My upper back h as been bothering me for a while. I haven't been sure if something new is going on, if it is referred pain from elsewhere in my body, or the pain was hidden by the horrible pain I had in my lower back until the successful procedure where nerves were killed off in my lower back in June.
Last week I broke down due to back pain and called my pain doctor. I thought I wouldn't be able to get an appointment before October because it usually takes that long. They said 'how about next Tuesday'. I said 'sure'. So I went.
We have never treated my upper back before because it has not been a problem. Its not rheumatoid. Its not cancer metastasis (the first thing that jumps into any cancer patients head). It could be fibromyalgia. It could be myofascial pain. Or it could be something else.
The doctor, after pushing on my back to make it hurt, suggested trigger point injections where he makes a series of intra muscular injections on my back in the painful areas. He has done this before on my lower back and they relieved a fair amount of pain.
There were five measly injections which he said would cause a pinch... and they were followed by deep pressure pain causing me to breath slowly out of my mouth instead of crying. The nurse came in to check my vitals after (they do that so patients don't pass out as they leave). When I got to my appt, my blood pressure was 123/78. After the injections it was 103/66.
I nixed the trip to Kohls and the trip to the gym after that adventure and came home to sit with my giant ice pack. I gave my husband two choices for dinner - he cooks or takeout. The delivery guy showed up on time with dinner.
So today I feel like a human pincushion. The doctor did say to take it easy for a day or two. I will see how it goes today at work. I am supposed to meet a friend for a walk this afternoon but it may be one of those days where I can't walk. But I hope that when the shots stop hurting, they will make my back stop hurting.
Showing posts with label back pain. Show all posts
Showing posts with label back pain. Show all posts
I knew it wouldn't last
What was I thinking? Last week I blogged about privacy and not having a doctor appointment, other than a therapist appointment until October. I should never have opened my mouth. I did have a dentist appointment last week which has resulted in another dentist appointment tomorrow (no cavities).
I broke down yesterday and called my back pain doctor. In spite of the procedure at the end of June, I have discovered I have a lot of pain in my upper back pretty much non stop. I don't know what is going on with my back but it hurts and isn't giving up.
When I called to make the appointment with pain management, I expected to find there ws nothing available for several months - which isn't uncommon with that doctor. When they said next Tuesday at a convenient time, I practically fell off my chair. He usually has a months long wait list. I just got lucky I guess.
Well maybe we can figure out why my stupid back persists in hurting in this most annoying of fashions.
I broke down yesterday and called my back pain doctor. In spite of the procedure at the end of June, I have discovered I have a lot of pain in my upper back pretty much non stop. I don't know what is going on with my back but it hurts and isn't giving up.
When I called to make the appointment with pain management, I expected to find there ws nothing available for several months - which isn't uncommon with that doctor. When they said next Tuesday at a convenient time, I practically fell off my chair. He usually has a months long wait list. I just got lucky I guess.
Well maybe we can figure out why my stupid back persists in hurting in this most annoying of fashions.
Back update
After my lovely adventure Wednesday morning where I definitely felt a few pinches, my back is doing better. After I came home, I took a nap to sleep off the anesthesia. I iced my back all afternoon and on Thursday as well as took pain meds. Yesterday I had less of a need of ice and pain meds.
So far this morning, my back feels okay but I have a nasty cold and am spending the day in bed. But my back doesn't hurt.
I was up until 1230 and then up again at 5 so I am a bit tired as well.
I am optimistic that it will feel better for a year or more. I just have to get over my cold to appreciate it more.
My brain is not working well enough to blog more today. I think I need a nap.
So far this morning, my back feels okay but I have a nasty cold and am spending the day in bed. But my back doesn't hurt.
I was up until 1230 and then up again at 5 so I am a bit tired as well.
I am optimistic that it will feel better for a year or more. I just have to get over my cold to appreciate it more.
My brain is not working well enough to blog more today. I think I need a nap.
