I got the picture of all of you laughing, while you were covered in mud. Some stuff is funny even if you did get an ouch. I have done that a time or two myself. I start PT on tuesday, because I did take a spill trying to do too much. I was in the garden today, on my butt and active. No time to wallow in the pity party for me! I hope that you can get back to some activty. Heal quick from the fall, and stay out of the mud.....
When I showered after my time in the garden, good grief I was covered in dirt head to toe, and also had paint on me from painting the picket fence. I will sleep good tonight, and I hope you do too. I try to wear myself out so I can sleep. and most of the time it works. This is what I got involved in to loose weight. After many missed years when I wasn't walking real well, I now can go to the beach for a short time anyway. That walk helps the weight too. Yep, and now I go for the ice cream....great example.... Have a good night Kathy. ginnie

Aww Ginnie, I'm totally mortified now as I was coming on to have a moan. The fall has caught up with me - my back is horrendous and my left leg has pretty bad muscle aches all the way up to the thigh. Not great when your right heel has tendonitis! And to top it off I have (again) a sore right eye. Not that it's relevant but it adds to the dramatic appeal.

Thank you so much for the tips, I will try and wake up brighter tomorrow and get on with things, it can't do anything but help now. Hope you are well? xxx

Hope the soreness and injury heals fast. It's OK to moan and laugh at the same time. I fell over my own pile of mulch, nice one.... So much for gentle gardening. In any case, fell better soon, and get your body to relax as much as possible. Hope you have something that can help a bit with the pain. Sleep good tonight. ginnie

Oh no Ginnie, I'm sorry to hear you fell! Are you ok? Was it a soft landing on the mulch lol? I'm not laughing, honest! Not if you were hurt anyway...

Occupational therapy came out to the house today and have been amazing, they suggested things they could offer that would help (raised loo seats, toilet surround, perching stool, bed rail, high back chair and a battery run bath seat lift) and surprised me by coming back with most of it today. The chair and the bath lift should be here tomorrow, I just can't believe how quick and helpful they've been.

Pain wise I'm bad today but mentally better than I was. I feel a bit mixed about the help from OT, it's a mix of a huge amount of gratitude and a bit of sadness that I need the help. I got about five hours sleep last night which is very good for me for recently. I only woke up once too, an hour before the alarm was due to go off. Maybe that's why I feel a bit perkier today despite the pain. I've been more active today and I can feel it but still am glad I have been.

How are you doing? I really hope you didn't hurt yourself with the fall. Thanks for being so great since I joined, it's really nice to be able to talk to someone and you've been really kind. xx

Getting an OT is great!!!!! Guess what my son does...Yep he is an OPT. Has been one these past 10 years. Went Navy for the GI bill, got his education. he found his calling in caretaking with me for my mother while she declined. He was with her when she passed too. He is exteremly good at what he does, and helps me as well.
Yeh I took a spill, hit my shin first, twisted left, landed on my back with my head hitting mulch. Two weeks ago. I got my evaluation done today. I have lost alot of ground since my last spinal fusion. I am going in for a tune up! I will get better no doubt in my mind. going back to the place that got me going after my surgery. I trust them.

I hope you are doing better now that you have a bit of help. All those things recommended will help you to get around better and be more comforatble and secure. That helps the mental well being. It is hard not to be depressed when these health issues come up. I found help right here Kathy with the people I have met. I think NT helps me keep my own sanity.

I do like hearing what is going on in your life. You are doing all the right things to help yourself. Keep in touch. I am here to yak to anytime! xxginnie

Hi Ginnie - that fall sounds like it was awful! I hope you're recovering well? What will your "tune up" entail? Sounds intriguing! Good luck with it!

I'm in alone today, very very sore and wobbly. The OT is coming back today though so at least that will break the day up. I can't wait to be able to get in the bath, at the moment I'm just too sore to manage it without the seat. I find the less often I can freshen up, the lower I feel!

Your son sounds amazing, he must make you so proud!

