4 posts tagged “pain”

I just checked in with Mom, she is doing well.

I came home Sunday afternoon and left her in the care of my Dad and my Sister.

Mom says that it is slow going but each day she is feeling a bit better and now she does not feel like she has to have someone around 24/7 to help her get around.

Update: Just talked to Mom again today (6/14/08). She is doing okay for the most part, but has a small infection around her stitches. (she had my sister look at them because she was seeing small spots of blood on things that had been touching her back, i.e. sheets, nightgown and such). Mom is supposed to see the Neurological Surgeon on Tuesday, but she is going to call her primary care Monday to see if she should do anything before then (neuro is out of town till Tuesday). I asked her if she had my sister clean it with peroxide or something after looking at it, she said 'no I was afraid it would make it hurt worse'. It is not a severe infection, just a small one around the stitches area. Maybe she will changer her mind and have my sister clean it when she comes back over.

All in all Mom is doing well. It may not seem like it sometimes because she has a very very low pain threshold and she will readily admit to it. For having such a low pain threshold she is a real trooper. She is making sure to try and get some walking in every day like the doctor told her to, even if it hurts a little, because she does not want anything to go wrong.

The last few days I have been letting my physical ailments and my depression, and over thinking to get the best of me.

For the last couple of weeks I have been having a hard time getting any sleep, good sleep that is, because my neck and back have been hurting so much. It does not help matters none that the job I got transfered to requires a lot more work overhead using a ladder. The pain had never been so severe that I could not move or that I wanted to cry out in pain, but just severe enough that nothing was ever comfortable. Driving to work hurt, sitting in my desk chair hurt, walking hurt, that constant nagging ache that wears a person down.

Well I am kind of an odd duck, in so much as mentally I can handle severe pain much better than constant minor pain. I think maybe it ties into my constant anxiety that nobody will believe that I am sick or was sick. I developed this anxiety as a child, at least that is what I think. When I was a child I was constantly ill with ear nose and throat issues and would miss just enough school to get noticed, but not enough to cause me to miss any grades or have to stay back a year. (This is where my over thinking kicks in). Anyway I think having such constant pain makes me more depressed as the days progress.

Last week the pain reached a point that trying to get comfortable in bed actually was reaching the point of wanting to cry out in pain. I was working a special shift of nights that week at work and everyone was needed to get the job done, so I did everything that I could to keep from missing work. While I was at work I would just keep praying that work would end early each night.

To top matters off, after my last anaphylaxis attack my allergist told me to avoid all over the counter pain relievers except for acetaminophen (Tylenol).  Unfortunately  I have never really gotten much relief from Tylenol, I usually find that naproxinsodium (sp?){Aleve} works better for me. So I tried calling my regular doctor to find out if there is something that he could give me that would work better but would not knock me out so that I could go to work. When the nurse finally called me back she told me the doctor suggested Excedrin Migraine. I explained to her (again) that the allergist told me to avoid all products containing aspirin.  She then suggested that I talk directly to the allergist's office then to find get something that would work. (Still need to do that today).

So I made it through last week, barely. But this week I did not do so well, I started off calling in sick on Monday, stating that I had overdone it on the weekend and could hardly turn my head comfortably. I made arrangements to see the chiropractor and basically intended to go in the next day. The chiropractor visit was brutal. Normally I feel him pop things back into place with just minimal pain, but since my lower back was hurting pretty bad it was almost impossible for him not to hurt me. I did feel some better but still called in on Tuesday, and again on Wednesday. Wednesday I went so far as to get ready and make it all the way to my car before deciding to stay home.

Each day I have called in, except for today. I felt such an overwhelming need to say home. I told myself it was because my back was just starting to feel better and that I needed that time to finally get some real rest. I told myself I would just lay back down for an hour or 2 and go in late. That did not happen. I ended up sleeping until almost 10:30am (I normally have to leave at 5:15am). I have not called in to work because now I am so embarrassed for not calling in and for having to call in a day at a time.

I have been making sure to take my Xanax each night before bed to help battle any anxiety that may entice me to stay home, but I am not so sure that 1 pill has been doing it. I am beginning to think that once again I have let my depression and anxiety get the better of me. I have been berating myself everyday for not going to work. I am never sure if I am right or if I am wrong anymore.

I have another chiropractor appointment today. It is not until 6pm but I think I will see if he has anything earlier since I stayed home and do not have to drive all the way from work. I am going to take my shower first in case he says that I can come right away.

