Sunday, January 30, 2011

Newsflash...

I think bullets would be best for a quick update.

* May, June and July - lots of shots in my back and neck, not much help. Pretty much the same story as when I quit posting

* August - the month I turned 40. Joe took me to the city...told me he was totally going to get my mind off my doctoring...then took me to a hotel with the same name as my surgeon..doh!

Broke up with my BFF. Sometimes once words are out there you just can't take them back. It was a really hard lesson and still hurts.

* September - Had a rhizotomy instead of going to Italy. For those of you who don't know what that is, they zap the nerves in your neck so you can't feel them anymore. I had 4 of the biggest holes in my neck. I was in the zone and didn't feel any of them...sedation is a wonderful thing. It worked well...now I just have shoulder and jaw pain and the neck is nicely quiet!

* October - I had my first back surgery (a fusion). Lots of complications, 2 seizures (or some such nonsense), a reaction to meds. They had to stick me 15 times for ABG...and then I woke up to Dr. Hottie standing next to my bed...which was really bad and freaked me out...thankfully he said nothing. 2 days in the hospital and I was home.

Two weeks later I went into the docs office to have an xray taken and I had a screw loose (it was a defective screw...seriously, what do you suppose the odds are). I don't know who was more shocked the surgeon or me. I told him he would have to drag me kicking and screaming back into the OR.

I called the next day telling him I wanted the surgery to fix it....who wants to walk around with a loose screw?

* November - 4 weeks after the 1st surgery I have my 2nd surgery to fix my loose screw. I lose it in the waiting room and bawl for an hour and a half because I'm scared to death. When they finally take me everyone in the OR knows who I am and greets me like it's a reunion...ODD. I make it through the surgery wake up in ICU and do very well until my surgeon tells me about a risk of infection, PICC lines and 6 weeks of antibiotics...I stay an extra night, freaking the hell out. Thank goodness no infection. Surgeon knocks 10 years off my life and gives me a few grey hairs.

At this point I am 12 weeks without my RA meds. Flaring like crazy and my surgeon wants me to stay off the meds for as long as possible. He loses. My foot and ankle are numb from the surgery and hurt like crazy. Off to the foot surgeon...yeah, I need to have another fusion in my foot.

No meds is NOT a good idea.

* January - I schedule my foot surgery for Februrary 10th...because I am insane. I try to convince myself this is a good idea but it just isn't working. I decide to head for Cleveland Clinic to see if they have any ideas for my RA. I've been back on my meds for a month and I'm still really hurting.

Cleveland Clinic is the most discouraging appointment I have ever been to. It's a progressive disease, active disease will hopefully be stopped with Orencia, I can expect about 50% improvement. Damage will need to be fixed with surgery. Not the happy story I was hoping to hear.

Nearly kill myself traveling. Come home...back is killing me, scared that I popped a screw again. Go in for xrays...surgeon doesn't scream at me..he gets major points for this. Everything is where it's supposed to be. He gives me the name of a rheumatologist and sends me home for 3 months.

I freak out knowing that I'm not going to be able to see that everything in my back is ok for 3 months...didn't see that one coming...blindsided...

I had already decided that I wasn't having surgery on my foot right now. Back surgeon confirms this is the right choice and I promise him no surgery for 6 months while my back heals.

Freak out again...that requires me to stand still for 6 months and see what my body will do. I don't stand still very well...

I made a list of goals for the next 6 months...obtainable goals...and that's what I'm doing right now...you know, besides the freaking out part.

There it is in a nutshell...

3 comments:

Melisa Wells said...

Whoa.

I'm going to have to absorb some of this and then come back and reread.

I'll be back!

Kelli said...

I was thinking about u the other day and guessed u weren't on facebook anymore and when u quit blogging I guess I deleted it from my blog roll but I got an ipd and added the rss thing and u poppednup. It made me so happy to see u again even if it's imaginary . Take care and I'll have to catch up on your health this week!

Crazymamaof6 said...

Crap that stinks. You have been through the wringer!

Well. Hope the new rheumy dr. Can do something helpful.

Keep swimming lady. Hugs.