Tuesday, October 18, 2005

early evening

Cricket’s Crappy Crap

F*&#$&, f##$&, f#*$*! After dinner tonight, I came into the bedroom and Cricket was sitting oddly. I talked to her and she got up and LIMPED over to see me. That limp, that’s another surgery at $1000 - $2000.

It was raining really hard today and the yard flooded, so Cricket hasn’t been let out. (She goes on pads in the bathroom) She oftentimes wants to romp through puddles and make a huge mess. Anyway, she hasn’t even been on the stairs today. I have no idea how she could’ve hurt her leg. Since her last surgery, we don’t even let her go up the stairs anymore - I carry her. She’s only allowed to go down, where she barely puts any pressure on her back (very very expensive) legs.

This is so not what we needed today. I gave her some Rimadyl, but it looks exactly the same as when she needed surgery last time.  She’s limping and then stretching her leg back.  For those of you keeping track - Cricket had bilateral knee surgery early last year.  Then, she had ACL surgery on one of the knees earlier this year.

Monday, October 17, 2005

evening

More Doctor Fun - Admit It, You Just Can’t Get Enough

After much reading, talking to my chiropractor a second time and talking to my brother (a chiropractor), it sounds pretty much like surgery is unavoidable.  When you get two chiropractors saying, “Yeah, that’s pretty bad, I think you’ll need surgery”, that’s fairly definitive.  Chiropractors very rarely want anyone to go the surgical route, if they can be helped any other way.  So, I have a consult with an orthopedic surgeon on November 8th, the earliest appointment I could get.  Next week, I have to go to his office for a twenty minute consult with someone on his staff.  I guess to see if I’m worthy or something.  Anyway, I’m hoping that maybe that consult can get my appointment with the doctor moved up.  My hope for seeing the sports medicine specialist was dashed when his office informed me that he didn’t do spinal work.  It’s too bad, as his office is so much closer and convenient - he’s a couple of blocks from the chiropractor and maybe a block away from the radiologist and not too far from the house.  Alas, the best laid plans of mice and men…

Honestly, I thought I’d go in for the MRI and they wouldn’t find much.  I’m the only person in my family who’s never had surgery of any kind.  I thought I’d keep that streak for a good long while.  The positive side - hopefully I can get rid of the pain and bladder problems for good.  That would make me ever so happy.  I do realize that I’m going to have to change my lifestyle.  Less time on the computer, as all of this sitting is bad for my back.  Lose a little weight - it can’t hurt.  Exercise, so I can strengthen all of the muscles that’ll keep my new back all shiny and new car scenty...or something.

Tomorrow, the day I’ve been looking forward to for about a week now.  I have an appointment with an MD associated with my chiro, so I can get some pain meds.  Ibuprofen, Naprosyn, Soma, etc. - my leg pain laughs at you guys.  The only relief comes from sitting on ice packs and that only helps until I get up and walk around for a bit.  It’s better than nothing, but it isn’t enough.  I’m tired of basically moving from place to place in the house and seeing which spot is most comfortable.  It almost makes me want to weep when my bed isn’t comfortable.  I love reading before bed, and sleeping.  I LOVE sleeping.  Right now, I have to sleep on my right side, with a pillow between my legs (yes, Silent Leanne, only a pillow) and not move the whole night.  Although, I must occasionally move because sometimes I find the pillow on the floor.  I’m sure it freaks Cricket out when my pillow drops right next to her head suddenly in the middle of the night.  I’m sure she’ll be very happy when this whole nonsense stops.

When I win the lottery, I’m going to get The Swopper ergonomic desk chair.  We’ve tried it out at the Relax the Back store and it seems really comfortable.  I’m accepting that if I want to spend time on the computer, I need to get a decent chair.

