Exercising with Back Pain

I recommend you discuss any exercises you do at home with your PM doctor or your PT if you have one.  Even they sometime do not know what is best for you.  A doctor I saw for a second opinion, at my one year mark after fusion surgery in '09, sent me to PT.  I trusted he knew the best place for me to go.  

During the time I was going 2times a week I felt like I was hurting more, not less.  The PT kept telling me it was just soreness and I was working out some of the tightness causing my pain from loosing mobility at L4/L5 site.  I not only fought through for the 6 weeks but continued to do them faithfully at home for another 6 weeks.  At some point I felt as though I was sure I was feeling worse. 

I obviously had other issues going on with my back, including constant inflammation.  What I learned when I started seeing my PM doctor and we discussed more PT was that I needed to see a PT who specialized in patients recovering from back surgery.   He was skeptical since we'd tried everything but knowing I would see someone who works with patients like me he wanted to give it a try since I was willing.  The first thing I discovered was some of the stretches I was still doing at home was a "no no" if you'd had a spinal fusion.  ONE of the reasons I wasn't feeling any better.  

Make sure if your orthopedic or GP orders PT for you that you see someone who knows how to treat someone with your specific conditions.  I knew before I read this article because the second PT I saw went over with me what to do but more importantly what NOT to do if you'd had back surgery.  I couldn't seem to get the link to copy and paste but at least you can see what you would need to search for to find article if you cannot read from here.  I would also recommend signing up for the newsletter.  Your able to choose specific subjects you are interested in reading.  I chose chronic pain, back pain , pain medications and sleeping/ insomnia with chronic pain.  You are not bombarded with emails either.  I believe I get one every 3-4 weeks.  Under the 5 foods for fighting pain is cherries.  One of my personal favorites.  Yummy.....love this season especially for that reason.  

Top Picks: 10 Tips to Reduce Pain

Chronic Pain Thursday, May 23, 2013

Time to Change Your Pain Plan? Take our assessment to see if you're managing your pain or if your pain is managing you. Get Started ›   • The Difference Between Acute and Chronic Pain   • Truth About Top Pain Treatments   • 12 Ways to Fight Daytime Sleepiness

The Clock Is Ticking! Make smart decisions. Sign up for our Health Insurance newsletter. › Featured Best Exercises for Back Pain     Exercise can fight back pain, but not all are beneficial. Moves to use, moves to skip. View Slideshow › 5 Foods to Fight Pain Wouldn't it be great if you could eat for pain relief? Read Blog › 9 Ways to Slim Down Losing weight can help ease pain. 9 "Oh, Wow!" tricks for success. Read Article › 11 Knee Pain Dos and Don'ts Knee pain makes most of us want to sit on the sidelines. Why you shouldn't. Read Article › ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT From Our Sponsor • Chronic Low Back Pain? Get Management Tips From the WebMD Network • Abdominal Pain Facts • Why Sciatica Hurts So Much • Is the Pain All in Your Head? Top Picks • ED Linked to Long-Term Narcotic Use • 10 Tips to Reduce Pain • Chronic Pain and Depression • Antidepressants: Myths and Facts Tools & Resources • Healthy Living • Manage Your Pain • Back Pain Relief • Migraine 101

I'm sure my fellow pain suffers out there understand good days and bad days.  I'm so grateful for the good ones but they don't come often enough.  It also messes with your mind making you think, " is something really wrong with me?"  You wonder how you can feel that way one day and another barely drag yourself from bed.  I've been experiencing that often lately.  

On Saturday (day before Father's Day) my brother, his family and my mom came over to visit. 
My daughter and her family came for a short time and my son also spent the afternoon with us.  We had a grand time.  My niece really enjoyed the pool.  She loves to swim and does it well.  My husband spent quite some time with her and P in the pool and later when my son came he stayed in a good while too.  My niece should have been water logged.  

