I need to vent about my health problems and ask for input.

[Ladyhawk]

Hi Folks,

I haven't been doing very well for the past couple of weeks. I took a trip up to Pinecrest Lake to visit family that was up there camping. In that one visit, I chipped a tooth and pulled a muscle in my neck. The next day, the muscle started spasming. It invited its neighbors to join in and pretty soon they were all doing the boogie woogie. I was in so much pain, I took OxyContin over Vicodin and walked to my doctor's appointment. I expected my doctor to do something to help with the pain, but he said he couldn't help and sent me home. It was miserable walking in the heat, in pain, but I couldn't drive with all those drugs in my system.

When my neck was finally on the mend, I woke up one morning feeling so emotionally horrible I thought I was going to have a nervous breakdown. There was no specific reason. I just felt awful. I was shaky and couldn't stop crying. Finally I realized that due to playing "musical apartments" and the pain in my neck, I hadn't been monitoring my blood glucose. I tested my blood glucose several times that day. It shot up to 268, down to 70, back up to over 200. Wheee! The glucose roller coaster! Mix with one part depression, one part PTSD, one part OCD, one part sleep apnea, three parts post-operative pain, shake well...and what do you get? A very sick, despondent Ladyhawk.

I've been struggling to get the diabetes back under control. My smartass psychiatrist told me I should be on insulin and said, "I thought you had the surgery to eliminate pain...how come you're still on pain medicine?" What a jerk.

This weekend I'm moving AGAIN, back into the old, now renovated, apartment.

For those who have had cervical fusion surgery: should I still be experiencing this much pain and exhaustion. I have trouble getting up most days.

This has been most disconcerting. I'm trying to manage another move, depression, PTSD, OCD, sleep apnea, diabetes and post-operative pain and exhaustion. I expected to feel better than this. Maybe that was wishful thinking.

When can I expect? When will I stop being so exhausted all the time? When--if ever--will the pain stop? And is there such a thing as a psychiatrist who doesn't think he is god?

[Sannum]

1. Hi Ladyhawk

I am so sorry that you are going through this. I can't really offer any advice, but i can offer you a :hug:

[Tandalayo_Scheisskopf]

2. As per your last sentence:

Yeah, there are. You just need to get lucky.

As for the rest of it, I wish I had the answer.

[norml]

3. How did you chip a tooth?

Did you fall?

[Ladyhawk]

4. It was the stupidest thing. :)

I actually bit down wrong while eating. One of my lower incisors chipped on an upper tooth. I felt it through my whole body. I guess I don't have very good mouth coordination. :)

[norml]

7. You should eat more slowly.

Maybe you're rushing too much in other ways?

Haste makes waste.

Relaxation will help with pain, and help with avoiding accidents.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

5. Are you getting enough iron?

That might account for your being tired all the time.

Take care of yourself, Ladyhawk...Remember that we love you! :hug:

[Ladyhawk]

11. I was taking a lot of vitamins until they started upsetting my stomach.

I'll give it a go again. :)

[GoddessOfGuinness]

24. Maybe you should consult a nutritionist

to find the right balance of foods and vitamins for you. Your stomach shouldn't get upset when you're trying to make yourself feel better...

[LeftCoast]

6. Hope you start feeling better soon.

After reading your post, I had a couple of thoughts. First, if you don't have anyone to help you move, perhaps you can put it off? You don't sound like you're in any shape to be schlepping boxes and furniture around. The last thing you need now is to injure yourself again.

Next, your blood sugar. You need to get it under control. It's spiking WAY too high, but I'm sure you know that. It may also be contributing (negatively) to your emotional state. Have you been diagnosed as a diabetic? From your description, you are certainly at least borderline. High blood glucose can cause a whole plethora of serious health problems that I'm sure you don't want.

Finally, I would seriously consider firing both your physician and psychiatrist. Neither seem particularly sympathetic or helpful.

Good luck with everything and hugs from the bay area!

[Ladyhawk]

13. Yes, LeftCoast, I am a diabetic.

I was diagnosed in 2000. As I was being put under for a medical procedure, a nurse took my blood glucose and it was 350! Before that, I was diagnosed as borderline. 350 is NOT borderline. :) Stress will make blood glucose climb. I was undergoing medical treatments that required general anesthesia every other day for two weeks, so yeah, I was stressed. :)

You're right. I absolutely need to get my blood glucose under control. I had just a little bit of milk and a bit of bread this morning and it spiked up over 200. I have to start eating lots of protein with every meal and taking my pills religiously. I absolutely know that the glucose roller coaster affects my moods. I'm sure it also affects my pain level.

