The Back Story Continues

[Matildathecat]

This is the support thread for all sufferers of back pain. Everyone most welcome to join.

Here's our first thread

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/general_health/1871592-The-Back-Story

My story long and grim but basically had failed surgery for disc prolapse, then further failed surgery to attempt to salvage the situation. I have nerve root damage and severe scarring around the nerve at L5 which won't get better. I'm 48, can't work, take a lot of drugs and have a blue badge. Currently battling several different agencies for ill health retirement and other benefits.

But I'm ok, having some fun despite the pain and have made some lovely friends on here.

Please post and include your story if you'd like to. No niggles too small, this is strictly non competitive!

You too goodness

How are you today Goodness? I hope you got some much needed rest and can have an easy day today.

Aaaaah. Thx for asking Cowmop. I'm in a foul mood. Tiiiired. No school runs as still can't drive n am highly medicated (do you lot drive on this shit? I knock everything onto the floor on a grocer's shop!) but tutored for one hour this nothing. No big deal but she wasn't in the mood to do much of anything. Grrrrr
Going back to bed

Bed is the best place. It's still early days. Pacing is the ideal but I'm not much use at it.

I'm spacey on tramadol. Limited options really, floaty, stupid head or terrible pain.

Bit of a catch 22 isn't it Matilda? My vote goes with floaty, I know that's where I am at the moment. Does the sr tramadol affect you the same way as the 4 hourly? I thought I'd get less woolly once my system got used to these patches, but I find myself umming and aahing an awful lot. I've never really been like this before with meds.

It sounds like you've been treated in a truly disgusting way be the NHS. All the effort that goes into jobs like midwifery deserves praise and reward not the treatment you've received at the first hint of a problem. I hope you get the (can't think of right word) settlement? you deserve.

Goodness bed is good. As Matilda says it's still early days, lots of people would still be demanding tea and toast on a room service basis from their loved ones, not be working!

Go steady ladies.

Should be doing my home work but I thought I would share with you the fact that degree level maths assessments are bloody impossible when you take tramadol. Right, I can do this. After a little nap maybe?

Lost, degree level maths plus Tramadol. Think you need a nap a AND chocolate.

I feel a bit perkier. Still tired but am forcing myself to lay in bed between tutees and childminder helping with DD. Laaaaaayzeeeee
Getting through that way, though. Feeling bad to be giving more (educationally) to other people's children than to my own. Too tired for DD and DD is too much of a pickle.

Anyway, what perked me up? Body Shop grapefruit shower gel when I eventually took my 12.45pm shower

and Auction Sniper. Don't stone me!
I'm giving you one of my dearest secret 'helps'. Happy ebaying. I lost my ebay bid but enjoyed going to MY limit ;)

Anyone any idea what might be making me so tired? It's four full weeks post op, now. I'm on oxycodone 5
Gabapentin 200 (cutting to 100)
Amatriptaline 25
Etc

YES, those would probably do it! As would coming down from the adrenaline of the last few months with the terror and unknown and waiting and worrying. Add this in to a big operation, I think you should just get lots more rest in for now! We don't have a post office at the moment so I have a pile of things to sell that are too much faff to hoick to the nearest town. One day I will sell them all and be rich .

It's only start of year 2 maths but I can't sit and concentrate for hours like I used too, buggers my back and my brain, thank goodness for the OU and being able to take things more at my pace. Right, DS3 demanding attention now. They go back to school soon right?

Year 2 of DEGREE level maths.
(Bows in awe).

It's not that clever honestly, you just learn a set of rules and how to apply them then learn more rules that follow the others and apply those too, logical and ordered and very pleasing. I'm doing a degree in IT but the first level of maths was compulsory for that, I'm doing a couple more levels on because I really enjoy it. Today I learned that there was something called 'Sierpinski's Carpet Fractal' and that it is a mathematical sequence that can be used to make mobile phone antenna. How pleasing is that?

Weird symptom of the day, too much sitting at the table, went to be flat for a bit and had a whole body muscle spasm that left me with three toes and three fingers on each limb greeny white and freezing cold. Stupid bodies what the hell was all that about?

goodness without all those drugs! the very fact that you have just had major trauma to your back will make you tired. Yes it was elective, but some one has cut through your back muscles, into your back, fiddled and prodded, and your body is healing. That will make you very tired. Add to that the effects of anaesthetic which can have side effects for a while, plus the meds you are taking all have side effects of drowsiness, plus al the stress of the last few months coming out, you re most definitely going to feel exhausted after doing hardly a thing. And it will be so for a while to come yet, be gentle, pace yourself and do not expect too much. 4weeks already?

Losty a brain box in our midsts! Wow, go you! I can barely add up without a calculator I have to work out the age of people at the time the commit offences. So. Born 1.11.1969 work out how old they are when they commit an offence on 3.4.1997. Wow, I struggle with that and I have or be exact as sometimes the difference is between them being 17 or 18 as that dramatically affects statistical reconviction risk predictions! I feel stressed just thinking about it!

