It's Good To Have You irljenn !
 

Hello Jenna!
If my math serves me correctly (thanks to Jackie! :)) it is about 1:00am your time as I type this!
I am so glad you and Jackie hooked up! She has been a wonderful blessing ever since the day she logged on to NT! Her and I have much in common. You'll find her to be a very wonderful friend!

My heart went out to you when I read the reason you've sought us out.
You FELL! My daughter is 8 months pregnant, and I can only imagine how horrible this was for you! I'm glad your baby is doing ok and that you have such a wonderful supportive husband.
I'm so sorry for the pain you are battling however.
It's so important to have a good support system when you are up against a battle such as yours. Sometimes it's hard to see things in a positive light when we are racked with pain.
That's why we all reach out to one another and it is so amazing how much people reallly do understand and care. There are NO geographical barriers and we are only one click away from each other!
I hope you are feeling 'at home' here. Holler if you have questions or need help in finding your way around.

I think you have to aquire about 20 posts and then you'll be able to send PM's (private messages) etc.....so don't get frustrated if you aren't able to do some of those things just yet.
It'll be great getting to know you. We are like a big family here. :grouphug:

I hope the Fentanyl patches are working ok for you. What strength does your Dr have you on? They worked wonders for my burning neuropathy pain.

So glad you're here!
Looky! :) I found a pretty avatar from Ireland!
http://dl7.glitter-graphics.net/pub/...v5jv50g8rr.gif

Rae
:hug:

The patches!
 

Good Mornin! (6:00am my time)
I have much more to say in response to what you shared (thank you for sharing your whole story!)
But i first wanted to respond regarding the Fentanyl patches, in case you happen to log on here before you talk to your Dr.
Yes, it is a very powerful opioid med, intended only for those who are already opioid tolerant. Maybe he put you on too high a dose too soon. Maybe he could lower the dose to the 25mcg patches.
Also, Benedryl is known to take away those itchy feelings. Make sure you run this by Dr tho. Or there are other options that can counter those itches.
The 'drunk'/sleepy feeling is normal, but, again, (depending on your body size and tolerance) he might have given you the bigger patches, when the 25's may have been a good place to start and build up from there.
The MAIN thing is the fact that the med DID take your horrible pelvic pain away! wow!
If you had an allergic reaction, you may have gotten hives and had trouble breathing.....but the all over itching is a pretty common side effect with stronger opioids......
I'll be anxious to hear what your Dr recommends....
TTYS
Rae
:hug:

Hi Jenna
 

Hi Jenna

Good to hear from you. Wow that is some story. How frustrating it is to go to the Doctors and them to tell you 'eh sorry there is nothing wrong with you'!!!!!!

Initially I met with a great Spinal Surgeon in Mater Private.....and he was just SOOOOO nice and considerate. He helped me both physically and emotionally. He even made sure at one point when I had to have further tests(Id lost 3 stone in weight all of a sudden)to rule out tumours he sent me to the Bons so that I wouldnt have to pay any further charges!! He has been so kind to me. He still keeps in touch even though Im under the Pain Management Clinic now. He even visited me in the hospital when I had my implant done.

Its sounds like your GP is a good person too. You do need someone like that to help you and let you know you are not going CRAZY!!!!....the cheek of some to even suggest that its all in your head. Back pain is a curse. You could look the healthiest person in the world and no one every know that you are suffering, because on the outside you 'look' ok, whereas inside YOU ARE SCREAMING WITH PAIN:eek:

I hope all goes well for you on Monday, which I know it will. You will be on your way for implant in no time;)

I had Lidoderm patches, which at the moment Im trying not to use. I did find originally that they felt a bit itchy but only at the actual site. So I was told to take an antihistamine which did relieve it. After time I got used to them, although I didnt find them that good....but that was me!! As Rae said, ask your Dr and get it sorted as you dont need that on top of everything else.

I read what you said about the Irish Chronic Pain ***.....I signed up to that after coming on here as another poster said they were on it. I just signed up but never knew about the charge:eek:Disgusting to think that they would CHARGE! anyway I never got much feedback, it appeared that it was quite dormant. Not like here. You will always find someone who will/can help you as much as possible. Everyone is so friendly and comforting.

