Well that's me off my bike for a while

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

How are you going, @SatNavSaysStraightOn ? The plans for recumbent trike are proceeding well? I guess you just have to wait for it now, correct?

I'm still waiting for the effects of the steroid injections to stop hurting tbh. Thursday was horrendous, Friday I'd rather not remember. Maybe today will be less uncomfortable but so far it is not showing any signs of being that way.

I had another long chat with Kevin at dTek yesterday and the plans are now final. I'm just waiting for him to ask me for money! Which he hasn't yet ... But he knows I'm anxious to get it and serious (grim reading at least one of the threads on here)... Cash is waiting for him! There are a few parts I need to provide from here. The track off my road bike is the only rack that can be adapted, the others including 2 not fitted to bikes have the wrong arm types . And then there is of course the rear wheel and the chains I have spare lurking around... Plus a few bits that need to be bought direct from SJS Cycles to modify the new bike so I don't have to take more parts off my expedition bike. I want to be able to just put the rear wheel back on and not worry about gear changers missing and the like, so a few new Rohloff parts are needed. Kevin will let me know when he needs those and I'll get them sent directly to him. Fingers crossed!

Back worse the pain is just as bad, but I have now made it to the mile on my morning wanders which takes 45 minutes. Really I should only be doing half that but I'm a really stubborn bugger and rather than walking out and back and only hurting as I arrive home, I walk out until I start to hurt then turn around and come home! I know but I need it! And the dog appreciates the walks as well! I can only manage that once a day, the afternoon physio is much shorter!

I have another consultants appointment for the 20th March, we will see what she says then.

But the right leg has improved way beyond anything I had ever dared hope for , but it still has a good way to go before it is normal again and I still need to get off the really high does of nerve suppressants that I'm taking to make the leg feel even vaguely normal down the nerve all the way to the foot.

 

[cyberknight]

Big hugs

 

[Ganymede]

You're being so brave. I bet you'll say no I'm not but you really are.

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

You're being so brave. I bet you'll say no I'm not but you really are.

It would be nice to be able to put my own underwear on, trousers on, shoes on, or even shower myself again... maybe by the summer.... fingers crossed. It woudl also be rather nice not to be routinely falling over and to be able to sit down.

Hugs gratefully accepted but not too tightly please, this morning's painkillers have yet to reach home!

 

[Ganymede]

It would be nice to be able to put my own underwear on, trousers on, shoes on, or even shower myself again... maybe by the summer.... fingers crossed. It woudl also be rather nice not to be routinely falling over and to be able to sit down.

Hugs gratefully accepted but not too tightly please, this morning's painkillers have yet to reach home!

((very light hug))!!

 

[summerdays]

((very light hug))!!

I misread that the first time as very Tight hug!

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

[QUOTE 3522007, member: 9609"]That was the last thing to come back to me, apparently 40% more pressure on the discs in a sitting position to standing. I was given a loan of a saddle stool and it made a remarkable difference, apparently they put less pressure on the spine, I was able to sit at the table for a whole 10 minutes, long enough to eat my dinner, it made a change from eating on the floor like a dog. Even when I was nearly better and able to go for a pain free walk along the beach, I would need to make some of the journey lying in the back of the estate car. In fact I would say it was well over a year before I could properly use a chair, (even though at that stage I was cycling 30+miles and doing a bit of hill walking.[/QUOTE]
that stool looks interesting, thank you. no-one has mentioned even anything like it... I shall have to have a dig and see what I can find out about it - thank you. standing is at 10-15 mins before pain starts, though the codeine, paracetamol and pregabalin (still very high doses but...), but only with crutches. as for the car - best left undescribed, Sunday's attempt was a disaster. hoping the recumbent trike will at least allow me a touch further than I can currently walk - I am so fed up with seeing the same scenery all the time!

I can lie in a semi upright position for most of the day, if I haven't done anything to upset my back.... knees have to be raised though above the hips to rotate the pelvis round and put a curve into the spine and lying down is the same, 2 pillows under the knees and I use an electronic heat mat that has a temperature setting and a 3 hour sequence of pulsing the heat warmer and cooler to keep the muscles relaxed - that works miracles especially at night, plus the morphine as well.

I can't help but wonder if some of the issues (pain wise) are related to having no disc at all now (except for the remnants of the outside of it from what I understand from the MRI and the consultant's information.

