Recent Activity
Alisande -- Ack! Another sufferer! Of course you're welcome to join the 'club'. Like you, I've lost inches -- from 5' 6" to 5' 3". I used to strive to stay above 100 lbs. but am now trying to maintain 90 lbs. My spine is pushing the front of my ribs at my 'innards', especially when I bend forward. I have a big lump of scar tissue from surgery for pyloric stenosis that complicates that.
Ninapearl -- My experience with injection was bad. Not only didn't it help, I spent eleven nights walking the floor until the pain subsided. (Could be because the doctor decided to also 'break up a muscle knot' he observed.) I would only try that again if I had assurance that some doctor was *expert* at this -- not just giving it a try. For now, I'm coping with four Tylenol-4's daily and a lidicaine patch overnight.
The heel insert is still working. IDK what I'll do as the angle of scoliosis worsens. Maybe a PT would have ideas.
@Alisande so sorry you're suffering, too.
i was always 5'5" throughout my adult life. they usually just ask and that's the answer i give but i haven't actually been measured in a very long time. i have an appointment for regular blood work at my local clinic soon, maybe i'll ask to have my height measured then.
the injections i had were pretty precise, done by an ortho dr. and guided by x-ray so i'm confident he hit the right spot. they just simply were not effective at relieving the pain which was a very big disappointment! same thing with the trigger point injection, it was x-ray guided.
i had to complete 5 weeks of PT before the initial MRI would be approved. all PT did was make my pain worse and did absolutely nothing positive for me. another big disappointment but according to both the ortho dr. and the pain management dr., this isn't unusual.
re: mowing...DON'T DO IT!!!!!!! last sunday i was feeling well enough and thought i'd try mowing the 10 acre pasture out in front of my house. i use a tractor with a shredder attachment and also wore the back brace i got from the ortho dr. the ground is all sand and very uneven so there was considering bouncing. i got about half done and decided to quit while i was ahead (or so i thought) and finish in a day or two. the next morning was sheer torture, it took me 30 minutes just to stand upright in the morning and the pain was extreme. i left the rest of the pasture and will have my lawn guy do it the next time he's here. i won't make THAT mistake again!!!
@chisue i have been reduced to 4 tylenol arthritis capsules/day, daily tramadol which i hate taking and a muscle relaxant prescribed by the pain specialist. those things in combination are keeping me upright. because i have blood pressure issues, i'm not allowed to take any anti-inflammatories. the pain specialist also recommended massage therapy so i've had 2 sessions so far. it does make things feel better, i plan to continue that every couple of weeks.
i have a pretty high pain threshold. after 40 years of being slammed around by 1200# horses and for the past 16 years since i lost my husband i have done tons of very physical work (fencing, tree trimming, hauling firewood for campfires) but when i think about doing those things now, i cringe. it's been hard for me to admit my limitations and this current pain has reduced me to tears more than once.
i used to walk a LOT but that aggravates the pain. just doing poop patrol in the yard, walking for 10 minutes, puts me in my recliner with the heating pad every time. thankfully, i have access to the county fairgrounds 10 minutes away so i take my dogs there pretty much every day and turn them loose in the 4-H horse arena. i take my kindle with me, sit in the van, and read for an hour while they play and wear themselves out.
If y'all are huggers, I'd like to send you all hugs!
I'd call it a calico because of the white patches. Most likely female. I don't think that coloration is restricted to any particular breed. I used to have a tortie (no white) named Bunny, my Houzz namesake.
Calico. With the white, calico.
A nice thought, Rob, and I can think of a number of scenarios where it might be useful. But I also think it's natural for a child to want to bring something beautiful home and give it to someone they love. My three children and four grandchildren have all brought me tiny bouquets from our woods and fields. Violets and dandelions were big favorites. None of the kids went picking flowers by themselves.
Here's my granddaughter in my front yard, 20 years ago.
I think it's a good idea to teach kids which flowers and leaves are OK to pick, and to just pick those.
I finished reading These Is My Words; The Diary of Sarah Agnes Prine, 1881-1901 Arizona Territories. It was beautiful, informative, moving, all the things.
I rate it 5 stars.
We use Feliway and it does help with anxious cats. The other thing is - have they checked his blood for allergies? I had a cat that threw up every time she ate. We tested allergies before anything else because she was so young. It turned out she was allergic to sugar beets, corn, duck, and cow milk. And dust. Go figure. I have had cats with thyroid issues too - but wonder about allergies.
It's too bad you don't have many options as to vets. When our elderly little kitty's health began to fail, we were fortunate to have an emergency vet in town that's open 24/7, and a cat hospital just down the street - one of the vets was a specialist in geriatric and palliative care. Such a vet might know more about what may be going on with your guy.
Thanks, Maire! I have 5 pairs, never used. (Heavy cloud cover yesterday.) I assume I can send them to any of the addresses listed.
Alisande - we were at our place in PA for the weekend. We dropped DS off at Silver Lake in Dingman's on Friday for opening day of trout season and then picked him up on Monday. We had planned on watching the eclipse there with his college buddies so I ordered 10 pair. The first 15 minutes were great. Then the clouds rolled in and .....nothing. So disappointing.
That's a shame, Maire_Cate. My grandsons were psyched to watch it, and we had sunshine until about 2:00 p.m. Didn't expect those clouds.
I am taking Levothyroxine for my sluggish thyroid but not sure if it is working well. I am always cold. My next blood test is in June but the Doctors here only will test for T4 and not do other tests. I asked about the natural thyroid and two of my Doctors say they don't prescribe it. My go to person for all my thyroid questions is Amy Berger, she is the nutritionist in the group I belong too. If you are interested watch this video, Amy
is very knowledgeable about thyroid issues.
Elmer you dump all over me for doing internet searches and laud personal experience. So I share experiences and then I'm told my personal experiences are "imagined or hypothetical". Clearly the common factor is you dumping on *anything* I post. Not surprised, though I'm ever hopeful you'll grow out of your childish hostility toward me. Silly me.
Cherryfizz, now you can order and pay for your own blood tests. For example, https://www.questhealth.com/. TSH, T3 and Free T4 are the best ones to watch. My dr and I have managed my situation so I am in the normal range, but the high end of normal as I feel better than I do at the low end. It matters how much you take each week, so I take my supplement 6 out of 7 days a week which puts me where I need to be.
And for those who are unfamiliar, Mary Shomon has written a lot of books and done a lot of work for decades on thyroid function and treatment. She was led to the work because she and so many other patients were unhappy with the treatment they were receiving from their doctors.