I know about wanting to get in the bath! It makes you feel better all the way around to be clean.
I am OK. Just sore. I have PT this afternoon. The therapist called it a tune up not a major overhaul. It will help get my neck back in shape.
So glad you got the OT in. Help like that will also make it easier on you. I just wish you pain level was not so high.
Yes, this son of mine is a good one. He keeps me in line! Have a good day Kathy, get into the bath and relax. ginnie

Hello, I'm new to here. I have had 7 surgeries with Reconstruction to many parts of my body since 2003. I was in a OIF (Operation Iraqi Freedom) IED Humvee acident on 5/13/2003. I ended up having 2 broken wrist, Rt broken hand, Crushed Rt lower extremity(had 8 pins in foot/2 srews in each side of ankle/steel rod lower leg), Shattered left knee from shrpnl, Rt elbow very hyber extented broken (pinkie touched back of rt shoulder), both shoulders dislocated, broken rt collar bone, broken nose, broken ribs, and finally multiple crushed disc. Also Military lost all of my entire military career file (June 1985 to when I got hurt 2003). I guess that it. I've had almost every pain medications availible. Dilaudid and morphine is just like taking a tylonel for me.
Anyways, well I just had a Spinal Stimulator implant surgery last month Feb 2013. It was the worst pain I every felt the next day. I'm very tolerant to pain. But this surgery hurted me the most. I could'nt caugh nor move my upper and lower extremities. Just before I left the post op to come home. I had turned on the Implant. I only had felt it working in my left back rib area. I had asked is that is normal. The assured me that I will feel more as time goes on. I had a post 2 weeks appt where I had an Hematoma where the implant was installed. The dr took 17 cc's of fluid out of the hematoma. Then 3 days later I had to go into my local ER and have them check on the hematome. Which came back. The ER dr took 22 cc's out. Now a few days ago I went in to my Spine Doc to checked out my hematoma and get my implant programmed. When I went in for this appt I had went to my medical dr ahead of time for some Xrays. I brought the Xrays in to the spine doc and they did try to program the implant. A half hour went by without them trying to program thi thing. They finally looked at my xrays and it turned out that the Electrodes had moved of the spine. So now after all this I have to get a redo surgery. Ast the old sying "No pain no gain". Yeah right! I'm just o tired of the pain. Not to mention I have liver disease due to meds and also Diabetes. Sucks! Sorry so long I just had to vent! Plus still fighting the govt for my military benifits, retirement, disbility. They owe me almost 10yr of backpay.

Hi popeye, I'm really sorry to hear of all you've been through. It would definitely be worth starting a new thread for advice specific to your case, people are lovely here but it might get overlooked with it being on mine.

An update - well, jumping out of the window is now looking far more appealing. I have my MRI results and the GP says there is nothing on there that could be causing any of my symptoms. I am beyond heartbroken. I am not able to go out any more because my legs are so wobbly and even short walks make the pain so much worse. A physiotherapist was sent out by the OT to give me a rollator but what's the point - I'm only bloomin' 36 (nearly) and this is getting worse every day. It's not fair to live like this without knowing what it is and how to cope. I am in so much pain I have only had 2 hours sleep over the last two days. The burning and numbness in my thighs and groin is so bad I can't make love with my husband even if by some miracle my back pain disappeared.

The MRI shows (according to the GP) a mild bulge, mild narrowing of the foramen and dehydration of the disc at L5/S1, which is where I had the microdiscectomy. None of that is bad enough to treat and none of it ties in with the thigh burning or weakness. The GP says the neurosurgeon probably won't do anything. He says nothing else shows up on the MRI at any other level.

I'm guessing the narrowing is from the bulge? He didn't mention stenosis at all and nothing showed up like stenosis on my last MRI.

What can I do? I can't go on like this and have no idea where to turn.

Yes, it must be frustrating. Mild in the language would not indicate the problems you are experiencing. You are young, and I would not stop seeking the answers. Maybe not a neurosurgeon, but a neurologist. You need to see if there is anything going on like RSD. That burning you feel, sometimes happens to people with RSD. This is a nerve condition, and there is a post place for this disorder. I would seek a few folks from that link and ask. There is lots of information there about this disorder. I hope your GP will refer you to a neurologist for evaluation. At 36 you don't want to give up. Your pain is bad enough to keep going forward until somebody tells you what is wrong. It isn't in your head, so don't even go there. You know your own body, and need to find someone active in trying to solve your problems. I am in your corner Kathy, and so hope you can find the help you need. Your husband must be a good man. I am glad he supports you. He will need all the patience he has. Both of you together are stronger than this problem Stick close to each other as you go forward. ginnie