But like I said I have to be positive - I have regained far more use and feeling of my right leg that I had dared hope for and that can only be a good thing. Just glad in this instance I did not wait for the NHS to get their act together otherwise the outcome may not have been so positive. By the time my consultant had operated, we still hadn't even heard from the local hospital with an MRI appointment, let alone had the MRI done!

 

[vickster]

Unfortunately, plenty of the pain may still be due to the actual operation, lots of muscle cut through to get to the spine, plus all the digging around near nerves etc

Did you get to discuss pain management with the anaestheticst who presumably did the epidural?

 

[Saluki]

Saddle stools are brilliant. I used one daily for work when I had my dog grooming salon. Hairdressing suppliers are a good place to start. Ebay is cheaper though, you can often find them second hand. I paid about £45 for mine but it was back in 2005 or so. In fact, I think that I sold it for more than I paid for it.

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

Unfortunately, plenty of the pain may still be due to the actual operation, lots of muscle cut through to get to the spine, plus all the digging around near nerves etc

Did you get to discuss pain management with the anaestheticst who presumably did the epidural?

nope - on this occasion there was no pre-op assessment, because they didn't consider it necessary so close to the previous op, and I have to pick up some of the bills relating to seeing the anaesthetist.. to date, there has been no physio either other than 3 sessions (NHS) prior to the 1st op which were not suitable for what my problem was as it turned out! I know some of the issues are related to inflammation and my inability to take NSAID's but I'm +8 weeks post op now and some of those issues should have started to ease! I also get worse through the day, not better which I don't understand. My understanding was that mornings should be worse with this kind of injury. Perhaps I am just over doing it with my physio walks and being too active. walking is getting easier than it was though.

My main issue now is that talking with my GP is difficult. they are being awkward in coming out to see me, and telephone appointments take some getting to say the least. And tbh they give me such a hard time that unless I really need another bottle of morphine out of them I have not got the enthusiasm or energy to fight with them. I know it sounds bad, but 3 months of fighting it out with them and they have won when it comes to the minor things!

If I can find the energy next week I will make a telephone appointment to talk to my GP about NHS physio and getting them out to me again.

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

[QUOTE 3522007, member: 9609"]I was given a loan of a saddle stool and it made a remarkable difference, apparently they put less pressure on the spine, I was able to sit at the table for a whole 10 minutes, long enough to eat my dinner,[/QUOTE]

Saddle stools are brilliant. I used one daily for work when I had my dog grooming salon. Hairdressing suppliers are a good place to start. Ebay is cheaper though, you can often find them second hand. I paid about £45 for mine but it was back in 2005 or so. In fact, I think that I sold it for more than I paid for it.

I've just ordered one... fingers crossed it helps.

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

[QUOTE 3522098, member: 9609"]I think I also bought from a hairdressers supply, paid £30 ish 2008. Much better than a traditional chair if you are at desk and need to move about a lot, apparently it makes you bend and twist at he hip rather than the lower spine.

don't get too excited, they won't work for everyone, but it did make a little diff for me, at the time 2min max on a proper chair, extended to 10 on a saddle stool. It certainly wasnt a cure.[/QUOTE]
being able to sit down even for a few minutes longer would be nice. currently all my meals are eaten lying down and that is causing me breathing issues. It can always go back if there is no obvious difference. fingers crossed...

I's also finding when I am walking that I have to rotate my periodically to relieve the stress on my back, so I guess my posture must be really bad, or my body has slipped into something that is more comfortable than a walking posture is? sounds like I need to muster some energy to talk to my GP about physio to look at my posture really! that can be next week's task... GP is closed until Monday now and you can't make telephone appointments over the web booking system sadly!

 

[vickster]

Can the consultant not refer you to a pain specialist on bupa? Certainly worth asking

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

Can the consultant not refer you to a pain specialist on bupa? Certainly worth asking

I will ask her next time I see her. She has already hinted that she can do more for the pain but wants to give it 6 weeks from the steroid injections. I have the next appointment through, so will jot it down as a question to ask her then. thank you.

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

Well I've worked out why my back is so very sore at the moment. 2 of the injection sites have bruised and hurt like no-ones business. Oww.... which also means it will take at lest another 7 - 10 days to ease going by my current bruising on my arms...

I've had to cut back on the amount of walking in doing and also have had to increase my pain meds again. Yet to find a good combination though so rather gruppy and prone to tears at the moment and sadly too sore for my husband to hug me better.

I might be hitting some chocolate soon despite my diet!