Take care Jenna and keep us updated

Jackie:hug:

Rrae and jackie thank you both for your responses.
Rrae i had not read your post before I called my GP but your response was spot on and he is going to give me a lesser patch and build me up and when I go down later to pick up the perscription I will ask him about the tablet. It was all over itchy not the site , so it was good to hear about the hives etc as it gives me hope that i may get back to that pain relief in the next few days. I have been left with the worst headache in the world after it but i guess that's the lack of sleep also.

Jackie
I emailed chronic pain ireland and asked them when and why they charged people to use the chat forum and suggested that I thought that was one for JOE DUFFY ( radio presenter) anyway glad i refused to pay the money to them and still no email back as a response maybe I will email joe duffy!!!.

Hope you both have a lovely weekend and thank you for everything so far, I will update after my MENTAL assessment on monday!

Jenna Im sure Joe would be delighted with your email;)...Well as I said I found it quite 'boring' to say the least as no one was forthcoming with information. At least here we have LOTS of different views. Its relatively new in Ireland too. My rep comes from England. Where will your rep be based? Mine is St Judes Medical in England..
Hope you have a painfree weekend and those patches work without the itch.

Take care and good luck on Monday

Jackie :hug:

Hat's off to your GP!
 

I'm impressed with your GP! He doesn't mess around when it comes to pain and that's awesome!
Here in the states, we have the DEA breathing down so heavily, most Drs are very conservative when it comes to opioid treatment.
I hope the itching isn't too bothersome. With the lower dose, I bet you'll adapt and be very grateful for the pain relief!
You might want to make sure you eat prunes! :o
Constipation can be quite frustrating, but I tell ya, these side effects are worth it to me to NOT have to deal with that maddening horrible constant burning pain. I about lost my mind.
Even if the pain is only a '4' on the pain scale, it can seem like a '10' when it is chronic and constant.

Your story is absolutely heartbreaking about how your life changed in that one split second that you took that fall! And being pregnant, I'm sure you were being so careful and yet the floor was slippery unbeknownst to you :eek:
And all you've been thru in trying to recover from that incident! All those casts! And yes, the humility of having people give the impression that our pain is being exaggerated. I just hate it that so many people suffer needlessly when there is plenty of pain relief to be had.......seems we get outnumbered by the recreational drug users though, so with it comes the 'bad name' . boooyah.

Motherhood is such a wonderful blessing, yet you've had a price to pay.
Just doesn't seem fair.
You are strong and you've got alot of things going for you, so do your best to remember that, especially when the 'bad' days roll around.
You've got a great doctor!
Wish they all could be like that! :rolleyes:

Have a great weekend
(((Hugs))) from across the pond,
Rae
:hug:

Hi Jackie
I have no idea where my rep is from did not know I even met a rep but I guess I will but dont know where the medtronics reps come from but have added this question to my list and will let you know when i ask on monday . love the info i am getting from this site as it is answering questions i had not even thought to ask!
Rrae
yes i am blessed with a great GP he does not like to see people in pain and in 2.5 years has never asked me to try and reduce as he knows i could not be without the pain relief. He also sorted by disabled badge for the car which means when i do go out at least i can park closer to where i am trying to go. the governmnet here also assess people for there disability for a disability pension and i am assessed at 60% disabled towards a person of my age which is 38. I know my great life was wiped out very quickly but I am still a happy person I started college 6 months after my accident as i was unable to just sit here feeling sorry for myself so i am in year 3 of a business degree and also decided to study the irish language as an elective so these things as well as kids stop me from having too much time to think about how bad things are sometimes. The gp did say to me yesterday that i was not to be afraid to come talk to them if i did feel i was getting a bit down as he said it's the pain that gets you depressed and the level of pain ur in not me getting down but he just did not want me feeling like a failure if things did start to get me down which i suppose is good to know. he did think the next few months are going to be tough on me mentally as well as physically. I read on someones post that you can't drive for a while after the scs is done about how long will i not be able to drive for can you tell me?
as for pain releif today my hubby got home to late from work to pick up the script so things are not great tonight as the patch from yesterday has left me still feeling a bit crappy but he will be able to pick it up first thing tomorrow and get me sorted. ok i am off to my leaba now need to try and catch up on a few zzz's so talk soon and thank you for all ur support and for letting me off load some of this on this site.
jenna