I know my physician and psychiatrist aren't all that. :( My previous psychiatrist was absolutely wonderful, but he left several months ago. There are only two outpatient psychiatrists in the county. One is a child psychiatrist who won't see me. The other is a complete asshole who was at least partially responsible for the suicide of his wife a couple of years ago. The guy I'm seeing now? I'm actually seeing him via TELECONFERENCING. I've been calling him Mr. Television. The method sucks and the guy has a rather arrogant attitude. I've already complained about him, but what more can I do? He says he's dropping me at the end of the summer...might as well get it over with now...but I don't want to see the psychiatrist with the horrible reputation. Even before his wife killed herself, I heard nothing but terrible things about him.

As for my physician, I've kept him because at least he fills my prescriptions on time, which is more than the other docs have done. But no, I'm not completely happy with him. I don't have much of a choice because this county has few decent medical practitioners. The decent ones--all two of them, probably ;)--are overloaded. I've looked into seeing one of these decent practitioners. I have an "in" at the clinic where one of them works. I'll just have to wait and see.

I don't know who will replace Mr. Television.

I also just fired my counselor, who was a decent guy, but couldn't seem to remember things from session to session and wasn't keeping up-to-date in his field. He just turned 70 and I think he is losing his edge. :( It's a shame because he was, at least, a nice guy. I'm not yet sure how I feel about the new counselor.

As for the move, it's being handled by others because I'm officially disabled. Still, no one is going to organize my stuff. They can't. I'm the only person who knows where things go. I've lived with clutter and mountain ranges of unpacked boxes for over two years--drove me batty! I hope this time I can get things organized.

[LeftCoast]

25. Do you mind if I ask what county you're in?

I'm starting my community health rotation (for nursing school) in about a week. Maybe I can track down some better practitioners for you...

[Tallison]

8. When was the last Vicodin/oxycontin you took?

You can develop a tolerance and hence withdrawal symptoms after just a few doses, and those withdrawal symptoms (depression, fatigue, loss-of-appetite, insomnia, sweats) can last up to a couple of weeks after the last dose. Also, the appetite-depressant effects of opiates and withdrawal from them can wreck havoc on your efforts to control blood sugar. If you've had chronic problems controlling your blood sugar, has your doctor ever talked to you about oral hypoglycemics like Glucophage (metformin), Glucotrol (glipizide), Aventis, or Avandia? In some people they control DM so well that insulin becomes unnecessary. The people I know of whose diabetic conditions are under ideal control are followed by endocrinologists, not FPs, not internists, and definitely not just by psychiatrists.

When I broke my back and had muscle spasms muscle relaxers like Flexeril and Soma worked really well while opiates like Vic, oxycontin, Percocet, and Demerol worked better for bonier, more visceral pain.

You didn't mention when the surgery was.

[Ladyhawk]

17. My physician is an endocrinologist,

but I don't think he's top-notch.

I'm still taking the Vicodin on occasion, but it really doesn't do much for me. I ran out of OxyContin (OxyCodone) yesterday. I was only taking a very small amount in the evenings so I could have at least a bit of pain-free time. It didn't touch the pain during the great spasm, however. I am also on Neurontin and Baclofen, a muscle-relaxant. Neither of those drugs helped during the worst of the pain.

I was on Glucophage, but it caused gastro-intestinal upset. I'm now on Glyburide. I'm trying to get my diet and dosage right again. It sometimes takes awhile after I've let it get out of control. Ugh. I'd like to try the Glucophage again, but the gastro-intestinal difficulties were...most unpleasant. :(

My surgery was on April 25th.

[Tallison]

23. April 25th? I'm assuming it was an interventional radiologist that did

that surgery. When was your last follow up to evaluate its effectiveness? If it was recent and he/she can't find any cause that would respond to further interventional radiology, you should at least get a referral to an orthopedic doctor and pain specialist, ideally an anesthesiologist, for further follow-up.

I'd be surprised if the Vic/Oxy wasn't contributing to some of your mood lability. I never took more than a 10mg oxycontin a day for 30 days. After I stoppoed I suffered about a month of nearly unbearable depression, irritability, and insomnia, then on day #31, it was POOF! As if it had all been a dream. Real double-edged stuff if you're in chronic pain. A good physician will wean and forewarn you of such sequelae.

