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Back Surgery 2009


heidiiiii

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If I am counting right..this is the end of my ninth day without cigs. I did not complain much about not having any and I did not chew much gum today either..now that I think about it.

The nerve pain is better but worse. LOL if that is actually how I can explain it. The pain happens in the morning when I wake up. Probably because I have slept on my leg wrong or who knows. Then I have a pretty good day. My back reminds me often that I have to slow down and I do. I am still not bending, lifting, twisting. I am able to stand longer though. Which lets me know I am getting better.

The worse? I have a nerve pain that runs down the side of my leg down to my pinky toe! So my pinky toe is killing me!! Not all the time but right now it is. I am in bed waiting for pain relief to work.

My incision still itches. OMG. Does anyone have any advice for me? is there anything I can put on the scab so that it stops itching? I do not want to disturb it. I want it to fall off naturally.

So I can tell things are better but I still am dealing with the nerve regeneration. It does not tickle.

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Sorry to hear about the pain involved in nerve regeneration ... but of course, what it indicates is good! You seem to be recovering very well - both from the surgery, and the habit-breaking. Good work, Heidi! :(

I don't know that you should mess with the incision site at all ... someone trained in this sort of thing (like Holly) will probably have some useful suggestions. All I can say is, distract your body - have Fred give you a foot rub or (ahem) something else. ;) :)

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Actually Rosalind gave you good advice. Take a dry washcloth and put it in the fridge (NOT the freezer) and when it's good and cold lay it on your incision. If it's one of those drive-you-crazy itches, use two washcloths and keep the cool on it unti it calms the itch. Once you can focus on minis it should distract you from the itch and the pinky toe.

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Thank you Holly. I am being good and not itching it. Something if it really drives me crazy, I will pat it. I will try the washclothes. I am too distracted by the itch and by the leg pain to do anything right now.

I think once the scab falls off, and I have that one thing not to think about...I will be in a better mood to work on something.

I know the nerve pain is actually a good thing but sometimes it is really bad. And if any of you have had any type of nerve pain knows, it likes to sneak up on you. You are all fine and the stab!

My post op appt with the surgeon is Dec 1st.

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Heidi, alternate the cold washcloths with warm ones for the pain. DH's mom gave us her massage/ heat chair and when Arthur gets really tiresome I go spend five to ten minutes cooking and being pummelled in that, and I feel SO much mo' bettah!

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Kathie,

Thank you for the cards. Fred and I had a good laugh.

Not as itchy which is a good thing. Still have pain in my side cheek. Especially when I sleep at night. Hoping it is just a temporary thing. I do not think I could live with that if it was permanent.

Let us all cross fingers that it IS temporary. I will tell him about it on Tuesday.

Still taking it easy.

This is my 12th day off cigs. I want one once in awhile but most of the day I do not. I am not chewing the gum anymore either. I have not gained any weight but I have not lost any yet.

I am pretty sure I am going to have physical therapy. My back is very weak. I can really tell when I climb the stairs.

All and all I am doing good. I cant say whether the surgery worked yet because I am still healing.

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Two to six weeks to heal from the effects of the surgery and six months to a year to finish healing from the surgery itself. You sound like you're right on track. Try the cold washcloth for the itching, too.

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Two to six weeks to heal from the effects of the surgery and six months to a year to finish healing from the surgery itself. You sound like you're right on track. Try the cold washcloth for the itching, too.

Thank you Holly. The pain is most definitely from the sciatic nerve that is running along that line. Fred tried to rub the area to give me relief. He rubbed to hard and he almost had to peel me off the ceiling. I am NOT obsessing or anything over the pain. It just crossed my mind that it would really suck if I had to have this pain always.

I am able to do just a little bit more in the standing on my feet arena. I stood over by my info station (phone, bulletin board, bills area) and was able to shred a bunch of stuff, get things where they needed to be, and wiped down the table top. It felt good to get something accomplished.

I know my limits. I can dust off the glass on the screen door and the television..but I cannot clean the glass on the coffee table.

I need to get those grabby things. I keep telling Fred to pick them up but he forgets. I think I will search out online and have it delivered. I think he avoids buying it because he and the girls are here to help. But I want a little bit of my independence back. When I drop something on the floor..I want to pick it..not have to go asking somebody to come do it for me.

