Friday Five

It’s been a crazy couple of weeks, but today I finally feel like there is light at the end of this tunnel. In fact, as I write, I am actually smiling. So here is my Friday Five!

  1. I met a fabulous Neurosurgeon today. He was bright and calming, and made me feel totally at ease.
  2. He spoke with me (not at me) and discussed the various options that I had available to me.
  3. In the end we agreed that surgery is the best option. A frontal option, which sounds awful, but in fact is better and safer to do it this way.
  4. He has an opening next week and tomorrow I will get my date and time.
  5. I can almost feel the pain getting better!

No Excuses

In a bit I am off to meet a Neurosurgeon at Dartmouth Hitchcock. I am praying that he can help me, and operate sooner, rather than later on my spine.

I admit to being rather grouchy lately. That’s probably putting it mildly. In fact currently, I really don’t want to be around myself.

I have a friend whose motto is “No Excuses”, and I really should follow this and not allow my grumpiness to leak out.

But, (here’s the excuse), I don’t do pain well. In fact, I do pain really, really, badly.

Currently, the dackels are the only ones who are putting up with me. Lili, (since she knows she has caused this to a degree), is steering clear of me. Every once in a while, she does come up and tries to apologize, but as I have said, I’m just not in that good a mood!

So, I am hoping that all will go well at my appointment today, and that relief will be on the horizon!

The Neck…

Well, I need spinal surgery. I met with the surgeon, who seemed very nice, but told me that it would be about 6 weeks until he could do this.

Um, I’m thinking it would not be a good thing to wait six or more weeks, taking heavy painkillers and basically not able to move very much.

I feel like crying. Both from the pain and from the frustration. I said to Hubby, that perhaps I should call my Rheumatologist and ask his opinion. I will do that in the morning.

Meanwhile, I’m hanging in there and hoping that it will work out, one way or another.

Who Knew?

Over the weekend I joined a Facebook Group for people going through exactly what I’m going through, with disc problems in their neck. Who knew that there would be a Facebook group just like that, for me!

Anyway, I have been reading all their comments about the procedure, recovery time, and most of all, the pain afterward, I think I can deal with this.

The surgery is done from the front, and the scar will actually be quite small.

But, as I have said, with all the scars on my forehead and nose, what’s another scar, right?

My biggest desire is to just get rid of the pain I am in now, and they have all said the same thing. It’s gets better as your scar heals up.

One person told me that it was hard to swallow for a while, without pain. This could be a great start toward losing weight at Weight Watchers class! lol!

I really hope they can get me in quickly, so I will be up and ready to celebrate Christmas with Mandy, Matt and Savannah. I know that even if I simply sit there with them, it will be a happy event.

Meanwhile, I am trying to keep moving, so that at least my leg muscles stay in shape.

Have a great Monday and week ahead!

Neck Pain

Here I sit/lie down, as I wait for Monday to meet my surgeon. Hubby has been so nice and is trying to take care of me, the best he can. But it is so hard, as fours dogs plus one sick wife, are pretty demanding,

I’m glad to know why I hurt so badly, and I never knew that a blown disc could cause this kind of pain.

Thank goodness my doctor is not only a great diagnostician, but has those skeleton spine things, so he could explain my rather bizarre symptoms.

I can honestly say that I like my PA better than my GP. I think in the future, I will simply request to see him instead.

Meanwhile I am moving around the house, slowly, but I’m trying to keep my leg mussels in reasonably good shape.

However, I can hardly wait for the surgery, as this pain really pulls you down.

This & That

I started to write my Wednesday Hodgepodge, when it dawned on me that today is Wednesday! I missed the whole thing!

I have a good excuse. My neck, shoulder and arm. All very painful. I did have my MRI yesterday and will see my doctor on Friday.

 This whole neck, shoulder and arm pain has been a real…pain in the neck. Honestly it is one of the most painful things I have gone through. And I think the fact that the pain is not going away, also worries me a lot.

We were due to go away to New York for  a funeral this weekend, but between this neck thing and the fact I can only sit for short periods of time, didn’t sound good. So Hubby and I decided the best thing was to cancel the trip.

So, just one more day and I will learn my fate. Wish me luck!