So sorry. Controlling diabetes can take a lot of fine-tuning, taking into consideration, diet, sleep/work patterns, ADLs, stressors, etc. I've heard that endocrinologists who employ nurse practitioners are often better able to establish effective med/lifestyle regimens for patients because the NPs (who specialize in diabetes) are able to meet with patients more often (for example 4/week) for extended periods (3 months or longer) until the patient empirically establishes a consistent pattern of WNL glucose levels. More insurance companies are catching on to the cost/benefit/long-term prevention sensibility of such a strategy and are increasingly paying out for as much.

Hope you're feeling better soon!

[BikeWriter]

9. Aw, shit, cervical fusion. Get the best docs you can.

[khashka]

10. Sorry Ladyhawk

I wish I had some advice on your medical problems, but I don't. As for psychiatrists....they all pretty much think they are god. Fuck 'em.

I'm a licenced psychologist... so here is my authoritative opinion: Find a psychologist (not a psychiatrist) who specializes in working with people with health problems. They exist, you just have to look. Since psychs can't prescribe meds we tend to work very closely with your Dr. to find a solution that works.

But feel free to dump the bastards just like you'd dump an abusive boyfriend - and find someone who will treat you with respect and understanding.

Also, pain meds do often cause depression. It helps if you know that and expect it, it makes it easier to deal with.

I hope you are feeling better :)

Khash.

[rupturedlumbar]

12. 3rd post

Burst fractured my l3 in an aviation accident a couple of years ago. Been out of a wheelchair for about 8 months. I was having VERY severe pain in my legs, especially after excercise. My pain specialist started me on Cymbalta and it really helped. The only other med I take is nuerontin now. Once I got away from oxycontin and Kadian, my depressive moods were less frequent.

[u4ic]

15. Welcome to DU, rupturedlumbar

:hi:

Glad to hear you're doing better.

[Ladyhawk]

20. Thanks, rupturedlumbar.

I am very sorry about your pain and all you've gone through and I'm so glad you made it out of the chair. I was rather worried about my surgery. The first thing I did upon awakening was make sure my legs and arms worked. :) There's a lot more weight on the lumbar region than on the neck. It must have been a long, taxing recovery for you--still ongoing from the sound of it. I wish you health and happiness.

[khashka]

22. Yeah

I just started on Cymbalta and I think it is really making a difference. Neurontin didn't do much for me, although it works wonders for many people. Oxycontin was seriously screwing me up and so my Dr. put me on Dilaudid - great choice <sarcasm>, I found another Dr.

Khash.

[no name no slogan]

29. Cymbalta whips a rhino's ass

I LOVE DAT SHIT! I just went on it in May after being hospitalized, and my life is really turning around. Even better than when I first went on Paxil way back in the day.

Ladyhawk, my thoughts and prayers are with you. I know how rough it can get but things DO get better. I sincerely believe everything happens for a reason, and maybe this is some sort of trial that leads to bigger and better things.

All things considered you are holding up very well. You've got a lot on your plate and you're keeping it together. That's quite an accomplishment.

:hug:

[Tallison]

31. Hey ruptured lumbar!

Missed your post yesterday. Two years ago I burst fractured my L1 in a rock climbing accident. I was in the hospital for 5 weeks and had some radical surgery down at UVA where they removed the vertebrae and replaced it with titanium mesh, bone from my hip and rib cage, and some screws and fused it all together. Also took out all the surrounding disks.

I'd love to hear more about your experience, compare/contrast stories (I'm also an RN). It's been two years since the accident and I hardly think about it anymore, but your post brought back such memories that I never really had an opportunity to talk about with others, it was so unique and such a nightmare. The flashbacks, expense, the pain, the opiate withdrawal. Email me anytime! [e-mail]

[Ladyhawk]

19. Thanks for the sentiment, khashka.

Unfortunately, I don't have much of a choice in my county. Thanks to Ah-nold and the Repubs, mental health care has been slashed to the bone in this county. Last year, 30 workers were laid off. I don't have a lot of psychologists to choose from.

Mr. Television did say that pain meds were CNS depressants, so I guess he got one thing right. :)

It does feel overwhelming, but it is possible to get better. I have to take into account that I've really been through holy hell and give myself a break, I think. It's no wonder I've been feeling awful all over. One step at a time, eh?

First thing: get the diabetes under control!

[Old_Fart]

14. You need to stay away from your family

They are causing your pain.

[SoCalDem]

16. First off... Find new doctors...The ones you have seem very dismissive

That alone could add to your stress.. With uncontrolled diabetes, are you at least on oral meds?? I hope so.. :hug:

[rupturedlumbar]

18. Thanks

Thanks so much. Been a long road back but am doing better that I'd ever dreamed I would

[Ladyhawk]

21. I'm so happy for you. You are an inspiration. :) n/t

[crispini]

26. Pain management

Have you looked into seeing an acupuncturist for pain? I would recommend this highly. Remember, nerve impulses, including pain, are transmitted electrically. I have had repetitive stress injuries to my arms and hands that gave sharp shooting pains up and down my arms. I always got great relief from my acupuncture sessions. It was truly a miracle to walk out of that office feeling better than when I walked in.

