I got some good news today!

[myachingback]

I just got back from my (VERY PRETTY YOUNG!) rheumatoligist, she looks like she may be at least 20! I figured she was one of those child prodigys that finished college at 14! Now I want y'all to know that I did not forget my southern manners, when she asked a question I said either yes mam, no mam, or no excuse mam! All joking aside she was an excellent physican, she was real gentle when she twisted my joints. My wife liked her a lot, said she was real sweet and CARING, and listened very well. She looked over my bloodwork and examined me, and said she is sure I DO NOT HAVE rheumatoid arthritus! Some of you may not know about it but that is some really bad stuff. Now I did get some not so good news. I apparantly have damaged my left and right rotator cuffs. SO now I know why when I raise my arms up or reach back I have excruciating pain in my upper arm muscles. Some of you may remember my mentioning that my wife was eyeballing a 3 WHEEL BICYCLE! Well the plot thickens, back in Jan. I was out deer hunting and when walking back to my 4 wheeler I got on a slanted slick spot, well I wound up doing this Fred Flintstone foot thing and wound up totally horizontal in the air and the ground jumped right up and slapped me. Well I was carrying my trusty muzzleloader and I was busy protecting it more than me and when I landed I may have stressed my right shoulder a bit. Now for the reasoning behind the bike wish. When I was riding out of the woods I came on a place that had the old ruts filled with water, so I kept my 2 right tires out of the ruts to the right on dry ground, turns out those were some VERY deep ruts my left tires went in, My 4 wheeler's left side went way down in the water and I thought it was going to turn over ( wifey gets very ill when that happens to me)SO I'll just nip this little rollover in the bud, so I bail off to the left. Yep I was carrying my BE-loved muzzleloader in my arms again so this time old mother earth jumped up and gave me a little kiss on the left side. I know y'all are concerned by now and I have to report that the gun is FINE! Didn't knock my scope off, but I guess I'll have to suffer a bit over it. She (DR. Menon) reccomended I see an orthopaedic surgeon and get them fixed. Well that puts me in a little quandry, which surgery first? Do y'all have any idea if I can handle my old carcass after a T2 - L5 fusion with two injured rotator cuffs? AND then I have another little problem I put up the required $500.00 deposit with Dr. Hey, if I wind up having to cancel my surgery date less than 1 week out I forfeit that. I just found out today and we all know how long it takes to get an apt. with some doctors AND I am going to go to Semmes Murphy Clinic in Memphis Tn. to get this taken care of. I can not blame Dr. Hey for requiring a deposit as so many times folks will miss their appointment. My biggest problem is that it is getting worse every week. We didn't know what was wrong ,my primary care doc doesn't have much hair left to pull out, it has started to hurt me when I push up out of a chair. When I squated and raised back up in Dr. Menon's office the nurse popped in and asked are y'all cooking popcorn! I am starting to ramble again, oh yes did I mention the arthritus in the right hip that has started hurting pretty good, may I introduce Mr. Osteoarthritus! I rolled my shoulders and Dr. Dr Mennon reared back and said don't do that.
I hope y'all got a few chuckles I have and feel a little better now! I feel guilty as I feel I have dumped my problems on MY SCOLI BUDDIES but I really know y'all don't mind! Maybe it will help take your mind to a better place if only for a few minutes. My DEAR LOVING WIFE CATHY has not fussed about a thing I have written this evening! (Bout got her trained, took me from 1975 and I've about got her there!) This is a quote from her "in your dreams " and "there went your 4 wheeler key Little Boy".
She has taken to callin me that (I figure it is a term of endearment!). She is gonna get me some lineman's boots with spikes for xmas!
My Best To All,
Chris

[Suzy]

LOL!! Chris you are a hoot! Thanks for the entertainment, I love this forum. I have a friend who just had his torn rotator cuff fixed and he (at age 52) is back about 80% after almost (?) 1 year. (He plays tennis.) He mentioned a friend of his who like you needs both done. He said his friend was thinking of doing both at once to get it over with. Well he told his friend he was crazy. "My god man, you need at least one arm for "things!" He had his arm in a sling for a while... I will see him Sunday and see if I can find out more for you.
You could just get it all done at once, both rotator cuffs and your back and REALLY be Cathy's "little boy" if you get what I'm saying...... I will let you know what else I find out as soon as I can.