I got up that morning thrilled that I was having a great day!.  I went out with my husband to take care of a few things and even did a little cleaning when we got back.  After I had food prepared my daughter and her family arrived.  From that time on until 9 that night I didn't stop.
I was in the pool for awhile, (relief) but other than that I was mostly on my feet.  About 2 hours before everyone left I could really feel the break through pain starting.  I start fidgeting when this happens.  I start to hurt but can't do anything about it and don't know what to do with myself.  No sooner than we closed the doors from saying good bye I was crying.  I picked up a few things, took pain medicine and got on the heating pad.  I couldn't get to it fast enough.

Sometime we want to just enjoy ourself so much we're able to distract ourself from the pain.  One of the reason my therapist encourages me to get out with friends.  Sometime it works, sometimes not.  Being with my family worked.  When it was over it hit me hard though.  I was awake until 1 before the pain medicine finally took the edge off.  I then took 4 ibuprofen and was able to go to sleep.  Would I do it again...absolutely!  I guess what I'm trying to get across is what I mentioned earlier.  You can be fine one day, one hour, or one moment and then it slams you from no where.   When I read my fellow pain bloggers they describe the same kind of feelings which helps me understand I'm not crazy. 

My incision is looking better.  I've starting putting some butter cream on it so hopefully in another few months it will be back to the way it looked when healed the first time.  I can't remember what happen, I think I lost my balance, but I bumped my battery area and it's been sore about a week now.  Hoping that's all there is to it and it will go away.

At 5 weeks

Poppa with P and look closely you see my niece underwater

My son with my niece on his shoulders

I see my therapist this Friday for the first time since before surgery on May 8th.  I think she'll be surprised to see how well I'm doing.  We'll have a lot to catch up on.  I've been thinking all week all the things I wanted to talk about next time I'm on here writing and I can't remember the first thing.  I guess I need to start writing them down.  Hope your not bombarded with the pictures.  I had a hard time choosing a few.  Most of my family has seen but you guys have to understand I do have several friends who are not on Instagram and obviously my followers who are not friends/family haven't seen either.  

My mom and brother on top and my SIL and niece in the middle

Four generations <3

Hugs to everyone with H.O.P.E.
Theresa

What does not satisfy when we find it was not the thing we were desiring.

C.S. Lewis

Week 2 (second time around)

Hello summer....it's hot here. I really had no idea a week had gone by since I last blogged.  I've been pretty busy for a person recovering from surgery two weeks ago.  While on that subject I'll say things are really going well.  On Monday I had to see my primary care doctor and I had her take a look at my incision.  My husband had taken off the strips that the surgeon put on at my one week check and I wanted an opinion since I was there anyway.  I was concerned about a couple of areas.   She said the "little black" areas I was concerned about was simply scab and also glue.  

I met up with Mr. R yesterday to pick up my new battery charger and work on a new program.
We took forever to connect because he has been traveling for work a lot.  I told him just find me one to work better and I'm out of here.  I was feeling horrible.  We were able to get something in 30 minutes and I went straight back home. He asked me first thing when I saw him yesterday how did the new battery feel?  Great I told him.  As soon as the incision soreness is gone I won't even know it is there.  Unless I touch the incision or roll over on it at night, I don't even feel the battery.   A huge improvement.  He was thrilled to hear me say that.  I asked him about the "glue" my PC doctor mentioned.  He said they literally use glue (almost like superglue) on the incision.  Next Wednesday I see my PM doctor for one last check so he can release me to be a little more active and let me in the POOL!  That's what I'm looking forward to most.  Also, trying to get back to what exercise I am capable of doing.  

Yesterday made a week I've been fighting a nasty cough keeping me awake at night.  The only symptoms I had were the cough during night and first hour I was up in the am.  I also would loose my voice at night and into the first few hours of being up in the morning then it would return. No sore throat, head ache or fever.   That's what brought me in to see the doctor on Monday.  After no sleep over the week end and all the coughing at night,  I'd had enough.  My chest had started to hurt that morning so I decided I better go ahead and get checked.  I was lucky to get an appointment that afternoon and get checked out.  No infection, all allergy.  Amazing that can make you feel so bad.  A short dose of antibiotic, 5 day Z pac as precautionary.  Cough pearls and Mucinex D.  Both of which I was already using since it started.