Its Day 1
I am so excited! I am so looking forward to having needles stuck in my spine - you wouldn't believe!
This is what the procedure will be like. No beverages or food after midnight, clear liquids till two hours before arrival. We arrive at 815 am, check in, change in to the LOVELY gown (ugly so no one steals them), vitals checked, and IV started.
Eventually I will end up in the procedure room where I will lie on my stomach, they will crank up the IV and I will mostly be asleep. They will stick me six times in the spine with some kind of local anesthetic. Then they will stick in six heated needles in the same place (between the vertebrae) that will kill off the nerves (good bye evil nerves). I will wake up and have some local pain - an ice pack usually does nicely.
I will nap for a while to recover from the anesthesia and convince my husband to cook dinner. I may need pain pills and ice but it should be okay. After a day or two the area where they stuck all the needles will stop hurting locally. More importantly by Thursday am my overwhelming back pain should be 80-90% relieved. That is why I am so excited.
I hate needles, IVs, things that might cause a 'pinch' and all sorts of fun procedures. But this is one which will immediately improve my life. One day, one hour, and 11 minutes til we check in. I can't wait.
However this isn't to say, the nerves won't grow back and I'll have to go through this again.
This is what the procedure will be like. No beverages or food after midnight, clear liquids till two hours before arrival. We arrive at 815 am, check in, change in to the LOVELY gown (ugly so no one steals them), vitals checked, and IV started.
Eventually I will end up in the procedure room where I will lie on my stomach, they will crank up the IV and I will mostly be asleep. They will stick me six times in the spine with some kind of local anesthetic. Then they will stick in six heated needles in the same place (between the vertebrae) that will kill off the nerves (good bye evil nerves). I will wake up and have some local pain - an ice pack usually does nicely.
I will nap for a while to recover from the anesthesia and convince my husband to cook dinner. I may need pain pills and ice but it should be okay. After a day or two the area where they stuck all the needles will stop hurting locally. More importantly by Thursday am my overwhelming back pain should be 80-90% relieved. That is why I am so excited.
I hate needles, IVs, things that might cause a 'pinch' and all sorts of fun procedures. But this is one which will immediately improve my life. One day, one hour, and 11 minutes til we check in. I can't wait.
However this isn't to say, the nerves won't grow back and I'll have to go through this again.
Count down day 4
Therefore I have a plan.
If everything I do makes my back hurt, I might as well skip the things I dislike (laundry, cleaning the kitchen, etc) and do the things I like (going to the beach). I mean if I end up in the same boat either way, I might as well have fun before I end up in pain.
Today we are going to the beach. Low tide is 430 or so. We will go around 1, get there a little before 2, leave around 530 or so and have clams for dinner. Not the healthiest and definitely not on the diet (but dinner last night was a yogurt) but I am pretty limited in what I can do so I might as well enjoy myself.
But only four days to go.
Tomoroow, a/k/a count down day 3, will be errand and laundry day - chance of rain so why not. I might even go to the gym. And take my pain pills.
Monday, a/k/a count down day 2, I will work 8-2 and take my pain pills.
Tuesday, a/k/a count down day 1, I will also work 8-2. I should also get a phone call telling me what time to arrive at the hospital - currently around 830 am. No food or liquids after midnight. But I will still take my pain pills with a sip of water.
Wednesday is THE day. If all goes as scheduled, we will arrive around 830, check in, change into a lovely gown (I was told they are ugly so no one will steal them), and see my old friends - the nurses in the day clinic. (Every time I go there, they all look at me and ask me if I work at the hospital or if they know me from some place else.)
I will get an IV, take a nap due to sedation (best kind of procedure - I can sleep through it), and wake up as the newer and improved less painful back. Well there will be localized pain where all the needles go in but after it should be MUCH better.
So I will suck it up for the next four days. (I'm so good at that - ask my husband....)
Maybe next weekend I will feel better enough to go to the beach again without my bottle of pain meds.