Hi Jenna when I was about 5 weeks post surgery I asked my pain dr bout driving. As it is I'm not good with the driving as regards my back cos I can't sit too long plus the clutch is a problem too so can't drive to far hoping to get a new automatic in the new year ;). Anyway my dr said I could drive , this was about week 5. So long as I was comfortable and not to do too much twisting etc. Which of course I can't even turnaround to reverse thank God for mirrors ;). I know some posters here were driving even sooner that that. Really does depend on how ur doing yourself with your recovery. Hope that helps. You spoke of disability pension. I hope you are getting it. There is a medical. Isn't there always. But you certainly would be entitled to it. I didn't understand what you meant that your only60%. Its never easy is it. I hope you get thru the might ok and hopefully get a good night sleep

Take care

Jackie:hug:

thanks jackie for the info re driving. with the disability pension they go in levels of payment and they have me assessed as 60% so i have been receiving the pension for about 1.5 years now. yes there is a medical to go through every six months but not difficult once you bring your drs reports with you. they just have it in a part of town where there is no parking which is so irish!!. The car i got is a citroen picasso which is automatic but the stick for changing from reverse to park to drive is on the steering wheel there is also nothing between the driver side and passenger side so you can stretch out your leg on journeys and the handbreeak is a button on the dash so makes things so much easier for driving parking etc work did buy me a very nice car about a year ago and even though that is automatic also i cant drive it as its low down so have to say this was a great but for us.

Now that sounds like the perfect car. I get the Invalidity Pension and have done for two years now was getting Disability Benefit before then. Didn't realise there are stages. I was assessed with my PRSI contributions over the years Yes they are every six months pain in the butt. But with invalidity there was one medical at the start and then continuous assessment by them sending my gp a report to be filled out to make sure im still incapacitated I was also retired early from work. I was in banking but unfortunately I couldn't continue. Devastated. But at least I get my full pension now so that's a bonus. Before the banks go to the wall ;)
Best get to bed now. Nite and talk again soo. Jackie xx

the irish payment system is confusing jackie !! but yes different percentages but do think mine relates to occupational injuries as i get injury benefits as pell as disabilit benefit so probably treated a bit different. Doing ok tonight on a 10mg patch today and so far no itch !!:)
my little girl has tonsilitus so busy trying to get her better today. She just wants to be hugged, held and LIFTED all day which can make me feel guilty at times but she managed to cuddle up to me on the couch.
All your great comments are helping me we realised last night that we are going to have to get a little bed for katie 9still keeping her trapped in a cot) as I was not aware that after scs that i could not lift anything, now i never usually lift her but just in case hubby ain't home after scs is done i will have to bring her up to bed and would not be a smart idea to try lift her into a cot so need to get a wee bed sorted in next few weeks.

One last question for the scs veterans on this site. in all honety after the full implant has been done how long before you feel like walking around, putting washing on, go to shops... my reason for this is it is close to xmas that i am having it done ( triall 2nd dec, implant 9th dec) and just want to know should i be ok to celebrate xmas with the kiddies??

Hi Jenna. Hope your little girl feels better real soon. I'm sure she will only love a bed too and it's the right thing for u too.
As regards post surgery. You will be having yours done bout 3 weeks before Xmas. Now depending on how well you get on At the hospital and how you cope with the incision sites afterwards is key. It can be painful for dome days or even a couple of weeks. Everyone is different. But you must remember to do things slowly. I was kept in for 3 nights then home. Initially for about two weeks I did hardly anything except eat!!!! You cant shower for approx 2/3 weeks as it's important that the battery site stays dry to heal. My husband used to wash my hair and in the first two weeks even tried blow drying it.lol I went out for short walks , about 5/6 mins after the first week to ten days. Building it up each day or two. I didn't drive til About week 6 again it really does depend on how u are feeling too. You are young so you could be up and about in no time. I imagine though by Xmas you willcertainky be over the painful side of the operation. You will be given antibiotics when leaving hospital. To ward off infection. Lasting about a week
Jenna as I say we are all different but positive attitude will certainly benefit you immensely. But be patient. Easier said than done. Let's hope it all goes well and you can enjoy a fab Xmas with your family.

