So, I have oxycodone w/ acetaminophen (10-325 mg). I don't know what the equivalent is or is if that is a proxy to morphine. That's what my pain mgmt. team has used to manage the pain, from operating...
So, my pain mgmt doctor and I have decided to push out my 30-day follow-ups to renew meds. I am currently out of the methocarbamol and haven't taken it for about a week. I still have the oxycodone...
I thought about the meds. Understand your point. As you can image, I'm tired after being on all of these drugs and dealing with their side effects for the last few years. I want to see how my body...
Hi Stray Dog, Wow, where do I begin: First, I left that job that I worked for when I had the ACDF surgery. If you recall, my boss really didn't give a rat's ass about me and my health. I found work...
Yeah, I did. I have narrowing (again) at C3:C4. The narrowing still shows fluid going through it, but I told the surgeon, who I saw on Monday, I still have radiating issues down my right arm. He said...
Remember, I bought a VersaDesk prior to surgery and use that every so often, but can't use it for the 12-14 hours a day that I'm in front of computer....
I've got the new MRI. I'm waiting to go over it with the surgeon on 30 Jan. He did bless me to go back to my pain mgmt. doctor to restart facet blocker and trigger point therapy after months of...
Hi Straydog, Eight months, post op. Yeah, still having problems after completing 3 months of P/T. Surgeon ordered new MRIs to see if areas he didn't do surgery on (i.e. C1-C2 and/or C6-C7) are...
I am so very sorry to hear that about your old man, Straydog. What's his prognosis? I never really told you (all of you guys), how much this forum has helped me. I remember months before the surgery...
Hi all, Some updates: I'm now five months post-op. Amazing how time flies! I went through a period where the swallowing issues, "went away". But the last couple of weeks, they've seemed to have come...
This is going to sound cheesy: I love listening to different types of music: I have an Sirius XM radio in my truck and I also have a portable one too. I love listening to jazz, Watercolors (jazz); I...
I cut back on working weekends. So it's been slightly more than 4 months. What can I generally expect from 5-6 months. The P/T is, in fact, rough especially when she does the adjustments....
Hi Straydog, A lot has happened since I last posted. First, I had a very difficult time finding P/T. I tried for weeks to find someplace, but no one would take me. IDK, like they were afraid to work...
I thought about you the last couple of days. Too ashamed to respond....
The 4th week of the month is always the busiest. So, I was "cleaning up" and doing damage control for the last couple of weeks from me being out for the surgery and now I'm neck deep in my busiest...
Blueberries, have become a "yes". Salmon, has become a huge "no". Gabapentin, working slow. Robaxin is a seriously helpful. Thank you Straydog. I didn't know what I was going to do after losing...
As you suspect, they are (trying to) take a mile. I'm working until noon; then that's it. I put in too many hours this week. Unfortunately, things didn't go well while I was out and people have to be...
It was. I was in P/T before with a "tennis elbow" surgery last year. I am thinking I want to do something closer to where I live this time. Need to slow down. I've gone two days this week with...
He didn't do it like that because I told him that the meds make me exhausted sometimes during the day. So he just put "light work", telework, no lifting anything over 5 lbs. He/we wanted to keep it...
It went much better this time. Mostly because his office has finally seen the difficulty getting in touch with the pain doctor as I've had and how that has left me out on an island. Four of his staff...
Got it. So I think the Return to Work w/ restrictions is what we're talking about. Clearly, being on drugs, I can't make it through the day and my laptop bag far exceeds the 10 lb. limit. So, editing...
I'm starting out doing a few hours a week. I think all of us know that I'm not going to make it to 8 hours a day. Yesterday, I jumped off the call and told them that I need to go take my drugs and...
They're in the process of updating it. I am not in fear of termination. They begged me to come back because they need me. I saved up enough time and money to off of work for months, just as a matter...
Do I have any legal ground to say No? My boss is making me feel pressure via the government who contacted me several times when they knew I was out of office recovering from surgery....
Well, I did probably 10 hours this week. I've logged off for the day and for the week. Still waiting to hear from the pain doctor about my meds the surgeon wants me on/put back on....
I am having trouble with (1) the dilemma between my two doctors on who is controlling what, (2) blurry vision, (3) neuropathy on my left side, (4) minor swallowing issues, (5) my deputy PM not being...