Count Down - Day 9
I am day 9 of my count until the day of nasty needles. I can't wait. that tells you how much pain I have been in if I can't wait to be sedated and stuck with numerous needles into my spine.
I am on am opiate pain patch that provides 10 mcg/hr of pain meds. That works wonders but its not enough these days. I also have another prescription pain pill which I can take up to two every six hours with no more than 8 tablets in a 24 hour period.
I used to take one every 6-8 hours. Now I take one every six hours. Yesterday afternoon I took a second one two hours after the first one because it wasn't making a dent even though I also had an ice pack. Two pills have a tendency to make me stupid(er), something I try to avoid at all costs so I rarely, if ever take a second one.
I just could not get comfortable and wasn't able to stand for more than a couple of minutes. I started cooking dinner in two minute intervals - go to the kitchen and rinse the spinach and leave. Then back to the kitchen to put out spices and make marinade for salmon (garlic, mustard, maple syrup) and leave.
Then I got brilliant and set everything up and delegated to my husband that he could empty the dishwasher and cook dinner because it wasn't happening for me. It was very difficult to get comfortable last night so I could sleep as well.
This week I am taking it easy. Exercise every other day at most. I will work for six hours today (if I can) and then come home and put my feet up and do whatever it takes to get comfortable. Which may be a fat lot of nothing but whatever it takes I will do it.
I am on am opiate pain patch that provides 10 mcg/hr of pain meds. That works wonders but its not enough these days. I also have another prescription pain pill which I can take up to two every six hours with no more than 8 tablets in a 24 hour period.
I used to take one every 6-8 hours. Now I take one every six hours. Yesterday afternoon I took a second one two hours after the first one because it wasn't making a dent even though I also had an ice pack. Two pills have a tendency to make me stupid(er), something I try to avoid at all costs so I rarely, if ever take a second one.
I just could not get comfortable and wasn't able to stand for more than a couple of minutes. I started cooking dinner in two minute intervals - go to the kitchen and rinse the spinach and leave. Then back to the kitchen to put out spices and make marinade for salmon (garlic, mustard, maple syrup) and leave.
Then I got brilliant and set everything up and delegated to my husband that he could empty the dishwasher and cook dinner because it wasn't happening for me. It was very difficult to get comfortable last night so I could sleep as well.
This week I am taking it easy. Exercise every other day at most. I will work for six hours today (if I can) and then come home and put my feet up and do whatever it takes to get comfortable. Which may be a fat lot of nothing but whatever it takes I will do it.
Count down
I am on day 16 of my countdown until my next back procedure where they will sedate me and stick nasty needles in my back and kill off the evil nerves which cause such pain. My back has gotten worse and worse over recent weeks causing me to decline fun events.
I am managing my resources so I can get through my work week. Last week I called in sick and to make up for it, I am working four days this week - which will be a stretch for me. It is my goal but I might not make it.
This weekend I had to decline offers for fun events and stay home to rest my back. Not fun but I did get some gardening in. Only 16 days to go.
I am managing my resources so I can get through my work week. Last week I called in sick and to make up for it, I am working four days this week - which will be a stretch for me. It is my goal but I might not make it.
This weekend I had to decline offers for fun events and stay home to rest my back. Not fun but I did get some gardening in. Only 16 days to go.
Off to play doctor
No, not like that! Get your minds out of the gutter!
I have an appointment this morning with my pain management doctor. My back has been hurting a lot recently. Having been through the medical school and now having the degree called 'Professional Patient PW' (PW=Perpetually Waiting), I am ready to tell my doctor the next steps,unless he has some wizardry that I don't know about.
My back has caused significant amounts of pain recently which immobilizes me and makes me cranky. We were going to wait six months between visits but I opted for four months and then called and moved my appointment up by two weeks because of the pain.