Last Friday I finally got that mammogram I've been saying I was going to do.  I was confidant I was a year or two past due.  I was informed the last one was 08.  Boy, was I shocked.  The Woman's Hospital here in BR is new.  It used to be on the side of town we lived on and this new one opened shortly after we moved into this area.  I hadn't been yet so I didn't have the best experience finding where I need to go.  It was pretty busy but I was in and out in 45 minutes.

On Tuesday they gave me a call and asked me to come back for more views of left side.  I wasn't really concerned because the first time I had one they asked me to do that and I let if freak me out and it was nothing.  I understand it's pretty common if they see the least little thing/change they don't take any chances.  They want to see it closer and at a different view.  Monday the doctor and pharmacy, Mr. R on Tuesday, now Wednesday back to Woman's.  

My phone had stopped working on Tuesday.  No audio at all so I decided to go ahead an schedule an appointment with Apple since I had to go back to town for the additional views at the hospital.  The phone was not repairable and sadly I have two more months to be eligible for a replacement at an "upgrade" cost.  If it would have been 2 weeks I might have considered waiting but two months was to long.  I left Apple with another phone and went to get the additional views at the hospital.  The radiologist looked at them before i left and they said everything was fine.  They do have a second radiologist view for second opinion and that would be done today.  I think that's a great method. 

The day I heard from the hospital I also heard from my OB/GYN doctor.  I've been seeing him for 29 years.  Since my baby was one.  He asked me to schedule an appointment with a breast specialist no matter what the findings of the additional views.  He said he asks any of his patients with family history have something new show up to do this.  I hung up thinking I'd do it as a second opinion if they found something.  If it's good, I didn't think it was necessary.  I thought about it more after returning home and at the end of the day decided to call and schedule the appointment.  I'm a complaint patient with all my other doctors so why not be complaint with him also.  What's one more appointment?

Today is the first day I haven't been out most of the morning and I've enjoyed being home.  A lot of friends/family have asked me about this surgery working and is my back better?  This surgery was to fix one thing only.  The battery I had was to big for me to start and after it moved positions it had become very uncomfortable and I was having trouble charging due to the shift in position.  I agreed to the surgery because the back pain was enough.  Dealing with the battery issue really was starting to make me feel like I had made a huge mistake having the implant done last year.  I had no idea I'd add pain.  The plan was to reduce it.   The first half of the year that plan worked.  The second half everything went down hill.  So far the surgery has been a huge success but no changes for the back pain.  I do seem to get more relief from the stimulator now that I'm not dealing with the additional pain of the old battery.

Unfortunately I'm still dealing with the hives.  I'll go two days max without any then bam the following day their back.  I have two today.  I hope to know one day what causes them to appear but I may never know.  

Last Sunday my husband and I went to my friends home for a family gathering for her sons 30th birthday.  He is same age as my daughter.  We met when her son and my daughter were one but ended up across the street from each other the summer before kindergarten.  We went to his birthday parties as a little boy and they came to my daughters as well.  They caught the bus together together for many years.  When they reached high school age my friend moved to Baton Rouge ( I moved later in BR in 2005) and they went to different high schools.  We still kept in touch though. 

My daughter and grandson came for  awhile also.  My friend asked my daughter to take her picture with her son since she turned 30 in April.  Neither my friend nor I can believe we have a 30 year old.  She also is privileged to be a grandmother.  It was odd seeing our babies, babies play together.   It was a nice afternoon and I enjoyed getting out of the house.  Little did I know then I'd be out the next three days in a row.  

Instagram picture
1988 @ age 5/ 2013@ age 30

Our babies with their babies <3

My friend of 29 years!

Tomorrow Dallas is having surgery to remove bladder stones.  My vet tried a 2 week dose of antibiotic but it didn't clear the blood in his urine so they took an x ray to discover the stones. We're hoping this surgery will go much smoother than the one he had last fall.  

