THAT's Why this is a good topic? Particularly since many recent posts have brought up this 'issue'?
Cy? That term 'river rock'? Is truly positively absolutely APT! Kind of creeps up on you? Don't know ya got it until it starts to hurt? And, THEN! Getting it all out is one new adventure? OOOOH! The Fun things we go thru? That the docs neglect to tell us about? And then???!!! The problems those issues can cause? I was diagnosed w/a new problem? Because of the conditions & the meds? I am suffering the consequences of it all. I am NOT a happy camper? As IT ALL could have been prevented by more astute coordination of medical practicioners? I KNOW I have tried to herd the cats? And I've actually done it at times? But some of these cats, I believe don't get it unless forced to read anything at times.
Good thing I walk with at least one cane? Get my drift? One can provoke me, but not the labs or test results! If I break my cane? They can carry me home!
I suppose? My last words would be: Do NOT GET WITHIN BITING RANGE OF THIS PERSON! Do you think I should wear a sign? Sort of a 'dangerous dog' type? There are too many times when I feel like growling at these guys and starting to swing. My neuro not, but the others? Yeah. Hugs to all anyhow? And, Keep on Being not-quite-rabid about getting answers! 's - j

Greek yogurt you can find in most grocery stores. I like okios the best which I find at Whole Foods but also I have found at Walmart. There are other brands too even dannon and yoplait makes it. I agree about starting slow on high fiber items. I learned that the hard way and making sure to drink plenty of water. As for docs and the side effects I often feel if the side effect is not in that docs specialty they don't care as much cause they can just ship you off to another person to deal with it. I know it is not all doctors but some. As for activity for me when I joined this thread I could barely get out of bed from pain. When my docs said I had to get moving in fear of atrophy I started very slowly and increased my walk time by 5 min a week or even 2 at times when the pain was so high. It took awhile to build up but it worked better for me. When I try something new like when I did pool therapy and they had me in the pool for too long and too much for the 1st time my pain went sky high that I fear doing it again. That approach does not work for me. Everyone is different of course. When I think back before this on how active I was and how I took my body for granted gosh it makes me sad. Well sending good thoughts to all

[QUOTE=MelodyL;654088]

I have a question. If pain meds lead to constipation, does medical marijuana do the same?


*** I never had the problem being discussed until I started pain meds. I was on medical marijuana for at least 18 months before I added opiates to my pain treatment. No problem at all.

Cowboy

Well, J, I am in the same frame of mind.....and I am getting meeself a cane! Hubby insists on a sporty looking 'walking stick' for me....I don't care as long as it can swat and poke....wayward cats...you know. My experience lately, is the cats don't read what you give them.....My experience lately is that hospital and clinc adminisitrators are soooo in bed with insurance companies that our treatment is in jeopardy. The sicker one gets and the more labs that are off.....the more the cats tell you, how good you look, or how depressed you are (which is is?).

I think one of my doctors has taken up wine tasting as a hobby. I think this was my last appointment with her.

I use a walking stick made for hikers. It is light weight, and easy to handle (it scopes down too for compact storage).

I find it better than a cane. I use this on our stairs outside (of which we have many) and going to and from the car, and walking around my yard and street and for some planting/weeding balance.

Mine is made by Coleman. It was not expensive.
http://www.amazon.com/Coleman-802-25.../dp/B0009PUQHI

UpNorth, I have my own cedar stick that I made myself. It is more substantial, with the rocks up there etc. The Coleman stick is not for heavy weight bearing.

Cyclelops:

I had to laugh at your last paragraph about the doctor taking up wine tasting as a hobby.

I will never forget (and this happened about 5 years ago), my husband had to get his nose cauterized because he broke some blood vessels and bled all over the bathroom (he was just put on Plavix and aspirin therapy).

So it clotted up, I did what one does for a nose bleed, and this is 2 a.m. and I put a call into his doctor, who called back in a few hours, and said "Melody, you did the right thing, now bring him in today and we'll cauterize his nose.

We did this, but it wasn't enough and soon he had another nose bleed. That's when his doc said "what he needs is a detailed cauterization". So we found an ear nose and throat specialist.

We made the appointment and we arrived, we told him exactly what Alan's doc had said. His reply; 'Nah, he just needs vaseline in his nose, that's all he needs, he doesn't need any cauterization".

Well!! I just looked at him as he stuff Alan's nose full of vaseline and some gauze. When the guy came over to me and came in my face I SMELLED THE BOOZE.