My theory is that the last 'fun' procedure which involved heated needles in my spine has worn off (meaning the pesky nerves have grown back) and its time to schedule a new one. I am not sure what there is that can be done in the meantime and I know it can take up to 6 to 8 weeks to get it scheduled as well.
But I hope the appointment will go l ike this:
"How are you doing?"
"Not well, my back hurts a lot. I think the last treatment wore off."
"Okay, lets see if we can schedule it for next week."
I know it won't be that simple. It will involve him bending me to see how much he can make my back hurt and poking and prodding. But I hope it ends up the way I want it with an appointment soon. Maybe he will even have a short term solution for the interim.
I have an appointment this morning with my pain management doctor. My back has been hurting a lot recently. Having been through the medical school and now having the degree called 'Professional Patient PW' (PW=Perpetually Waiting), I am ready to tell my doctor the next steps,unless he has some wizardry that I don't know about.
My back has caused significant amounts of pain recently which immobilizes me and makes me cranky. We were going to wait six months between visits but I opted for four months and then called and moved my appointment up by two weeks because of the pain.
My theory is that the last 'fun' procedure which involved heated needles in my spine has worn off (meaning the pesky nerves have grown back) and its time to schedule a new one. I am not sure what there is that can be done in the meantime and I know it can take up to 6 to 8 weeks to get it scheduled as well.
But I hope the appointment will go l ike this:
"How are you doing?"
"Not well, my back hurts a lot. I think the last treatment wore off."
"Okay, lets see if we can schedule it for next week."
I know it won't be that simple. It will involve him bending me to see how much he can make my back hurt and poking and prodding. But I hope it ends up the way I want it with an appointment soon. Maybe he will even have a short term solution for the interim.
Now its my back
Lets return to the 'if its not one thing, its another' category. My back is being very bad lately. When I say bad it is causing me pain of the kind that makes it difficult to remain vertical for any length of time. That makes it hard for me to do things like walking around, cooking meals, cleaning, emptying the dishwasher, going to the grocery store, going to work, and feeding the cat among others. Nothing much. It also tends to hurt when I am sitting or lying down.
What can I do that does not cause me pain. I'm thinking. I'll get back to you when I come up with something.
I think what has happened is that the last treatment to my back has worn off. I have had these fun treatments where they basically stick heated needles in my back between the bones and kill off the irritated nerves which are causing pain. They are irritated because they are being squished as a result of my degenerating disks.
The treatments work for at least a year or so and can be repeated. Even though the nerves are killed off they do grow back but usually less so they cause less pain.
The problem is I am not scheduled to see my doctor until the end of May. I can try to get an appointment sooner but his schedule is usually very tight. Then I will have to wait to get the treatment scheduled which can take another 4-6 weeks.
I'm still thinking of something I can do without pain.
What can I do that does not cause me pain. I'm thinking. I'll get back to you when I come up with something.
I think what has happened is that the last treatment to my back has worn off. I have had these fun treatments where they basically stick heated needles in my back between the bones and kill off the irritated nerves which are causing pain. They are irritated because they are being squished as a result of my degenerating disks.
The treatments work for at least a year or so and can be repeated. Even though the nerves are killed off they do grow back but usually less so they cause less pain.
The problem is I am not scheduled to see my doctor until the end of May. I can try to get an appointment sooner but his schedule is usually very tight. Then I will have to wait to get the treatment scheduled which can take another 4-6 weeks.
I'm still thinking of something I can do without pain.
That was stupid (on my part)
They (the all knowing all powerful they) insist that patients should get and keep all of their medical test results. They say its the smart thing to do. So being smart, yesterday I went off to get a copy of my CT scan results so I can read it myself and obey 'them'.
Now I'm sorry I did.
I know the value of having a doctor interpret the results but the ER doctor had already told me no injuries, just some arthritis in my neck.
I also know that some things show up on test results that the radiologists comment on but aren't really important and can be ignored.
