RE: update

[Guest guest]

To Kathleen about fusion surgery.

Kathleen: Did you have sharp pains going down your legs after your fusion

surgery? The reason I ask is because a dear friend of mine had to have the

fusion surgery after a fall on a piece of linoleum of all things. It broke

her coccyx bone (ie tail bone) and pushed her vertebra up to the point of

her having prolapsed and bulging discs. She also has diabetes that actually

started out as gestational diabetes but went away after the birth of her

first two children but after the third, it never went away. She is

insulin-dependent.

Her doctor said that she was having diabetic neuropathy before the surgery

but the fall had also caused pinched nerves. He said that would relieve the

pain. Well, it hasn't. What is even worse is that she fell during our last

ice/snow storm and has messed up where her back was fixed. The doctor she

is seeing until her appointment with her surgeon said that the bolt or pin

or whatever it is they use to put it together is messed up and he is very

sure that she will have to have another surgery to fix it.

She has another problem that I can't seem to push her into taking care of.

She has been diagnosed with diabetic retinopathy but is scared to go back to

the specialist to have the surgery done. I have been very adamant about her

going because this can cause blindness. It can cause complete blindness. I

am blind myself but at least, for now anyhow, I do have some light

perception. My vision isn't usable really but at least I am not in the

dark. She has already started getting headaches that she says are like the

ones I describe getting when I have overstrained my eyes, been in brightly

lit rooms, and when I have lupus flares. I think this means that her

condition is getting worse. Any ideas on how to get her to the eye doctor?

I have told her what can happen and I haven't sugar-coated it. She has

always loved me for the way I say exactly what I mean and make no bones

about it. I would never lie to her about it. I know entirely too many

people who have lost their sight to diabetes. My husband was lucky. He had

diabetic retinopathy but fortunately it was caught in time and the surgeon

was able to save the vision in both eyes. Now, 15 years later, he only has

a few miniscule cataracts from the surgery but they are not enough to hinder

his vision or need surgery.

Here is a personal question I hope you don't mind answering. Do you set off

the metal detectors when you go through them too? Her husband is always

picking at her when they go through them. He says, " honey, I told you not

to bring the gun! " She is always doing some kind of business at our

courthouse because of her child support and her current husband's business.

The officers that run the detectors know them and always laugh. They know

she has had this surgery and always ask how she is doing. Sometimes they

even pick back about the gun remark her hubby makes. It is always in good

fun though, never mean or anything.

I wonder about that because right now, my daughter has braces. In about 7

months she will have surgery to shorten the length of her bottom jaw and

possibly lengthen her top jaw to match. Then she will have braces for

another 7 to 8 months. The oral surgeon said that they would use titanium

screws to hold the jaw in place until it heals and the small screws will

remain in the jaw. I'm wondering if you and my friend have had titanium

screws in your back surgery and if she will have to explain each time she

travels or has to go through metal detectors to get through.

Just curious. I know my guide dog's harness sets off the alarms. His

collar does as well. During guide dog training with my first guide dog,

they taught us how to make the dog sit on the other side of the metal

detectors so we could go through then call the dog to us once we are

cleared. (You have to make their leash long. It is doubled and clipped for

that purpose). I have done this every time I have flown or gone to the

courthouse myself. Now the court officers just have me go through behind

them, around the detector and they just check my bag. I have been up there

so much on child support cases with my ex-husband that most of them know me.

They also remember when I had sight and when I started losing it. They are

all very great with my guide dog. It is funny and almost creates a conflict

of interest because I am always allowed to leave my sunglasses on because I

am sensitive to light and each and every judge I have been before has always

been so impressed with not only my guide dog's abilities but also her/his

behavior and ability to navigate a court room to a witness box when

necessary and find my way back to the ADA's table and find the chair for me

to sit in. Both my former and my current guide dogs can find elevators and

they know where the bathrooms are. And no, they have never taken me to the

wrong one, thank goodness! I always check though. There are usually

tactile signs on the outside side of the bathroom door in public buildings.

Sorry this got long. Thanks for any help you can provide. Teri, I truly

hope your surgery turns out okay. You are in my thoughts.

Sam