And now, this ends one of the longest days of my life.  Tomorrow morning, I will NOT wake up at 5:37am.  I will NOT shower at 6am.  I will not be in my car, in traffic (that was a shock) at 7am, even if it is my only opportunity to listen to Mark & Mercedes, my favorite morning team.  Good night.

mid-morning

For More Amateur Doctor Play

I am completely unthrilled with this turn of events.  I am happy that the orthopedists that my chiropractor suggested are on my insurance plan (SHOCKING!) and seem very highly qualified.  I think I’ll pick the sports medicine guy, because he seems as qualified as the other guy and he’s much much closer to the house.

evening

MRI Update

I’m cheating and copying a message board post I just wrote.  My computer is screwed up and for some reason my desktop has totally disappeared, so I’m using cheat methods to get through all my internet necessities.

Hey, I took music with me and he didn’t even offer to let me listen to any. It’s okay, the first minute or so was freaky, but I screwed my eyes shut and thought of England or something. It was over before I expected, so I guess I’m not overly claustrophobic. I took 1mg of Xanax, but I didn’t feel it, so I think I may have gotten through the thing on my own.

Anyway...the preliminary results. Herniated disk, blah, blah, blah. Get thee to an orthopedist, blah, blah, blah. I’m getting the prelim report faxed to me, so I can both remember what the heck the chiropractor told me and give you all the gory details. Plus, I should probably fax it to my brother, for a free consult.

Oh, and so you can play doctor with me, here are some options from the Mayo Clinic regarding treatment, etc.

Oh yeah, and I forgot to give you the price, should you seriously be into playing doctor at home.  The basic lumbar MRI was $1488 - I currently don’t know what my insurance will pay, as they just took my insurance info and didn’t ask me for any cash at the radiology place.

Saturday, October 15, 2005

evening

Answers On Monday?

My doctor seems a tad, let’s say, concerned about the fact that I haven’t progressed with treatment.  When I went to see him today, I asked him for a referral to an MD to get pain meds because this kind of constant pain is kind of wearing on me.  I’ve had some pretty horrible back pain off and on over the past ten years or so, but it’s always gotten better after a couple of days.  This time, every time I think it’s better, all I have to do is walk down the stairs to realize, it’s not going away.  Tonight, I did feel a little better than last night, so I’m happy about that and a bit hopeful.  Anyway, the chiro had a referral, but the MD won’t be in until Tuesday.  I thought I’d try the new Urgent Care near our house, but they closed at noon today and aren’t open tomorrow.  There’s no way I’m going to Quick Care because the wait would be HOURS, with SICK people.  Finally, the chiro’s concern (and perhaps curiousity) became too much, so he decided to take x-rays.  The x-rays all look pretty normal, so that leads us to Monday.  On Monday, at (blech!) 7:30am, I have an MRI.  He said the radiology office wanted to schedule it for Wednesday, but his office pushed for Monday.  And eek, apparently they pushed so hard that I have to be there before my eyes are even open.

Now, ordinarily, I’m not honest in such detail about my personal life, but this is for the search engines.  I want other people to know why my doctor is so concerned, and that what I have (and they have) isn’t just us.  With my back problems (and now leg pain and weakness), I’ve also had bladder problems.  I can’t sit for very long without having to urinate.  It SUCKS!  It makes driving difficult.  It makes concerts and sports events unenjoyable.  I won’t sit in the middle of an aisle in case I have to get up a zillion times.  Actually, it just makes leaving the house unenjoyable.  Fortunately, I’m not needing diapers or anything, but this syndrome, Cauda Equina is a nasty thing that happens to a very small percentage of people with back problems.  These are the symptoms that I have which concerned him: Severe pain in radicular (nerve root) pattern; loss of sensation: often tingling or numbness in the saddle area (I don’t have any problems with my “saddle area"); weakness: in legs, often asymmetric; bladder dysfunction; and loss of reflexes.  Yes, I know Cauda Equina is very rare, but I know that I have enough of the symptoms in order to concern anyone.  I also know that I absolutely need the MRI to find out what’s wrong with me.  So, if you’re some stranger wandering by and you have these symptoms and you’ve never really connected them all together; for instance, back pain and bladder problems...you need to see a doctor.  I should’ve done it before I ended up with pain radiating down my left leg and before my leg became weak, but I kept putting it off.  Don’t be the bad example that I am.  Get help right away.