But now I want to call my doctor to find out if I should be concerned. Both tests, the head CT and the neck CT, conclude with no acute findings with chronic findings as noted. Acute means no injuries. Chronic means never going to go away.
I had a spine MRI about four years ago and will attempt to dig out the results which are buried in my folder of medical test results later today. I do not believe that MRI reported any chronic findings with my neck or cervical spine.
My concern is where the CT test results say things like:
"There is mild prominence of extra-axial volume loss" when they talk about my brain. Is my brain shrinking?
"There is minimal degenerative anterolisthesis at C3/4 and minimal degenerative retrolisthesis at C4/C5. A C4/C5 there is minimal narrowing of the central canal due to broad-based disc osteophyte. There is moderate narrowing of the bony right neural foramen due to disc and uncovertebral joint degeneration."
My concerns are:
As far as the ER doctor was concerned, I was not injured in the accident but I don't think he cares about the other stuff. Nothing against him as its not part of his job.
I will call my PCP and see if I can talk to her about this and find out if I should be concerned or if I should make an appointment. I was stupid. I should have ignored the report until my next appointment.
Now I'm sorry I did.
I know the value of having a doctor interpret the results but the ER doctor had already told me no injuries, just some arthritis in my neck.
I also know that some things show up on test results that the radiologists comment on but aren't really important and can be ignored.
But now I want to call my doctor to find out if I should be concerned. Both tests, the head CT and the neck CT, conclude with no acute findings with chronic findings as noted. Acute means no injuries. Chronic means never going to go away.
I had a spine MRI about four years ago and will attempt to dig out the results which are buried in my folder of medical test results later today. I do not believe that MRI reported any chronic findings with my neck or cervical spine.
My concern is where the CT test results say things like:
"There is mild prominence of extra-axial volume loss" when they talk about my brain. Is my brain shrinking?
"There is minimal degenerative anterolisthesis at C3/4 and minimal degenerative retrolisthesis at C4/C5. A C4/C5 there is minimal narrowing of the central canal due to broad-based disc osteophyte. There is moderate narrowing of the bony right neural foramen due to disc and uncovertebral joint degeneration."
My concerns are:
- If these are chronic are they going to get worse or stay the same?
- Why did they happen?
- Should I be concerned? Which I guess is my main question.
As far as the ER doctor was concerned, I was not injured in the accident but I don't think he cares about the other stuff. Nothing against him as its not part of his job.
I will call my PCP and see if I can talk to her about this and find out if I should be concerned or if I should make an appointment. I was stupid. I should have ignored the report until my next appointment.
Is it time to rename my blog?
When I first started my blog it was called 'Caroline's Cancer Blog' for a very brief period. Then I settled down with 'Caroline's Breast Cancer Blog' because it was about coping with breast cancer. Now more than five years later, my breast cancer seems to be cooperating and not stressing me out (as much) as it did before.
But now I have all sorts of other medical stressors:
But now I have all sorts of other medical stressors:
- Thyroid cancer mysteries. What the hell is going on in my neck? We keep repeating ultrasounds and get conflicting reports - bigger, smaller, same size.
- Back pain. Degenerating disks to start with and living on pain meds.
- Fibromyalgia. This isn't fun. I need to go back to my back pain doctor.
- The spell check on my computer includes oncologist, endocrinologist, rheumatologist, and multiple medications.
- I have a special directory on my cell phone of all my doctor's contact information and have their secretaries' names memorized.
- I see my oncologists less than I see some of my other doctors.
- I feel like I know the pharmacists at the local Walgreen's.
- The nurses in the interventional pain center where they do injections recognize me.
- I can't fit all my prescriptions on my bedside table and keep them on the shelf in my closet.
- My primary care doctor is happy when she doesn't see me more than every few months.
Things that go bump in the night
The cat and my husband didn't move a muscle. I think it was a bird or large bat (biggish thud) with a poor sense of radar and/or vision. Yes it was the middle of the night but the house is light green so you think it would stand out to flying things. It was probably only a foot or two from the corner of the house... (Why am I thinking of 'George of the Jungle' who couldn't swing from tree to tree, but went into the tree instead?)