Jackie :hug:

Ps dont forget to put your clock back one hour tonight Jenna and Saffy ;) winter has arrived :(

dreading physco meeting in the morning but i have read the thread on these consults so think it should be ok! (thanks rrae) ended up having a 21st party/dinner for my nephew today 11 for dinner. sometimes it still shocks me how i can't do what i want to do even though i am 38 this crps really does zap your life and tonight i sit here crippled with the pain , pain patch or no pain patch sometimes you just do too much even though you know it will hurt like hell later. my hubby had to visit his father in hospital this evening so it was left to me to bring the kids trick or treating. we did about 20 houses me with my crutch trying to walk a 2 and 5 year old around but you can't say no to their little faces, after all halloween is just one night.
i am blessed with a great family but you just know they don't understand, i think they think i should be over this by now 2 years 9 months on! even my best friends of 13 years plus definately are good on the friend front but i have not even shared my diagnosis with them or the fact i am having this scs done as i dont want the look of why are u still going on about this??.. maybe i will never really have anyone who understands how crappy my life feels sometimes how i am jealous of everyone who can bring their kids to playgrounds, go shopping, go for a walk, work or just be normal!!
crps really has put my life on hold i am like a bystander or an onlooker in my own life and i know the scs will not fix this but will maybe fix a bit of the pain. i read some of the posts and see people up and shopping and doing lots of things that i can only dream about but i am sure even with the scs u will still have bad days...
so i suppose i am asking when do you get used to not being the person u were before crps came into your life? when do you stop looking for the majic cure that you know is not coming?
ok enough of me feelin sorry for myself tomorrow is phyco day and i will update the thread with how i get on... talk soon all :grouphug:

Hi Jenna. Well it sure sounds like you did loads today and are now paying for it :(. I know exactly what you mean. I've good days n bad days. But when they are good there is Noooo stopping me but I pay for it in the end. I know how you feel with your situation. It took me a long time to accept that my life had changed. For the first couple of years I used to count the months and days I was out of work. I used to talk incessantly about my aches and pains. It's all I could think about. I worried what people would say about how long I was missing work and I had myself in a tizzy worrying. It's only been in the past year that I can honestly say that NOW I've reached a stage where I'm more 'content' now you might think geez is she nuts?? How could she feel content? Well I suppose it just dawned on me one day that, no I won't be able to carry on working in the bank. I had to learn to accept this new life I had. And I think once I was told I had to have early retirement by the bank doctors it took the onus off me and made me realise that ok now this is your life get on with it. So I do. Yes I've dreadful down days but then I've good days than outweigh the bad. I try to make the best of what I can and can't do. I gif to a stage where I wouldn't even dress up or care what Id look like. Whereas now I take much better care of myself. So I think Jenna it's the accepting of your capabilities that you need to focus on and not what you can't do but whatyou CAN do and make the most if it. You were great to be able to go trick or treating with the children. Bet they were so pleased. Good luck tomorrow. Will be thinking of you :hug:

Beautifully said Jackie!
 

Oh Jenna!
I would sure give you a huge HUG if I could!
Everything you said in your last post is SOOO spot on!
For me, after 5 years of this 'pain that no one else can SEE', I sorta became ashamed/embarrassed by it. I hated that it had become my 'identity' and that I had lost the funloving outgoing person I once was.
I realized that it does NO good to talk about it to friends......they try to be supportive, but really. What can they do? Nothing.
We certainly aren't looking for pity! We just desperately want to be what we know we CAN be!!
I just sorta became much more secluded. I would make excuses to not go out (unless it was a death in the family or something).
THIS forum pretty much IS my social life. I use what physical energy I can barely sustain for my family. And when I AM with friends, I don't talk of my pain anymore. I just try to put on a happy face and enjoy the fact that I have the friends that are so special to me.

So, Jenna, here we are. :rolleyes: This forum is for US......not only to try and learn about the SCS and all the do's and don'ts.....but this forum is here for us to cry together, complain together, get angry together.....and we can throw in a good laugh here and there just for good measure. I truly enjoy being silly and I must say...it really does help.
It helps to spend time on this forum.....not just for 'me'.....but also to try and lift someone else's spirits.
I go to the 'New Member Introductions' and look for threads that don't have very many responses on them, and I'll try and say something uplifting. It's therapeutic and it helps the newcomers to feel more welcome here.
I remember how 'shy' I was when I first joined NT and I remember all the wonderful folks here who made me feel so welcome and they helped me as I went thru my trial SCS, the psyche eval, etc......
Speaking of which, just try and be relaxed at your evaluation. It really truly is nothing to be fearful of. It's not like an interrogation or anything. Just talk to the counselor as tho you were talking to one of us. You just want a quality of life back.
You are such a wonderful person and I'm so glad we're getting to know you.
We can all talk 'on the level' here at NT. "Pain" is what brought us all together. That's what we're here for.....to help each other through.

