Re: Travel + Doc Visit/Bonnie

[Guest guest]

Bonnie,

Bless your heart! You do not need to keep silent to " protect " us. I

look forward to hearing what Dr. Bridwell says about your case. I

feel sure I already have SI joint issues. That is one reason I'm not

eager to rush into revision.

Sorry you are going to miss out on the family trip.

Kathy

>

>

> Hi All,

>

> To everyone who responded to my request for advice on traveling,

thank you so much for your input.

>

> I've decided not to go to go on the planned two week trip to

CA. My decision has nothing to do with the terror alert. It is

just about my pain level. I just can't handle it. Just to get to

my destination would have taken 14 hours of upright time (without

any delays), but I never go more than 8 hours without lying down. I

can't. My pain is too severe and lying down is the only relief I

get during the day, beyond my meds. I'm taking 10 mg Oxycontin 2

times a day, Cymbalta 60 mg daily and 5 mg of Ambien every night. I

tolerate the meds well, except that I'm always a bit sleepy but can

deal with that as long as I get 10 hours of sleep per night. If I

increase the meds, I wouldn't be functional enough. Now at least I

can manage a trip to the grocery store or a movie or dinner out, but

that's about it, one per day, aside from my daily exercises. Doing

any of that makes the pain worse, of course, but ..... I lie down

for at least an hour and a half every afternoon. That's too little

time for a lot of relief, but it does help. By bed time, I can

barely stand the pain, but I'm generally pretty much pain free when

I awake in the morning. The pain gets worse and worse as the day

goes on. All I've done today are my morning stretches, showered,

ate breakfast, and straightenedd two shelves of my pantry (which are

at eye level and are rather small, pull-outs), and the pain is

getting really bad already. I believe it is piriforrmis muscle

pain, mostly, with a good nudge from my SI Joints.

>

>

> My pain has been getting worse year after year. I've hesitated

to tell you guys just how severe it is because I don't want to spook

anyone about revision surgery. I am still glad I had my Harrington

Rod surgery because it gave me 20 good years and just as happy to

have had revisioin surgery with Dr. Boachie, because that gave me

the last 8 and a half years. No doubt I would have been worse off

without my revision surgery. No doubt at all. I went back to Dr.

Boachie for every post op visit, annually after the first year till

year 5 and then 2 years after that. So the last time I saw him was

May of 2005. Since then, he has seen a CT scan of my back and SI

Joint and concurs that I have SI Joint issues. He has consistently

suggested pain management and I've been seeing a wonderful pain

management doctor. I've had SI Joint injections and then piriformis

injections. But that's just not good enough any more. I think I

need a fresh pair of eyes to take a look and see what's going on and

if anything besides pain management can be done. So, I have an

appointment with Dr. Bridwell, on Sept 1st. I have not yet had the

botox injection in the piriformis that the pain doc suggests we try

next, because I think it's better I see Dr. Bridwell before I get

the shot.

>

> Well, that's it for sitting for a while.

>

> Bonnie

>

[Guest guest]

Hi Bonnie: here is Dr. Bridwell's website, in case you haven't

already seen it:

www.bridwell-spinal-deformity.com

I hope that you gain some insight from your appt. with him.

Sincerely, Martha

Sincerely,

Martha Duerst

> >

> >

> > Hi All,

> >

> > To everyone who responded to my request for advice on

traveling,

> thank you so much for your input.

> >

> > I've decided not to go to go on the planned two week trip to

> CA. My decision has nothing to do with the terror alert. It is

> just about my pain level. I just can't handle it. Just to get to

> my destination would have taken 14 hours of upright time (without

> any delays), but I never go more than 8 hours without lying down.

I

> can't. My pain is too severe and lying down is the only relief I

> get during the day, beyond my meds. I'm taking 10 mg Oxycontin 2

> times a day, Cymbalta 60 mg daily and 5 mg of Ambien every night.

I

> tolerate the meds well, except that I'm always a bit sleepy but

can

> deal with that as long as I get 10 hours of sleep per night. If I

> increase the meds, I wouldn't be functional enough. Now at least

I

> can manage a trip to the grocery store or a movie or dinner out,

but

> that's about it, one per day, aside from my daily exercises.

Doing

> any of that makes the pain worse, of course, but ..... I lie down

> for at least an hour and a half every afternoon. That's too

little

> time for a lot of relief, but it does help. By bed time, I can

> barely stand the pain, but I'm generally pretty much pain free

when

> I awake in the morning. The pain gets worse and worse as the day

> goes on. All I've done today are my morning stretches, showered,

> ate breakfast, and straightenedd two shelves of my pantry (which

are

> at eye level and are rather small, pull-outs), and the pain is

> getting really bad already. I believe it is piriforrmis muscle

> pain, mostly, with a good nudge from my SI Joints.

