HI SUE,
how many are you babysitting and for how long each day? i can't imagine having my little ones every day. none of them are school age yet? is it willian and kaitlyn you are watching? i have jordan but he is 14 so that is different. will you be babsitting all the time? that is one big job. is hubby helpful or a hinder?
and poor Jocelyn. i hope the medication did its job. it seems the 'bugs' are already getting here this year. i will say a prayer for her tonight.
you get some rest. love you hip sister, joan

Hi joan,
I am watching William and Kaitlyn. Everyday this week. Its too much. I am so tired and the pain is very bad. Today will only be for 2 hrs and finally a day off. I went to the Doc yesterday for just a checkup but my back was really hurting. The lead from the scs slipped out a couple of years ago and is sitting on a nerve. I don't feel it all the time but when I do its so bad I can't breath. They told me to up my dose of oxycodne from 8 pills a day to 12 until this passes. I didn't want another operation but now I think this scs has to come out. It acts up when it rains and in cold weather. I think winter is going to be bad for us in MA this year. So I guess i am going to have it done. I found out that my old DR is back. He went through some bad times. Got divorced a few years ago. I asked about him yesterday and found out he's on his honeymoon. he's the best Dr., very compasionate and knows my case better than any one. I won't do it unless he does the operation. I trust him. I don't trust many DRs. How are you doing? How's your daughter? Before you know it the twins will be here. Iam so excited for you. Iam going to rest before the kids get here. Hope your well.

Love Your hip sister Sue

hi sue,
i'm not sure i knew you had a scs? maybe i did and forgot. that happens! ha! buts seriously,the thought of the lead being loose and touching things and pressing on things sounds very painful. i'm glad your doctor that you trust is back. i know what it is like to find that doctor that you can place your life in his hands and relax about it.
i have a bunch of hardware in my hip, and i have gotten muscle stuck on the pins and it hurts like heck until the muscle rips and lets go, then it is sore from the rip but at least the pain is over. the first time it happened i booked it to the baptist ER to meet my ortho doctor who was in surgery. he did xrays and assured me the hip was fine and explained what it was, so now i know, and when it happens i just keep the inflammation down and apply heat until it lets go.
we do all have our crosses to bear, don't we?
the babysitting sounds too much. are you going to have to do that every week? i don't think you will be able to. you will wipe yourself out. i have already told my daughter i will not be able to do all that i did for her other boys. i was young and relatively healthy then. these babies, i will have to see how much i can manage. i have the back problem too, and i can't get that acting up again. i am starting my exercises this week to get the back stronger once again. i hate to exercise. i admit it. but i do want to be able to carry these babies around. i have already lost quite a bit of weight and that has helped a lot. i started to knock off the junk food as soon as i knew the babies were coming. also my therapy has helped me to stop the stress eating and that is the key.
how is jocelyn? better i hope.
well take care and get some rest. love, you hip sister, joan

Hi Joan,
Thanks for asking about Jocelyn. She's much better thank God. Yes the babysitting is too much. Yesterday I had a day off and all I could do is sit on the couch. Boy did I hurt. The pins on the muscle sounds so painful. I only had one problem with a pin once. It started to come loose and was pushing against my skin. I screamed with every move. You could see the head of the pin through my skin. Thank God they took that out. That was with the first hip operation. Not much hardware then. Now after the hip replacement I have so much hardware that when my doc shows the interns the films, their mouths drop. He has to explain why it doesn't look like a regular hip replacement. Baystate is a teaching hospital and he told me that they use me as a teaching tool. I am all metal front and back. Iam glad you told your daughter that you won't be able to do as much. My problem is that I don't know how to say no. Thats something I have to learn. I hope your well.

Love your hip sister Sue

HI HIP SISTER!
My case is used for teaching at New England Baptist! ... one more thing we have in common. i wonder if our x-rays look alike? ha! i wonder if we look alike??? double ha!
i had trouble saying the no word for years. i know how hard it is to say, and that people think because we are 'home all day'[eating bon bons i guess, iwish!] we are available. i have done things that i do not know how i did them, and cried when i was alone and it was over. oh boy, i learned the hard way. i still do it on occasion but now i make sure i have healing time after. so yes i told my daughter but i can only hope she believes me! children think their parents are invincible. we are not! that is for sure.
hope you are having a restful weekend.
love your hip sister, Joan

Hi Joan,
I woke up from the operation the same way you did. (I read your post on the other thread). Did they tell you that the RSD was caused by the nerve damage? Thats what they told me. I am now so confused by the posts about this. What do you think? I never had any signs of RSD until the nerve damage. Just wondered what you thought about this.

Love your hip sister Sue

HI Sue,
no, i did not have rsd until the nerve palsy i awoke with after the hip surgery, and i was told it was from the trauma to the nerve being stretched during surgery, which you and i obviously have since we both have the palsy. my leg just got more and more painful as the first few days went on. i was not officially diagnosed with RSD for several months though.
i try to look at all the angles of this monster with an open mind, but to tell you the truth, i do not ever dwell on how it happened. i find it better to dwell on how best to live with it. so i read, and i listen but i do not get all in a huff, because i know, as you know, that NO ONE really knows a darned thing! ha! that kind of always makes me laugh. not a single soul knows so why argue?
i would like to see more of how people cope, and how they keep a good attitudes, and how they deal with their families and doctors and lawyers ... and more about just life.
the only fact i know is i have RSD and have had it for so many years i can hardly remember what life was like before it, i work hard to keep my spirits up and survive ... that is what i know.
love your hip sister, joan

Hi Joan,
I don't see any sense to the argueing either. The reason I came on here was like you said. To learn how other people deal with this, how to stay positive and to learn how to live with this crazy RSD. I feel so lucky to have found a friend like you. I knew I would meet other people, but not someone just like me. You are a good friend. You know me better than anyone else.

Love your hip sister Sue

Ha! Decided To Go Back And Find The Sue/joan Hip Sister Beginning! It Was Looked At By So Many People! And Sue And I Have Become Good Friends. So Decided To Bump It Up And Hopefully Sue Will Come On And See It.
Love Ya Sue!!! Your Hip Sister, Joan

Joan,
Iam so glad we are back. I couldn't have asked for a better friend. It still amazes me that I found someone that knows what life has been like for me right from the start. Love Ya!!!

Always your hip sister Sue