September 9th surgery

[jrnyc]

Melissa, regarding the paratransit Linda mentioned....
i know there are paratransit "Access-a-Ride" type services in most towns..they have it in
NYC, and i saw such vans carryng people in CA when i was out there...
it can take a while to get "approved" but once that is done, a person can call for a ride
and be accommodated...it is not like having a car service at your disposal, but it is better
than having no ride at all...they do the driving, so no worries about that...
also, some churches and other kinds of religious organizations have people who volunteer
to help...it is possible you could get a ride to doctor appts that way...

jess

[rohrer01]

I live in a small town and they have medical transits to the "bigger city" hospitals... Maybe you could call the hospital where your doctor is affiliated.

[mabeckoff]

I am having my SI injection done at UCI. The appt scheduling with the other pain management doctor was too hard to deal with.

[mabeckoff]

FDA considering banning vicodin and percocet

http://www.healthcentral.com/chronic...rcocet/?ap=825

Has everyone heard about this?

[LindaRacine]

Yes, Tylenol is the new evil.

[loves to skate]

Tylenol is not really the new evil. The problem is that people take tylenol in addition to Vicoden and Percocet, therefore overdosing on tylenol. I was never prescribed Vicoden or Percocet. Instead I was prescribed oxycondone and Tylenol separately so that I wouldn't overdose of tylenol.

[mabeckoff]

Tylenol is not really the new evil. The problem is that people take tylenol in addition to Vicoden and Percocet, therefore overdosing on tylenol. I was never prescribed Vicoden or Percocet. Instead I was prescribed oxycondone and Tylenol separately so that I wouldn't overdose of tylenol.

That makes sense because people still need these painkillers at different points in their life

[mabeckoff]

Scar itching very badly

My scar , which is 8 months old, has started itching terribly the last several days. It has not done that before at all. What is going on?

[rohrer01]

Yes, Tylenol is the new evil.

My son's MD (psychiatrist) said that tylenol was THE most dangerous drug out there in terms of overdoses because of the irreversible liver damage. It is especially dangerous to teens or any others that want to feign "suicide" for attention because it's a real killer and those same kids either end up really dead or on the liver transplant list. Also, mom's accidentally overdosing their infants and children was mentioned... In his view, it shouldn't be otc.

When I had my last surgery (non-back related) I was given straight oxycodone without the tylenol so that I could regulate my own tylenol intake and take more of the narcotic IF I needed it without worrying about overdosing on tylenol.

Just an FYI for anyone out there: Anything with APAP on the label has tylenol (acetaminophen), as that is the shortened drug name so you might want to check the prescriptions. For example if you take percocet, it will say oxycodon APAP 5/350 which means 5mg of oxycodone and 350mg of acetaminophen. I'm pretty sure that the FDA lowered the daily intake from 4g (4000mg)/day to 3g (3000mg)/day, but I could be mistaken. I NEVER take more than 3000mg/day as I believe that is the current standard. I worry because I take it EVERY day in my meds... :-(

[rohrer01]

My scar , which is 8 months old, has started itching terribly the last several days. It has not done that before at all. What is going on?

My c-section scar itched and hurt for years. It still hurts if it is touched and it's over 19 years old! However, for a new itch, I might call the doc or have someone look at it to make sure there's no infection. Usually itching is a sign of healing/nerve regeneration. It can't hurt to call and ask. I hope it's nothing!

[mabeckoff]

My c-section scar itched and hurt for years. It still hurts if it is touched and it's over 19 years old! However, for a new itch, I might call the doc or have someone look at it to make sure there's no infection. Usually itching is a sign of healing/nerve regeneration. It can't hurt to call and ask. I hope it's nothing!

Thanks I will follow up

[JenniferG]

It's probably as rohrer says, the nerves are regenerating. Is it warm to touch, or swollen? If not, I don't think it will be anything to worry about, however, it won't hurt to have it checked out.

[mabeckoff]

It's probably as rohrer says, the nerves are regenerating. Is it warm to touch, or swollen? If not, I don't think it will be anything to worry about, however, it won't hurt to have it checked out.

That is exactly what Dr Bederman said.

[mabeckoff]

I had a very good day today. My DH and myself went to Joshua Tree NP. I took two different hikes. The first one was 1/2 mile and the second one was 1.3 miles. I feel it in my right hip and leg so I will see tomorrow how much pain I will be in the morning

[titaniumed]

Melissa

This is probably the best news we have seen from you....been waiting a long time for this post!

You know I did quite a bit of hiking....and yes, you will be sore. I never did give up, and it all worked out in the end.

Keep up the good work! Get yourself some walking sticks or ski poles.

Ed