cant find a doc

[Pontiacgp]

the doctor i went to for my ankle/leg said it looks like it has collapsed,ill know for sure when i get a appoitment to a spine specialist,ive got the films of my xrays,from them it looks like they are overlapping eachother and rubbing,i feel like it will be a long road ahead,im type 2 diabetic,its caused neurpathy,my urine had 100 protein levels in it,im waiting on those test to come back,wonder what they could do to fix my spine/hip so i could be normal,im kinda overweight and doctors keep on and keep on ''you need to lose weight'' im like how do you exspect me to if my ankle kills me and my back kills me,when walking my joint in my hip hurts also,i guess i should have taken physicals more serious when i was younger

[Pontiacgp]

rohrer01 i think they took it at a crazy angle,im not sure why but my heart rate has been high everytime ive been to the doctor,sometimes 123,they said it was high because my heart is working harder due to being overweight i guess,i can feel it on the left beating sometimes where its suppose to be but i could be wrong

[susancook]

Hi Cody, great that you found this forum and are looking at seeing a spine doctor. Who lives in your house that could go with you to appointments? I found that it was helpful to have someone else with me to help ask questions. When I went to see my spine doctor, my son came along and he had a list of questions and he took notes for me. Also, if you do have surgery, you will need someone to help you when you return back home.

You will need to get your diabetes under good control before any doctor would consider surgery. Maybe a visiting nurse could come to your home and help you will diet and medication. You probably know a lot about how food affects your blood sugar. Who is your primary doctor? Maybe he or she could refer you to a dietician who could help you figure out food that you could eat that would keep your diabetes in control and also help you lose weight. I can see how it is frustrating if you cannot exercise because of your ankle.

Keep us posted on how you are doing! You have friends on this forum who can support you!

Take care, Susan

[rohrer01]

rohrer01 i think they took it at a crazy angle,im not sure why but my heart rate has been high everytime ive been to the doctor,sometimes 123,they said it was high because my heart is working harder due to being overweight i guess,i can feel it on the left beating sometimes where its suppose to be but i could be wrong

Unfortunately, Cody, your weight does interfere with your health. I'm not telling you anything new. However, you should NOT take pat answers from doctors just because you are overweight. A resting heart rate over 100 beats per minute is tachycardia. You should probably see a cardiologist to find out if that is normal for your weight.

I'm really concerned about your kidney function. Diabetes is a serious disease and you need to get control of it like Susan said. Did you say that they gave you anti-inflammatory medication? Is it an NSAID like ibuprofen, naproxen sodium, aspirin, etc.? That greatly concerns me with your kidneys putting out protein. These types of drugs are extremely hard on the kidneys! I'm appalled that they would give you that medicine. Please, go back to your doctor and make sure this isn't the type of drug they gave you or look it up on the internet and take it up with your doctor. Did they do a kidney function test? If not, you need to have one done. Bad kidneys can go hand in hand with diabetes.

I'm in agreement that you probably would not be allowed to have surgery until it is under control. There would be just too much risk of infection and poor wound healing.

You do have a lot of health problems right now. You have age on your side. Start tackling them one by one so that you can get healthy. Susan's suggestion of consulting with a dietician is a great place to start. Hopefully, you can stick to your plan and get things under control. This will give you some semblance of getting your life back. How old were you when you last remember feeling really good?

I wish you all the best. We'll all be here for you to cheer you on!

[Pontiacgp]

i just go my blood test back today,my cholerstrol was a little high and sugars,ive been watching what i eat,ive lost 47 pounds so far,my sugars are staying somewhat down,the antiinflamatory is called mobic they gave me,i actually cant remeber when ive felt good,ive been feeling feeling bad since 2010,ive just been a hermit i guess cause of hurting when i go out,also they said my kidney function was ok

[susancook]

Cody: Did you give your primary doctor the list of spine surgeons that Gayle gave you so he/she could refer you for an evaluation?

Also, do you live alone? Have family nearby?

If you had a good evaluation from a spine doctor, like the one that Gayle sent you, then you could find out if you need surgery or is there were other treatments that could help you. You sound discouraged in your last entry. Have you told your primary doctor how you feel?