We paid the co-pay, I got Alan out of there, and BAM, two days later, Alan's nose bled again. I then told Alan's doctor what happened and he said "for goodness sake, go to this other guy, THAT GUY didn't know what he was talking about". I never mentioned what I smelled.

We go to the new guy, he gives Alan a detailed cauterization and HE NEVER HAD ANOTHER NOSEBLEED.

It's amazing what one learns in doctor's offices.

Melody

Just wanted to give you a tip on "greek" yogurt.

You don't have to buy it. You can make your own. If you have ANY brand of plain yogurt in the house, (I'm talking live active cultures, yogurt), but you can do this with ANY brand of plain yogurt),just take a bowl, a colander and some coffee filters. That's right, I use Mr. Coffee coffee filters.

This is so easy, you won't believe you did this.

Take the colander, line it with 5 or 6 coffee filters. Doesn't matter how many you use but DO USE MORE THAN 4, you want it to hold together.

You place the colander over a bowl to catch the whey that will drip out.

Then you simply dump the yogurt into the colander, and you will see (if you pick up the colander), that there is liquid dripping through the filters, into the bowl.

That's the whey being separated from the rest of the yogurt.

I leave this on my kitchen table but if it's the dead of summer, then put this whole thing on the shelf in your fridge. In a few hours, go and take it out, and you will see much of the liquid as dripped to the bottom of the bowl. This is why protein. People do LOTS of things with whey protein. Add it to the other things. Me? I just throw it out.

Now here's the kicker.

If you let this sit for 2 or more hours, you'll have green yogurt, and you can do ANYTHING you want with it, add some cilantro and garlic and make a dip, do some research and you'll see what one can do with greek yogurt (other than just eating it like it is, which is VERY HEALTHY).

Now, here's what it interesting. If you do this overnight, the next morning, when you open that refrigerator, you will find that you have made CREAM CHEESE.

Because ALL THE whey will have dripped out of the yogurt. You can actually mold this stuff and spread it on crackers, or bread or whatever. I've used this in some pound cakes, and muffins.

But you can add some fresh garlic and make garlic cream cheese.

Try it, experiment.

You'll have the benefit of adding live cultures to your digestive system. So it helps with THAT also.

Just note that because the liquid is separating from the other stuff, you will not have A LOT OF GREEK YOGURT or cream cheese or whatever you decide to make.

what's the solution? Buy A BIG TUB OF PLAIN YOGURT. Whenever I buy big tubs, when I open the lid, there is liquid at the top anyway. So I bring it home, do my thing, and BINGO, GREEK YOGURT.

Give it a whirl!!

Melody

I think if I asked my docs for medical maryjane, they would have me clinked in jail! Most of us don't have that option, but, my thought is this.....mj would NOT cause constipation....perhaps a bit of weight gain, and a great sense of humor.

Opiates cause constipation (including fentanyl) because they slow gastric motility. I am really in a quandry since my autonomic system is very affected by pain meds and I am very susceptible to back up.

Like I said, if I take nothing or not enough, I can bearly move to get to the bathroom and if I take stuff, it isn't worth making the trip. Oh well.

Oh yes, that is what hubby is getting me....a hiking stick. I have an oak one a friend made....duck head on it...cute, but no rubber tip, it needs that. I need one with a tip for indoors too. I don't need heavy weight bearing potential, just something in case I misplant. Misplants are getting more likely, ankles are going.....and right foot is quite numb.

Which brings me to the issue if my current regimen is really helping. I honestly think I have been blessed with hereditary, autoimmune AND traumatic PN. I have had funky labs, including urine billi, serum billi, up, and signs of distal renal tubular acidosis. Beginning to wonder. Also....TSH is 3.92, which seems on the high end....and Vit. D is low, I don't know the number, but, I have never had a low one before.....eh....I'm falling apart right now.

I am going to go comfort myself with my little peeping feather balls.

Thanks for letting me know that medical mj does NOT cause constipation. I just told that to Alan, and his response was "I haven't gone in 3 days". I said "what???" then it hit me "You haven't been eating my sprout salads have you?" and he sheepishly said "no, I've been eating my carbs".

I looked at him and said "You DO know what you are having for dinner tonight don't you? and he laughed and said "Yeah!! SPROUTS!!

Now answer me this one. You said that taking medical mj might cause a bit of weight gain.

why??

Every time I see a pothead on tv, they are always skinny and unhealthy looking.

So how could medical mj (or any mj) cause weight gain?

Thanks if you can clear this up.

Melody