Let's just try to hang on to hope.
:grouphug::grouphug::grouphug:

Let us know how your evaluation goes
Rae
:hug:

You are probably there now
 

As I write, hoping and praying that your psych eval goes well, Jenna!
Mark56:hug:

Hi Jenna.

Am waiting to hear .. well,we all are. :hug:

thank you all for your lovely commets and i guess I have some new friends !!:) who understand exactly what i mean!!
well had my mental evaluation and i guess i fooled her because she thinks i am perfectly sane and a perfect candidate for the scs. she spent most of the time apologising that i was sent to her and that she hoped i did not feel upset at being sent to have the consult!! so i put her mind at rest and told her i understood maybe i should have charged her as she was doing more talking than me !!
she had a lovely electric recliner chair in her office and I have to say she was lucky i left her practice at all as i was just so comfy in that chair!! No strange questions to answer just asked about the kids and hubby and agreed with me that i have a good family and that was that 200 euro lighter in my pocket and she said she was sending the APPROVAL form in the post!! so i guess i am on my way!!
now all i have to do is get through dublin airport a week in the sun warming my bones and then the count down can begin!!
tks all for your support and Rrae i love your funny side , spent the day after my initial diagnosis laughing at posts on marks thread I loved the banter between you 2!!
jackie and Rrae you are right about not talking to friends about it , I guess i don't need there approval or understanding and i will try and work on that part of me that just becomes happy with what i have but i think i still mourn my life before but hopefully soon jackie I will be like you and content!! but honestly i think i am still a bit angry at the situation but getting better and i do think this forum will give me the place i can do that and hopefully one day i will be able to help people like you guys are helping me!
Rrae i laughed when you said you only go out if you have to like funerals etc that is me all over although i do try for hubbies sake but i can tell by the chair i sit on how long a night out will be!! I also agree that without my pc i would be lost , if the house was burning down god i think once kids were safe the laptop would be next on list , need my pc for my sanity! what did people do even 10 years ago without these forums and information??
On another note got up this am without as much pain as i usually do so enough though i am a bit itchy still the pain is definately a bit better. Little katie's face when i went into her room to get her this am was priceless .. she just looked at me and said "mammy back better" and i said yes and she started to clap so how precious is that!! but there will be war tomorrow if i dont do it everyday!!
Again thank you all so much for your continued support !!:grouphug:...:grouphug:...:grouphug:.....:grouph ug:

Absolute fantastic news ! I am so so pleased for you ! Yayyy ! I nearly jumped up in the chair. :eek:

God yes, you really forget how to be sociable when you are stuck in. I found myself chatting away merrily to the postman the other day as he came and I had to sign for something .... he mentioned some pictures on the wall and I started on and on about the artist ..

Trouble is, the times I do need to go out socially (once a year, to Mike's Christmas "do"), I'm excited but find myself really shy. People who knew me from only 2 years ago would never believe I could be shy and awkward.

Anyhoo .. not taking over this thread ... I will have a small glass of some nice red wine tonight to celebrate for you!

Well done Jenna
 

Jenna how great it was to come on here now and read your post. Thats fantastic news that all is well and you are in fact sane!!!:D like we all thought too;)
So its onwards and upwards. Might I just say that make sure you keep an eye on the post in regards to your 'approval letter' . The reason I say this is that when I had my evaluation my report was 'filed' away for three months:eek:with Christmas and then me not wanting to bother them too much, I said, ah Ill wait another week or so...so it was 3 months before they realised THEY hadnt gotten the report. So make sure you keep on top of that.
My social life stopped when my back went. We were regular Friday nighters....over to your local met with our friends and staggered home in the early hours........well not anymore. Like you say the chair dictates how long you stay out. I bring a cushion with me EVERYWHERE....So after being out bout 3/4 hour my hubby looks at me and says ' are you LEGO' meaning 'in bits':Dbecause by now Im sitting on one cheek of my butt!! and mooching around so much. It can be soooo frustrating cant it. SO the most we get is off for lunch on a Sunday and home within the hour. It actually takes me longer to get ready than us being out:eek:
I didnt have a laptop 5 years ago.....but then in Sept 2006 I bought one. Well the whole world was opened up to me . I live by my laptop Jenna. I send my daughter off to school and Im on straight away. If I cant get to the laptop I use my iphone;)....then I sit for the afternoon with laptop in tow and I could spend the whole day/night surfing. Its my only outlet and social life. Places like this forum have been my saviour. Ive met so many good friends now through different forums. Its just AMAZING. SO yes like you I couldnt liv e without mine.
Its great to hear that you are a bit better this morning and how lovely for you little daughter to notice that your back wasnt sore. Its great. My daughter Nicola(she is just 18 at Christmas she has Special Needs) she is always worried about me and my back. And loves it when I say I do feel a bit better. She often comes over to me and rubs my back. SO ITs a big thing for them to see you looking and feeling well.
Not long now til your trial..woooooohoooooo

