Back Pain and Internet Shopping. Thread Number 5.

[PavlovtheCat]

Those who have long term back problems know that the best way to help manage back pain is to internet shop for shoes, bags, and back support devices. Those who are new to back pain, these are important lessons to learn.

And here within this thread is where you will learn those lessons.

You will also find other helpful advice on pain management, different treatment options from hydrotherapy and physio to surgery, experiences of others navigating the big and scary medical world, both private and NHS (and abroad from the UK) too, as well as issues around work, being a parent while managing pain and disability, and the impact on the relationships around us.

Between us all, we have a huge wealth of knowledge and experience, and more than the practical advice, the jargon and information, we know what back pain is like, how much is affects everything around us, and sometimes, all we need is to have people listen who Get It.

We talk painkillers regularly, have hot water bottles and wheat bags galore, and hold hands a lot. It's potentially all very Unmumsnetty as we do actually show some lovin' from time to time, although we Never Ever call each other hun.

If you have advice, need advice, need a hand to hold, want to do some shopping, then come in. We are friendly. We talk a lot. Come in, have a and say hello

You will see just how much we do talk if you read our previous threads (where you may glean lots of answers about pain relief, surgery etc, best winter boots etc):
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/general_health/2049637-Back-Again-Back-Pain-Support-Thread
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/general_health/1871592-The-Back-Story
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/general_health/1992406-The-Back-Story-Continues
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/general_health/2023274-More-Terrible-Back-Stories

Families eh?
Pavlov You don't sound any where near fit for work to me...

I agree with berrie Pavlov but then I am a fine one to talk as my work finally had to tell me to go on sick leave before my op as I was scaring them lol

Glad you are a bit better though! Apart from anything else I don't think you should be at work after all these drugs never mind the pain

Wow that's quite some Christmas stress some of you have. I told mil we'll have to wait and see what my health's like. If I can't move, I'm not going anywhere and I'm not hosting. They can bring the food here if they like. For one overnight stay then go home and leave me to enjoy some peace.

I can't get up to go to the loo anymore today. On call Dr has just been round to prescribe more tramadol and tilidin with strict instructions not to take anything else if I need the tilidin.

Yes, some of you are definitely more tolerant than me re. Christmas. There's absolutely no way I'd be left looking after the children while DH got pissed with his brothers (if he had any!) on Christmas Day - even if I didn't have back problems. And your BIL sounds vile, pavlov - seriously, what twattish behaviour. You're a very forgiving woman!

We will just be the 4 of us at Christmas. PIL are coming up in between Christmas & NY & staying in a B&B. My dad is closer & we'll see him in the run-up to it. Then hopefully a few low-key things with friends & other relatives. I wrote a massively detailed Christmas lunch plan last year - everything down on paper with timings etc., so DH could take over at any point if I had to lie down. Cooking is not his forte at all, but he can follow instructions if they're very explicit (think Delia Smith style!).

I get that stinging groin pain too - do you think it's nerve-related? Agree that it doesn't like you should be at work tomorrow.

Glad the return hasn't been too bad for you so far, berrie. The lie-down during assembly time is a fab idea.

No, I agree. Nowhere near fit. Tbh if I was your manager I think I would prefer to just know that you were off until after the surgery. If you were in the nhs they wouldn't allow you in in your condition. Health and Safety. One former colleague had a broken ankle and a desk job and wasn't allowed in .

Here I am dispensing the 'you must rest and relax' advice whilst thinking I can't possibly goof out for three days I'm far too busy

Hi all, hope the pain is receding for everyone tonight. Just had my parents staying for a week 'to help' . I am knackered and broken . My dad had cancer recently, he had all his radiotherapy at 8am so he could go into work and not have to tell anyone. He has undergone the whole treatment whilst refusing to have any side effects or stop his normal life, so you can imagine his attitude to my malingering! They just don't do weakness, or helping tbh.

I want a loft bedroom with French doors, also a chef husband would be nice or just a new kitchen. I'm getting this wrong somehow.

Pavlov how did you come across the lidocaine patches? I'm wondering if they would help my t spine pain. Feels like an evil monkey is behind me grinding a stick into my upper right back at the moment. I do not like that monkey, bet he's friends with the bloody gorilla. What's tilidin freedom? I've not heard of that one before.

Losty , tell that monkey to FRO from me and my gorilla. So much sympathy re parents. Mine have arrived today to visit my db and their new baby. Jeez they are hard work and very luckily got staying with us. Yours sound hardcore. I bet you never got a day off school .

And trust me, you do NOT want to be here in kitchen hell. I am starting to regret ever starting." Will be hiding in the loft for some time, I fear

Nay Lost I want to live in Wales and get flooded in!
Do you get good snow too?

LOST Tilidin is a synthetic opiate painkiller. Other names valoran. Or valtran. DH picked it up from chemist but hidden it.as Dr said not to mix with my present ibuprofen600 x 3 tramadol 100 x 2 and diazepam 2,5 that I'm presently on daily.

Pavlov, morning, do you think you will make it to work? Cyber Monday today so plenty of Internet shopping opportunities if not! .

I didn't think there were any painkillers left I hadn't heard of so that's really interesting. After that list of painkillers though deffo don't take one for the moment! I have two cupboards for my different doses (as insisted upon by my GP) so I have to think when I'm going to get something different.

Not much snow here, we live on a little estuary and have a microclimate of out own. I can stand on the beach and see a horseshoe shape of green then the snow all around that! We can be showed in to the area but not have any here because it's all uphill country lanes to get out!

I do feel everyone's building pain, when we bought this house it was a complete project and we lived with dust and builders and skips for what felt like years. I said to my boys I was going to write it into my will that they could never sell it because I was ingrained in every new bit, it feels half like me now not just a house!