Susan

[Pontiacgp]

Yes I told them the names of the doctors she gave me,she said a nurse will be in contact,no I don't live alone

[rohrer01]

Cody,

I am glad to see people offering suggestions to help you. Keep in mind that a support forum is not a good source of medical advice in most instances, so please check with your regular doctor for advice about blood sugar, kidney function, heart rate, medications, etc. For instance, you do not need to see a cardiologist about your heart rate. I do not think your heart is on the wrong side of your body based on your x-rays. Your regular doctor can tell you if your heart rate is a problem or not.

Gayle,
I recommended him seeing a cardiologist because his regular doctor gave him a pat answer about his heart rate, blaming it on obesity and not investigating what might be going on to MAKE SURE that's all it is. I have an arrhythmia that was misdiagnosed for YEARS as being anxiety or panic attacks. If the primary care providers won't listen, then get it straight with a specialist in THAT field. A sensation that your heart is pounding all of the time is NOT normal. Cody's weight puts him at risk for heart disease and it wouldn't hurt to get that checked out. I'm not making any diagnosis, just telling how I see it from my own experiences in life, personal and with other people, and my level of education.

For his kidneys, I happen to know someone with out-of-control diabetes and obesity that needed a kidney transplant at a young age. That transplant worked (from his brother, my friend) and the guy let his diabetes get out of control and ate whatever he wanted. The kidney only lasted a year and now he needs another one. He's been living on dialysis for YEARS. I don't want to see something like this happen to Cody. This guy was young when his problems started, too. Cody seems to be a responsible young man who realizes that he let things get out of control and is taking charge of his own health. Losing 47lb is no small task. This tells me that Cody is responsible and serious about taking charge of his own health.

Also, I did not tell him that his heart IS on the wrong side of his body. I said it looked that way on the x-ray and then acknowledged that it looked like they took the x-ray from an odd angle. He responded appropriately that he can feel his heart where it belongs. I have never seen an x-ray taken from that angle before and I couldn't make out the R or L on the smaller films on the side. When I zoomed in, they were too fuzzy to read. Maybe I shouldn't have said anything there, but it looked odd to me. Cody didn't act upset about it. If I had discerned that he was the type of person to panic over things, I WOULDN'T have mentioned it. Cody seems very level headed to me.

So, Cody, Gayle (leahdragonfly) is correct. You do NOT want to run out and believe everything you hear on here. We are a community made up of mostly laymen who really don't know what we are talking about much of the time. It states right in the introduction to the forum to use good sense and not take anything as actual medical advice. I meant no harm and I DO think you should have your kidney function tested and your heart checked out by someone who specializes in that field. You are in a category of higher risk for disease in those organs because of your diabetes and your weight. I don't think anyone who knows anything about the human body would ever deny that. I'm sorry if I worried you. No one will be upset with you if you don't follow our "advice".

Like I said: We're here for you and will be your cheering section. I'm really happy to see you taking charge and getting done the things that need to be done with regard to your health.

[rohrer01]

rohrer01 i think they took it at a crazy angle,im not sure why but my heart rate has been high everytime ive been to the doctor,sometimes 123,they said it was high because my heart is working harder due to being overweight i guess,i can feel it on the left beating sometimes where its suppose to be but i could be wrong

I'm sure your heart is right where it is supposed to be. I deleted that post because it was misleading to some. That x-ray was taken at a really wonky angle.

[Pontiacgp]

I was in no way offended,a forums is made up of regular everyday people,I came across this one when I google and I figured this one was a good start and shed some light on the situation since others are going through the same thing as me,I'm grateful and appreciate all the help I've got

[Pooka1]

I was in no way offended,a forums is made up of regular everyday people,I came across this one when I google and I figured this one was a good start and shed some light on the situation since others are going through the same thing as me,I'm grateful and appreciate all the help I've got

I think the personal testimonials are the most valuable thing on this forum by far. The rest of the stuff is bunnies arguing with bunnies over technical matters because we have no surgeons here. He had a PhD researcher for a while and that was eye opening.

