RE: Gordon-I agree-EDS is the pits!

[Guest guest]

Judy,

I am sorry you had to stop teaching. So did I. We do a similar type of job

on the internet with the education now.

The pain you are speaking of with your leg. My youngest sister, a teacher

too, had three disks removed in Oct. About two weeks later the severe pain

started in her leg. No pain meds would help her. After three weeks, she

went back to the doctor and he had an emergency MRI done on her. Another

disk had slipped into her spinal canal and was close to completely blocking

it. This was causing the leg pain. The doctor did the surgery the next

week, and also found some bone shards (SP) from the previous surgery.

Immediately after the surgery, my sister regained the use of her leg without

pain. She went back to teaching within three weeks of the last surgery.

I know the topic of disk removal is a hot topic... at least a few days ago.

I am catching up on my digest versions. I know how much everyone hates the

surgeries. My siblings and I have a long history of Degenerative Disk

Disease. I would like to tell you of an experience I had of procastation

about surgery.

I slipped a disk in my neck in Oct. 1996. I was in my last year of college.

It took me three decades to complete my degree, so I was very determined to

finish. During this time, I lost use of my left hand. I am left handed

too. I did finish my degree the following summer. In the fall I got a

little more use of my arm after physical therapy, but nothing like I used to

have. Then I started my own business working 16 hour days. The pain got

worse and I started loosing use of my hand and arm again. I was so scared

of having surgery, I kept putting it off. By Fall 1999, I was a basket

case. I could not even hold a pencil in my hand and the pain was

unbearable. January 2000, I had the disk removed. With a lot of physical

therapy, I regained the use of my arm and hand. Because I waited so long to

have the surgery, it left some nerve damage in my shoulder and finger tips.

The shoulder pain has been back and forth for the past two years. I, being

my over-doing self, last June decided to paint my front porch. MY GP has

been giving me injections in the trigger points for the past year. I did

myself in by painting the porch. Last month, my doctor did an MRI of my

cervical disks and everything is okay. THANK GOD! Now I have to go to a

new ortho doctor to see if he can figure out what is causing the pain in my

shoulder.

As for the use of my hand. I am a lot stronger in my hand than before my

surgery. But the nerve damage has left my fine motor skills weakened. It

is difficult for me to write more than a sentence or two in manuscript. I

have a lot of difficulty picking up pins or fine items. Every time, I try

to pick up something small, I could just kick myself for procrastinating

about the surgery.

Penny Ladnier

Owner, The Costume Gallery & Costume Classroom

http://www.costumegallery.com

http://www.costumeclassroom.com

http://www.onlinecostumeball.com

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