[u4ic]

27. Acupuncture has been very helpful

for my FM pain, as well as a previous case of tendonitis.

[lavenderdiva]

28. In late 2002, Mr. Lavenderdiva and I were involved in a very serious car

crash, where I broke all the bones in my left arm, very seriously. I now have a steel rod going the length of my arm with 11 pins inserted in the bone. Also, the skin on my inside elbow ripped the width of my arm because the swelling was so great, it just couldn't take it anymore. After the surgery, etc. I was on Oxycontin for ages. Gradually, I started noticing my tendency toward major depression creeping back, as I was crying all the time, extreme fatigue, no sleeping, etc. A friend of mine told me that a side effect of Oxycontin was depression. Immediately, I got off of it, even with all the pain I was in, and within a couple of weeks felt much better emotionally. I still had trouble sleeping because of the pain I was in, but took 4-6 ibuprofens, and that helped tremendously. I'm not a doctor or anything, but now that I know Oxycontin can start my depression again, I will steer clear of it!

I'm so sorry to hear about all that you are going through, and hope and pray that you will be able to find the doctors and therapists you need to get you better and feeling well again. I don't think you should be lifting any heavy boxes, or even any light boxes repetitively, with your back and neck the way they are.... Please take care of yourself!! :hug:

[Nikia]

30. I hope that you feel better soon

I don't really have much advice right now, except to be patient with your recovery from surgery. You shouldn't except to feel 100% right now.

[bratcatinok]

32. Hi ya LadyHawke, I don't know if you remember or not but

you and I chatted on AIM one night before you had your surgery.

If I remember correctly, you had a 3 level fusion the same as I did. Is that right?

Aw, hon, it's going to take awhile for your body to heal from the fusion. Even if it was a 2 level fusion instead of a 3 level, all of your ligaments, muscles, tendons and even blood veins are having to adjust to the new position the fusion placed your vertebra in. We go in thinking they're going to put us back together the way we were before but there's no way they can do that, it's physically impossible. Before fusion your neck hurt because everything was out of whack. Well, guess what, it's still out of whack. I'm probably not doing a very good job at explaining myself but I'll keep on trying. When they fused your neck, they immobilized certain parts of your neck because you no longer had the disks to help act as cushions. The fusion corrected a medically necessary situation but it created such problems as lack of motion, muscles having to function differently based on the lack of motion. Certain parts of you neck/back had to take over moving for the movement you lost during your fusion.

Three months isn't all that long to continue to have pain after a 3 level fusion. Your body is still adjusting and compensating. And that shit hurts!!! I'd stay away from the oxycontin because you want it to be effective for you if you ever need it in the future.

I never found the neurontin to do much of anything for me except to cause edema.

Now, don't get alarmed because I had a semi-botched fusion and it's still way too early to tell in your case what the eventual outcome will be. I had my surgery in 11/94 and there's not a day gone by since that I've not taken a narcotic pain killer, a muscle relaxer, a medicine for headaches created by the awkward angle of my fusion. I also take a very small dose of elavil to help me sleep at night.

I would suggest you talk to your doctor, tell him you want off the oxycontin and would like to experiment with different combinations of muscle relaxers and pain medication. It's not an all size fits one deal here. Heck, I can't take flexeril because it makes me cry at the drop of a hat. Most people have good results with flexeril...so like I said...one size doesn't fit all.

PM me or post in the thread cos I sure would like to know how you're doing each day.

OH and I'M GOING TO PLAY MIZZ BITCHY NURSE FOR A SECOND!!! Do whatever it is you need to do to get your diabetes under control because that can make you feel awful even without all the other stuff you're dealing with. Do your best to sleep well be establishing a routine of going to bed at a decent hour and waking up at a decent hour. Eat more healthful foods. You don't have to limit yourself to only those foods that are good for you. You can splurge with some of the new foods sweetened with Splenda...just remember, it's a splurge and not a part of your lifestyle. Excercise. On those days you don't want to get out of bed (yep, I've had them) set a goal to accomplish one small task. It gets you out of bed and who knows, you may accomplish a couple of small tasks.

I'll be more than happy to share my experiences and to tell you what all helped me, just let me know when you need me cos I can't read minds (yet)!

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