Oh yes indeedy! Lately I've been weighing the relative merits of going in blind to this type of undertaking versus knowing what to expect. I think the distinction is really that between fear and dread. I'm not particularly scared this time around, but I am really really really not looking forward to going through it all again. Poop. But! Meanwhile my post-op hip is treating me fantastically, which is a good motivator for RPAO as well. Until recently my right hip has remained relatively asymptomatic, save for some incessant popping that only started after my LPAO. The past few days, though, have slayed me with sciatic pain on the right side, something I also experienced early on after diagnosis when I was just sorting out all the weird ways my left side had been coping. (Even then it was only on the right side, which I guess is fairly common for sciatica.)
I saw Dr. Hoo yesterday in so much pain I wasn't sure I could get up off the table, but of course she picked up immediately on the source of the discomfort and went to work. When I finally did get up the pain was somehow even worse and I could barely get back into my car. An evening's relaxing with three Lidoderm patches and a good night's sleep seem to have allowed the NSA voodoo to work its magic, though, as I woke up this morning with nothing but a dull ache remaining. Great success! Also a fine reminder of what it's going to be like when I can't bend on the right side - nearly busted out my hip kit grabber, but I think I'll save that for when I'm back on crutches for real. :)
Showing posts with label pain. Show all posts
Showing posts with label pain. Show all posts
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
My hip hurts
Really you'd think I'd have a lot more posts with that title. :)
I don't know what it is lately, but the pain in my left hip has shifted and intensified the past couple weeks. I still have stretches of time where I'm fine, but when I'm not I'm REALLY not, and end up wincing and limping around for awhile. Heat definitely helps, though I gave myself a nice high-thigh steam burn with my beloved therabelt the other day - perhaps a bit too ambitious with the microwaving! It's weird, though, when I can get my hip to really relax, I feel it all the way up to my neck - similar to how when I walk I can often feel/hear a clicking at the base of my skull in time with my left leg's movements. Freaky!
I had a really good adjustment with Dr. Hoo yesterday, though, and feel like I've reached a new level of understanding with/of my spine (dear god that sounds new-agey!) - it's interesting how the process makes you so hyperaware of your body, similar to (though surely not as constricting as) an MRI. Hoo forewent the psoas adjustment(s) yesterday because she was "finding some new tension" - I suspect the combined result of my semi-murderous rage towards a coworker and my ever-increasing awareness of the impending reality of surgery. I really was pretty fine with it for the first 4 months or so, but for some reason it's been hitting me hard lately - probably because I need to start the funtimes insurance dance on the matter and get my pre-op stuff set up with Annette, Dr. Kim's very kind scheduler.
I saw Janice, my nutritionist, for probably the last time yesterday - she was blown away by my cholesterol results and we talked goal weight for surgery, all the good stuff I can eat to get my blood good and strong pre-op and the good stuff I can eat post-op to get my bone and tissue healing and my body back on track. And we talked about poop - you'd be surprised how much I talk to relative strangers about poop these days. We also talked meal plans, both in the hospital and at my folks house when I get out - a piece that's a little scary for me since every time I go home I dig through their kitchen and wonder "What the hell do you EAT?!" I'm going to get grocery lists and meal plans together for my mama to (hopefully) follow and start cooking extra soups and such to freeze for when I finally do make it back to my apartment... not that I feel I'll be strongly moved to eat soup in July, but what can you do?!
Oh yeah, and Hoo thinks I might heal my infirmity with yoga. She's really not too keen on the surgical option. So next week I'm going to try to see the massage therapist she recommended, who can also advise me on poses that are (and aren't) good for me. My master plan is to have a mini-spa day for myself Monday, going to the pool in the morning, then up to Burlington to see the masseuse, the finally to Hoo for an adjustment. Ah, I can't wait for break!
