Thank goodness this week is over! Had a pretty rocky start, laid off the exercise (even skipped clinical pilates) and on Tuesday and Wednesday relented and took a cocktail of drugs in an effort to get relief from pain and some bloody sleep! I always said that I wouldn't be a martyr to the pain and I WON'T but it really felt like I was letting myself down...
My body, I guess, was pretty much clear of drugs after more than 3 weeks without them, so chucking a few Tramadol (synthetic morphine) and Co-codamol down my neck wasn't such a good idea. What can I say other than it was Exorcist V in the making... I took to my bed, turned green and promptly started projectile vomiting. Nice. I had completely forgotten those early years experimenting with the prescribed cocktail of drugs, trying to find what worked best for me... it brought back nightmares of one weekend where I barfed for England following application of a long-term morphine patch! Hey, the girl's got class!!!
Anyhow, things seem to have settled, drug-free again and ready for some exercise (for that read, punishment) this week.
Sunday 26 July 2009
Monday 20 July 2009
Dr Vic here...
I know it's been radio silence from the Dr, but just read Kelly's latest blog and I had to reply.
All I can say is that it may appear that Kelly is NOT learning from her experience with regards to overdoing it, but you have to understand her as I do, and that sometimes she just says...BOLLOCKS to it all!!!!
That's our Kel. Spare a thought for the old DR. I have to live with her.
Dr. Vic
All I can say is that it may appear that Kelly is NOT learning from her experience with regards to overdoing it, but you have to understand her as I do, and that sometimes she just says...BOLLOCKS to it all!!!!
That's our Kel. Spare a thought for the old DR. I have to live with her.
Dr. Vic
Dynesys (dynesis) - 9 months on...
First the good news... I'm 9 months post op today and 22 days drug-free. Not a paracetamol has passed my lips...
Note to self-pitying moi: less pain = drug-free = recovering = much worse things in life = damn lucky!
Now the bad news... I feel like shyte. I'm in quite a bit of pain and have been for days, chuck in 2 sleepless nights and a large dollop of self-pity and there you have it - one depressed girlie who's taken to her pit. As usual, I've brought it all on myself. Wouldn't you know it. Take one fab weekend in Bruges (mussels, chips, beer and a fair bit of walking on cobbles), a veritable orgy of exercise in an effort to get into a party frock, top it all off with a long sitting lunch yesterday and there you have wot's done me in! Blast and double blast!
This past week... I just haven't been able to get any speed out of my legs, it's like wading through treacle. My gym bag, containing just a clean towel & cozzie, feels like half-hundredweight of spuds! When I get tired I waddle, feet 10-to-2, it's quite unattractive. I hate my inner thighs and their hanging, wasted muscles, ditto attractiveness. My head is screaming, "get over it, won't ya" but my brain is rebelling; it's gone on vacation... I feel I've nothing to talk about 'cept this! I feel a hundred years old...
A bad week, that's all. All things are passing, patience gains all!
Thursday 9 July 2009
10 days drug free...
Overall, I'm finding that I have more energy and am less tired than ever before, which means that I am able to do more. I've added 30 mins on the recumbant to my day - burning some 300+ calories doing that, RESULT, so far it seems to be OK. Making sure I'm still taking plenty of rests as am experiencing stiffness and discomfort (as opposed to out-and-out pain). All do-able though.
Thursday 2 July 2009
Drug free at last!!!
Well, here’s the good news folks… after 5½ years of taking a much publicised cocktail of drugs (and 8 months post-op) I am happy to say that I am now 4 days completely drug free!!!! Woop woop.
Getting rid of the drugs has always been my ultimate goal - for the past couple of months I have been surviving on paracetamol with a few Tramadol thrown in for good measure! Apart from 3 weeks of horrid withdrawal symptoms when I came off Amitriptyline last year, I have suffered no addiction or withdrawal problems. And… considering the concoction and volume I’ve taken over the years I consider myself very fortunate. I’ve pretty much lived for this day – ending the daily dependency - so it was with a mix of excitement and anxiety that I approached Monday morning.
So far… well, I’m not pain-free. Hey, I’m a realist. Did I ever really think that I would be totally pain free, good as new, ‘normal’ again??? Course not. The good news is that the pain is do-able. It’s not pain of the sleepless nights, jump-out-the-window and end-it-all type that daily cursed me – it’s more of a done-too-much pain that I can live with. If an hour lying down on the bed don’t fix it then I am happy to pop the odd paracetamol or Advil to get me thru it. I can live with that! Go girl...
