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...And so, I Begin

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So sorry to hear about your mother Guilamac.May this year be the start of many good things for you.Sometimes I see it as a test of my character,Can I still be a positive ,engaged and loving person despite this chronic pain.I also work full time and had to take an International board exam,a four hour test.If I fail it it could mean my job,no pressure.


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kids and wife back today. So as I expected, no dogs or cat for me tonight. Back to low rung on the totem pole tonight. Glad to have the family back though. They had a great trip. I was better over the last 24 hours about taking my meds and noticed a difference in my hip pain level. Planning on some serious Lego time tomorrow with my girls to give the wife a break.

After being on break this week, The next 2 weeks at work will be chock full of long days. Expecting it to be brutal, but I am so ready to drop my grip on the rope and let it be somebody else's problem for a while. Getting so close to what I hope is a life changing event.
 
hey @gullimac was catching up on your thread. Man, you have had some tough days. Sorry to hear that.
But glad to read that the dentures are beginning to settle in.
If you are still having some issues with talking with them in? Maybe try reading out loud. Just go into a room by yourself and go at it. The more you speak out loud the faster your adjustment will be. I worked in dental offices for many years and that was the advise given. :)
You are getting very close to surgery day. Homestretch!
 
@gullimac - I think you'll find this final couple of weeks will go by fairly fast (they did for me) and now I'm down to a couple of days already. So you've learned that taking your meds on schedule has helped - that's good news. Have you got ice gel packs ready for your recuperation? :ice: There's nothing to stop you using them preOp - worth a try? Not sure if you've mentioned what your job is - does it involve a lot of standing/walking? Re it being a life-changing event - that's exactly what I have heard from so many folk .... well hallelujah to that! :wow:
 
@Miss Muffet I am an Athletic Director at a small private high school. I organize and staff all our school sporting events. I have to do a fair amount of standing and walking, but I have severely limited curtailed that as much as possible. Spring sports are less demanding for me and I have more consistent help. It is long hours and I can get burned out pretty bad this time of year (even in a good year). The next week is chock full of meetings, games and our end of year athletic banquet. Then I have a week to wrap some things up and get the people who are taking on some of my duties for the next 8 weeks ready.

@Cynthia777 today was my pre-surgery visit with my PCP too. We are so in synch right now.

My BP has been a bit of see-saw :good-bad:over the last few months, with the "good" being borderline readings. My doc decided to go ahead and pro-actively put me on medication, but believes I may not need it long term. He is happy with my weight and my labs looked good. He commended me on taking care of the dental issues now. He kept saying he was excited for me and my upcoming THR, because he felt like it would make a huge difference for me. We talked about anxiety and depression, something we have tap-danced around for a couple years. We agreed to put that on hold until the summer after surgery. He gave me his clearance for surgery, so one more hurdle cleared.

Headed to the dentist again tomorrow for another adjustment. I have 2 more visits before surgery to get my bite to a manageable place.
 
OH my gosh @gullimac, we are definitely in-tune with each other! Every year I celebrate my THR anniversary, I will most definitely think of you! Cheers buddy! :cheers:

I'm so happy for you, getting your teeth problems behind you!
 
@gullimac - gosh you have a heavy workload to manage and I don't envy you that. But all good news from your Doc and a green light for surgery means work will become less of an ordeal and more like something you can enjoy once you're freed of pain. :egypdance: Anyone with this pain will understandably get depressed and anxious. It impacts your whole life and being. Good luck with your next dental visits - soon you'll be biting the bum out of life, looking ahead to what will be better times and then those black clouds will lift and the sun will shine again! :SUNsmile:
 
It's not unusual for your BP to be in a high side pre-op. You are dealing with a lot including anxiety and pain. I'll bet things balance once you are recovered.
gullimac said:
he felt like it would make a huge difference for me.
Click to expand...
Indeed - it's a new beginning!
 
Yay, it sounds like everything is coming together and you're getting so close to your surgery date! I have to admit that I feel somewhat cynical towards mine actually happening after two cancellations, but also keeping a positive attitude and moving forward with making arrangements for help with kids, work and packing my hospital bag!
Re: anxiety and depression, I wanted to tell you that one of the first medications my doctor tried me on years ago for pain were anti-depressants, before I even was diagnosed with arthritis and it was just "mystery pain", apparently it's an off label use. I have never gone off them because they have completely been beneficial to my mental health while dealing with all of this. -Robin :)


RTHR, MIS (minimally invasive surgery), posterolateral approach, Feb. 15, 2016-cancelled :( waiting for a new date
 
Antidepressants are commonly used off label for pain. My mom has fibromyalgia and they were a big help to her. This was after trying several pain meds without success. Of course with the fibro there is never complete relief, but you take any hope you can get.