My mom's also floated the idea of a "dry run" to Boston next Friday, I guess to see if she can navigate the city and to assess her rooming options while I'm in hospital. I am frankly terrified to be in car driven by her in or even near Boston, but hopefully she'll assent to maybe going the T route for this first outing. Which of course would necessitate a goodly bit of walking, so... we shall see. I doubt she'll want to come drool with me over the new Shepard Fairey exhibit in town. :)
I don't know what it is lately, but the pain in my left hip has shifted and intensified the past couple weeks. I still have stretches of time where I'm fine, but when I'm not I'm REALLY not, and end up wincing and limping around for awhile. Heat definitely helps, though I gave myself a nice high-thigh steam burn with my beloved therabelt the other day - perhaps a bit too ambitious with the microwaving! It's weird, though, when I can get my hip to really relax, I feel it all the way up to my neck - similar to how when I walk I can often feel/hear a clicking at the base of my skull in time with my left leg's movements. Freaky!
I had a really good adjustment with Dr. Hoo yesterday, though, and feel like I've reached a new level of understanding with/of my spine (dear god that sounds new-agey!) - it's interesting how the process makes you so hyperaware of your body, similar to (though surely not as constricting as) an MRI. Hoo forewent the psoas adjustment(s) yesterday because she was "finding some new tension" - I suspect the combined result of my semi-murderous rage towards a coworker and my ever-increasing awareness of the impending reality of surgery. I really was pretty fine with it for the first 4 months or so, but for some reason it's been hitting me hard lately - probably because I need to start the funtimes insurance dance on the matter and get my pre-op stuff set up with Annette, Dr. Kim's very kind scheduler.
I saw Janice, my nutritionist, for probably the last time yesterday - she was blown away by my cholesterol results and we talked goal weight for surgery, all the good stuff I can eat to get my blood good and strong pre-op and the good stuff I can eat post-op to get my bone and tissue healing and my body back on track. And we talked about poop - you'd be surprised how much I talk to relative strangers about poop these days. We also talked meal plans, both in the hospital and at my folks house when I get out - a piece that's a little scary for me since every time I go home I dig through their kitchen and wonder "What the hell do you EAT?!" I'm going to get grocery lists and meal plans together for my mama to (hopefully) follow and start cooking extra soups and such to freeze for when I finally do make it back to my apartment... not that I feel I'll be strongly moved to eat soup in July, but what can you do?!
Oh yeah, and Hoo thinks I might heal my infirmity with yoga. She's really not too keen on the surgical option. So next week I'm going to try to see the massage therapist she recommended, who can also advise me on poses that are (and aren't) good for me. My master plan is to have a mini-spa day for myself Monday, going to the pool in the morning, then up to Burlington to see the masseuse, the finally to Hoo for an adjustment. Ah, I can't wait for break!
My mom's also floated the idea of a "dry run" to Boston next Friday, I guess to see if she can navigate the city and to assess her rooming options while I'm in hospital. I am frankly terrified to be in car driven by her in or even near Boston, but hopefully she'll assent to maybe going the T route for this first outing. Which of course would necessitate a goodly bit of walking, so... we shall see. I doubt she'll want to come drool with me over the new Shepard Fairey exhibit in town. :)
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Dude, crutches suck.
I mean, honestly, how the eff are you supposed to do this?! I've only been on the things since 3pm yesterday and already I have massive swollen bruises on my ribs and my arms are en fuego! I had to use two hands to turn my stinking key in the lock!
On the plus side, Susan Kinesio taped up my elbows and left shoulderblade, as apparently it helps with bruising as well - oh how I love the stuff! The shoulderblade is what's really giving me trouble right now, since it's pretty integral to the whole crutching business. That said, being off my left leg feels right, and I'm doing my damnedest to be non-weight-bearing, though it's quite a chore. I'm to be non-weight-bearing-to-tolerable for the next 2 weeks, then will see Susan again to reevaluate before I head to DC.