Thanks for listening to me ramble

Okay I need to do some catching up on here. Yesterday I almost got a job. Yeah almost. I took a 10 day call from the Hiring Hall and went to the company's office to interview basically. The contractor has a right to turn down anyone the Hall sends to them without much of an explanation (this is part of our union contract). If the contractor turns you down and you have never interviewed with them before they are obligated to give you 2 hours of pay for showing up and being willing to work. Well with all that said, the contractor turned me down, because out of the 10 days I would have to miss one for a court date. Because he is calling for 10 day hits/calls he wants his full 10 days, it is his right. So no work but 2 hours of pay for me yesterday.

10 day call - a 10 day call is a temporary call for workers needed no more than 10 days. This is the cut-off point for temporary calls. If a worker takes a call for a 10 day job they do not loose their place on the Hiring Hall list. If a worker takes a permanent/long term call they are removed from the Hiring Hall list and must start all over on the list when they are once again laid off.

Today I woke up with a very very bad neck pain. I can only assume that I slept wrong causing nerve(s) to be pinched.

I know from past visits to multiple different doctors, that I have a 'mildly' (radiologist wording in reports) compressed disc between C5 and C6 in my neck. I also know that I have the beginnings of degenerative arthritis in my vertebra, as well as small bone spurring (fortunately not in the direction of my spinal cord). Because of this I am constantly in some form of pain, be it mild or severe. I seldom recall any time that I was without pain. So I am used to enduring the mild nagging pain, but when the pain prevents me from turning my head and causes numbness down my arms when moving my head certain directions, I know it is time to seek help.

I managed to get a chiropractor appointment with a doctor in my town that I have not gone to before. The doctor that I have gone to in the past no long has any Saturday hours and also is semi-retired, being only available 3 days a week. This new doctor was very helpful; willing to wait for me to get their to be his last appointment of the day, listening fully to everything I said and not brushing anything aside, respecting the fact that I have been to numerous doctors thus I am not uneducated about this aspect of my health.

After listening to me as well as noticing my body language the doctor started me out face down on the table and used a massager on my back and neck muscles first to help facilitate his next step. After a very pleasant couple of minutes of massage he began checking my back for needed adjustments. He found plenty (not surprising). So I sounded like Kellogg's Rice Krispies while he worked his way up my back. He did some small adjustments on my neck while I was laying face down then he had me roll over so that he could turn my head better for some more adjustments.

The doc did some nice work and I did feel some mild benefit, unfortunately with any kind of problems with a combination of spine and muscle issues it takes a while for the pain to subside even though things have been put back in place.

The doc told me that even though I was still young (39), with my history I needed to take a more active roll in retarding the progression of my arthritis and disc compression. I agreed with him and said that I had suspected that I would be needing to start going to a chiropractor on a more regular basis, especially since I am a construction worker and a bit of a tom-boy (hmm is it tom-man when you are an adult and heterosexual?). I have already made appointments to see the doc again on Monday afternoon and Thursday afternoon. I made the appointments in the late afternoon in case I get a job this week. I do not want to have to leave work early my first few days of employment. I also got out my glucosamine/chondroitin & MSM supplements and put them where I will remember to take them on a daily basis, as I should have been doing all along. (Hey now me and the dog can be on the same meds, LOL! - one of my dogs has arthritis too)

I had intended to get some more house repair/renovation/cleaning work done this weekend, but now I am not so sure that is going to happen. I am going to have to find a way to prop myself so that I am not pulling the neck muscles the rest of the evening. I have already taken a nap surrounded by pillows and dogs so that I could not even think about moving in the wrong direction while I slept, so I am not tired anymore. I guess I will have to find that neck pillow I have so I can sit here in my high back chair and try to watch some television and read blogs.

Oh my neck is killing me. I have just made an appointment with a chiropractor because I think I have slipped something out of place in my neck. I have a history of a mildly compressed disc between C5 and C6. Because of that disc problem I always have a stiff sore neck (predominantly the right side). So I am used to mild daily pain with little flares of pain, but this morning it is more than mild and I know I will not be able to stand it all weekend. There is no way. I can hardly turn my head or tilt it without causing pain, or pinching the nerve all together and shooting pain/numbness down my arms and back.

Okay have to get a quick shower and get going. just ranting, you know sick and tired of being sick and tired kind of thing