My dad said he didn't want to go digging for the spy capsule if they see it. I'm not gonna do it. I'm going to guess that where they put it, and where it comes out of, that it's a one-time use.

I just managed to take a shower and wash my hair...with both hands, and no screaming in pain! All excited about that. I had to help the left hand a little bit with the right hand during the hair washing, but when taking care of all the other washing, it was fine. I'm shocked at how bad my arm was the past few weeks that just taking a shower was nearly impossible. Also shocked that the cortisone shots are just what I needed to make it stop hurting, and make things nearly back to normal. I really hope that lasts.

Can't wait to do the PT on it and get it totally better. I want to be able to knit and crochet again without screaming in pain.

Erin,

I'm not sure on this, but I think that it is important to know that the camera has been expelled...not so much because it may be re-used, but so that ti doesn't get lodged in the gut. Also, your Mom can not have an MRI (if she needs one), until it has been expelled.

I'm still doing the blurred vision, dizzy, sleepy thing on the Cymbalta, but it is taking the edge off the pain, so will coast on it a little longer in the hope that the side effects decrease.

With love, Erika

I think that's why my dad has to keep helping her look for it. Not a job that I would want to do.

My Dad and Step mom have asked if...or rather when, I will be coming for Christmas. I usually do spend a few days with them either before, during or after, but I don't think that I'll be able to go this year. Its a 10 hour drive but could turn out to be longer on winter roads, and I just don't think that the body is up to it, the way it feels right now.

I haven't shared with them the problems that I've been having of late, but unless things improve, I may have to..

It seems odd to say this, but I'd sort of like to catch a cold or something equally temporary, so that I could use that as an excuse for not coming.
I just don't like to worry them, or have them feeling badly over my situation, especially over the holidays.
They have a hard time believing me when I say that I am just fine and content to be at home by myself when they know that the body is struggling.
Parents...got to love them :).

With love, Erika

I know what you mean, Erika. I tend to not talk about my challenges with my immediate family but that backfires on me when they ask me to do something I know I can't do. Sometimes I might embellish on the truth a little to excuse myself from doing something but they seem to know when I'm not feeling well. :rolleyes:

I hate complaining and they know that so it really takes alot for me to back out of doing something with them. And at that point they know I'm really not feeling well.

I hope your family understands and won't worry too much about you. It sounds like you have plenty to keep you busy at home (Ziggy and Willy ;)) so maybe they'll understand. 10 hours in a car is a l-o-n-g time for even a healthy individual.....even with many breaks.

Erin....I'm so sorry you are in so much pain. Its good that you aren't alone. Hopefully, it will lessen and/or your dr will find some relief for you. Sending a gentle hug.

Erika
I so understand your dilemma....sometimes its more comfortable to just have "an ordinary day" when our disease is raging. And its equally hard to disappoint family and friends. I hope you find a solution that every one understands. Just a gentle reminder, we don't drive as well in pain. Bad weather, slow twitchy reflexes, just be careful and be good to yourself! :)
love
janet

Lord Erika, I couldn't even ride comfortably, in 10 hrs, much less drive..:eek:
I hope you find a way to tell your dear parents that you aren't able
to drive that far this year. Maybe they'll send you airline tickets.:D

Sally, my folks and I have discussed my flying down instead of driving a few times with other trips, but if I am well enough to do that, I'm probably well enough to drive.
I'd have to drive or have someone drive me to the airport that has planes that fly to the town that my folks live in and that is 90 minutes away...heading north (which usually means nasty roads), as opposed to driving south in their direction.

It is also a flight between relatively small towns, so the planes are usually twin prop "puddle jumpers", rather than jets. It makes for a bumpy ride in the north with winter upon us; with the potential of not being able to land at either end due to fog or snow. That means ending up where one started or landing elsewhere, getting loaded onto a bus and then being driven either to motel or to the destination.

Just writing about it, never mind the thought of checking in, waiting around (we need to be there 2 hours before even on these remote domestic flights), boarding (we have to climb a flight of stairs from the tar-mac to the plane), flying, gathering and dragging luggage around when I get there etc...and then doing the whole thing in reverse on the way home is exhausting.

It is actually easier for me to drive if the body is up to it because I can stop whenever I choose, rest, stretch and/or walk around, and then carry on or even grab a hotel room if need be.
There are small towns every 100 miles or so and only two mountain passes to negotiate. There are also highway reports posted along the way to alert drivers regarding the conditions, so its easy to avoid storms or poor road conditions etc, by pulling off and waiting them out or taking a hotel room. I've done that before.

I really doubt that I'll be going though.

