Trying to stay positive

[Littlejem]

hi sqwerlie, how strange to read your post today, I had a real moment this morning!! I kept crying and when my poor worried husband asked me what was wrong all I could tell him was that it was everything, I ached, felt really rough and did not feel like going to work at all!! So I'd say it's perfectly normal, we've had this awful pain for so long it really does just get to you sometimes. Naproxyn, is that an anti inflammatory, I take Naprosyn, which is the same thing I think? Why have you got to stop taking them, I wasn't ask to stop back in March with my first hip and I really wouldn't want to have to give them up, they give more relief than the pain meds!!

 

[sqwerlie]

I'm kind of glad to hear it's normal, I was starting to think there was something wrong with me. It makes sense that the constant pain is wearing not just physically but emotionally too. Today is a little better. One of my girls came and is helping me clear out the living room of junk. Littlejem, I don't really know the reason, just that my OS said I would have to stop taking the Naprosyn before surgery. He said I could take Tylenol, which does help a little. I guess me and my ice packs will become best friends for awhile! I hope you feel better today.

 

[LeeApril26]

sqwerlie. Littlejem. I think Naprosyn is a NSAID, like Alleve. If so, you have to stop taking it as it is a blood thinner as well. I was able to take Tylenol and hydrocodone right up to surgery nut no NSAIDS or aspirin. Arrange for a prescription before you have to go off it if you can. I was able to, and it helped.

 

[Littlejem]

You will probably have a few more of those days, but it will be better and all we can do is try and look ahead.
How very strange about the NSAIDs, I told them all of my tablets at my last 2 surgeries, back and hip, and no one suggested I would need to stop taking them, thank goodness, I'll mention it when I go for my pre op next week.

 

[LeeApril26]

Littlejem. I could be wrong about Naprosyn being a NSAID. And each doctor seems to have distinct rules. Worth asking though.

 

[zauberflöte]

sqwerlie oh yes I have been where you are! Chronic pain will wear you down like nothing else will, and add to that sleep deprivation, ditto, and you have a nasty little cocktail. not to mention the weather etc. *passes sqwerlie some chocolate ice cream* (Please come join us at my recovery thread-- we're having a chocoholic's dream party going on! just click below my signature there where it says "ZF's Magic recovery" to go there)
I didn't like giving up my ibuprofen (another NSAID) one little bit. I had to take more tramadol (and was already taking maximum tylenol, a VERY good drug but don't take too much!), and just the small amount for just that one week was possibly enough to give me a withdrawal effect a couple days after i got home from the hospital. Arg! but do ask for a prescription-- it will get you through! Oddly, my hip seemed to know it was done for, and cowered quietly in my leg for much of that week-- giving me less pain than previously! Sorry, you old hip, you, your days were numbered! LOL

 

[Littlejem]

LeeApril26 I googled it and they are the same thing but yes you are right in saying they all have their own ideas on whats right and whats wrong!!
You definitely need to go across and read Zaubers thread sqwerlie and that will be bound to make you laugh!!

 

[sqwerlie]

Littlejem, on my way!

 

[sqwerlie]

Well this has been an interesting weekend! I'm in charge of a children's ministry at church and yesterday another leader and I took a group of second graders to a special day camp they earned by finishing their books. There were about 100 kids there and they play games, go on a hike and do other fun stuff. I had to drive though, and it was about 2 1/2 hours away. I did have the good sense to not try to play the games or go on the hike but it was a very long day. So today I paid for it, of course, and have spent most of the day being a lump. But I was thinking while they were all on their hike, that next year I'll be able to go too, without pain! That got me excited about surgery again. This week is the joint class and then the pre-op stuff. Not long now!

 

[zauberflöte]

sqwerlie you are right, only a matter of days, 15 to be precise! yeah, hiking is a nice goal for next summer. Hiking with second graders?? Well, my ministry is more music and food, LOL. I'm excited for you

 

[sqwerlie]

LOL zauberflöte My ministry is definitely NOT music. I had to fill in for the songleader last year and lets just say it was not my favorite time of the night. Thankfully someone has already volunteered to do it for this year! I do like food though...making it, eating it, dreaming of it, etc. Which reminds me, I have to cook a few chickens this week (we raise our own) and package up the meat to freeze for meals. And get some hamburger too. Otherwise we will be living off frozen pizza and Spaghettios!

 

[zauberflöte]

I have to cook a few chickens

oh dear.... I was looking at your avatar out of the corner of my eye when I read "chickens"....so you know what I really saw

 

[sqwerlie]

I. Can't. Sleep.

 

[LeeApril26]

sqwerlie. Didn't know you were a member of the Insomnia Club. Perhaps we should organize games?

