Party room- a place for fun, pity, commiserating, or any other thing you come up with

[Mark N]

Brigette, sounds like you need to stay at home and not venture out with the weather coming in. Maybe it is a way for you to take it easy and let your body rest so your pain levels will mellow out.

Tommorow the flooring starts to go in. We came up with a new color for the lower half of the room and got it painted this evening and it looks great. I am glad we took the time to come up with a different color as this one ties into the cork flooring better. I hope to get the main area of the family room done tomorrow which wont be too hard. The other areas can wait as Penny wants me to make a wall with a bookcase to shield the washer and dryer from the family room. I won't put the flooring in that area until the wall and shelves are put in. I hope to get to sleep by 1 am so I can have a good day of work tomorrow afternoon.

[Big Joe]

I went out for the first real time last evening. We went to one of our local coffee shops that has a bluegrass jam on friday evenings. I did not play yet as the instruments are too heavy and hard to play for me yet, but I was able to be surrounded by friends and to enjoy the music and the instruments. The coffee was plenty good as well. I think I will be able to start playing a little in the next week or so, so I don't think it will be too long until I am back and playing regularly. I was afraid I would miss the playing way too much, but so far it has not been that bad. Actually, it was kind of a good break from guitars and banjos and mandolins. I do have my ukulele handy and I play it a bit each day but the rest have gotten a well deserved rest.

The pain is going down quite a bit in both severity and frequency. I can start taking a bit less pain meds and the total experience has been so much different from the last spinal surgery that it is amazing. I guess this is the way it is supposed to go where my last experience was about as bad as it could go. I have a lot of healing to go yet, for sure, but I am so far ahead of what I expected that I am highly pleased. Now the hard part is to exercise some wisdom and not push myself beyond what I should That is always the hard part, but age and experience can be a good teacher :) . I especially don't want any increase or return to the pain itself.

Thank you each and every one for your support during this time. It has truly helped. I entered this phase of my spiney life with great apprehension and fear for my family. I knew I had to do what I had to do no matter the outcome, but my family only had visions of the wheel chair and pain meds for years to come and were not sure about any of it. I think they are so greatly relieved I could walk out of the hospital this time. While I appreciated their support, I certainly hated to see them suffer through those pre-op fears that any family would have. I am also thankful they were not to be realized. I think it was good for them to see me go through this process again, the same one that nearly did me in years back, and come through it with flying colors. I think they can face their own fears now with much greater confidence in the challenges life throws at them.

[Mark N]

Joe, it is great that you are feeling less pain each day and can feel stronger with each day. Going into surgery had to be scary after ending up in a wheelchair following the last spinal surgery. You are right that are families can learn from our struggles and have it help them with some of the strugglews they have. I am glad you were able to get out to the coffee shop.

I finally got to sleep around 5am but was able to sleep until noon. We finally got started on putting the floor down at 1:30 and we got about half the floor finished and I hope to finish it up tomorrow if Darrin can help like he offerred. The floor is really looking good especially with the new color Penny got for the bottom half of the wall. I will spend the next couple of weeks doing the trim and a few extras to make the trim nicer.

[newcervie]

Hi! I hope everyone affected by that snowstorm are safe and keeping warm.

Everything is quiet around here. My husband took my daughter back to the doctor on Friday because she started waking us up to her screaming in the middle of the night. In turns out that she has dual ear infections. She either didn't get rid of the ear infection from two weeks ago or she got new ones. They put her on stronger antibiotics and gave us some pain meds for her ears. She definitely calms down shortly after we put the drops in the ears. Otherwise, we're getting ready for tomorrow's activities. It will be hectic but fun.

[Mark N]

newcervie, oh I feel so sorry for her as she has to be feeling bad with two ear infections. We went through that with my daughter as she wouldn't complain and we didn't know until she was really sick with two ear infections. I hope the medication clears it up and has her feeling better soon.

Today started with getting to sleep around 3 am and waking up about noon. I had roast and potatoes in the crock pot so our son had dinner with us as he wanted a home cooked meal. I spent the afternoon and evening finishing up the flooring. I still have the finish work to do but the main floor is down and it really improves the looks of our basement family room.

[puddykat]

Mark, very good to have that book as I know what to look for and it's slowly happening. Vascular Dementia has let me live much longer then expected; very happy for that, and I'm not done living yet, just getting to be harder to do. I'm like you, want people to remember me as I was, have DNR in place. Weekend was a bad one but today's a little better - that's a good thing BTW, you're doing a great job on your home. Kudos to all the work being done by yourself.

Brigitte, I know some states along east got clobbered, hope it missed you. Seems like last winter started like this, but not this early!!! Hope your bod's feeling hon.

Joe, fantastic news you got to go out, paint the town red, have a super time. Plus learn you play the strings, my kinda man! Great to hear you're feeling a little better each day, love hearing that. So happy for you.

NC, do hope your daughter is feeling so much better. Can only imagine the pain she must be feeling. Hope the meds work for her......Is there nothing else they can do for her when she has them repeatedly?

Hello CQ......forgot to welcome you last time here......WELCOME!!! Sorry about all the pain you're having and hope the docs can do something about it for you.....we spinies are a bag o bones, huh? :)

HAPPY HALLOWEEN..........hugs (gentle) to you all, kat

[logannamath]

Ok typed this huge long post and the board ate it.....gggggrrrrr We did get the snowstorm here. Had about 15 inches of snow. Power went out saturday around 5 and still without power. Could be many days they say. Thankful we have a generator!! Though the gas is a killer. At $3.70 a gallon, I want the power back....lol Will try to get back on tomorrow. Not up for retyping whole post! Was such a long day with jury duty, kids, house and the trick or treating till 8:30pm the day needs to end! Hope everyone got to enjoy some sweet trick or treaters. We had 3 as we live on a busy road & not all to close to others. Sleep well everyone!!!