I use MRE protein drinks, a few pieces of fruits (i.e. peaches, bananas, strawberries, and plums) and apple sauce. But that's not much of a meal. It makes me feel full but a couple days this week,...
So the plan is to meet w/ the surgeon on Monday to go over the x-rays. If the swelling has gone down enough, we will have the P/T discussion. The other major problem we have is the ongoing neuropathy...
Not sure what you mean by "my activities", so need some clarification there. I guess there is a miscommunication. I am saying that "I" don't want to lay in bed all day while trying to figure out how...
How do you know what's a "no-no"? So Taller Now, said she went running (I think) like a mile or something after surgery. I haven't done anything close to that. I admit, I'm guilty of walking around...
So the "referring doctor" is the pain mgmt doctor. To your second question, after meeting the medical assistant (MA) yesterday in her office, she gave me her business card. So after yesterday's...
Waking up again, sleeping with the soft collar (religiously) on after taking one of each, it's clear the oxycodone doesn't work. My spasms = my pain. The surgeon said pre-and post-op, I would have...
I found (1) Valium pill left and took it and the bulk of the pain went away within 1 hour. The problem? My pain doctor does not write RXs for Valium and my surgeon wants to stop writing RXs for me...
straydog - I get what you are saying, but to just ignore me, not once or twice, but for weeks. I lost it today. I am in the midst of mindbending spasms and broke down into tears crying on the phone...
So he's back from vacation. Cliff notes: I finally got fed up with the "radio silence" and contacted pre-op. She ALWAYS calls/contacts me back. Sure 'nuff, she did a few hours later and said someone...
Last night, I woke up @ 0222 hrs and put two ice packs back in the freezer and put on the soft collar and tried to sleep on my left side and -- no pain. So baby steps? I think you're right: I think...
I guess I'm confused then about what my expectations of the surgery were. If I can't sleep on my side/shoulders, then that precludes one of the biggest reasons for having the surgery. I literally...
With respect to your backup doctor: This is what I am really angry about. I feel like when I bring it up, he will bring it up them and they will say, (1) we're overworked, (2) we don't have time to...
Hey Straydog, I've had a couple of tough weeks, that's why I haven't been online. I don't know if it was a violent reaction to the meds or something was going around, but I was in the bathroom on and...
I am seeing improvements in some areas. I'm not completely out of the woods yet as I still have some symptoms with C4-C5 issues. I still do not have complete control of my left hand/left thumb. I...
I still have C4-C5 pain snd spasms that I suspect are not part of my IKEA adventurist. I can’t stress how helpful the ice packs have been m. They are downright wonderful, I feel like when I take the...
Well, the meds are taking their time to work. I guess you'd say that's no surprise. Those two have not yet talked and he is not happy with how things turned out, from the contortions on his face:...
That's what I have learned that I have to do with the salmon: flake it. That works. Cutting and significantly moistening the chicken with a wet paper towel, to ensure it holds enough moisture to chew...
I gotta remember what my regular diet was...lol. Fair enough. Mostly salmon, fruits, veggies and broiled/grilled chicken. Protein bars and shakes. But I can't eat those just yet. They're thick and...
I'm sorry, I was also seen by an ENT and speech therapist. There were so many people who came in to examine me, and I was drugged up, I forgot. And he did mention that. The ENT was brought into...
So as I was driving in, I felt like I was driving to an interview: Talking to myself in the car. "If I start out by saying I don't want this to be confrontational, it will be." "If I don't mention it...
That’s one of the things I’m grateful for: the cooling off period before the PA meeting. I’ve taken my mind off of it and tried to find a mild balance between having people remodel my bathroom, scrub...
And now you know why I was so angry for all of those days: Because I could feel something wasn't right and was in a terrible state and was felt miserable for whining and dumping. I didn't know who to...
So looking at the bottle,\ I'm on Gabapentin 300 MG 3x a day. I will ask him that on Friday. Suse, I'm looking at my CVS Pharmacy app. My surgeon did NOT prescribe the Gabapentin. Another doctor/asst...
OK, I'm up to 21 questions now and feeling more ready to get this over with and move past this finally. Lies, deceit and coverups to protect assistants, potential malpractice suits, etc. don't...