Also depression and anxiety are common in healthy people who don't have physical problems, so it is very understanding to have these issues with the problems that lead up to a THR. There used to be a stigma about mental health, thankfully most of that is gone now. Every person will at some point in their lives be depressed. And there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. It's just like physical health issues. If you ignore it long enough it doesn't necessarily go away. If it's a concern for you then please address it with your Dr. Could be a short term of meds can help. Life is entirely too short not to use the resources we have available to us.
 
@Kitsmom glad you dropped by. I wanted to wish you luck, but did not want to jinx it. Looking forward to seeing you on the other side.

On the depression/anxiety front, I had promised my wife I would have a serious discussion with my doc about it the next time I saw him. She dealt/deals with a lot of that herself and was concerned that I wasn't taking care of myself. My doc is my age, has a kid at the school I work for and we have developed a nice relationship with each other. She knows that. I am glad she encouraged me to discuss it with him. Just talking about it and acknowledging that it was an issue that I need to address was helpful.

@Miss Muffet unfortunately I got a week ahead of myself and showed at the dentist this morning at 8am and they told me my appointment was next Wednesday. I blamed all the meds and lack of quality sleep for my faulty memory. (I have honestly noticed that my name and word recall has been progressively worse over the last 2 months.). I have been going every week to check since the extraction so I just got it in my head it was this week. You know they say that the memory is the first thing to go as we get older, and I can't remember what the second thing is...:shrug: :heehee:

The countdown continues
 
@gullimac
Believe me when I say, the brain fog is very, very real! My family keeps giving me these odd stares, as I have a tendency to not be fully focusing on what they're saying. I experienced this with my last THR, both before and a few weeks after surgery. I'm just happy I haven't started drooling yet! :yikes:

Not long to go Twinsy! :shocked:
 
11 more days. Starting to get a little stressed getting folks at work ready for me to be gone. The hazard of doing too much for everyone else is that they can't do it for themselves when you are gone. Got to trust that people will figure it out and things will be fine. Not as good as when I am around, of course :flwrysmile:, but fine. Got to get ready to let go.

We have Athletic Recognition Night on Sunday, which I refer to as the athletic version of "graduation". Lots of speaking and standing for me. Neither of which I am doing particularly well right now.
 
Of course they will get by! And they might be able to all for your advice after your initial recovery period is over.

Try and find as many opportunities to sit and lean- could they give you a stool if you have to make a speech?
Try and enjoy


Candice, 29 yo. Rheumatoid Arthritis. Australia. Sequential unilateral THR June 1st 2016 and July 13th 2016 :)
 
@gullimac As the Director....just use a stool! At school, try to do EVERYTHING you can do to keep the inflammation down. The last few days without anti-inflammitories are tough. Be good to yourself. The last 10 days are about preparing yourself....I promise you that the grown people will figure it out. Or it won't get done..... And the world will not end. Take care-
 
@Toddlermom The title, Athletic Director, sounds nice but I am middle management. Lots of RESPONSIBILITY, but very little AUTHORITY. My principal and headmaster are very much micro-managers.

Hoping to "be good to myself", but worse case scenario I know I can tough it out for 10 more days.

It's hard for me to let go, but you are right--the grown people will figure it out.
 
@gullimac I am visualizing a principal shouting 'STEP AWAY FROM THAT STOOL'! :rotfl: I know that there is quite a bit of standing at events, teaching, and awards ceremonies.

As a former Director of Performing Arts at a secondary magnet school, I get it. As a manager of 25 employees later in my career, your employer must make reasonable accommodations if they are aware of your current (temporary) disability. Just don't be a hero! The last 3 days without anti-inflamitories are very incapacitating (at least they were for me). Don't push through on the next few days....expecting the last 3 to be similar. :no-fin:
 
Made it through Athletic Recognition Night...had a stool offstage for Me to sit on between my portions. The set up and break down was tough, but I tried to sit back and let others do most of the work. I am always the biggest critic of this event when it is over, so of course there a few things that need improvement, but overall it was a success.

9.more.days. :hiking:
 
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