place opened and

slept in the parking lot of a Steak N Shake until the sun woke me up.

I even did a fair amount of walking in Cleveland. I used valet

parking and spent the afternoons at the mall (!) and walked from

there to the arena and back. It is amazing what can be done when

you really really want to do something badly enough (and thank God

for Dr Eckman).

I am still not unpacked, my bulletin boards in my classroom arent'

finished and I haven't turned in any lesson plans, but I am making

progress.

I am trying to read some of the daily digests every day. I think I

am up to digest #15, and decided not to delay reading the new ones

in case I don't catch up. I still have quite a ways to go!

I still have two extra tickets for Neil Diamond in Dallas on October

14. The St Louis date is not official yet, but ticketmaster was

showing it for a couple of hours one day last week. If nobody asks

for my extra tickets by the weekend, I will list them on ebay.

Silly me, I bought a ticket for San this morning. Hubby

decided to take off work and do the driving again. Good thing since

it is a Sunday night and I don't know if I can get off work the next

day. I used my first sick day for the year today because my

youngest had a fever of 104.9

I spent the entire day in bed Saturday, crying. My pain had gotten

triggered in a big way. It really sucks when staying in bed hurts

so badly. Sitting at the computer was totally out of the question.

I have been surviving work so far by mostly coming straight home and

heading for the bed. Weekends are my only time to get anything else

done and they are not nearly long enough.

I finally took a lortab Saturday night and still was in quite a bit

of pain. Sunday I got up and had to do laundry and a little more

around the house.

I am trying to pay attention to how I sit. I have noticed that I

tend to wrap my feet around the legs of my chair. Concentrating on

keeping my feet straight seems to help the pain near the SI joint.

I think I sat too long at work on Friday while I got my grades

entered in the computer (plus I worked 12 hour days every day last

week). I was sure glad that I had hidden the lortab from my husband

(he usually tears up the prescription or throws away the pills

because he says they are very addictive).

I have also noticed that I may trigger some of the pain early in the

morning when I shower. It is very hard for me to reach my butt to

wash properly without triggering the pain. I haven't figured out

how to eliminate that problem.

> Hey there, Suzanne! Nice to see you are alive and kickin!

>

> We arrive in STL on December 11 at 8:45 a.m. I will have to run it

past

> my mom and sweetie. Coud be a hoot!

>

> Who are you seeing for pain management? Is it someone close by? I

am

> seriously revisiting this option as I have done little more than

stay

> in bed the last several weekends. Problem is, when I stay in bed,

I

> don't have to take as much pain medication. But, it's interfering

with

> my desire to get up and go to the gym in a very bad way!

>

> Hope you get some relief! I broke out the TENS unit today and it

is

> distracting me, but I think I've been sitting way too long - had

lots

> of web stuff to do today.

>

> Call me!

>

> kam

[Guest guest]

I used to tend to wrap my feet around the legs of the chair as well, and also got increased SI pain because of it, but found with my feet kept neatly in front of me, I got terrible lumbar pain. In my case, it was that my back could no longer accept sitting in a health and safetly prescribed manner, with rear higher in profile than knees, so swapping to different chairs that I could drop the seat height of made a huge difference to me.

Of course, tipping my feet back like that had also been a balancing trick, echoing the fact that my torso was tipped forward, and putting my feet ahead of me like that tended to tip me backward - I just couldn't sit adequately in the standard office chairs we had, because the backs were too low to support, and if I shuffled my rear forward enough to slouch in them and lean on the back, the seat didn't support me at all, because my legs are so long (too long for the seat even if I could have sat upright properly - the back of the chair should stop around 1-2 " behind your knee fold - these were stopping about 5-6 inches short). In the end, work ordered me one of these: http://www.rhform.com/assortment/layout/product01Detail.jsp - even with a thoracolumbar kyphosis and thoracic lordosis I was able to get comfortable in it (certainly more comfortable than I was in anything else), and it's still wonderful now, 4 years and a revision surgery later. The only thing I would say to anyone who considers buying one, or getting work to buy one, is go for one of the ones with deeper padding - the *only* criticism I have of it is it's too damn hard. I actually spent the first year I was back at work after the surgery sitting on a pillow!

titch-- Something unknown is doing we don't know what