 

[sqwerlie]

Just got back from the joint class at the hospital. Pretty much went as expected, thanks to this wonderful group. Some things I learned....I will have 90 degree restrictions for 3 months , my doctor uses the glue for the incision so I will be able to shower right away , and my dr prefers to use spinal anesthesia, which is what I was leaning towards anyway. One question though, are you awake and aware when they use a spinal or are you pretty much out of it? (I prefer to be out of it ) One comment I did not like, when she mentioned getting a prescription for narcotics for pain control, she added "Of course, you'll want to take as little as possible of them". I wanted to stand up and shout, No, no, no....that is not the Bonesmart way!

 

[LeeApril26]

sqwerlie. You are out of it. The give you a mild relaxant as well, and you sleep, but wake up feeling fine. Re pain pills, it is the USA way to ditch the pills very early. I was down to one per day for exercise by week three.

 

[zauberflöte]

sqwerlie you poor chicken, you. Did you find something to do while you were Not. Sleeping.? I am sorry.....was it pain? Grrrrr. Yay joint class! yeah, it is the American way, Do Not Even Approach Dependency Because Somebody Might Think You Are An Addict. I just learned today that the reason I'm taking 1 Celebrex a day is "we give that to our patients because we find it helps them get off the hard stuff". And then he offered me a muscle relaxant for the cramps I feel when i back off the percocet! I fail to see the difference-- they both make you woozy and maybe sicky, and the pain goes away, and are probably both cheap generics. LOL.
I'm glad you get the anaesthesia you wanted! There are two people on here that I remember their accounts 9but not who they are, sigh) who stayed awake with spinal. They had some happy juice, and were totally present but just plain didn't care to worry about it-- and they both emphasized that, that if we had that, we really shouldn't worry. Me? I'd worry! LOL. I had GA (OS pref) but I think they threw in some kind of block after i went bye-bye.
That's cool OUCH oops cats have claws even when they're being snuggly on your bare shin......sorrry where was I? That's cool, yes, that you found out you get glue-- I didn't find that out till after. And some people don't find out till they go back at two weeks and discover there are staples under there! I hope you are lucky like i was and can take the dressing off after one week. There is still a piece of tape, but it's coming off by itself, and I am to snip the ragged ends till it's all gone snip! I think I may have almost cut a slice of thigh today, must wear glasses when performing surgery

has anybody ever seen this on their computer?-- Every so often, the script turns rainbow pixels, then back to black. Is it my video card (do laptops have that?)? Does BoneSmart have elves? Rainbow elves? Does my computer have rainbow elves??????? oh dear now the mouse cord is nder the cat which has claws on my shin....you'll hear me in Louisiana if this goes wrong.... LOL

 

[LeeApril26]

zauberflöte No elves or pixels, but I usually use an iPad. Just checked on a laptop, but nothing weird.

 

[sqwerlie]

ummmm zauberflöte? You really must give a warning when you are going to be so funny. I almost spewed my chocolate milk all over my keyboard. From drugs to cats to blind surgery to rainbows and elves....were you ever diagnosed with ADD?

 

[zauberflöte]

sqwerlie not till I did it myself when raising two wildly ADHD kids....adopted...I joke that they gave it to me. But actually as I watched their ADD play out, I realized that my father was also ADD (and I'm not adopted, and I'm very like him LOL) so yes, I have more than a touch of the "distractable" type. Before my first was dx, I wrote an essay about how both of us have "excellent peripheral hearing", which means that we hear every little thing going on, and must process it right then and there. very useful for an orchestral musician or a sqwerl, not so much for a second grader. You are very good in the dianosis dept! Sorry about the chocolate milk...
This place is wonderful. I can say what i want when i want to, and won't be interrupting or disruptive (I should mention that i recall spending most of first grade out in the hall, and I never knew why...classic!) adn people can pass over or read as they choose. Life in my brain-- gotta love it or cry!-- and I tell everybody (particularly parents whose kids are freshly dx'd ADD and parents are bemoaning the loss of "the normal life" that ADD is the only good kind of kid to have-- and I'm very serious here: they have a spark that neuro-typical kids lack. There I've said it. i've insulted all your kids...but for me it's very true. If my kids were plain vanilla, life would have been easier, sure, but not nearly so rich.
Did you bargain on an essay??
And what were you doing up at 1:05am?? Sleepless again?