My daughter, SIL and P
Mothers Day

Sorry this post is so long.  I just had so much to share with you since last time I wrote.  There was so much to share since I last posted.  My granddaughter's mom graduated from Nursing school.  We're so excited for her.  It's been a long hard road for her but it will now pay off.  She already has a job at the hospital where A was born.  She'll be in the ICU.  Not a place where many rookies land. 

Her pinning ceremony was last Thursday night and Saturday was graduation.  I really hate I had to miss it.  A's grandmother sent a picture from Thursday night and some pictures of the playhouse that Paw Paw G built for her.  She loves to pretend to cook and play house with her dolls so I know many hours of fun she will have there.  I hope to get a picture of graduation so I can share that with you also.  

Great job M....I can't imagine how proud your parents are of and for you.  I hope life gets easier and easier for you from here on out.  You deserve it!

M and A night of pinning ceremony

Having fun in her playhouse

Mommy daughter picnic :-)

I guess I'm carrying on to long now.  I'll save the rest for next post.  

H.O.P. E.
Theresa

Be(YOU)tilful

4 weeks

My first time out by myself today.  It really felt weird to drive not having done so in 4 weeks.  I have a little anxiety about an accident.  Under normal circumstances I'm a paranoid passenger.  If I'm driving and in control, not so bad.  Most of my family does not understand where this comes from.  I've always been a little anxious about it but it has increased since the back pain became chronic.  I'm always fearful of being rear ended and messing up my fusion, and now the leads in place. 


Ok, enough ranting about that.  It's been a good day so far.  I meet with a representative from St. Jude at my doctors office.  Mr. R is on vacation.  Hope your having a great time.  I really mean that.  He has back pain also so I'm hoping he is relaxing and it is giving him some relief getting away from work and the daily stress of life in general.


 Not that I have a preference, but this rep was female.  She was lovely, think I'll give her that name for my blog.  Lovely was very patient and praised me for the courage to try and taper off of the Lortab, but felt it may be a little soon.  As I already read and heard from other professionals like Mr. R that it could take up to 6 months to get the coverage where I need it and have it stay.  She said I'm still in baby stage as far as recovery.  But she patted me on the back and said I was strong for trying. I had written a log with what I feel with each program to make it easier to see what we need to do to change it for the better.  This pleased Lovely very much so I will continue so that maybe it will help Mr. R too.  I remembered to ask about the heating pad and was happy to hear its ok to use again. Woo Hoo.


Lovely fine tuned the ones that I couldn't use because they were to uncomfortable and we did some work to the ones that were initially placed at my one week check that only lasted for a couple of days.  Goes to show you how quickly things can change.  When I saw Mr. R last week I couldn't use any of them because they gave a lasso effect around my stomach and since about three days ago one of them was my favorite.  I'm understanding why they keep telling me it could be awhile before I can really expect to get a program to work for me in the area most needed and to actually stay there.  The tissue needs to develop around leads enough so that they stop moving.  Until then my programs will change. 


Lovely made it clear she is here for me and by no means did she want me to feel like because it was to early that she would not help me again.  She even offered to see me another time this week if I needed her.  She lives in Metarie which is an hour away so I thought so kind of her to offer.   When you battle chronic pain for a long period you feel alone like people just don't , or can't understand what your experiencing and she truly made me feel like she does.  I had to ask how long she has been working for St. Jude and her answer was 6 months.  I could have sworn it had been years.  She worked with dying cancer patients before which quickly reminded me it could be worse.


After leaving there I felt brave and went to Hobby Lobby to pick up a few sheets of scrapbook paper.  Darn, the $ Tree is next door.  I've been wanting to pop in there for a couple of weeks now.  Between the two I spent an hour.  It was 2pm before I made it home, left at 9:30 so I was pretty tired.  The encouraging part is my pain level I'd score a 6 so the new program is helping because only half a pill today and staying away from the ibuprofen as much as possible.  I used so much of it during the years before surgery I want to take as little as possible.  What I won't do it let it get so bad that it takes to much medicine to get it under control. 