This is me in avoidance mode this morning. I have a doctor appointment today I am not ready to discuss. So I will worry about things that go bump in the night instead. And hope there isn't a little suprise waiting outside on the patio for me...
Years of work to get to the state I am in
I have worked very hard for many years to get my body into the shape that it is in. Its taken many years of sports - ice skating, skiing (alpine and nordic), snow shoeing, biking, hiking, roller blading, and more - to get to this finely honed 'state'. I get aches and pains all over but now its mostly in my hips.
These days my biggest problem is that I have bursitis in my hips. I have had it in my left hip for about five years. Now I have signs of it in my right hip. What can you do for bursitis? Anti-inflammatories - which I take daily. Ice - which I use regularly. And rest - which I also parttake of. I am happy to sit around and be lazy. I also have had multiple cortisone injections.
And it still hurts. But I (suck it up and) go to the gym and attempt to exercise regularly (because that prevents cancer and all sorts of other good things). It does limit me to three times a week at the gym. I can't work out without a day off in between. If I do, I end up in a lot more pain.
What is bursitis? It is inflammation of the bursar which are little sacs located in major joints - like your hips. It is caused primarily by over use I think. Sort of what I have done to my knees and ankles as well.
So to round out the back pain which is exacerbated if I attempt to stand up for more than ten minutes at a time, my hips then hurt if I sit in the wrong position, or any position some days. I have to sleep with a pillow behind my knees so they don't pull on my back. I take my pain pills, my pain patch, and ice pack in hand, I am ready to go.
I can say I had a lot of fun getting my body into this state.
These days my biggest problem is that I have bursitis in my hips. I have had it in my left hip for about five years. Now I have signs of it in my right hip. What can you do for bursitis? Anti-inflammatories - which I take daily. Ice - which I use regularly. And rest - which I also parttake of. I am happy to sit around and be lazy. I also have had multiple cortisone injections.
And it still hurts. But I (suck it up and) go to the gym and attempt to exercise regularly (because that prevents cancer and all sorts of other good things). It does limit me to three times a week at the gym. I can't work out without a day off in between. If I do, I end up in a lot more pain.
What is bursitis? It is inflammation of the bursar which are little sacs located in major joints - like your hips. It is caused primarily by over use I think. Sort of what I have done to my knees and ankles as well.
So to round out the back pain which is exacerbated if I attempt to stand up for more than ten minutes at a time, my hips then hurt if I sit in the wrong position, or any position some days. I have to sleep with a pillow behind my knees so they don't pull on my back. I take my pain pills, my pain patch, and ice pack in hand, I am ready to go.
I can say I had a lot of fun getting my body into this state.
Pain levels
About ten years ago, I had a good day of skiing go bad. What I mean what started as an awesome day of skiing ended up with a toboggan ride down the mountain and knee surgery. Upon learning the news, my father said to me 'now you will have a knee that tells you the weather'. I don't really have a knee that tells me the weather or so I thought.
There was a new medical study (which we needed to keep researchers busy) which says there is some merit to this theory. I don't know about this one. My knee doesn't really tell me the weather and my back hurts regardless of the weather. Last week after overdoing it for two days in a row, my back hurt regularly and the weather around here was pretty good. But maybe I overdid things. This week I will be more careful because I have to work. I was having fun last week. Damn.
Anyway about the pain levels, my new pain patches are pretty good but I can still get into a lot of pain. Yesterday I attempted to go to the gym. I had to skip some things I normally do because my hips hurt too much. That pesky bursitis. If one thing doesn't hurt, another thing is sure to.
What doesn't hurt requires support. I have a wrist splint for carpal tunnel/tennis elbow and a lymphedema sleeve. When my back doesn't hurt my hips and SI joints do. I have a I just hobble around from doctor appointment to doctor appointment.