Btw... received 2 wonderful, informative and encouraging responses recently from 2 other ‘spineys’ who are living with Dynesys…
QUOTE ONE I had dynesis 5 yrs ago and to this day i have not had any major problems, yes i get a bit of back pain, but its not enough to get me taking those horrible pain killers again, i always rest after work, at least half an hour laying on my bed, i put hot water bottles on my back to help the occasional aches and pains. i work as a storeman /forktruck driver so i do a bit of lifting, and other than have to stop doing sport, i live a normal life, every few months if im feeling very stiff etc, i visit my physio and after a few sessions it seems to do me a bit of good, the only thing is that you still get worried from time to time, even after this long that your back may give out again, but as the years go on i wonder if you could call this succesful, if i take it easy, no pain, but you still go around watching everyone else running jumping around without a care in the world thinking i just wish i could do that, but theres no way you can or ever will again. so i wish you all a pain free life and good health. ps just wanted to let you know there is light at the end of the tunnel. UNQUOTE
QUOTE TWO Just want to say firstly for all of you who have had probs with your dynesys I'm sorry you have had that experience but also to leave a positive message that it does sometimes work! and work and work well. I had dynesys stabilisation of L3,4+5 in March 2006 following 15 years of back pain due to 3 slipped discs +some spinal stenosis. Before my op I was in daily pain (on tramadol, paracetamol +diclofenac) and during flare ups would be unable to stand upright for 2+ weeks at a time. I was offered fusion but decided against that as felt I wanted the flexibility. My surgeon (in Bristol, England) informed me that there would only be 50% chance of improvement, 30% chance i would be unchanged post-op and 20% chance I would be worse so I figured that as long as i didnt fall into the 20% worse then it was worth the risk. So far my op has been a total success. I am left with nerve damage around my bum and upper thighs but that is a small price to pay to be able to virtually free of back pain! UNQUOTE
Getting rid of the drugs has always been my ultimate goal - for the past couple of months I have been surviving on paracetamol with a few Tramadol thrown in for good measure! Apart from 3 weeks of horrid withdrawal symptoms when I came off Amitriptyline last year, I have suffered no addiction or withdrawal problems. And… considering the concoction and volume I’ve taken over the years I consider myself very fortunate. I’ve pretty much lived for this day – ending the daily dependency - so it was with a mix of excitement and anxiety that I approached Monday morning.
So far… well, I’m not pain-free. Hey, I’m a realist. Did I ever really think that I would be totally pain free, good as new, ‘normal’ again??? Course not. The good news is that the pain is do-able. It’s not pain of the sleepless nights, jump-out-the-window and end-it-all type that daily cursed me – it’s more of a done-too-much pain that I can live with. If an hour lying down on the bed don’t fix it then I am happy to pop the odd paracetamol or Advil to get me thru it. I can live with that! Go girl...
Btw... received 2 wonderful, informative and encouraging responses recently from 2 other ‘spineys’ who are living with Dynesys…
QUOTE ONE I had dynesis 5 yrs ago and to this day i have not had any major problems, yes i get a bit of back pain, but its not enough to get me taking those horrible pain killers again, i always rest after work, at least half an hour laying on my bed, i put hot water bottles on my back to help the occasional aches and pains. i work as a storeman /forktruck driver so i do a bit of lifting, and other than have to stop doing sport, i live a normal life, every few months if im feeling very stiff etc, i visit my physio and after a few sessions it seems to do me a bit of good, the only thing is that you still get worried from time to time, even after this long that your back may give out again, but as the years go on i wonder if you could call this succesful, if i take it easy, no pain, but you still go around watching everyone else running jumping around without a care in the world thinking i just wish i could do that, but theres no way you can or ever will again. so i wish you all a pain free life and good health. ps just wanted to let you know there is light at the end of the tunnel. UNQUOTE
QUOTE TWO Just want to say firstly for all of you who have had probs with your dynesys I'm sorry you have had that experience but also to leave a positive message that it does sometimes work! and work and work well. I had dynesys stabilisation of L3,4+5 in March 2006 following 15 years of back pain due to 3 slipped discs +some spinal stenosis. Before my op I was in daily pain (on tramadol, paracetamol +diclofenac) and during flare ups would be unable to stand upright for 2+ weeks at a time. I was offered fusion but decided against that as felt I wanted the flexibility. My surgeon (in Bristol, England) informed me that there would only be 50% chance of improvement, 30% chance i would be unchanged post-op and 20% chance I would be worse so I figured that as long as i didnt fall into the 20% worse then it was worth the risk. So far my op has been a total success. I am left with nerve damage around my bum and upper thighs but that is a small price to pay to be able to virtually free of back pain! UNQUOTE
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