Update

I made it through Thanksgiving and today the appointment was made for my MRI. I will have it late Tuesday, which means I probably won’t know anything until Wednesday afternoon.

I will say that this is one very painful ailment. I just cannot seem to find a comfortable position unless I am flat on my back.

My doctor thinks it is a cervical disc, but until I have the MRI we simply won’t know for sure.

I am quite thankful for my new bed. At least while I am stuck in bed, the rest of my body is very comfy.

The dackels are happy with it, except Anneliese. She is not big enough to climb the steps up to the bed, as this bed is about two-three inches taller.

I will update things, as I find them out. I am hoping and praying this is something that can be fixed without surgery.

What A Pain In The Neck!

Well, this just stinks!

A few weeks back I injured my neck. I’m really not sure how I did this, but suffice to say, it hurts like heck, and it is sidelining me. Just being on my feet to make meals, caused me a lot of pain.

12301611_10153663509421183_2640957962544545591_n

But I think the thing that scares me the most is the numbness in my left arm and hand, and the shooting pain from my neck to my shoulder to my fingers.

I’ve had strained mussels, I’ve torn ligaments and tendons, and I have broken bones, but nothing even comes close to this.

The MRI should be done at the beginning of the week, and once we have a firm diagnosis, we will have to figure out what to do next.

Quite honestly, I just want the pain to stop! Despite pain pills, and a sedative to relax me, I’m really not doing too well.

So, if it is not too much, please keep me in your prayers.

Friday Five

This weeks Friday Five sort of centers around my neck. I hurt it a few weeks back and it became so painful Wednesday that I finally broke down and went to the doctor.

12301611_10153663509421183_2640957962544545591_n

Picture courtesy of my cousin, Janet!

  1. Not quite sure how I did this. With discs, as you get older, you can move the wrong way and blow one out!
  2. Wednesday it was so bad, I broke down and finally admitted it was just getting worse.
  3. Well, here we are during the holidays and I am waiting for an appointment for an MRI.
  4. Meanwhile, I am living a quiet life. Thankfully my cousins, Janet & Dave came up and helped Hubby prepare Thanksgiving for the four of us.
  5. I am so thankful for the love and support of my family, as well as the pain pills that are keeping me comfortable!

Wednesday Hodgepodge

1.What’s something you wish you knew how to do, but feel like it’s too late to learn?

Not necessarily too late, but I would love to learn to quilt. In fact I’m thinking it would be fun to find a quilters group in 2016.

2. Your least favorite thing to shop for? Why?

Bathing suits. Why? Surely you jest! Every woman over the age of 30 hates to do this. And now in my 50’s, my late fifties, nothing seems to be where it was when I was in my teens and twenties!

3. How has the celebration of Thanksgiving today changed from when you were growing up?

I think it is less about being thankful, and more commercial. Many people, myself included, will not shop on Thanksgiving. However, many people literally eat and run to the Mall!

4. What’s something that when other people see it, reminds them of you? Explain.

A dackel. Specifically, a wire-haired dachshund. I get pictures from friends and family when they see a dackel like mine.

5. If you could guest star in a TV show, what would it be and why?

Oh, Blue Bloods. I would love to play a cousin of the family who comes to visit and then get embroiled in some tense crime spree! LOL

6. Have you ever farmed or spent any time on a farm? Are there farm stands in your little corner of the world and do you make it a point to shop there? If so, what item do you particularly like to buy from a roadside stand or farm shop?

20151124_091445

I have lived on a farm. When Hubby and I first married. He owned an apple farm, complete with a barn full of animals too. I loved it there. Currently we supply apples, peaches, plums and grapes to a local farm stand. The owner’s wife bakes the best lemon squares ever!

7. What’s something you’ve experienced recently that made you feel a sense of awe or wonder?

Well, a few things. First, spending my birthday with Savannah, and the rest of the family was special. What left me in awe, was how sweet, and loving Savannah is. Her parents are doing such a great job raising her. It was fun to share my birthday dessert with her.

The second thing that leaves me in awe, is Amanda’s new baby boy! I can hardly wait for him to arrive (February-March 2016!)

8. Insert your own random thought here.

It is nearly Thanksgiving! My favorite time of the year. Today I will be baking a few things, and then tomorrow I will do the prep work on the vegetables and make the stuffing.