With love, Erika

I'm ready for the Star Trek age when we can just say 'beam me up Scotty'.

wishing you both the best possible results.:hug::hug:

My whine for today is just that, a big whine. I hate being alone and not feeling well and in pain. Today was that kind of day. I needed a distraction or I would have gone crazy with worry of the pain and not feeling well. I mean, I only got out of the hospital yesterday afternoon and every time I get this stupid diverticulitis, the pain is worse than childbirth. Morphine just puts a dent in it. Of course, being a lightweight, I can only handle 2 mg at the most. But still, it only makes me feel the pain less and serves its purpose. I am really bad about minimizing my pain. Drives DDs and my family crazy as they can all see it but I pretend I'm fine. One of my nurses convinced me to just take the pain meds. She told me that my whole body is tensed up in pain. She said, "You are so tensed up on the outside, can you imagine how tensed up your insides are, including your colon?" She said that taking the pain meds will relax me and help my colon to heal. She's right and I know that but being a patient is so hard for me.

Anyhow, I went to my brothers. It worked out well for all of us and I'm so glad I went. It didn't make the pain go away, it just helped distract me from the pain.

Passing the whine and cheese . . . .

I wish you lived next door to me Trish, and you could come over and just hang around. I'm so sorry for all you are going through. :hug: I feel like hugs and warmth help so much for all of us but sometimes it would be nice just to be closer to help each other out.

Me, too. I wish we all lived closer to each other.

We could be the MS version of The Golden Girls! :D There would be more than three of us but we'd make it work!

Somehow I think that if we all got together in one place, that it could be the end of the world, as others now know it. :D

Imagine "well meaning friends, acquaintances and family" trying to wade through a gathering of 'mother bear-pit bull terrier' protective peeps...and their pets.
It might be a lot of fun for us...maybe not so much for others. :winky:

Sign me up.:hug:

With love, Erika

:D I agree, Erika. But, you know, we have all had to try to "fit in" in a world that we once knew well but now feel alienated from. I think it's our turn to be the "normal" ones in a room full of seemingly normal people. ;)

:D I can see it now...a lot of us would be napping, and for those who share my recent symptoms, nearly face planting into our breakfast or computer keyboards.

The narcolepsy-dozing is really bad this morning; making it hard to concentrate or stay sitting up without nodding off, but if I go to bed, I'm wide awake.
Hmmm...the floor beside my computer chair is looking mighty inviting right now though...:rolleyes:

Passing the cheese.

With love, Erika

Sign me up! Make room for Momma Bear! I'll bring all of
my hunks with me, to do all of your bidding!!:D

We are the new Normal.:ranting: :yikes: :stirthepot: :Talkative: :Head-Spin: :Viking: http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/im.../Crazy%202.gif :Wheel:!!!

All of our Men are also welcome!! :grouphug:

Wait a minute, Kelly! I fit in my world. It's everyone else who doesn't fit in my world.:D:D:D You do have a point. At one time, many of us had better mobility, energy, etc. and were able to do what we needed to do and what we wanted to do. It's all a little different now.

It would be fun if we all lived close together. I would love it. Hey, didn't we have an MS commune thread on here some where? What did we decide to call ourselves, or did we decide?

I got out of my house today!!

Parents took me out for breakfast at our favorite breakfast place, and I might have had an overly chocolatey and caffeinated beverage with tons of whipped cream on it. (the coffee bar girl even added extra freshly-made-homemade-in-the-restaurant whipped cream to it after I ate it all off the top)

There was snow and ice on the ground in the parking lot, and I had to use the stupid rolling walker, but I'd rather use that thing than fall down.

Then, we went out again later tonight for dinner. (Chinese food, which I haven't had in MONTHS!). We'd parked in the handicap spot there, because for some reason they only have two spots in that strip mall, and it was the only place we could actually park. It was a cold walk into the restaurant, but at least it wasn't icy.

My dad didn't care for the cold air. When we left, I told my dad that I'd go out, and at least start the car for him so that it would be warm. So, I got into the car to start it, and looked around the parking lot which by that time was mostly empty. Said "what the heck? why not?", and I actually moved the car down to the door of the restaurant so my parents wouldn't freeze to death coming out to the car.

I was *almost* brave enough to drive home, but it was nighttime, there's snow and ice on the ground, and I've never driven an automatic on snow and ice, and am not quite sure of how it would handle in a slick area. Plus, not all that sure about the reflexes in the right foot. So I told my dad that he could drive us home, but at least he had a warm car to get into. He was pretty thrilled that he didn't have to walk all the way out to the car.