But other than that I am a very healthy person.
There was a new medical study (which we needed to keep researchers busy) which says there is some merit to this theory. I don't know about this one. My knee doesn't really tell me the weather and my back hurts regardless of the weather. Last week after overdoing it for two days in a row, my back hurt regularly and the weather around here was pretty good. But maybe I overdid things. This week I will be more careful because I have to work. I was having fun last week. Damn.
Anyway about the pain levels, my new pain patches are pretty good but I can still get into a lot of pain. Yesterday I attempted to go to the gym. I had to skip some things I normally do because my hips hurt too much. That pesky bursitis. If one thing doesn't hurt, another thing is sure to.
What doesn't hurt requires support. I have a wrist splint for carpal tunnel/tennis elbow and a lymphedema sleeve. When my back doesn't hurt my hips and SI joints do. I have a I just hobble around from doctor appointment to doctor appointment.
But other than that I am a very healthy person.
So how was my day? Lovely, I think.
I went into Boston for a seminar on grant research yesterday morning. I memorized the address but since I have chemo brain I thought I would write it down on a little piece of paper as well. But didn't bring the phone number because my phone only works when plugged in - hence its lost its mobility.
I left about 15 minutes later than I wanted because I got side tracked on the evil internet. Traffic was backed up for a good ten minutes to get into the parking garage. So I used that time to look at a map to remind myself of where I was going downtown.
I ran to get the train and when we got downtown I walked very fast to get to the seminar. It wasn't there. There wasn't a #55. There was a 47 and a 63 with a parking lot in between but no 55. After looking around and realizing the seminar would not be held at the parking lot, I looked at my little piece of paper and realized I was on the wrong street.
So I rushed to the seminar again, hoping I wouldn't be late, and when I got there, it was very empty - because it didn't start for another 30 minutes. So I took a seat in a crappy chair and got caught up on some reading. My back did not like the crappy chair and started letting me know very quickly. the chair actually looked pretty comfortable but it didn't have the support my needy back requires. I quickly opted for the pain pill option in hopes that I could suck it up and last through the day.
So I sat in the crappy chair for my extra half hour of stupidity and through 2 1/2 hour seminar and my back really hurt at the end. Then I did research in the library for another 1 1/2 hours on another crappy chair. My back was not happy. Then I took the subway back to my car and it sat underground for a while on a slant which made my back hurt more.
Then I went to the AT&T service center to remobilize my mobile phone where they told me it would be 30-45 minutes before they could even look at my phone. I took a seat in another crappy chair. After 30 minutes of 'patiently' waiting, they called me. 1.5 hours later I finally got a new phone during which time I told them I was losing my patience as everyone else was gone long before me and most repairs took about 10 minutes. I took another pain pill somewhere in there but my back really hurts.
I made a quick stop at the store to get dinner because I wanted to make a nice one for my husband who is having a tooth pulled this morning and will be on soft food for a while. I got home after 5. I then tried my handyman skills to figure out why the dishwasher won't drain. Leaning over into the dishwasher was not good for my back either. I needed ice and alcohol to recover. We'll call a repair person tomorrow.
Lunch? You will note there was no mention of eating anywhere during my day. I had some cheese and crackers when I got home to round out the two pain pills I had earlier - does that count?
I left about 15 minutes later than I wanted because I got side tracked on the evil internet. Traffic was backed up for a good ten minutes to get into the parking garage. So I used that time to look at a map to remind myself of where I was going downtown.
I ran to get the train and when we got downtown I walked very fast to get to the seminar. It wasn't there. There wasn't a #55. There was a 47 and a 63 with a parking lot in between but no 55. After looking around and realizing the seminar would not be held at the parking lot, I looked at my little piece of paper and realized I was on the wrong street.