Not a beach too.....

Oh yes, I couldn't live without my beach! We are the last thing before Ireland, can't get much more West without swimming .

I am speechless with envy!

plots to send The Rat on a little holiday to make me feel better

Door number one...

Well I back on to the river and am next door to the village pub, Mr Rat would not be alone if he came for a holiday . Once I came in from shopping and looked out of the kitchen window at the bird feeder, 'oh how lovely' I thought 'a pretty squirrel sitting right by the window' then I noticed the absence of a bushy tail.... I am so lucky, I do live in a very beautiful place, I grew up by the sea and feel really down if I am away from it, when we go camping I always make sure we are at least near a big lake if I can't be by the coast. I should have been a dolphin or a whale.

Oh enough already with your backing onto the river!
I back onto a clothing depot (at least it's behind the trees and the fake soundproofing hill) Actually just about the whole village backs onto the clothing depot - I think you can see it from space!)

Very jealous of beach and river. I adore water, always have.

I spend a ridiculous amount quite a lot of time on Rightmove looking at properties by the sea. Trouble is there are never any jobs in the same places!
I also watch Escape to the Country crying why oh why oh why! could have bought an chuffing castle with the amount we've spent on wine over the years!

Oh a beach would be lovely- well a quiet one! I have ds at home (occasional day or something) and we are 'waiting in' for the car repair men to collect the car (which I scratched), having a lazy morning. (Ds likes to be out and about so its nice to have an reason to be lazy).
Our house has many minor adaptions to all our issues -(its often the small changes that help) like toothbrushes up and down (so I can clean ds teeth wherever I am - no excuses!), medication up and down, mid height bed for ds (easier for changing) The OT I saw as part of my CFS clinic was impressed - we have adjustable bar chair (originally for ds when he was shorter) now fit for me perching for ironing etc. She thought we had it mostly covered.
I have bought a Togo active cushion - to go in the car (be quick if you want one cheaper) in the amazon cyber Monday deals. Supposed to reduce pressure on lower spine/ coccyx. No idea if it will help! We have some long journeys coming up, which I struggle with (OK dread), so I am hopeful. I figured if it did not help for me (or DH who will be doing the driving) I could add it to ds sensory play box - he likes to sit on cushions. I seem to have bought a lot of back related gadgets recently so I guess I must be in the 'trying to fix it' stage of acceptance- which I guess is not accepting at all!
Hoping you decided to have a day (or so) at home Pavlov, and your pain levels are getting more manageable. Matilda Lost Berrie and Freedom and everyone else struggling with pain, kitchens (new or too comfy for four legged guests) I hope today is a better day.

I've topped up with 5mg diazepam as waiting for DH to collect the 2mgs. I'm pinning a lot of hope on it helping.

Hope everyone else is coping. I'm on my bed with you lot and the radio for company.

Hello all! I went with DH to the orthoped today. He wanted to inject me In my back but as it wasn't under xray conditions I refused. I got an injection in my bum instead to help with leg pain. He said normally if the pain is acute for 4 weeks or more an operation would be unavoidable. I resisted shouting Not On Your Nelly. I'm moving to the tilidan and more diazepam in an attempt to get me mobile enough to undertake physio.

It's pretty quiet beach apart from summer (never used to be busy at all but people have found us now, bugger!), there aren't any jobs though either so it's a real gamble living here. Thank goodness for internet shopping, the nearest M&S is an hour away and there is NO Sainsburys at all, very traumatic .

Had a really frustrating moment this morning, went to town to do a couple of little chores then the post office depot because I've got something that needs me to pay postage on, third visit because there are only four car parking spaces nearby and they're always full, waited and got a space. When I went in proffering my card was told 'can't accept notes, you'll have to walk into town and get change'. Mentally calculated extra number or steps vs pain levels and what else I have to do today, left empty handed. I know it was the right choice because I am sore as hell now even keeping still and there's a lot of Monday left yet but I want my parcel! I am 40, I should be able to walk a couple of hundred extra meters without thinking, grr!

No more Amazon shopping for me, did most of the little peripheral family presents on Friday and I'm very pleased but the extra boots that fell into my trolley have wiped the finances. I like your sensory box magso, DS1 has exams today and went in with a huge block of blue tack to fidget with so hopefully he'll manage to finish some work. His first long exam today, 2.5 hours, I have no idea how he is going to cope. He gets extra time as well but I'm not sure that is the answer either, he'll be bouncing after 45 mins!

Hope the diazepam is working Matilda, what's on the radio? I am going to have lunch then go and lie down with a book until pick up time for DS3, the one thing the injections have taught me is that lying down a lot is the best form of painkiller.

Good on you for keeping your thoughts on surgery polite Freedom! Hope the injection helps Freedom. I know a couple of people who have done well with early disc shaving surgery (sorry forgotten its proper name) - but I hope yours will spontaneously resolve for you - sooner rather than later.
Matilda is your ipad an old one (1st edition) like mine? It has been very slow and 'sweary' for a while now. I recently traded it for a new mini ipad and that is behaving better. Its a lot lighter to hold as well. (And it was free from a certain mobile phone people due to being an existing customer). Ds is delighted with the old one, but I am still finding it hard to let it go! It was so vital to me when stuck in bed all those long months (well years)when at my least well.
We have had a whole morning of Dr Who (me shulfling around trying to get slowly ontop of a few chores). Having waited in 7am-1pm the low loader has just arrived for my damaged car. I'd better go and try not to feel too stupid!

Lost hope your ds exam goes well, and you get to collect your post eventually. I am doing better at the moment but I remember the days of considering every step! Hope your health improves.
The repair collector man made a note of every single mark/ chip and I had to sign for the car.