I really want to drive my car, but I'm just not sure of it on the snow and ice yet. I'm a stick shift girl. Loved driving the manual transmission of my old car on snow. I knew how that car handled, and I was good at driving it on snow. I just never really had that much experience with driving automatics on snow and ice. I just don't think it would be that good of an idea for me to try to drive it on snow, with numb toes and a recovering shoulder. Maybe I'll try to go to Burger King tomorrow. I don't have to get onto any big streets for that, since they're right on the edge of our neighborhood. Maybe I'll go pick up lunch for my parents tomorrow. (taking dad with me just in case I have problems)

or, I could drive my parents to Village Inn for pie. (it's next door to the BK)

Can you tell that I'm trying to take advantage of those 3 cortisone shots I had last week for my frozen shoulder? They're having a nice side effect of making me not feel as crappily MS-ish as I had been. (not being in pain from the shoulder is probably helping a lot too)

That's good news that you are feeling better and even got out for a bit, Erin. Being cooped up can be hard to deal with on top of everything else.

I'm having a rough night with leg spasms, the HUG and nausea. Just took another hit of Baclofen (50 mg so far tonight), so hopefully things will settle down and I'll get some sleep.

With love, Erika

I don't expect it to last long. Any second now I'm expecting things to go back to feeling horrid. Trying to take advantage of it while I can.

Erin - Glad you are feeling some relief and were able to get out of the house for a bit.

Erika - Sorry you had such a rough night. I hate those kinds of nights. I hope you feel better soon.

So Sorry Erika. I hope you feel better soon and that you have a well
day today, with doggie and kitty at your side.:hug:

Sending out comforting and healing (((Hugs))) to all who need them. :grouphug:

I put up Christmas decorations yesterday, three small pre-lit trees that I carried downstairs and plugged in. :o They look nice and the kitties like them.

It has really warmed up in N. Illinois, up to 10 degrees F and feels like a balmy 0 degrees! ;)

I need to go get cat litter refills at Petco. I had to deep-clean the litter boxes yesterday because Rocky had diarrhea. He is getting better but I need to put more clean litter in them.

I will probably pay for that tomorrow when I am back at work.

Sheesh...its been another rough night of spasms and pain, but things are feeling better now after having another Epsom salt bath and doing some stretching. I had an Epsom salt bath in the middle of the night as well, as I'd already taken 40 mg of Baclofen and didn't want to take any more.

I'm tired of feeling sedated and drugged on the Cymbalta. I've been on a low dose of it (just 30 mg) for 10 days now and still get nauseated, dizzy and have blurred vision for around 12 hours after taking it.

I thought that ADs were supposed to ease depression. I wasn't depressed to begin with, and was given it on a trial for neuropathic pain, but I'm wondering if you take it when you are not depressed, if it causes depression ?:confused:
Sure feels like it.

I'm going in for a biopsy/surgery on the spinal cyst tomorrow.
I'll see my PCP before that and will be asking to try something other than the Cymbalta. It hasn't really done much for the pain anyway.

It makes me feel like Jack Nicholson in "One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest."
I'd rather have a bottle in front of me than a frontal lobotomy :D

Passing the cheese.

With love, Erika

I have nothing to whine about today. I just wanted to wish Erika ( spelled it right the first time) a good day tomorrow and prayers for a good outcome.

Is someone going to drive you or w you?
ANN

No Whines for me either...

(((((Erika))))):circlelove:

Erika - Saying some prayers for you. I hope all goes well tomorrow. Please let us know how you are doing when you are feeling up to it.

My whine . . .I'm so tired of mashed potatoes and applesauce. They are the only things I can down right now without causing me to feel nauseous. Today is the first time in over a week that I actually have some sort of an appetite so I'm trying some boiled organic chicken. It sounded good and it's part of the low-residue diet that I'm supposed to be on.

Oh and my PCP called me this morning to check to see how I was doing. There's an MS component to all of this as my muscles in the lower region are in spasms. UGH! It's making things more complicated as it's constipating in the sense that they won't release and allow stool to pass easily. So, later on this evening before bed, I'm going to try some lorazepam and see if I can get those muscles to relax. MS is just full of surprises sometimes.

Passing the whine and cheese . . .

My only whine today is non MS related. My husbands insurance had let us know that his cardiologist was to be coveed next year. So they send us and updated list today and guess what, he isn't on that list.

That's rough about doctors being dropped. I don't understand why they are doing that. What difference does it make, which doctor you choose to see? Is it an economic decision or ??

Thanks for the well wishes everyone.
I am confident that all will go well. I've had this surgeon before (for GI stuff)and have a good feeling about him and his abilities.

Yes, a friend will be driving me and will keep tabs on how things are going; then will check in on me and bring me home when I am ready. I'm hoping that I'll be back home again later today, but don't know. It all depends on how the biopsy goes.

That same friend will look after Willy and Ziggy while I am in because there has been too much snow to take Willy to the trainers, and my friend will need to come to my house to feed and clean Ziggy's litter box anyway.