By the way, I slept from somewhere around 12:30 until 8 this morning.  Wow I don't think my body knew what to think.  It's been quite sometime since I've had that many hours of sleep.  Tomorrow I have a much needed appointment with my therapist and between that visit and this morning  it will be like a make over, just not a "beauty" make over. 


Here is my incisions at 4 weeks.  They still look terrible to me but my eyes back there (D) says there is a huge difference from the last pics he took for me.  My doctor said the same last week.  They look fine, so why am I so blue about the way they look?  No one can see them. Ha ha that's funny.  Everyone reading my blog can see them.  I think that is the silliest thing I've written.  Maybe a good sign that I'm finding some humor.  


Thinking about my dad with Father's day coming up.  Make sure you reach out to yours and let him know how you feel.  Here one day and gone tomorrow and there is no changing that.
Don't let it be to late.


Peace and love to all.

Incisions 16 days

I never said you'd like everything you see here but some people ( people like me who may feel like a robot) want to know just what to expect. Especially if you've never been cut on before. Unfortunately I have plenty battle wounds. I have a gall bladder scar from age 21 before they did the no cut scope kind. My back surgery also on my stomach, they went through the front. Two little circle scars from the trial where the leads were placed and last but not least these two new ones added to my collection.

I've also had two other surgeries. A hysterectomy, and sinus (deviated septum, turbinate reduction) neither of which I have scars from. It's been said that like the person addicted to plastic surgery that I enjoy "having surgery "
NOT TRUE!

Its been 2 weeks

I've skipped a few days of posting because I felt like if I didn't have any good news I shouldn't post anything at all.  I spent some time rereading a blog that I read just days after my PM doctor recommended a SCS for me.  It was really helpful because I went straight to her one month mark post.  A lot of what she wrote she was feeling or what her discomforts were I'm experiencing.  It made me feel a" little" better.  A lot of the comments that were left on her blog were also very helpful to the blues I'm having right now.  So now even though I feel like crap, emotionally I'm feeling a bit normal for what my body has been through 2 weeks ago.  


So, how am I feeling?  Dare you ask!  I'm not complaining I'm just being honest.  Monday we went to my daughter house for just a couple of hours.  The day before I had went out with D (my husband) to run a couple of errands.  No reason I couldn't.  The doctor said if I felt up to it it was ok to go out once or twice a week as long as I kept is short and followed the rules.  No lifting of more than 5 lbs., no bending over and no twisting at the waist and keep incision sites clean and dry.  (hard not to sweat if you go out)  Later in the evening on Memorial Day I started with this throbbing in my battery area.  It was a different pain that what I experienced that day "after" surgery.  This was like, I was getting better each day and then boom I took a step back ward!  I could not get comfortable for nothing.  No sitting,  no laying back in recliner, even to lay in the "softer" bed in guest room had become difficult again.  


This setback made me really nervous about my husband taking off my strips.  I was literally scared for him to remove them.  I just felt like since I was experiencing new pain that it meant it was to soon to take them off.  Ok, I reminded my self this is what the doctor told you to do.  He saw them last Wednesday.  Trust him, he knows best.  But I kept doubting that maybe they got worse since he saw them and maybe thats why it was hurting.  Needless to say, off they came Monday night and I was horrified by what I saw.  I'm sure it was a mental thing but I remember the bandages coming off after my back surgery and it not effecting me at all.  Matter of fact I was so impressed at how well it looked.  My surgeon did an excellent job of sewing me up.  A few weeks later after it was really starting to heal there was an area that you couldn't even see the red scar right in the middle of the incision. (btw, this was on my stomach not my back so it was easy to see)  This was so different.  They looked terrible.  I had been anxiously awaiting a shower but the sight of these incisions scared me so that I changed my mind.  It was a bad evening and night.  I didn't sleep hardly and it bummed me to be back in the bed! 


