September 9th surgery

[debbei]

Hi Melissa,

I hope you were able to enjoy the concert! Let us know how you are.

[backissues]

I am so sorry to hear of your issues. This WILL get resolved. Think positively.

You might look into and consider a Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Program (Jon Kabat-Zinn) that is given locally. I took a 10-week program (2 hours/week) a few months ago. One of the issues is handling pain. The course was given through one of the local hospitals and was covered by insurance. The people who attended had pain issues. We talked and also learned meditation and yoga techniques. There are also two books by Jon Kabat-Zinn: Wherever You Go There you Are; Full Catastophe Living. The latter was the text for the class.

Thinking of you and praying for a positive outcome.

Irene

[mabeckoff]

Well I went out to the concert and the concert was great but sitting 2 1/2 hours in the same seat was a mistake. I am in so much pain right now. Going to bed
now I hope that I can sleep

Melissa

[mabeckoff]

Dr bederman is cutting back to 450 Mgs of Lyricia whihc is what I had been taking for several years for my fibromaylgia. I , also, told him that I am not taking the
Evail drug any more because it kills my entire day

SO I am back to square one

[mabeckoff]

Cat Scan

I have an appointment for a Cat scan on Tuesday . So we will see what that shows

[mabeckoff]

After the cat scan, I am having an epidural injection. Dr Bederman feels that it can help much better than me taking more and more pain killers.

[JenniferG]

I'm sorry that the Elavil didn't work out. I had high hopes for that. But the epidural will, I believe, work better than the pain killers but for how long? I was on an epidural drip for four days from day 1 and I didn't feel any pain whatsoever until a couple of days after it was withdrawn. Amazing things. But I'm wondering how long an injection can last. Did he say?

I'm just glad that you're not feeling abandoned like you did with your first surgeon. This will work out Melissa, and you will look back on this time like it was just a bad dream. Every day, you've healed that little more. Don't lose sight of that light at the end of the tunnel.

[mabeckoff]

I'm sorry that the Elavil didn't work out. I had high hopes for that. But the epidural will, I believe, work better than the pain killers but for how long? I was on an epidural drip for four days from day 1 and I didn't feel any pain whatsoever until a couple of days after it was withdrawn. Amazing things. But I'm wondering how long an injection can last. Did he say?

I'm just glad that you're not feeling abandoned like you did with your first surgeon. This will work out Melissa, and you will look back on this time like it was just a bad dream. Every day, you've healed that little more. Don't lose sight of that light at the end of the tunnel.

Dr Bederman did not say how long the relief , if any, will last. Every person that takes it is different. I just want a good night sleep. I cannot lay on my back any
more , which was a position that I slept in since my July surgery without any pain. If I lie on either side, then I get tingling and burning in my foot, pain down the outside of my leg, and pain in my butt, . I am mad at myself for having the September surgery because I was recovering so well from my July surgery.

[Elisa]

Dr Bederman did not say how long the relief , if any, will last. Every person that takes it is different. I just want a good night sleep. I cannot lay on my back any
more , which was a position that I slept in since my July surgery without any pain. If I lie on either side, then I get tingling and burning in my foot, pain down the outside of my leg, and pain in my butt, . I am mad at myself for having the September surgery because I was recovering so well from my July surgery.

Are you talking about the surgery you just had Melissa, the one with Dr. B? If so, why exactly did you have the surgery again? I am just trying to follow along as you've had a few surgeries and I can't remember why you had the last one.

There are much newer antidepressants than Elavil and they don't make you sleepy but they also don't help with pain either as far as I know. Not trying to get you to go back on them, just saying Elavil does seem to help some people with pain issues.

[LindaRacine]

Dr Bederman did not say how long the relief , if any, will last. Every person that takes it is different. I just want a good night sleep. I cannot lay on my back any
more , which was a position that I slept in since my July surgery without any pain. If I lie on either side, then I get tingling and burning in my foot, pain down the outside of my leg, and pain in my butt, . I am mad at myself for having the September surgery because I was recovering so well from my July surgery.

Hi Melissa...

I'm not sure how much detail I posted when I was about a month or so out from my January surgery, but I had a period of a few weeks when I couldn't sleep, not even with all the drugs I was taking, and with sleeping pills. I could not find any comfortable position in bed. It got so bad that I actually went to the ER one evening. I ended up walking around all night, interspersed with sitting in my recliner for 10-15 minutes a time. Then, a night or two after I went to the ER, I think I just got so tired that I actually fell asleep in my recliner. When I woke up about 4 hours later, I was scared to death that I was going to be in horrid pain when I got up. It never happened. For the next 1-2 months, I would try to sleep in bed every 5-6 days, but as soon as I got uncomfortable, I'd go back to the recliner. Eventually, I was sleeping very comfortably in the recliner.