Willy knows and likes her, and she has cared for him before. Ziggy also likes her and he has been on her lap for pats when she has visited over the past couple of weeks, so I feel good about that.

Meanwhile, I'm having another night of spasticity that has kept me from sleeping restfully, but don't want to take anything other than my usual 20 mg of Baclofen and LDN, as I might need a general anesthetic in hospital.

The surgeon said that the those were OK to take, and after talking to my PCP on the phone yesterday, I did skip the Cymbalta. I'll be seeing my PCP before the biopsy and possible surgery, so hopefully he will prescribe something else to try, that doesn't have these side effects...and that controls the pain.

Will let you know how things go as soon as I can. :winky: :hug:

With love, Erika

Good luck today, Erika!!! Said some prayers for you this morning.:hug:

Thinking of you today Erika..:hug:

I hope everything went well Erika!! :hug: :hug:

Erika they dropped our PCP because they said the office was run inefficiently because he did simple surgeries and cortisone injections himself. I am beginning to not like this $0/premium insurance. The provider book is to thin and they are very restrictive.

I'd like to know why they dropped my doctors. My doctors, except for the neuro, who is affiliated with everyone in town, are all affiliated with the major hospital group in Omaha, which is now out of network for me. Now if I want to stay in network, I have to go way downtown to do anything. Not a bad hospital, but it's way downtown, in the not-so-nice-and-crime-ridden-part-of-Omaha. I'd have to pass four hospitals in better parts of town, that are just as good as the in-network hospital is to get to it for anything.

I still have no idea where any of their family doctors might have their offices out here in the outer reaches of Omaha. I'm going to continue to go to my regular doctor for the basic stuff. Hopefully my regular doctor's office won't charge arms and legs for stuff. I'll run out of arms and legs pretty quickly.

I got out of the hospital last night and everything went quite well with the biopsy and surgery. It turned out to be a “benign juxtafacet amyloid pseudo-cyst” that was attached to a joint capsule of T10, in the thoracic spine.

Some of it was imbedded in the ligament that runs along the spine and it apparently got squeezed in there and then grew out through the muscle to the surface…sort of a tear dropped shape with the narrow end being the part that was attached to the joint capsule.

The surgeon said that these sort of cysts usually arise because of trauma to the joint, and although they are more common in the lumbar area where the joints are more mobile, and are relatively rare in the thoracic spine because there isn’t much movement of the joints in that area, mine probably got going because of falls and the spasms that I get.
I have several prolapsed discs throughout the spine, with one at T10, and have had three disc herniations in the lumbar spine; all due to falls and the HUG over the years.

So now I’m in recovery mode. There is some post surgical pain but it isn’t too bad and I’m taking Tylenol to control it. Going from laying to sitting and from sitting to standing is the worst bit. I’m able to move around OK otherwise, so I’m sure that I’ll be fine in a few days.

My friend will be checking in on me and lives 10 minutes drive from me, so if I need help, she said that she will come over when/if I call her. I'm keeping my cell phone in my pocket in case I fall or get stuck in the bathroom or something.

Its really good to be home again with Willy and Ziggy, both of whom apparently missed me :)

Thanks for the prayers and well wishes. You guys are the best!

With love, Erika

I think I might have a cold.

Not cool.

:mad:

(((((((Erika)))))), so glad you are home and so are Willie and Ziggy.:hug:
Happy to hear the little bugger was benign, even though it was,
obviously, causing you a lot of discomfort..

You take it easy now and heal. I hope someone can help you take
care of your furry friends for awhile. You shouldn't be doing any
heavy lifting for awhile.:eek:

Sending my love and good wishes for a speedy full recovery.:hug:

Thanks Sally,

Yes, my friends are being absolutely fantastic support.

She and I took a little walk from my house to the park to watch the children play, while he took my plow truck and Willy to do the snow plowing rounds.

Willy loves that because he gets out at every stop and visits with the people and their dogs if they have them.
They were gone for 3 hours and just got back. Apparently a couple of folks were still snowed in (both are physically disabled), and hadn't had anyone check in on them, so my friend's husband made a grocery run for one of them because she needed a few things.

When he came in from the outing, Willy went straight to his bed for a nap after saying hello and having a drink. He's pooped from playing in the snow while out and about, so he'll be fine until tomorrow :D

Now the house is quiet again and I'm in R & R mode for the rest of the day & evening.
I really need to take a bath, so am getting ready to do that. What is it about hospitals that makes you feel so yucky on the outside, that you can gross yourself out just thinking about it ?
I'll keep the surgical wound dry by just sitting in the water and sponge bathing the upper body, because the incision is quite high up.

With love, Erika