So where are you off to in the sun? do tell?!?>???;)

Jackie :hug:

saffy please do come share my thread we are from the same side of the pond and both starting our scs journey so feel free to share!! and while your at it share some of the vino with me 2!!
jackie thanks for the advice on keeping an eye on the letter , she promised to post it today so hopefully she does this but will ring the secrtary the day of my return to make sure it has been done. my trial is already booked for 2nd december so i need them to be on top of the paperwork to ensure i get this done b4 xmas !
i am off to lanzarote on wednesday very early! with hubby no kids so looking forward to the sun heating up my bones but hate leaving the kids but my mam and dad are doing the job so i guess there is no better hands to leave them in!! but the part i hate is the getting ready and the getting there as it will probably take me the week to get over it!!. well now i have to try and clean out the kids toy press for the next few hours as my mother would probably have a heart attack if she opened the doors that hide so much!!

talk a little later but for now happy jenna needs to get up and do some work!!:grouphug:

Lanzarote how fantastic. Been there and its just ideal. We stayed in the El Dorado apartments in Puerto del Carmen and it was just fantastic. The heat will do you the world of good. And also the pool:eek:well if its warm enough:D

Take care clearing out those presses!!!

Jackie:hug:

Well MY GOODNESS!
 

I seem to be getting in on this beautiful conversation a bit too late.....
You guys probably drank ALL THE WINE !!! :eek:

How wonderful that your eval went so well Jenna! I knew you would blaze right on through! :hug:

It's so exciting to see you both (Jenna and Saffy) going thru this the same time! I just love it!

See! it's not so bad.....we still have a social life! Reading these posts I missed today makes me picture us all sitting around a table having a nice little tea time or wine :D but since I missed this chat, I guess I'll just sit here by my lonesome and have my OWN little 'tea time' http://dl10.glitter-graphics.net/pub...d19otne8t7.gif

Next time, however, i will certainly break out the PARTY HAMSTERS!!!!
http://dl7.glitter-graphics.net/pub/...makfzcur9b.gif you KNOW things are going good when the PARTY HAMSTERS show up!!

Your daughter is precious (and yours too Jackie!).....
Big hugs for all you wonderful women!
:grouphug:
Rae

Wooo .. I have an online social life .. skippedy hop!

I had two glasses of wine last night ... really shouldn't have, but I slept really well! :D

AM sat watching my little bunnies outside - they've been freed from the cage they've been locked in all night, and they're skipping about like mad uns .. it's a lovely sight to see. Always makes me smile.

I'm up and .. sort of, awake .. better get myself going.

Mike (husband) is off to Centre Parks today and tonight for a "bonding" session with work. They have more bonding sessions and night's out than any other company I know !!

I'm collecting Hollie later as she has been away seeing her boyfriend who is at Uni in Keele and I have promised her we will watch the last Harry Potter as I haven't seen it so far, and with the new one out in the cinema this mornth, I think I'd better!

Have a great day ! xx

No wonder you slept well Saffy:D I find if I have a drink Im falling asleep at the slightest chance!!!

Yes this is definitely a social life, a cyber one....... I cant live without my laptop and especially on a day like today its just SOOOO miserable out.......Typical Irish weather!!!!

Have a great day too Saffy and enjoy HP with your daughter. Not something I have actually gotten into myself. Ive been to one or two of the films with my daughter but didnt get it at all:rolleyes::D


Enjoyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy:hug:

Bon Voyage Jenna
 

Jenna just wanted to say a quick Bon Voyage for tomorrow when you head off for your break (without the kids);) with you hubby. A well deserved holiday. Have a great time and we will all be waiting to hear how you got on when you get back :)

Take care

Jackie :hug:

tks jackie!! i will be in touch in a week. decided not to got to bed tonight as flight at 6am so we will be leaving here at 3.30 am so hubby and i just sitting on the couch and if i nod off all well and good. pain not doing great but quite sure the sun will do me good

talk soon and lookk forward to catching up next week:hug:

