[Nursey]

Hello,

I am Mary J and I am 68yrs young. I am a retired nurse. I haven't been using a computer for long so please excuse any mistakes I make. I am hoping through my pain that i can use my free time to learn more about the internet so please bare with me.

I live in Spain most of the year, but pop back to the UK to see my 2 daughters and 7 grandkids. My son, like my daughters, is a nurse, although he is in New Zealand, so dont get to see him too often. I'm not that fond of flying, so make the trip every couple of years.Wellington is lovely though.

I have a complex medical history, but I came here as I felt my current diagnosis is close to causing me a depressive episode...My very brief medical hystory is I have a frozen shoulder, osteoporosis, diabetes, thyroid issues, had surgery for a cateract, and am undergoing regular checks as had breast cancer. Cancer is not unknown to me, had bowel cancer as a 14 year old girl, and had an ileostomy when I was 21. Back then it was seen as a radical procedure in one so young. I was lucky though that I was able to use my own personal experience when nursing patients who were either having or had had the same or similar surgery. I have always been a fighter, and try to have a young outlook on life but since I started having these back issues its turned me into an emotional wreck.

I have severe lower back pain, cramping in my legs, particaularly my thighs, although I do get a burning sensation in my calfs. I have started to experiance some numbness in my legs and this really scares me for a couple of reasons - with the diabetes I take longer to heal, with the osteoporosis its easier for me to break my bones, and I love to play sports like badminton and tennis. Badminton is my preferred sport but as log as it helps keep me fit I will try it. I wish I could put a smilie in as then you would see me smile and put some of my feelings acroos

Im sorry for a long post. I guess I type like I am chatting to someone in the same room. I do apologise.

I do hope to hear from someone who can help tell me how to cope with feeling so down. I just dont know how to cope. I am trying to let my daghters see a cheerful me as I am back in the UK helping my youngest daughter pick her wedding dress.

MAny thanks,
Mary J x

[Twinkletoes]

Hi Nurse Mary! Welcome to NeuroTalk!

Wow, you've certainly got a heap of health concerns. Sorry for all that you've been through. But it's nice you were able to help others who were facing the same things.

And you can talk and talk because we ARE in the same room!!!

I hope you'll find some help and answers here at NT. The welcoming committee will be here soon to give you some links to check out. Meanwhile, let me be the first to give you a hearty WELCOME!

[GmaSue]

Hi Mary, I am a retired nurse also. Welcome to our group. I'm glad you like to talk, because we do a lot of that here! In fact, it's one of the ways we cope.
Telling our stories and listening to others tell theirs.

I have a dx of frozen shoulder also and will chat with you, if you want, about what I have done to get it functioning again. I still have pain, but am on the right track to getting it better. Sometimes, just knowing you are on the right track can really give you a lift.

[Darlene]

Mary,

Hello and welcome to NeuroTalk. It is great to see you have come to be with our hugh and loving family. There is a great group here to assist in how they can. I am so sorry to hear of you lost. My thoughts and prayers are with you.

Looking forward to seeing you around.

Darlene

[azoyizes]

Hi Mary, and welcome to NeuroTalk! There are many forums, and a lot of friendly and helpful people here.

I've posted links to a few forums you may want to check out.

http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/forum22.html

http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/forum37.html

[iriseyes]

Wow you are one strong lady! I cant imagine all that you have been through and to still have such a great attitude towards life . I also have some kind of spine issue as we are finding out but not sure just yet as I am still undergoing MRI's and such. I have already found this site to be helpful and the people are so very nice. Hope to keep in touch with you, have a wonderful day.
Iris

[FranksAngel]

welcome to neurotalk ... there are lots of friendly and supportive people here so jump right in and start posting ... should you need help, don't hesitate to ask someone ... we are here to help ... since you have a host of medical issues which you may want to discuss, the following link will take you to our list of forums ... you can post in any of them http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/index.php
again ...

[jane d mccartney]

hello
welcome to the site, i`m sure you will get lots of help & make many friends here. like you i am a retired nurse 75 yrs young. my eldest son has 2 propetys in spain so i like to pop over there for hols.
my youngest son whom has spina bifida & being rejected at birth by his birth
parents came to us at 6 wks & adopted at a later date, he had a urostomy
at 4 yrs which was the norm then & still has it at 38yrs.
I also have a cousin living abought an hours drive from wellington, would love to see n.z but not well enough now.
there that introduces me.
you have a lot of problems but you will find other people suffering from similar things as you. everyone is very helpful.
how lovely to be over here helping choose your daughters wedding dress
i have a grandaughter getting married 1st august.
what a lot we have in common.
my problems are all neurological stemming from brain tumours.
also like you i write like i chat on the internet.
welcome once again
jane

[(Broken Wings)]

hi

and welcome.

hope you find some relief.

Back pain is miserable pain. I've been suffering with low back problems since 1992. I have other painful bad problems, (since 2000) but I have to say low back pain is miserable pain. You can't sit, stand, lay, walk, or find a comfortable position, hardly.

I've done PT and the gambit of that, wraps, meds, stretches, yoga, tape, magnets, lights (LED and infrared), creams, heating pads, traction, aqua therapy, injections, meds, vitamins (fish oil) hot showers/baths, massages, myofascial release, balls, Theracane, relaxation techniques, inversion table, and praying. They were all helpful.

As far as the leg (radiculopathy) pain, that goes along with my miserable back condition, and my leg just came along with the rest of painwrecked body. That was a standing joke when they would ask me how my leg pain was, my leg being the least and less painful of my conditions.

I did find that the LED and infrared lights helped my leg tremendously, and all my owie areas. But just last fall, actually I treated my leg. I can now go 45 minutes on an aqua treadmill, faster too. I'm so amazed. I still have pain, numbess and some tingling, but before the lights I could not do that, at all. 20 minutes were painful for several years. then I worked my way up to 30 and thought I was flying (still walking at 2 to 4 miles per hour, with my leg pain increasing X3 and would definitely keep my up during the night. After treating my thigh and back of my calf, actually my whole leg, front and back, I can go 45+ minutes, at 4 to 6 miles per hour. No way I could do that before light therapy.

I'm so impressed with my results I'm trying to get into a distributorship with these as I want to help others who are painwrecked. For me, it helped tremendously.

Keep trying till you find relief.

[Nursey]

Hello everyone,

Thank you for replying tomy first online post, I was so nervous, and was convinced no one would read it.

Well my daughter has her wedding dress, and I have my outfit, and my daughter finally found some shoes she liked - talk about fussy. I said to her go for comfort as you will be in them a long time. She wanted lovely high heeled, sexy shoes. SHe bought a pair and I said well brake them in, you dont want blisters on your wedding day. Well the blisters she got were not pleaseant, so she has bought a pair of more sensible shoes that wont hurt her feet. What we do for the men we love lol.

My grandson has been giving me computer lessons so I am slowly getting my head around different things. The next challenge I want to do is go into a chat room. I think that would be really interesting.

Jane you sound a remarkable lady. What part of Spain do you visit?
Angels Wings the LED lights sound good, would they work for people with SAD? SAD was one of he reasons I moved from the UK to Spain, as I was fed up with the long winters.

THis post is getting lengthy again lol, you will all know by now that I love to chat.

Love Mary J