Chronic Pain

beakerless,
I was in Pearl harbor from 77-80.
I lost my mom in 72(I was 14) in auto accident and the
next 4 years or so are still a blur.
I don't know that one ever gets over it.
I learned how to live with it but, it takes time.
I'm no stranger to FUBAR

Chuck

quote:

Originally posted by chuckm11:
The Cane,
Sometimes I hate but, I do need it. Especially out side the house.
In side our apartment there's enough to hang on too.
I finally got the handicap placard about a month ago and bad as I
hate to admit it, it does save me some walking.
It was a bitter pill to swallow, been all over the world now I don't
leave the house by myself hardly.
I made the mistake of going to walmart saturday evening, it was a zoo.
But, I hadn't been out in a couple days and was going over the edge. That
trip reminded me I don't get out much!
Got my 30 min walk in today between downpours.
Now that I got some feeling back in my feet I thought send a quik note and
see how everyone was doin??
What little shopping I'll do will be done on line too, which won't be much
since after being approved for ssdi it still takes 3 months to get paid!
I can see a new laptop in my future though
chuck

beakerless how long were you on active duty??
I was NAVY from 76 to 86

Hello Chuck
Nice to hear from you today again. I'm glad you were able to get out between monsoons for your walk. I'm thinking about getting one in today too. The sun is out finally, but it's freezing out, literally, so I'll have to dress very warm.
I'm feeling better and that is always nice, I'm going to do some online xmas shopping this afternoon. My husband wants to go shopping thursday and Friday, I told him, I can do one, but not the other. Sometimes it's frustrating that I still need to remind him that going shopping one day is a huge push for me, it feels like he thinks I can turn a switch on or off for the pain???? I'm not sure if he just doesn't remember or what, but it makes me feel worse, when he has some high expectations of what I'll be able to do. Just makes me more determined to get some presents ordered online today, so we don't have to go out and walk the malls like he thinks we should.

It was really hard for me to use my cane in public, I was always afraid that I'd run into some old school mate or something like that. It also causes people that you may know casually, but they are not really part of your life, they have to stop you in the store to find out whats wrong and that bothers me too. I live in a small town and when you go to the store, you know more than half the people in the store and easily run into a half a dozen people that you've either went to school with or you've known since you were a child, if even just causually. Everyone knew me as a very active person that raised horses, raced them and ran all over the country hauling horses all by myself and it's just really hard on my pride to have everyone see that I'm know parking in the handicapped spot and have a difficult time just stopping to pick up a couple of items. The whole experience is just dreadful on your self esteem.
I too rarely go anywhere without my husband and I think that's hard on him too. As I need him alot more than I used to. I'd never even consider going to the mall or hardly wal-mart without him. Last summer I felt well enough to go into wal-mart a couple of times and that felt really good. But today, I'd have all kinds of anxieties and be scared, I'd get half way through the store and have to try and limp to my car, as the pain is too much to handle and I'll of not got one thing done.
I'm like you and don't normally use my cane in my home, except for really bad days, as I can hang onto counters and such. But if I'm out in public, I feel really insecure and am afraid that I'll be some where and not have anything to lean on or stabilize me.

Well, I better get something done and get dressed too.
Have a great day and I'll chat atcha later.
Betty

quote:

Originally posted by chuckm11:
4 years or so are still a blur.
I don't know that one ever gets over it.
I learned how to live with it but, it takes time.
I'm no stranger to FUBAR

Chuck

Cannot help but say, I too am not stranger either.
Dad 4-2001
Son 6-2002
It's been a long six years and full of extensive grief and horrible stress.
It's no wonder my body has just given up

Betty

Greetings from soggy south ky,

Know what ya mean, I sold cell phones in the wal-mart for 4
years. So every time I go run into somebody I know, most who
know me have gotten used to the cane. The buggies come in real handy both
to lean on and to defend one's self too.
My wife and daughter are pretty patient with me, she's had to help me up
a few times so she doesn't mind the cane. It's my right knee that goes
out some times.
What kind of horses did you raise??
My wife and I used to raise quarter horses in Jacksonville,fla about
100 years ago, she's the horse person I just provided helping hands and patience.
We did make it over to the library! It was great, got some reading material
which I need now that I'm back in the chair..

Chuck

Hi everyone
I just wanted to stop in and say hello. I just got back in town early this morning. We went to LA this weekend for Hanukkah.
We got up this morning at 4:30 am and finally walked in he house around 9:45 am. I'm exhausted!

I hope you all are doing well

stacy

Here is the site for the International Society of Altered Book Artists. There is more information there on what altered books are.

Hi everyone. I hope I'm doing this right. I started a new med for my anxiety but we are starting it slowly then uping it a little each week till we get the full dose. I can't figure out why I'm nervous doing this? I guess because it is new. I'm hoping for a nap! I don't shop anywhere but groceries if necessary, especially this time of year. I'm wondering about getting a cane? I have osteoporosis in both hips & lower spine, fm, cfs/me, bursitis & hypermobility. My ankles roll out on me a bit due to the hypermobility. I just don't know if using a cane will make it harder on me or easier? Any thoughts? I'm 41 & have been trapped in the body of a 95 yr old woman without the energy for bingo night since I was in my mid 20s! ugh. Anyway, it's a pretty day of bird watching here, I'm trying to focus on the good. Thanks all. be well & be blessed

Hello Guys

I'm just tickled that you all have come in to visit with us.
I'm still fighting this flare, thought I was getting better and I bathed two of our dogs last night, and NO, I'm not better and it was a really dumb idea. Bathing dogs is a job that I've always done and so when I ask for help with the two bigger dogs, everyone looks at me like, Yeh, some day we'll get to that. Never mind these mutts sleep in my bed and I'm having to change the beddding twice a week and it actually seem like I should do it even more. So I felt like going ahead and "Just doing it!"
Keep in mind, when I say the two biggest dogs, they are both under 30#, but it's still difficult for me to bend over and wrangle them around. The two little ones, I bathe in my kitchen sink, so I don't have to bend over and then I just bleach it after I'm done.