This is a fairly scary sneak peek of what next summer is going to be like - though then I'm not going to be able to cheat at all, which at this point seems impossible. I have no idea how I'm supposed to do things like laundry, cleaning the litterbox, making myself some damn food, etc. - you know, things that require HANDS! I think I need a fanny pack. :) Thankfully Tucker let me drag along with him to the grocery yesterday, and Chloe lent me a backpack to ferry my wares up the stairs (rhymetastic!). Otherwise I don't know what I would've done.
Harrumph. I'm pretty sure I'll be taking tomorrow off.
On the plus side, Susan Kinesio taped up my elbows and left shoulderblade, as apparently it helps with bruising as well - oh how I love the stuff! The shoulderblade is what's really giving me trouble right now, since it's pretty integral to the whole crutching business. That said, being off my left leg feels right, and I'm doing my damnedest to be non-weight-bearing, though it's quite a chore. I'm to be non-weight-bearing-to-tolerable for the next 2 weeks, then will see Susan again to reevaluate before I head to DC.
This is a fairly scary sneak peek of what next summer is going to be like - though then I'm not going to be able to cheat at all, which at this point seems impossible. I have no idea how I'm supposed to do things like laundry, cleaning the litterbox, making myself some damn food, etc. - you know, things that require HANDS! I think I need a fanny pack. :) Thankfully Tucker let me drag along with him to the grocery yesterday, and Chloe lent me a backpack to ferry my wares up the stairs (rhymetastic!). Otherwise I don't know what I would've done.
Harrumph. I'm pretty sure I'll be taking tomorrow off.
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Ah crap.
Well it seems the bad thing I did on Friday was probably a sprain or strain or tear or somesuch to my beleagured left thigh. It hurts. I saw my primary this morning and she upped my dose of ibuprofen to 600mg, told me to take acetaminophen on top of it and that I'd need to be non-weight-bearing for 4-6 weeks. She was about to give me crutches there, but then thought perhaps a cane would be more appropriate and said I should see my PT to be evaluated. Well, my PT's scheduling for the end of October right now, but thankfully, since she is awesome, she's working me in first thing tomorrow (or this afternoon if she has a cancellation) for a fitting and a little crutch-training. Thank you Susan!!!
Of course this means I'll likely be crutch-bound for my trip to DC (which my mom thinks I should cancel anyhow) AND for Halloween, which just sucks. I'm wondering if I should try to incorporate the crutches into my costume (in which case I need some suggestions!) or not even bother - in any event, it's going to put a crimp in my dancing plans at the Freakers Ball. CURSES!!!
I feel like there's a joke in here somewhere about me and the economy not having a leg to stand on. :)
Of course this means I'll likely be crutch-bound for my trip to DC (which my mom thinks I should cancel anyhow) AND for Halloween, which just sucks. I'm wondering if I should try to incorporate the crutches into my costume (in which case I need some suggestions!) or not even bother - in any event, it's going to put a crimp in my dancing plans at the Freakers Ball. CURSES!!!
I feel like there's a joke in here somewhere about me and the economy not having a leg to stand on. :)
Monday, September 29, 2008
I took a tumble.
Yesterday at my folks' house I was bumbling around getting ready for my mama's 60th birthday brunch (which was awesome) and stepped back into the treadmill, falling with not a dang thing to catch myself on. I bounced my left shoulderblade and right elbow off the wall, smashed my left elbow on a stack of I don't even know what (the resulting multitonal bruise is quite impressive) and landed my aforementioned left butt right on the corner of the treadmill. I now have a purple 5-inch equilateral triangle on my bum. And on the side I was already limping on! Geez, I just can't catch a break. :)
My mom and I talked some about plans for my infirmity post-surgery and she made me a little nervous, talking about how hard it's going to be for her and my dad to get me into the house and wondering aloud if I might just go to a "halfway house" (or live with my 94-year-old grandmother, which I think was a joke?!) until I'm functional enough to go back to my apartment. *sigh* I mean, we have plenty of time to work things out, but I need to feel like my plans are stable enough that I can not worry about them, and instead focus on the actual mechanics of getting better. I asked if she'd been reading I am PAOed (she hasn't) to get a better idea of what to expect, saying "I don't think you understand what it's going to be like" and she said her classic "I hate to tell you, but... I think it's going to be very painful." I was like "Ah... yeah! They take a chunk out of my pelvis!" I don't know - for me sucking up as much information as possible is what helps me keep a level head (relatively!) about it all. I think for my mom (who won't even look at the diagram of what the surgery is) it just makes it all the more scary. Hopefully that will change over the course of the next 8 months - I can't be the only one who knows what's going on!
