Manic Monday What's New?

Good Morning OFF Family,
How is everyone this morning?  I am sore.....herniated disc pain is back, argh.

Yesterday, my ex came over to pick up jumper cables I brought home from my daughter.  My ex also helped me with my bed...the slat of wood holding the box spring slipped.  He was kind enough to help me.  I am grateful we get along these days, especially for the kids.

Today, I will be heading to the gym and swimming.  I also must get to my AA meeting.  Then, this evening, I have therapy with my therapist. 

I hope you all have a wonderful day.

Hugs,
Trish

Morning Trish and fellow OFFers.
Sober 195 days and so proud of me.
Quite weekend, beautiful spring day here in FL, rain in AM, then abundant sunshine and cool breezes.
Hoping to SEE the shuttle lift off from here. Good luck and safe passage.
Watched new L&O-CI on USA. Very timely and interesting.
Son, Angus, stayed over in MA another day to rest up. Hoping his trip isn't too wet. His sisters helped him plan out trip and stops. Prayers for him please.
Enjoy today. hugs, Monica

just a quick good morning and hugs and good wishes to
all that need them

ive been busy and just havent had time to post lately, but i think of
all of you daily

xoxo Jacki

Jacki! You've been missed. Hope life is treating you well.

Good mornin' ya'll.
Patricia, our son is having major back pain. He is waiting for the results of an MRI. If it is a herniated disc, what do they do for that? Surgery, medication?
Today my DH and I begin our journey towards our first colonoscopies. Actually, yesterday we were on a low residual diet. Basically low fiber. Today we begin clear liquids, we go get our blood work done and take our dulcolax. The proceedure is Wednesday.
So, off to my shower and get ready to go.
Everyone have a fantabulous day!

AAAHHHH, hope your get Visaed and Valium drip/shots. Twilight juice, no pain at all and little groggy after-wards. Didn't have this with my 1st colonoscopy, so mad at doctor and afraid to have another after that. But did my research for the next one and found a specialist with the right technique, NO PAIN at all.

Grammylew

Please, PLEASE tell us that you have two bathrooms......!

Candy

Candy, we have a toilet and a shower!............Kidding, we do have 2 bathrooms and we will each be camped in one.
Monica, Not sure what they will give us to zonk us.
Patricia, thanks for the info on the back. Our son will be depending on the military doctors so...........?
Everyone have a good one. Getting slow service here so I'm gone.

Carolyn:

I've had two colonoscopies and have been out for one, awake but on the good drugs for the other and didn't care. I watched the first one on TV while I was drugged.

As for the back issues, I used to get lumbar facet injections three times a year that really helped ... but that was when I had good insurance that actually paid for something. Down here, with crappy insurance, I'd have to pay $1,500 for the first injection (which, of course, I don't have) and so I haven't had one since November, when they didn't realize I didn't have the deductible paid. They also wanted to do the nerve thingie ... never had that done before ... but that was even more expensive, and of course, I can't afford that. So all I'm getting from the pain clinic now is my prescription for Vicodin. I go to the chiropractor for adjustments and use ice on my back and knee every night when I get home from work.

But then I don't have a herniated disc ... yet. I have bulging discs now (they were compressed). You don't want to get it to the point where you have to have surgery, though.

Hi Grammylew,
The pain specialist I go to first does cortisone shots in the epidural area, using fluroscope machines to  target the injections.  Then, after three of them, over the course of a few months, he does something called a rhizotomy, where they burn the nerve endings in that same area, and depending on how fast they grow back, relief can be from 6 months to two years.  I had about a year of relief from the back pain, but the bursitis is what is the worst right now.  All of this is done in the office.  I get the shots without anasthesia, but they have to use twilight sleep for the rhizotomies.  This is the least invasive way to deal with it, but the doc needs to see the MRI results.  They also prescribe meds, between shots and rhizotomies.  My pain specialist is an anasthesiologist.  The office has two small ORs, and a recovery area, and if your son lived near me, I would recommend them highly.  Tell him to ask primary doc for referral to pain management.

Hugs,
Trish