Tuesday morning I carefully took a shower.  Careful not to let the stinging water hit my incisions directly.  Before dressing I got the large hand held mirror out and took a look at the incisions into the big mirror and didn't like what I saw.  It upset me so much that I took pictures with my phone and text to my husband to see if he thought the looked same as the evening before.  He is my best answer because he can see back there and I can't.  He felt as though they looked as they did (red and puffy, some yellow area which I thought was infection!) because of the steam and heat of the shower.  Wait awhile and check them again was his advise.  No fever, no swelling, no drainage, no worries.  That was his advise, so I had to put away in my mind and move on.  One thing in particular that worried me was that when I would feel with my fingertips the incision on my back was a large bump that covered a big portion of the area.  It didn't feel like inflammation.  I thought I was feeling the lead and I was scared it had move out of place or something like that.  I was also shocked at how long the incision itself was.  I guess it was just an emotional experience for me to have yet 2 more scars on my body to remind me of this long pain journey I've been through.  


So move on to Wednesday.  It was planned the week before that my daughter would come back this Wednesday to take me out in the morning to an appointment I had and to take care of some personal business.  I did ok.  Getting in and out of car was the hardest.  I started to get pretty uncomfortable right before we got home.  We set out at 9 and were back home for 1.  As soon as I was home I got into my night gown and spent the rest of the afternoon/evening doing absolutely nothing.  I thought about reading, start painting, blogging, checking email.  Nothing, nothing to motivate me to get started.  I am expecting I realize now after rereading my friends ( I really feel like I know her and have a friendship with her) blog to much of my self.  I thought I'd be feeling so much better by now.  I seemed to have went up a hill then back down to start over.   


I was boohooing last night to my husband about the battery area still hurting.  Sitting is uncomfortable.  When I lean back in chair it is still just so tender.  I feel this "weight" feeling.  Like he placed a gym weight instead of a battery in there.  I guess that's why I've been so worried about the incision itself because of the pulling feeling.  After reading today, and come coaching on the phone from D,  I've convinced myself that everything I'm experiencing is perfectly normal and I'm right on track.  I need to stop feeling guilty that I still need rest.  


I am using the stimulator today.  For the first time since surgery I actually can feel the difference between post surgery pain and the "normal" back pain.  Some rain on the way and I definitely feel that pressure back there among other things.  And yes even though there is other pain involved it seems to be helping.  I have come back to this writing  twice but have sat for more than 20 minutes at a time which is something that was very difficult to do before. 


Speaking of "is it working?" that is something else I read about in refreshing myself with others experience that everyone wants to know that.  Is it working?  Was it worth it?  What percentage do you think it help?  It just confirms how lucky (chronic pain suffers) are to have such support from family and friends.  They only ask because they've been praying it help. You just have to understand what it's like for us to have been asked that question so many times through so many different procedures.  You just get tired of having a negative sounding outlook on things.  You stop believing its possible and you just don't want to talk about it.  But in the end we are so glad your there for us. 


Several friends have left messages on phone and text about coming over and bringing lunch or taking me on an errand.  I really thought I'd be there by now and that's probably one of the things that has me blue because I'm not.  I don't like how I am right now so I don't want to face anyone just yet.  Maybe next week.  I'm struggling with getting comfortable around the house and I sure don't want  company to watch me lay in bed.  LOL.  Please know that I love you for it and I promise I will be calling to take you up on your offer.  I have 4 weeks to go and I hope to God they won't all be like this.  Though I will say that at her (blogger friend) one month post surgery blog she still had a lot of discomfort I'm feeling.  Somehow, it still made me feel better.  I was expecting to be doing so much better than I am at this point so really I'm ok.  Turning my thoughts toward my next check by Dr. which is next Wednesday and I will stop fighting the need to rest and just do it.  


chronicstimulation.blogspot.com/ 
for any neurostimulator users that want to read another blog.  She has great sense of humor!


My son in law with grandson and my son with my granddaughter.  Memorial Day 2012