[rohrer01]

I was in no way offended,a forums is made up of regular everyday people,I came across this one when I google and I figured this one was a good start and shed some light on the situation since others are going through the same thing as me,I'm grateful and appreciate all the help I've got

I'm glad. I in NO way tried to scare you. =)
You are doing a great job losing 47lb. The fact that you are willing to talk about this aspect of your life says a lot of positive things about you, too.
From watching "Extreme Weight Loss" (one of my favorite shows) the weight will come off faster at first, then for awhile it might seem like you work and work and work and nothing comes off. That's because, if you are eating healthy, you will be building muscle which weighs more than fat. I'm not expecting that you'll go to that extreme, especially with the pain you have in your back and ankle. That's why it's SO COMENDABLE that you've lost the weight you have!
I love to see people take charge of their lives and move from a seemingly impossible situation to a better one. You are already doing that.
I'm an overly thin person. Let me tell you, I grew up with a complex. I was teased incessantly. Just so you know, it doesn't happen only to heavy people. I have a lot to overcome. Weight to gain, muscle mass to gain, pain to diminish, while keeping my dystonia and arrhythmia in check. It's hard for me to exercise anymore. It hurts my neck and shoulder muscles to the point where they have tightened up so badly that they actually cut off the main artery and vein to my left arm and my hand began to swell...scary! I also have some undiagnosed Muscle Disease (MD), I guess that's what they call dystrophy these days. That's what they called it on the Muscular Dystrophy Society's website. You have your ankle, back, diabetes, and weight loss to work on. They are different, but just as challenging!
You can read my story on "I have some imaging CD's" in the "Non-Surgical" part of the forum for those over 18. I have my highs and lows.
I hope you stay here with us. I would love to follow your progress. For now you need to get some PAIN MANAGEMENT. Ouch!

[Pontiacgp]

I've watched extreme weight loss a lot,Chris Powell really cares,I will keep y'all updated as stuff goes on,I went to Walmart today to try to get out and feel better but now I regret it my back is killing me,I'm going to call around in the morning to get something done,if the doctors office can't get me into somewhere I'll go to the er and see a doctor and get them to find somebody,when I stand I think a nerve is pinched or something and making my legs weak and kinda numb if that's possible

[jrnyc]

Cody, numbness is usually, not always,
but very often from nerves...
pinched, damaged, pressed on, etc....
usually respond well to injections, or so my doctors have told me...

feel better....
jess

[rohrer01]

I've watched extreme weight loss a lot,Chris Powell really cares,I will keep y'all updated as stuff goes on,I went to Walmart today to try to get out and feel better but now I regret it my back is killing me,I'm going to call around in the morning to get something done,if the doctors office can't get me into somewhere I'll go to the er and see a doctor and get them to find somebody,when I stand I think a nerve is pinched or something and making my legs weak and kinda numb if that's possible

YES, pinched nerves can cause all of the symptoms you describe. If it's that bad and you are still awake or can't sleep because of pain, go tonight. At least you'll be able to get some rest. If you can make it, I'd recommend what you said about going to the doctor tomorrow. I did that recently. I said I need to be seen or I'm going to the ER. My doc is a sweetheart and told me to come in as soon as I could and he would work me in, which he did. =)

I'm glad you like that show, too! He does really care! You can see it in his face.
I don't know how you lost the weight you have with not being able to be upright for very long.
I would get that pain under control and try to do exercises that don't require you to stand or walk. Better yet, see if your doctor will prescribe PT so they can help you do exercises that are safe for you and won't risk injuring your back farther or sending you into tachycardia. Pain can raise your heart rate and blood pressure. It's happened to me a few times. I have normally low blood pressure made worse by my heart medicine and it's still risen from pain.

Thanks for the update. I would go to the ER if you can't stand the pain. Don't LEAVE until they get it under control. They will try light stuff that doesn't help, from the experience I've heard from others. I've almost always had success when I've HAD to go except once. I get morphine or fentanyl via IV. There are other things that they can try first that aren't so strong. But, whatever the case, PLEASE don't let them bully you into leaving without pain control. Okay?

Take Care!