> >

> >

> > My pain has been getting worse year after year. I've

hesitated

> to tell you guys just how severe it is because I don't want to

spook

> anyone about revision surgery. I am still glad I had my

Harrington

> Rod surgery because it gave me 20 good years and just as happy to

> have had revisioin surgery with Dr. Boachie, because that gave me

> the last 8 and a half years. No doubt I would have been worse off

> without my revision surgery. No doubt at all. I went back to Dr.

> Boachie for every post op visit, annually after the first year

till

> year 5 and then 2 years after that. So the last time I saw him

was

> May of 2005. Since then, he has seen a CT scan of my back and SI

> Joint and concurs that I have SI Joint issues. He has

consistently

> suggested pain management and I've been seeing a wonderful pain

> management doctor. I've had SI Joint injections and then

piriformis

> injections. But that's just not good enough any more. I think I

> need a fresh pair of eyes to take a look and see what's going on

and

> if anything besides pain management can be done. So, I have an

> appointment with Dr. Bridwell, on Sept 1st. I have not yet had

the

> botox injection in the piriformis that the pain doc suggests we

try

> next, because I think it's better I see Dr. Bridwell before I get

> the shot.

> >

> > Well, that's it for sitting for a while.

> >

> > Bonnie

> >

>

[Guest guest]

Bonnie,

Yeah this is one time you wouldn't mind hearing you had a loose

screw! LOL

Kathy

> >

> >

> > Hi All,

> >

> > To everyone who responded to my request for advice on

traveling,

> thank you so much for your input.

> >

> > I've decided not to go to go on the planned two week trip to

> CA. My decision has nothing to do with the terror alert. It is

> just about my pain level. I just can't handle it. Just to get to

> my destination would have taken 14 hours of upright time

(without

> any delays), but I never go more than 8 hours without lying

down. I

> can't. My pain is too severe and lying down is the only relief I

> get during the day, beyond my meds. I'm taking 10 mg Oxycontin 2

> times a day, Cymbalta 60 mg daily and 5 mg of Ambien every

night. I

> tolerate the meds well, except that I'm always a bit sleepy but

can

> deal with that as long as I get 10 hours of sleep per night. If

I

> increase the meds, I wouldn't be functional enough. Now at least

I

> can manage a trip to the grocery store or a movie or dinner out,

but

> that's about it, one per day, aside from my daily exercises.

Doing

> any of that makes the pain worse, of course, but ..... I lie

down

> for at least an hour and a half every afternoon. That's too

little

> time for a lot of relief, but it does help. By bed time, I can

> barely stand the pain, but I'm generally pretty much pain free

when

> I awake in the morning. The pain gets worse and worse as the day

> goes on. All I've done today are my morning stretches, showered,

> ate breakfast, and straightenedd two shelves of my pantry (which

are

> at eye level and are rather small, pull-outs), and the pain is

> getting really bad already. I believe it is piriforrmis muscle

> pain, mostly, with a good nudge from my SI Joints.

> >

> >

> > My pain has been getting worse year after year. I've hesitated

> to tell you guys just how severe it is because I don't want to

spook

> anyone about revision surgery. I am still glad I had my

Harrington

> Rod surgery because it gave me 20 good years and just as happy

to

> have had revisioin surgery with Dr. Boachie, because that gave

me

> the last 8 and a half years. No doubt I would have been worse

off

> without my revision surgery. No doubt at all. I went back to Dr.

> Boachie for every post op visit, annually after the first year

till

> year 5 and then 2 years after that. So the last time I saw him

was

> May of 2005. Since then, he has seen a CT scan of my back and SI

> Joint and concurs that I have SI Joint issues. He has

consistently

> suggested pain management and I've been seeing a wonderful pain

> management doctor. I've had SI Joint injections and then

piriformis

> injections. But that's just not good enough any more. I think I

> need a fresh pair of eyes to take a look and see what's going on

and

> if anything besides pain management can be done. So, I have an

> appointment with Dr. Bridwell, on Sept 1st. I have not yet had

the

> botox injection in the piriformis that the pain doc suggests we

try

> next, because I think it's better I see Dr. Bridwell before I

get

> the shot.

> >

> > Well, that's it for sitting for a while.

> >

> > Bonnie

> >

>