Have a fabulous time ..a bit of warmth and sunshine at this time of year is ideal for you. xx

well i am back!! had a great week with hubby but really missed my little ladies. i was looked after very well in the airport without even asking for assistance. the dublin airport authority staff seem to be really doing a top job. i do walk with a crutch but without ever asking in dublin and lanzarote i was whisked through security and allowed on and off the plane first which really made the journey so much easier.

as for what i did for the week i lay on a sun lounger for 7 days and i loved the sun. pain or burning pain in my legs was a lot worse but then i find it difficult sitting so being out for dinner every night really made me realise how bad this is as we were home by 9.30pm each evening but hubby got some beers for himself and he did not seem to mind . i drank just one night but really over all had a great week . got home a few hours ago to my gorgeous kids hugs and just about to head to bed as promised to take my older one to toy store tomorrow to look for her santa pressies!! guess my count down has begun so i will have to sort out all santa pressies in next few weeks.

looking forward to catching up with you all in next few days and reading all the new posts but for now i am dyin to lie in my own bed as there is no bed like ur own bed!!:winky:

Welcome Back Jenna!
 

It's great seeing you post again!
You must be absolutely POOPED! So glad you were able to enjoy the sun and sites.....
When you mentioned that horrible burning pain.....:(..I know it all too well and my heart sank a bit. It's such a rip off! Such an un-deserved Ripoff!
I have high hopes that the SCS is really gonna do wonders for you! It truly does well with this burning type of pain. You'll be able to enjoy times spent like you just had, only without that constant nagging pain.....

Saffy started a blog about her experience! I've read it! I just got done reading it actually, so she doesn't even know it yet! :rolleyes: It's wonderful!
You both are fantastic women and you've joined on at the same time.....
This is going to be SO great getting to 'follow along' with you as your experience unfolds.
I truly have great vibes about both your procedures! I wouldn't be saying this if I didn't really feel it within......would never want to give a false hope.
This is gonna give you back a quality of life. For YOU....for your beautiful family.... absolutely.

Get some rest, recoup, shake off the jet lag and
We'll talk soon!
Rae
:grouphug:

Rrae .. ooh thank you for reading the blog .. I'm really glad you like it. I didnt want to go "back" too far with what I've been through as it's over and done and I have some bad memories of trying out new pills and so on .. so thought I would skip about a bit.

Ahh .. whee's the sunshine? I thought you would have brought some back with you .. you rotter !!

I kno what you mean re. care at airports ... with my crutches, we got straight to the head of the queue with everything .. think I'll be taking them along even when I don't need them. Tee Hee !

Looking forward to seeing some photo's.

sorry saffy about the weather god it's dreadful here too gale force winds!! just read your blog and really enjoyed it you and rrae have a good way of finding the positives in situations and hopefully i will get there soon. I think the holiday showed me and gave me time to see what i am left like and truthfully i do miss the old me. why at 38 am i left to live a life of pain, what if the scs does nothing for me?
I know I have to appreciate the things i can do but i really am missing the carefree old me who really had no worries.
tomorrow and saturday i have a two full days of college to look forward too!! two days in chairs that will kill me and why am i doing it? i really dont know anymore i think everything i do is to prove things to people why do i feel i always need to explain myself or push myself too hard ... oh god i'm sorry for writing the above sorry for not being able to say much positive today...
the pain seems to have gone to a higher level these last few days and i am no longer on the patches for the pain as i am 2 allergic to them, and just not in the mood for doctors at the moment which i am sure u all understand!
ok shutting up now and sorry for not writing a happier one:(

Ahhh Hey....
 

Never feel the need to apologize here! You are in horrid pain!! who WOULD'nt feel down and out! Plus, look at all you've just been thru! Quite a LOT I must say!! :eek:
Your body is crying out for rest.....

PLUS, you are dealing with terrible weather! That doesn't help anything, especially pain! Cold fronts and barometric pressures can really add fuel to the fire in many people.

Oh I am so very sorry the patches aren't working out for you!! :( They were a true lifesaver to me, so I was sure hoping they'd buy you some time as you wait for your implant......