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I found one of those for $2 at a flea market and I pop it under a deck bungee whenever we go on a river cleanup paddle, they're great for grabbing beer cans & bottles from the river bottom! or out of the weeds along the shore.

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Thanks Greg..I am at the stage of screaming from cabin fever but I am being positive. This is a good thing.

I figured something out yesterday to help with that horrible hip pain. I had Fred go in the closet and drag out the body pillow. I slept with that and NO HIP PAIN! I still had some pain so I did not have a full night sleep..but did not have to get up as much as before. And I could walk when I woke up this morning.

I guess elevating the whole entire leg did the trick. I was just using a folded pillow by my knees and that did not work at all.

You know, I think I am still a little funky in the brain from the anesthesia. Not overtly so but I can see it. I still have spelling problems and I do not even bother playing Bejeweled Blitz, I stink at it now (my friends are thrilled).

Everyday is a little better. Now I know that I needed the pillow for my back, I feel better..ahhhh.

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Having the right kind of pillow support makes a world of difference - glad you figured out the right one for you, Heidi! You sound brighter with each post, even with the pain. Hope you bring back good news from the doctor's appt.

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I am so bored!!!!!!!

I think it really is cabin fever more then boredom. I have things I can do but they require me to sit to do them. I cannot sit for long periods of time..that is part of the reason that i have not really started on the lighthouse yet.

I see the surgeon tomorrow so I will find out exactly how long this purgatory is for me..LOL

It is so boring. I cannot get the tree to decorate..I cannot even decorate it if it was up. I cannot really clean..only a little bit then my back protests. I cannot really drive..Fred has to come with me just in case.

I cant go shopping

I cant smoke

I know this is a post full of cants but I am sooooo bored. I have watched a ton of DVDs and I dont want to do that anymore!

I wish I could just sleep the month away until I was all better but I cant do that either..sleeping is not very restful lately.

Okay. I am done whining for today.. :idea:

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Liza,

I am being good. Dont you worry. My body even tells me when I am not being good. I went to put a cup up (forgetting for a second I am not supposed to do that) and I had a shock in my side.

So I just do not do anything.

Or I do things but know my limits. It is very hard to get used to not being able to do ANYTHING.

Fred brought up the Christmas tree. So I am not bored now. I am going to have him plug in the extension cord for me so that I can check all the lights.

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I'm happy that you have found something to do to fight the boredom today. :idea: And I really hope that it is only good news from the dr's tomorrow! :lol:

Same here, Heidi. What about listening to some books on tape while you do other things? Or while you recline (after your back tells you to go lie down)?

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Today is December 1st. 24 more shopping days till Christmas.

It is also my Post op visit with the surgeon and two weeks without a cigarette. Two weeks. Yesterday was bad. I just had a really bad day yesterday. Pain above my ankle, wanted a ciggy really bad, too much pain to even try to do any part of the tree...I ate dinner and went to bed.

Seriously...I was up there with my pillow, watching the news, and I was out like a light. I woke back up around 8pm.

Not looking forward to Christmas. I really cannot go out and shop. I did get a few things before the surgery but nothing since. Now I am on a deadline. I think I will throw cash at them and tell them to wait till January! LOL

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Heidi, please do look forward to Christmas -- it means you will be that much closer to feeling good again! And don't worry about presents. Your family members know what you're going through. Tell them to enjoy Christmas for the spirit of the season but not to look for presents until Ground Hog's Day. :idea:

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I know Kathie. I was discussing this with Natalie yesterday. I told her that what there is there is...(except for the borders gift cards Fred will pick up for them soon.)

I WANT to fill their stockings. If I can accomplish that, I will be happy.

But I had a discussion with her about it (because she is the teenager..LOL) and figured we can go shopping in January. Fred and I are not going to give presents this year..we are going to wait till next month and give each other a nice birthday present.

I cannot go shopping even if I went during the week when the Mall opens in the morning. It is not the crowds (well it is too) but my level of strength. If I have difficulty walking up stairs..i should NOT be in a Mall.

Nat actually liked that idea. Wait until things go on Clearance! LOL

It is just a bit sad..you all know what I mean. I am missing out on the fun of looking for the bargains, wrapping presents on my bed, etc.

I will get over it when Christmas is over..LOL

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