[Susie*Bee]

Oh Chris! I think I need to read this again several times before really responding, but want you to know I'm sure thinking of you and Cathy-- and all that's going on. Hang in there!

[Chihuahua Mama]

what Susie Bee said!!

[Wishing]

Hi Chris:

What a catch 22!!! You must just ache all over the place. I would suggest you also run this dilemma by Dr. Hey and get his opinion about how to proceed and the suggested order of things. Take care and good luck with all your decisions and hope somehow you get all mended.

Rita

[myachingback]

U R right

I really do ache all over the place. Dr. Menon can't explain that yet. I told her I feel like there are small nails positioned in me that every now and then a sadistic little man decides to take his hammer and tap on. She said that could possibly be from nerves being affected in my back from that curve. She said "that is a really bad curve". I tell y'all she was verrry nice, before she saw the xray. She offered to give me some injections in my shoulders, but I declined as I am as anti-drug as I can stand and I ain't in tears yet. That hydrocortisone is really bad for you. She sent me to the lab for them to get more of the red stuff. I told the lady making the withdrawal that I was considering having a faucet valve installed then I could just squirt out ever how much they wanted! She got to laughing (I guess too hard) and she pushed the needle all the way through the vein and I hollered cause it hurt and I scared her and she jerked the needle out then blood squirted across the room every time my heart beat!
I am lying again but she really did laugha lot, I told her she did such a good job that if she'd tell me where the suggestion box was I'd put in 4 her a big raise! That got another big smile. I told the lady at CHECKOUT that if I'd a known where her desk was I'd crawled by so she couldn't have seen me! SHE did not even grin! I told her they shook me down at the front desk b4 I got to see the Dr.!
Wife just told me it's way past my bedtime!
Goodnight Folks

[Susie*Bee]

what an attitude!

I had to search with a magnifying glass to figure out how in the world any of this could be good news. Is it because you don't have rheumatoid arthritis? I mean, to learn you need rotator cuff surgery on both shoulders, along with all the other sundry ailments, including osteo-arthritis, hardly seems like good news. Or was it that Cathy also thought the young pretty rheumatologist was nice?

Ahhhh. Now I know. It's because the muzzle loader stayed blemish free (or nearly so) during your 4 wheeler adventures when you injured both shoulders... Too bad you won't be using it for awhile! Actually, I mean that, because I know that's an important part of your life. Does Cathy shoot? I imagine she's too little to not get a pretty good kick from it... Tell Cathy that I've always heard that 3 wheelers are more dangerous than 4 wheelers, so I'm not sure about that idea.

I PM'd you awhile ago saying I think your best bet, as Wishing said, would be to contact Dr. Hey and explain it all to him and see what he suggests. I think he would know the best about which should go first... In the meantime, know that we're praying for you! Keep us posted on "the continuing saga..."

It's storming here, so I should disconnect... Take care.

[Susie*Bee]

Chris-- I don't want you to misinterpret what I said. I really and truly am impressed with your positive attitude. That's enough to crush a normal person! (Now, don't get me wrong, I'm not REALLY saying you're abnormal...) Anyway, I wanted to make sure you didn't think I was being sarcastic or anything. Keep us informed of what's happening.

[loves to skate]

loves to skate

Hi Chris,
You boys and your toys! At least you have been enjoying your life which I think is a very good thing. I also have osteoarthritis and was worrying about my knee before I had my spine surgery, but the back won out because I couldn't stand that pain the most. Have you tried to logroll yourself out of bed or off the couch, pushing yourself up and off with your arms? Also, try leaning on a cane to walk or grab a handrail when you climb the stairs. If either of those things causes you unbearable pain in your shoulders, you need to choose which pain you can tolerate the most, the shoulders or the back. Rotator cuff surgery can be a fairly long recovery up to 6 months or more and you could possibly damage them again after your back surgery by pushing yourself up and off the bed. I think when you have osteoarthritis, you need to act rather than delay as you never know when the next joint is going to fail you. Thank God for Orthopedic Surgeons. Keep us posted on what you decide to do first. And Cathy should just throw that 4 wheeler key away for good. I'm only looking out for your welfare. Take care.
Sally