[Original Cervie Queen]

CT results

Tomorrow will be exactly six years from my last surgery. But I got CT results on my lumbar spine today. Two levels have auto fused, and I have severe degenerative facet arthropaty on two other levels as well as Moderate spinal stenosis and ,moderate forimanal stenosis on two other levels. I got the distinct impression from the surgeon that he's finished and just wants me out of his office. I'm not ready for surgery, but I had hoped that he'd refer me to a pain specialist after he was able to identify the cause of my pain and leg weakness. I guess when you're near 70 years old they write you off. Sorry for the Pity party.

[Mark N]

OCQ, sorry Dr Regan has wrtitten you off. Surgeons often aren't very good about dealing with chronic pain so I am not surprised he didn't refer you to a PM. It would be nice if our surgeons wouold recommend PMs to us when we have continuing pain. I know my OSS did a thoracic fusion on a 78 yr old man two days before doing my thoracic fusion so age shoudn't be the only deciding factor.

Brigette can you pack any more into a day? My gosh, just reading about all that is going on wears me out. I sure am glad we don't have the snowstorm to deal with. Emery came over after trick or treating and showed us her cat outfit. Megan said she wouldn't wear it until they pointed out that it looked like their cat Grace. Emery then would wear it pointing to her outfit and say grace then point to the cat saying Grace.

Kat, sorry to hear you had a bad weekend. I was fortunate to get in two days of work for the flooring. It looks like Green Bay is the team in the NFL. No other team seems to put everything together like they have.

I got hit with a day of sleep after getting a couple afternoons of working on the flooring. I didn't get to do any of the rim work but I know it will take time. I am just thankful for getting the main field of the floor down. Our town had trick or treat tonight so I guess I missed it.

[puddykat]

Brigitte, don't know if I posted this or not but I've had long post get 'eaten' too...once was enough. No matter how long, how short, I copy them so if they do fly off, just paste them in new note .......of course since doing that, haven't lost a post yet

Otherwise it's cool, sunny day in WI, lots of rain tomorrow; I'm finally getting warm, sore throat, cough, nose on the run which I pray goes nowhere. Just got thru with all that bunk, don't need it again :) Eating some nice warm oatmeal, think that's helping me get warm too.

Heard 1.7 million w/o power. Prayers to you and other states that power's restored quickly.

hugs to all, kat

[carolnurse]

Hi

Hi all.......Have been following these posts for a few weeks now. Am 4 days post op cervical fusion c3-c7. This is a good forum, with alot of good people. Had visited years ago and remembered to come back when I had been told I needed urgent surgery. Have been following big Joe and havent seen posts from him in several days. Anyone know how he is doing? Mark has also given some great words of wisdom. I am still doing well at this time, but realize it is far from over. Was pain free today and usually just having rough nights(dont get to sleep more than 4 hours at a time). My numbness in foot was gone at first, but now is back. I've been told it will be the last thing to go away, if at all. I had bad myelopathy and am actually lucky to be rid of any of the numbness. Now I just need to find a way to keep busy and avoid the boredom!! I hope all of u continue to do well and thanx again for the support!

[Mark N]

Carol, it sounds as if your recovery is off to a good start. Recoveries have their ups and downs, we just have to be patient and be careful not to over do things. I hope you continue to improve and are happy you got the fusion done.

Kat, be sure to stay healthy as you are right you don't need it back again. I hope you stay warm and are successful fighting off the cold.

I was able to be up today and got a few things done. I finished the flooring so now only the baseboard needs to be done. I also worked on redoing our mrotgage as we can get a much lower rate. It will consolidate our bills without increasing our monthly mortgage payment - what a deal. I hope to get the storm window, I started last August, put back upm and painted tomorrow otherwise I will be doing it in the cold.

[Big Joe]

It has been busy the last few days. Saturday we went to Lowe's and got a new back door. My son came out Sunday and took out the patio doors at our back entrance. He framed part of it for wall and installed a regular house type door. It is different after looking out the patio door for twenty years. We do like the new door and the better insulation and security it provides. My son did a great job. I gave him a rifle he had been wanting for the labor.

By the time we got home Saturday I was completely wiped out. Fatigue was incredible! I have not been much good for anything since. I am getting better each day, but I wear out so fast! I am beginning to put more time between doses of pain meds. That has worked well for the most part. I really am blessed and doing so much better than I imagined I would be and the pain, while not always small, is not as bad as I expected either. I wont' be going out again for a few more days, but I think I will be better than I was last week. The hard part is just taking my time and being patient.

I am glad to hear the positive reports from several of you. It always is nice when things go the way we hope and pray!

[Mark N]

Big joe, it is shocking how much the surgery takes out of us no matter how well it went. Being patient and taking it easy was hard for me to do so be prepared to work had on making yourself take it easy. It is so good to hear how good you are doing after this surgery.

The flooring and it is almost done and I will have to wait until Saturday to get out and get the baseboard we want. We also need to get the tile we want for the area around the washer and dryer.

[carolnurse]

hi again

Hi to all
Joe, glad to hear u are still doing well. Sorry to hear u wiped yourself out the other day. I think pacing myself will be the hardest. I am so used to be active and doing everything myself. I feel like I tire easily too. The nights are still bad, but last night I actually slept 7 hours before I woke up. Silly that I get excited over sleep. Mark, it's nice to hear you can do work on your flooring. I wait for the day when I can get back to some work and feel useful again. Please continue to post, right now I am looking forward to reading how everyone is doing. It seems to make my day!!!