Those days when I was getting no sleep were so stressful and depressing for me, so I think I know how you feel. My only advice is to hang in there. Unless something has gone horribly wrong with your surgery (and that's very unlikely) I promise, it will get better. For me, it turned out that 100% of my pain and numbness (the things keeping me awake) was caused by the two complications I had (lymphedema and trochanteric bursitis). Eventually, most of the symptoms from lymphedema have resolved, and the trochanteric bursitis went away when I had an injection.

Hope you have a great night's sleep very soon.

Regards,
Linda

[mabeckoff]

Are you talking about the surgery you just had Melissa, the one with Dr. B? If so, why exactly did you have the surgery again? I am just trying to follow along as you've had a few surgeries and I can't remember why you had the last one.

There are much newer antidepressants than Elavil and they don't make you sleepy but they also don't help with pain either as far as I know. Not trying to get you to go back on them, just saying Elavil does seem to help some people with pain issues.

The September surgery was the short 3 hour long one. Dr Bederman went in thru the front and took care of L5S1 that was not doing well. This way we hoped to
have the fusion solid next year. It is just annoying because after my major July surgery and 2 weeks in rehab, I was walking better and feeling better than I am
now.

I just could not take the Elavil any longer. I could not walk around feeling the way I did on that drug. Hopefully, the injection Tuesday will bring me some relief

[mabeckoff]

Hi Melissa...

I'm not sure how much detail I posted when I was about a month or so out from my January surgery, but I had a period of a few weeks when I couldn't sleep, not even with all the drugs I was taking, and with sleeping pills. I could not find any comfortable position in bed. It got so bad that I actually went to the ER one evening. I ended up walking around all night, interspersed with sitting in my recliner for 10-15 minutes a time. Then, a night or two after I went to the ER, I think I just got so tired that I actually fell asleep in my recliner. When I woke up about 4 hours later, I was scared to death that I was going to be in horrid pain when I got up. It never happened. For the next 1-2 months, I would try to sleep in bed every 5-6 days, but as soon as I got uncomfortable, I'd go back to the recliner. Eventually, I was sleeping very comfortably in the recliner.

Those days when I was getting no sleep were so stressful and depressing for me, so I think I know how you feel. My only advice is to hang in there. Unless something has gone horribly wrong with your surgery (and that's very unlikely) I promise, it will get better. For me, it turned out that 100% of my pain and numbness (the things keeping me awake) was caused by the two complications I had (lymphedema and trochanteric bursitis). Eventually, most of the symptoms from lymphedema have resolved, and the trochanteric bursitis went away when I had an injection.

Hope you have a great night's sleep very soon.


Regards,
Linda

thanks Linda. I hope I do as well

[JenniferG]

I hope Linda's post gives you hope that better days are coming. As others have said, this WILL be resolved because you have Dr. Bederman on your case and he won't stop until you're better. You first surgeon virtually abandoned you and made you feel bad but that is not what's happening this time. It's still early days for you and Dr. Bederman is still batting on your team. Don't lose hope. I know that being in pain for a long time and with your history, it is easier said than done. I don't know why some people have such a hard time of it, you're certainly not alone there, but you're fortunate that you have someone doing his very best for you, following up on every possibility, with your well-being in mind.

(I wish Leanne had Dr. Bederman on her side.)

[mabeckoff]

I hope Linda's post gives you hope that better days are coming. As others have said, this WILL be resolved because you have Dr. Bederman on your case and he won't stop until you're better. You first surgeon virtually abandoned you and made you feel bad but that is not what's happening this time. It's still early days for you and Dr. Bederman is still batting on your team. Don't lose hope. I know that being in pain for a long time and with your history, it is easier said than done. I don't know why some people have such a hard time of it, you're certainly not alone there, but you're fortunate that you have someone doing his very best for you, following up on every possibility, with your well-being in mind.

(I wish Leanne had Dr. Bederman on her side.)

Thanks. I have to keep remembering that he will be here with me until I am healed. Thanks everyone . When I cannot sleep , I read these posts

[jrnyc]

i know, Melissa
as i told you...i hated elavil as well!
it never helped me...just made me tired the next day...hungover tired!

i hope the epidural injection gives you some relief!
please try not to be mad at yourself
the surgeon felt the September surgery was important...
i know you will start to feel better soon...
try to remember how much you have been thru...how far you have come...
even being in pain, you now have a great surgeon....
he will stick with you until you are better....
that should bring some reassurance....
just try to hold on

jess