So today, I'm very sore, I have a horrific head ache and I'm getting ready to go to town and try and get my elderly friends groceries, a wreath for her mothers grave, and pick up her tabaco products from the smoke shop. Yes, she's 92 and still smokes! Her doctors feel it would be silly to push her to quit now. And she's pretty adament about the whole thing.

Chuck, how great! I raised and raced Quarter Horses too. I loved my horses and it is so painful to get my photo albums out and look at my horses. I think some day this winter I'm going to scan some of my pictures into the puter, so I can share them. Horses were a huge part of my life, my husband even misses racing.
Hope your weather is better today and if not, then take a break and read your new book from the library.

BZmom; You've done just perfect and I'm just thrilled that you've come to visit too.
I know what you mean about being nervous about new anxiety or depression meds, I'm always worried that they are going to cause a weird reaction and I'm going to act weird or something. I always warn my husband to watch me for any odd behavior and anything. I guess when it comes to changing the chemical make up in our brains, it seems like a serious thing to me. So I can understand why we get nervous about it.
Having a cane is very helpful, you can lean on it or use it to support your weight a little better, especially when you hurt in your hips and legs. I'm 45 next monday and it was hard at first, but I'm ok with it most the time now.

Well, I better get moving, so I can come back to visit, this evening. Hubbies still on the 2-midnight shift, so I've got plenty of time during the evening. Our Dish-DVR tapes our shows for the evening, so I can visit and then I watch one or two with my husband when he comes home at midnight.

I hope you all are having a lower pain day and I'll chat atcha later on this afternoon.

Take Care
Betty

I woke with level 10 pain. Took a Marinol. An hour later: at level 5 pain. Right now: level 0. Wow!!! I feel 20 something again instead of 50 something. Wow (Again)!!!.
Believe me, if you have migraines, Marinol is the real deal.

Mark <hurtseachday2@aim.com>

Betty: thanks a bunch for your directions here. I felt like I would of needed GPS to get here without your help (ha!!!)

Chuck: Hello

Beakerless
I'm sorry, but I cannot figure out the link to the Altered books. Maybe I'm not aware of how to follow it?

Thanks
Betty

Ill try this again since I used a trigger word which bounced me out of quick posts.

Woke up with an awful headache (level:10)

Took a Marinol ... an hour later (level: 5) Right niow (level: 0)

Feeling 20 something instead of 50 something. The opiates lowered my level to 0 but made me feel like I was 70 something.

Mark

<hurtseachday2aol.com>

Betty: I would have needed a GPS to get here without your help. Thanks for starting this thread.

Mark- I am glad you have migraine meds that are working well for you. The last migraine I had, last week or the week before, was horrible. I ended up then having an allergic itching reaction to the shot of dilauded I was given. I then got a shot of Nubain which didn't work as well for me but the headache did finally subside with magnesium & fluid IVs & also with some vicodin 10s. It was a horrible process to go through. I'm allergic to Imitrex too, so it isn't fun. I've not heard of your medication before but I'm glad it works for you.

Betty-what are you thinking washing the dogs? You crazy woman you! What about getting a miniature horse to love on? Less work or the same? Just a thought.

Beakerless, thank you for telling me about that creative art form with the books, all of a sudden I once again have more fibro brain fog than brain matter, sorry. It has my curiosity peaked & I websearched it & surfed around on different sites telling about it. My creative juices are definitely flowing. I think I may try to find a way to incorporate it into some scrapbooking or something. Very cool idea. I cannot bring myself to throw books away ever. I even have a hard time with catalogs sometimes & magazines - ok, with stuff in general, you caught me. LOL...
Well my attempts at a nap have been thwarted at every angle! I've had knocks at the door, phone calls from people wanting $ & applesauce requests from a certain little boy of mine. Gotta love applesauce. It's the simple pleasures remember? Anyway, there's always tomorrow hopefully! Take care gang!

Hi Kat, sorry to hear about your awful experience with a migraines. Here's some sites for more info. on Marinol.

http://www.druglibrary.org/schaffer/hemp/migrn2.htm

http://www.marinol.com/images/PatientIntroProg2.pdf


Mark

Kat - http://www.marinol.com/images/PatientIntroProg2.pdf has a coupon for a free same if it is approved by a doctor

Greetings friends,
A wonder full day here in ky, mr sun came out and dried us
out a bit. Got to go walking in the sunshine for a nice change.
Pain is bearable, head is clear!
Mark congrats on migraine meds, thats one thing I don't get very
often is any kind of headache.
Welcome to you and kat.
Betty hope your trip to town isn't TOO pain full.
more later

chuck