Getting OLD

[papaof2]

I've been dealing with back pain off and on since November and have been in PT for that problem for the past month. Today the therapist told me to get an appointment with the orthopedic surgeon who did the L4-L5 fusion (almost 14 years ago) and have them check for a nerve problem lower down on my spine. Why? The PT isn't progressing as she thinks it should and I've had a couple of high pain events that didn't seem to have an identifiable cause: I'm not driving a vehicle or raking leaves or picking up anything heavier than a plate of food.

On the brighter side, I could make an appointment with the surgeon's PA this Thursday - rare that you get in to see anyone that soon.

Not looking forward to another round of back surgery, but I'd rather do six months of after-surgery PT than be hit by another awake-all-night-from-the-pain event. I spent months in PT and went through a lot of Rx pain meds prior to the first back surgery so I don't know what they'll recommend this time - or if it'll be X-rays and MRI and then a consult with the surgeon.

Meanwhile, I'm using a lot of ice in the icepack - and this week I'll be talking with a guy about him doing the yard work for a while :-(

No, I'm not writing much - a dozen words here and there do not quickly add up to a ready-for-prime-time story. Yes, I track how much I write on each in-progress story whenever I think about adding to some story or perhaps just a page of ideas or notes. Needing to change to a different sofa or chair every hour or less does not encourage long, productive writing sessions.

[9idrr]

You know, sir, that we'll gladly wait for the good stuff that seems to flow effortlessly from your pen... keyboard... brain...
Back pain sucks.

[papaof2]

Saw the surgeon's PA today and they got some X-rays. The previous surgery looks good but X-rays don't show soft tissue such as disks and nerves. The PA called in a prescription for Tramadol (a little less powerful than Tylenol with codeine but better than anything I had at home; 30 tablets, call doctor for refills). Next step is an MRI, possibly as soon as next week. With the MRI findings in hand, we'll discuss the next steps: different PT, cortisone injections, whatever.

The Tramadol works - for 5+ hours. However, if I had been offered a choice, I would have chosen 5/325 oxycodone/acetaminaphen because it doesn't put me through the not-quite-connected and not-steady-on-my-feet that the start-up of Tramadol does. That's gone in 20 or 30 minutes but I'd prefer the smoother transition of the oxy/acet. And the oxy/acet are splitable so I can readily adjust the dose. I'll have to sacrifice one tablet of the Tramadol to the pill cutter to see if those tablets can be split evenly.

I read a while, ate supper and watched a little TV with minimum discomfort for the first time in a long time. If I can't get to sleep because of the pain, one Tramadol might give me 6 hours of restful sleep - I'll take that ;-)

We hired the lawn guy today. He starts next Wednesday. Ridiculous cost compared to doing it myself :-( but very reasonable compared to the other lawn service companies - and he came with high praise from someone we know. One more thing my back won't be dealing with this year.

[papaof2]

I've had the MRI - my discs are deteriorating from age and arthritis - and I've seen the pain doctor. Got a refill of the Rx painkiller while waiting for a couple of steroid injections this Friday (L5-S1 and SI, if you recognize those landmarks). I'm hoping these injections work better than the ones 13 years ago - that bout of back/leg pain ended with back surgery. I think we caught problem a little sooner this time so perhaps the less invasive treatment will be successful.

Meanwhile, I'm not doing much other than eating, sleeping, reading and watching a little TV - the TV most often when I'm stretched out on the sofa because sitting up gets painful after a short while: I change chairs/sofas every hour or so.

The lawn guy does good work. When he finishes, it's as I would have done it last year so nothing to complain about ;-)

[papaof2]

Fast forward 5 months and I was at the spine/pain doctor's office for another followup visit with her PA today. I've been keeping a daily log of pain levels, Rx pain meds used, when the epidural injections occurred, etc. He said my use of the Rx pain meds was conservative - probably because I do NOT like the "fuzzy" of being over-medicated so I manage by first moving to a different seat, then adding an ice pack or watching TV from the bed in the guest room upstairs so I can be lying on my left side for minimum pain. I'm pretty consistent with taking the Rx pain med at night so I can sleep but I also have days that start with time on an ice pack instead of breakfast and it's usually a good bet that will be a 3 tablet day (one every 6 hours).

Anyway, I'm being scheduled for a CT in the next week or 10 days and they're checking to see how much of the cost of a 'minimally invasive' fusion surgery the insurance will cover. They have that surgery tentatively scheduled the second week of September but think they will be moving that sooner when the CT has been done and they have the OK from the insurance company. Typical patients get an 80% reduction in pain in a matter of weeks - possibly longer. The incision is closed with staples because of where it is located, so I'll have a long list of 'Do and Don't' after surgery :-( The staples should come out after 10 days or so. In six weeks or a little more, I might be moving the Rx pain meds to the back of the cabinet instead of having them right at the door...

Being able to sit where I want to or have my legs crossed - maybe even able do yardwork? - sounds like the Fountain of Youth to me ;-)

[papaof2]

I'm scheduled for SI (sacrum-iliac) fusion on Tuesday. There's an animation of the procedure at
resilientsurgical.com/
Three months of recovery (while the bones fuse) with typically three months PT starting somewhere in that process. Possibly on crutches or a walker for a while (still have the walker from the previous back surgery - in a large plastic bag in the attic). I'll get this surgeon's detailed Thou Shalt/Shalt Not instructions the day of surgery but typically that will include no BLT (bending, lifting more than 10 pounds, twisting) for some weeks and some PT. I'm hoping that the PT group nearest to us (about 2 miles) can handle that to cut down on the travel and allow me to get myself to and from PT in a few weeks. (Probably too optimistic but I'd like to be able to drive again without having the specter of pain greater than I can function through hitting me while sitting in the driver's seat.)

On this last weekend that I can care for myself, my better half and the other grandmother are going to see one of the grands at her university - just an early drive over (leaving at sunrise), visit and return, catching that grand on a day without a soccer game ;-) The better half is taking some freshly baked pudding chocolate chip pecan cookies that were baked today. I helped with the mixing (easy when things are going into the bowl on the big Kitchen Aid counter top mixer ;-)) and I got one sheet of cookies out of the oven while she was filling another sheet with dough balls. Our grand will get three dozen of her favorite cookies and we have more than a dozen for ourselves.

No, I'm not going. The round trip is about 320 miles and my back isn't up to that much car time :-( Some days the 15 minute trip to the pain doctor is all I can manage. I'll hear anout the adventure when they get back and probably see some new pictures.