The Sick Room

[GotGarlic]

So, it looks like a hip replacement is in my future. Might as well get it over with. The earliest the surgeon can get me on his schedule would be June. DH is teaching a summer camp the last two weeks in June, so we'll schedule it for sometime in July. His schedule is more flexible in the summer when the students and most of the teachers are not in the buildings.

 

[Kayelle]

Dang it GG, I'm sorry you have to go through that surgery. I know you're one resilient cookie and it will be fine, but just the same....dang...

 

[Just Cooking]

Hang in there GG.. The surgery and recovery should leave you pain free..
The people I know, who have had this procedure, swear they should have done it sooner..

Ross

 

[Cheryl J]

GG, so glad you're able to schedule the surgery when DH is more likely to be home. I imagine you'll be prepping some freezer meals beforehand!

 

[taxlady]

GG, you are braver than me. I'm doing what I can to avoid a hip replacement.

 

[GotGarlic]

Thanks, everyone.

Ross, I'll be hip-pain-free but I will still have neuropathy in my feet. I don't know how you have both pain and numbness, but I've managed it somehow [emoji38] That plus hip pain is pretty aggravating. I can deal more easily with just the feet.

TL, I think it's more fear than bravery [emoji2] I've almost fallen a couple of times because of sudden, unexpected, severe pain in my hip and the idea of falling and breaking something really scares me.

 

[Cooking Goddess]

Sorry to hear that you need the surgery, GG. FWIW, a dear friend of mine has had both hips and both knees replaced. She is amazed at how much better the surgeries have become over the past decade. Good luck with yours. I'm sure your DH will dote on your every want. [emoji813]

 

[Dawgluver]

Good luck to you, GG, you're on your way to becoming bionic! And, fingers crossed, pain-free.

 

[dragnlaw]

Good Luck GG, really hope this works for you.

Although you don't have winters quite like we do here in the north, it's good your surgery is scheduled for summer months. Difficult enough to cope without adding winter clothes!

 

[GotGarlic]

CG, yes, they do robotic surgery at the place I went to. Much more precise.

Dragn, good point about the clothes!

 

[Addie]

I am getting spasms in my stump also. I have found that using a heating pad on the stump (on low) for about 10-15 minutes releases the spasms.

I have to do exercisers each day for the stump to strengthen. I was warned that I would get the spasms and what to do about them. I use the pad after the exercisers. It does release the spasm. I would suggest using it prior to getting out of bed.

Good luck and hope the pain ends real soon.

 

[bethzaring]

GG, I hope your hip replacement surgery goes well!

 

[GotGarlic]

Thanks, Beth.

I get a blood test every Tuesday, for reasons I won't go into publicly. I got a call today saying my calcium level was critically low and the doctor on call wanted me to go to the ER. I've been through this before and when I went, the first thing they did was a re-test and it was normal. So I let them know I wasn't planning to go and my doctor ordered another test, which I will have done tomorrow morning. In the meantime, I feel fine.

Chronic illness is such a joy [emoji23]

 

[taxlady]

What a nuisance. I hope all is well GG.

 

[Addie]

GG a friend of mine who is 99 y.o. had both hips replaced twice and still is walking and going to work each day. (He owns his own business.) So I know you will come out fine.

Consider this a new experience and a new adventure in your life. Good luck and keep all of us posted.

 

[Caslon]

God speed on that hip replacement surgery. It's vastly improved from what I read, but still a serious operation. Not everybody who has it goes out playing tennis a month later.

Update on my lower back spasms. I finally got to see my doctor who prescribed 750 mg tablets of Robaxin. However, 1 pill twice a day wasn't doing a damn bit of good. I came across a site recommending a dosage of TWO 760mg tablets 3 times a day. At least that is doing a bit better. I can't understand why those few muscles in my lower back haven't relaxed yet. They must be getting restrained daily even tho I'm taking it easy. It's not so bad during the day after I limber up some (no spasms), but the mornings are just terrible. My bed is not my friend with this situation. It gets worse overnight. I'm sleeping on the couch now which isn't as bad as my firm mattress. As far as exercises go, the videos ALWAYS show someone doing them who is fit, not in pain. When I get down on my back to do some, it's an incredible chore just to get back up without injuring them more. I'm looking into buying some kind of belt that you can put in the freezer. Bags of ice? Forget it. I'm not even sure that mild walking isn't straining them more. I don't need to strengthen those muscles, damnit. I need to get them relaxed. Do reputable massage parlors do ice and heat as well as a massage or is that a separate physical therapy thing ?

 

[GotGarlic]

God speed on that hip replacement surgery. It's vastly improved from what I read, but still a serious operation. Not everybody who has it goes out playing tennis a month later.

Thanks, Caslon.

Do reputable massage parlors do ice and heat as well as a massage or is that a separate physical therapy thing ?

I think you should ask your doctor about that. I imagine the rules for what massage therapists can do varies from state to state.

I hope you told your doctor that you changed the dosage of your medication. Dosages are prescribed for a variety of reasons, including the patient's weight, blood pressure, likelihood of side effects, and other factors. You could cause yourself some serious problems.

My doctors all use an online patient portal system where I can ask questions and report symptoms at any time. My doctors, or one of their partners or staff always respond within a day or so. If your doctor has one - and most do now - I highly recommend that you sign up for it.

 

[Addie]

Back paoin is the pits. I get it from sitting in the wheelchair for hours on end. And it is not like I can just get up and start walking. But I do find a heating pad a great help. That and Acetaminophen tablets. But it is the heating pad that gives me the most relief.

Here's hoping you find permanent relief.

 

[dragnlaw]

Caslon, I agree with GG.

And certainly ask your doctor about recommending a Massage Therapist. A well trained therapist can do wonders in helping correct the muscle spasms. Should even be able to find out why you are getting them in the first place and how to avoid them in the future.

Hopefully the visits will be covered by your health insurance to a certain degree, they are here.

As long as you are in pain you should probably do nothing. Don't aggravate to make it worse.

 

[Caslon]

I'm on Medi-cal. Talking to my doctor is a joke. I'd have to wait 10 days for an appointment. It's almost as bad as the VA. I've got to be my own doctor in this case.
I increased my dosage to two 750mg tablets every 8 hours (after net searching dosage).

Last night I slept (if you can call it that) in a sitting position on the couch. This is allowing those injured lumbar muscles to relax better using the Robaxin. Sleeping in my bed just aggravated and restrained them. I think I'm improving. The big test will be going back to sleeping in my bed and seeing if the spasms re-occur. Each spasm are the muscles reacting to being restrained. I'll go another night or two sleeping sitting upright. I'm in a bit of a fog as you can imagine (Robaxin sleepiness, sleeping sitting up). I got up off the couch this morning with no spasms, tho it's still a bit sore down there.

This all started lifting and carrying a 6 pack case of half gallon water bottles (28 lbs.). The cases are delivered outside my security gate, so I have to awkwardly carry them down 3 steps, then up 6 steps, then down 6 steps. It's not so hard to imagine my out of shape lower back muscles getting tweaked. It wasn't an OUCH moment. It hit me the next morning and got somewhat worse over days.

It seems that in my getting older, the strength is there, but my skeletor and muscular infrastructure just can't handle it like in my youth. Being out of shape and my sedentary lifestyle didn't help matters.