A reasonable pain day, followed by increase in pain this evening, but not hugely so. Twisting causes a twinge, vaguely moving my spine causes a twinge and sets pain off. I am aware of constant but relatively low level sciatica. And I sat down for a whole hour without huge amounts of pain or struggling to straighten again, so on the mend!!

lost I think a big dose of tramadol might even improve my dismal maths! Couldn't make it too much worse. I have the same kind of problems as pavlov. I can do proper sums, though with paper and pen. Just nice easy ones.

goodness ^what Pavlov says^. Rest, potter, rest. You are making big progress and remember it's a marathon not a sprint. I do a bit of sneaky sniping, too but have weaned off that addiction for now. I did end up with several nice cashmere scarves, though.

cowmop thanks! it had been a bit crap but although my employers weren't very kind I have had some great care. It's just that, as we all know too well, resources are stupidly over stretched. Spacey feeling now improved but pain ramping up. Are patches good? Nobody has suggested them so maybe they are too hardcore for me.

Have a nice evening everyone.

matilda I would go with floaty for sure. I think given the current atmosphere and ishoos I am dealing with at work. I would pick floaty even without pain first! Glad you are feeling a little less on the ceiling though.

I am annoyed. I got a 'pay rise' which is going up my pay scale by one incremental point ha and after deductions it works out a grand total of £120 which includes being backdated to April, and having some of it deducted due to going on strike. But not to be sniffed at. However, my laptop is broke and I need to buy Office for the other MacBook, as I do some writing and editing in my spare time (you would never tell as I am shocking at proofing my own work ) and that costs a grand total of £120! I could see it as good fortune that this covers it exact, but was hoping for some more retail therapy! Or to pay for my beautiful days tickets. Grr. Least I won't actually be out of pocket.

Omg my cat just walked across my legs and it made me scream it hurt that much -what on earth is that all about? He's a tiny little thing

Anyway is everyone ok today?

17 yeowchy meowchy!

Just for those of you lovelies in pain:
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/mumsnet_classics/a1346161-Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaargh-I-have-LITERALLY-twatted-a-spider-to-death

Oh, and I'm either mad or a dare devil.
Tonight I've decided to cut down from 200 gabapentin to 100 (was 300 last week). And I've dropped the 5 of oxycodone. Still keeping the 25 ami

Just airing that as don't have a clue whether remembered this correctly from pain clinic advice given on phone and am rushing thjngs. Gotta spice it up a bit, hey.

How's everyone? Will read but won't remember anything.

Hi guys. I am feeling much better today. I think all those aches yesterday might have been a bit of a virus. I was getting worried I had a potential new back problem. So pleased I felt better today I went a bit mad on the cleaning and even did some gardening! I even applied for a job. Not sure if I will go for this job even if I do get an interview, I might chicken out, also dd said she doesn't want me to! She came in when I was looking at the job description and said she doesnt want me to as the new hours might mean I am away more. She is only 9, but maybe she is right. My current hours are very good for fitting in with school and I get school hols off.
Hope you are all doing ok today.

Goodness I can see what you are doing and any health professional would be 'yay, less drugs, go you and your commitment to becoming better without using medication as a crutch' but also go slowly my love, this is a one time chance to do things perfectly and you don't want to force the issue. Take time to come back into focus properly because if you make yourself hurt it is a one step forward two steps back scenario. Also listen to Pavlov she spoke a lot of sense. I know you want to leap back to being 'you' but you aren't her anymore you are the new improved version so you need to get that as good as possible from the start. This is your life and hopefully it is going to be a long and fabulous one so take the time now to ease back into things if you can. You probably don't have a massive window of patience so take it whilst you can. I hope that makes sense, I have had extra tramadol and a glass of wine!

I am not particularly clever btw, so don't think that of me, I am just so much better at applying rules to numbers than I am dealing with people! People are so confusing, numbers follow rules and are therefore deeply comforting things.

17 I think we get a bit hard wired for pain after a while plus we have areas that are just so much more sensitive, sometimes I can be feeling fed up but if DH looks like he is going to hug me I can panic and be 'noooooo don't touch me right now' which probably doesn't come over very well . I am so sore after my muscle spasm, I think if a feather fell on me right now I would cry!

glad you have had such a productive day, bugs deffo make me feel worse. Maybe listen to dd for now if you can, they get so grown up so fast, DS1 is an incredibly cuddly lovely boy but at 14 even with his mild SN spends far too much time away from me.

Hi Losty, about maths, I guess you just have a maths brain or you don't. I am rubbish at it, I have to work out portions and things at work (I am a cook) and I still have to get the calculator out. They are easy sums but I just can't do it. Dh is good at maths though, he has to do a lot of stock takes in his job and he maintains most people can't count or add up. Actually dhs dad loves maths too, he was an accountant. So it seems to be inheritable. Sadly dd is more like me, although she is good at organising things.
About the job maybe I was a bit carried away with my good day. I will see how it goes, dh has just had a pay cut so a bit more money is tempting, but don't want to upset dd.

Oh Pavlov going back to your earlier post, what sort of thing do you write?

Goodness take it steady, dont struggle on in pain if the cuts in dosage are too much go back up.

Awake
This is a bit pre op like. Not in pain but feeling something. Like background noise achey pains. But not pains or aches. Could well be noisy air purifier Very odd.

Still awake two hours later.
Fucking hell
Horribly familiar