I'm late to this discussion and I don't post too often, but what you described in your original post is how I was feeling for the longest time. From what you said, I'd say the nurse was very likely right. I had my first hip replaced on 2009 (at 54) and the other one this year (6 months ago). Here's what I was experiencing - does any of it sound familiar to you? * Pain in my thighs, especially towards the end of the day. The muscles were so sore and I could feel them twitching. * Sleeping was difficult, since I could not find a comfortable position. I even bought a new mattress, since I thought that was the problem. * There was occasional pain in my groin, best described as a knife twisted in there. :( * I lurched when I walked, and for someone who used to gracefully manage modern gymnastics, that was embarrassing. I had a physio consult and the physiotherapist told me what is so very logical, but what had not occurred to me, that a lot of the pain was due to muscles tired of trying to hold my body in a position where the pain was less. I've linked to the booklet I was given. There are some good exercises in there to do. And as for aches and pains in general. Yup, I have them. The worst is the arthritis in the base of my thumbs. Really aggravating! Rub A535 and Ben Gay are my best friends. :) Here is a link that might be useful: Exercises are on pages 7-12

K R said, "Carprofen is an NSAID for canines, my senior dog is on it and it works very well! Why wouldn’t you just ask the vet for a prescription? I would never give my dog human drugs." Why? "Are there any potential side effects? Side effects in dogs include gastrointestinal upset, such as mild vomiting, diarrhea, constipation, and temporary lack of appetite, as well as tiredness. More serious side effects include liver, kidney, or gastrointestinal damage characterized by severe vomiting, diarrhea, black or bloody stools, bloody vomit, increased drinking and/or urination, yellow skin or eyes, severe lethargy, and persistent lack of appetite. Other reported serious side effects include neurologic signs such as incoordination, paralysis, seizures, or disorientation, behavior signs such as restlessness, or aggression, skin effects such as itchiness, hair loss, or scabs/wounds, or allergic reactions such as facial swelling or hives. Your veterinarian may see blood abnormalities such as low red blood cell or platelet counts on bloodwork. Carprofen may also affect lab tests, such as thyroid levels, liver enzymes, blood cell counts, potassium levels, kidney values, and bleeding times. In cats, serious kidney effects and gastrointestinal effects have occurred, and is therefore not usually recommended. This moderate-acting medication should stop working in a few days, although effects can be longer in pets with liver or kidney disease." That's why.

Doctor visit was good. He said it's not pleurisy. He scheduled a CT scan on Monday & was disappointed the ER didn't do one. He injected my rib cartilage with a steroid & lidocaine shot in one test area. I wish he did the whole area but this is just a test spot for now. The pain is definitely still there, but not as bad. I'd say 5/10 on the pain scale. I know this sounds stupid but I wish they'd save $20,000 on all these expensive tests, give me a local, make an incision & take a real look. But they won't.

Ok, after typing in the above "recipe" I found my original: The origin of the gin-soaked raisins cure is shrouded in urban legend, though this famous home remedy got a boost from legendary newsman Paul Harvey. Although this remedy dates back many many years, the kinds of pain that have been relieved or eliminated after taking the gin-soaked raisin formula include migraine headaches, gout and arthritic pain. Many experts will tell you this is nothing but a placebo effect, but any herbalist can easily spot the science behind it. It would stand to reason that the alcohol in the gin would extract the medicinal compounds in the rai sins, just as it does in other herbal tinctures. But why specifically GIN and Golden raisins? Gin started out as a herbal medicine before it was adopted as an alcoholic drink by the manufacturers of spirits. Even today, while there many varieties of gins, juniper still remains a common ingredient to impact the flavor to all of them. Gin is a spirit flavored with juniper berries. Juniper berries were first used by the Greeks and then later the Egyptians and Romans. In fact, the use of berries as medicine is believed to predate their use in food preparation. Some of the notable medical uses of juniper berries in alternative medicine include its use as a diuretic and appetite suppressant. It is also used in the treatment of arthritis and rheumatism. Juniper berries are rich in vitamin C, catechins, alpha-terpineol, alpha-pinene, betulin caryophyllene, limonene, menthol, rutin, and delta-3-carene. These are all anti-inflammatory compounds. Since gin contains alcohol, it is an effective solvent in traditional medicine. Gin is often used to extract the active ingredients of barks, leaves, roots and other plant plants used as herbs. Besides water, alcohol is the other popular solvent for obtaining and dissolving herbal extracts. Gin makes an especially good candidate as an alcohol for herbal extraction. Golden raisins also contain several anti-inflammatory compounds: ascorbic acid (Vitamin C), cinnamic acid, coumarin, myricetin, quercetin, and loaded with antioxidants such as resveratrol and vitamin C. Raisins also contain ferulic acid, gentisic acid and salicylic acid — known pain relievers. In addition, raisins contain potassium and calcium, both of which help protect against bone de-mineralization. The basic powerhouse of nutrition, properties found in raisins are numerous - Iron, Zinc, Sodium, Potassium, Magnesium, Manganese, Vitamin C, Vitamin K, B vitamins, Anthocyanins Golden raisins are treated with sulfur dioxide in order to slow down the browning process. After this, they are either oven-dried or flame-dried. Sulfides left on the grapes after drying are thought to provide anti-inflammatory benefits. Sulfur is common in many other treatments for arthritis. The exact causative pathways of arthritis and arthritic pain are unknown, and there may be many mechanisms in the body that are affected in the development of arthritis. Perhaps the synergy between the various natural compounds in the drunken raisins remedy creates a communication with the body to allow it to heal on a complex level that modern science cannot yet analyze or address. RECIPE: Put one packet of golden raisins in a shallow glass container and pour enough gin into it to just cover the raisins (I never use THAT much gin I just stir them up well every day!) Let the raisins absorb the gin and the remaining liquid evaporates, about 7-10 days to allow the raisins to steep in the gin.(about 5 days is enough) Allow all the gin to evaporate before putting the gin-soaked raisins a container. Originally it said, to take 9 raisins daily, but I just use a small (very small) spoon full, one in the morning, and one at night. I find it works best, if I take it close to every 12 hours. Moni now: Yes, I take them. I take two small teaspoons full daily, 12 hours apart. I started out with the 10 daily, but didn't have any satisfying results in 4 weeks. I went up to 10 in the morning, and 10 in the evening... but not at decent intervals as I do now. The 12 hours between made a HUGE difference for me. I actually wear a watch with a 12 hour timer going ALL THE TIME, because for me this works. Went from 10 or more pain full stabbing pains in my hands/fingers hourly to about 10 or less pains monthly. I am an avid believer. First time to the liquor store for Gin; I was asked, what I need it for, and they said, here, this is what people buy for it and was handed a small bottle. Now, I just buy the big bottle, cause it's more economic that way. Dump a box of raisins in a pie pan, or other glass or porcelain flat container (not metal), and pour gin over. Let it sit for 3 to 5 days, stirring once or twice daily. Put in mason jar, or other tightly lid container and keep on a shelf. Yes, no need to refrigerate! I even take a small bottle like a film container size with me, when I know, I might not be home when my timer goes off. I hope, this works for every one as well as it does for me. Moni