Some days I feel high-spirited and can see the humor in things, but other days I just curl up in bed and don't want to come out from under the covers.
Yes, it's true to a certain degree that we have to accept that we are in this situation and can't be the person we were before this horrible pain came along.....yet at the same time, we must hang on to some form of HOPE that we CAN get back some or even MOST of who we were before the pain.
We have to have this hope within.
Meanwhile, we make the best of where we are at.......and that's what this wonderful forum does.....and when we are down and out, we can share that here and others will be here to embrace what you are feeling......
Then there are the days that you might feel simply 'silly' and PLeAsE bring that here as well! We NEED that 'mix' of emotions to balance each other out!!

Things are gonna look up for you :hug:
Try not to put too much demand on yourself.......cut yourself a bit of slack

:grouphug:

Caring
Rae
:hug:

thank Rae!! tomorrow or today as its just turning 1am here is a new day!:hug:

Oh god .. don't worry about feeling for yourself. I look back and think .. it's only a few years ago that I was at Southport Weekender ... dancing from 8pm through to 8am in the morning ... partying afterwards in Chalets and having a brilliant time. Doing stupid things like climbing trees ... and this is when I was past 40 year's ol!

I have a Peter Pan outlook on life ... I used to be a Mid Day Supervisor and I can you, ooh I lived out my childhood again. We'd play roller coasters ... and silly games .. I would tell them to keep their eyes out for Santa's fairies as they are watching from bushes .. sending children racing to see if they could spot one.

I also used to clean the Infant Site and loved to take away the teddy they had for story telling and bring him back a day or so later with a story written of his adventure.

Loved it !

I think that's what's keeping me sane today!

Hi Jenna,

I agree with Rrae, you should never feel the need to appologize here! this is what we are here for, to be that non-judjemental sounding board that we all need from time to time! As for your pain patches, i was on them too and also had some allergy issues but it turned out that I was allergic to the adhesive that is used to stick them on and found that I had to frequently change the patch location and use a type of tape that I am not allergic to. After that quit working I was able to find a patch with adhesive on it that I was not allergic to and I quit having the rash and itchy business. Have you ever reacted to medical tape of anykind?

Welcome back Jenna
 

Jenna its great to read that you had a fab time in Lanzarote.......but awful to hear you are in pain again. Its awful isnt it. I will agree with Rae when she says that the burning pain is helped by the stim. I generally turn mine off when Im charging it and my GOD the burning is incredible. Its nearly that I have forgotten how it is, because Ive the stim on, but boy does it come back with a vengeance when its off. So thats a plus. I was up the North yesterday and today and we did some shopping. But the weather was atrocious. Fabulous today though. But Im absolutely shattered and have a dreadful pain running up and down my leg as Im typing. Like you cant wait to get into my own bed;)
Never apologise for how you feel. I have good days and bad days and its great to be able to put it all down here and 'get it all out' so never apologise:hug:

Hope that storm is gonnnnnnnnnnnnnnneeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!

Jackie :hug:

thank you guys again for your support!! i have spent most of this evening reading through the older posts on this site trying to feel more positive about it all and hoping for even some of the success some of you have received from the scs!
college was ok today lasted until lunch time and trying to organise sitting exams before scs triall. they have arranged two of them but one is on 22nd of december so hoping i can get there and sit through 2 hour exam 13 days after scs in implanted...
do you scs veterans think i can do this? really dont want to repeat this one. the final two exams are first week in jan on a friday afternoon and a saturday morning so please god i will be able to sit them 2 with the aid of my scs. ok off to bed again as another day of college ahead of me , why do college seats hurt so much!! but the course co ordinator has advised the lecturers that i need to get up lots and walk outside so i am trying not to play the martyr as much and once i asked for help in college today from each of the class heads they all did want to help me complete this semester somehow!!

good nite all and thanks for listening what would i do without you!!:grouphug:

thanks for this twinmom but if you saw my skin it actually is only red where the medication hits and today a week on the blisters are only healing they just seem to burn my skin . i am going to call pain dr's secretary monday and see if there is anyway i can meet him on monday night as he has a late night clinic in the private hospital and ask him for his opinion on how i can best get through next few weeks before the triall. as for the non judgemental sounding board i suppose i am just not used to people caring, listening or even having anyone to talk to about this as like you other than my saint of a hubby who just knows from my face how bad it is i dont discuss it with anyone so at the moment i suppos i am just getting used to the life line this forum has thrown me, a place to I can go to type the horrible stuff that is upsetting me or worrying me or hurting me and then hopefully start to move on with from all this. time for me to get to bed hope you have a nice weekend!!