On an unrelated note, if you haven't heard it you should check out TV on the Radio's new album, Dear Science - I CANNOT stop listening to it! Totally. Awesome.
My mom and I talked some about plans for my infirmity post-surgery and she made me a little nervous, talking about how hard it's going to be for her and my dad to get me into the house and wondering aloud if I might just go to a "halfway house" (or live with my 94-year-old grandmother, which I think was a joke?!) until I'm functional enough to go back to my apartment. *sigh* I mean, we have plenty of time to work things out, but I need to feel like my plans are stable enough that I can not worry about them, and instead focus on the actual mechanics of getting better. I asked if she'd been reading I am PAOed (she hasn't) to get a better idea of what to expect, saying "I don't think you understand what it's going to be like" and she said her classic "I hate to tell you, but... I think it's going to be very painful." I was like "Ah... yeah! They take a chunk out of my pelvis!" I don't know - for me sucking up as much information as possible is what helps me keep a level head (relatively!) about it all. I think for my mom (who won't even look at the diagram of what the surgery is) it just makes it all the more scary. Hopefully that will change over the course of the next 8 months - I can't be the only one who knows what's going on!
On an unrelated note, if you haven't heard it you should check out TV on the Radio's new album, Dear Science - I CANNOT stop listening to it! Totally. Awesome.
Friday, September 26, 2008
Ohhh I did something bad...
Eddie Izzard has this bit about chiroprators ("they're different from osteopaths... because of the spelling") in which he talks about how they crack your bones and you go "Ahhh!" but sometimes you just go "Errr?!" - I had that today. One of the most common symptoms of dysplasia (and the first I ever manifested) is cracking/popping hips. Most of the time that cracking results in the best feeling of relief you can get, at least in the short-term, but today I definitely had an "Errr?!" moment. Something other than my regular popping popped and now my usual discomfort is gone, replaced with new pains in strange places (I believe the industry term is "my left butt") and the inability to put full weight on my left leg. Hopefully this is only temporary!
There's a lot doctors don't know about why dysplastics hurt the way they do. I asked Dr. Kim "So, what is it that hurts when I'm feeling this pain?" and he said "That's a good question! We really don't know." My PT was saying the popping is probably the iliotibial band (that runs down the side of your leg - see illustration) moving. From where to where... uh, I dunno. From somewhere bad to somewhere good? Maybe? All I know is my damn leg hurts, and I can't wait to get home to my icepack!
Oh, and I went to put on my precious precious beloved Earth shoes this morning and discovered that Augustus the Destroyer had chewed one of them apart! I swear he thinks he's a dog! I fear I will be pouting over these sandals for some time to come.
There's a lot doctors don't know about why dysplastics hurt the way they do. I asked Dr. Kim "So, what is it that hurts when I'm feeling this pain?" and he said "That's a good question! We really don't know." My PT was saying the popping is probably the iliotibial band (that runs down the side of your leg - see illustration) moving. From where to where... uh, I dunno. From somewhere bad to somewhere good? Maybe? All I know is my damn leg hurts, and I can't wait to get home to my icepack!
Oh, and I went to put on my precious precious beloved Earth shoes this morning and discovered that Augustus the Destroyer had chewed one of them apart! I swear he thinks he's a dog! I fear I will be pouting over these sandals for some time to come.
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