So I rushed to the seminar again, hoping I wouldn't be late, and when I got there, it was very empty - because it didn't start for another 30 minutes. So I took a seat in a crappy chair and got caught up on some reading. My back did not like the crappy chair and started letting me know very quickly. the chair actually looked pretty comfortable but it didn't have the support my needy back requires. I quickly opted for the pain pill option in hopes that I could suck it up and last through the day.
So I sat in the crappy chair for my extra half hour of stupidity and through 2 1/2 hour seminar and my back really hurt at the end. Then I did research in the library for another 1 1/2 hours on another crappy chair. My back was not happy. Then I took the subway back to my car and it sat underground for a while on a slant which made my back hurt more.
Then I went to the AT&T service center to remobilize my mobile phone where they told me it would be 30-45 minutes before they could even look at my phone. I took a seat in another crappy chair. After 30 minutes of 'patiently' waiting, they called me. 1.5 hours later I finally got a new phone during which time I told them I was losing my patience as everyone else was gone long before me and most repairs took about 10 minutes. I took another pain pill somewhere in there but my back really hurts.
I made a quick stop at the store to get dinner because I wanted to make a nice one for my husband who is having a tooth pulled this morning and will be on soft food for a while. I got home after 5. I then tried my handyman skills to figure out why the dishwasher won't drain. Leaning over into the dishwasher was not good for my back either. I needed ice and alcohol to recover. We'll call a repair person tomorrow.
Lunch? You will note there was no mention of eating anywhere during my day. I had some cheese and crackers when I got home to round out the two pain pills I had earlier - does that count?
A 6.5 day pain patch
I have a bad back (in case I haven't mentioned it before) that gives me lots of pain. I have tried different medications for it, have special workouts that are supposed to help, take anti-inflammatories, have had several medical (mis)adventures to help relief pain, and am a firm believer in the value of multiple ice packs (especially in the summer). I also have breakthrough pain meds for when either I do stomething stupid or try to pretend I am a normal human being. Either my back pain is increasing or pain meds stop working and they get switched around and swapped out for others.
My latest pain relief are these wonderful (supposedly) 7 day pain patches. I put a new one on every Friday morning. The first few weeks they were great but now I am discovering a pattern. They only last 6.5 days. They come in little boxes of four for each month. If I switch to every 6.5 days I will run short each month and of course my insurance company would never let me detour from the designated dosing. (This was made very clear in the fancy DVD that accompanied my initial package.)
Last night my back hurt a lot and my husband accused me of being cranky. I told him my back was not cooperating and my pain patch wasn't working. He was deeply concerned that it would be several days (of crankiness) before I could put on another patch. I assured him I would put on another one after my shower this morning. He has already asked if I have put on the new one. Do I look like I have showered yet? No, my hair is still messy and I am still watching the mismatching pajamas I put on last night. And I might still be cranky.
I am optimistic about these patches. I may still be adjusting to them. I am also on the lowest dose available and go back to my doctor in another month or so to see how I am doing. In the meantime, I will just call them my 6.5 day pain patch.
My latest pain relief are these wonderful (supposedly) 7 day pain patches. I put a new one on every Friday morning. The first few weeks they were great but now I am discovering a pattern. They only last 6.5 days. They come in little boxes of four for each month. If I switch to every 6.5 days I will run short each month and of course my insurance company would never let me detour from the designated dosing. (This was made very clear in the fancy DVD that accompanied my initial package.)
Last night my back hurt a lot and my husband accused me of being cranky. I told him my back was not cooperating and my pain patch wasn't working. He was deeply concerned that it would be several days (of crankiness) before I could put on another patch. I assured him I would put on another one after my shower this morning. He has already asked if I have put on the new one. Do I look like I have showered yet? No, my hair is still messy and I am still watching the mismatching pajamas I put on last night. And I might still be cranky.
I am optimistic about these patches. I may still be adjusting to them. I am also on the lowest dose available and go back to my doctor in another month or so to see how I am doing. In the meantime, I will just call them my 6.5 day pain patch.
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