It's working? (So'm I)

     These entries are copied from my "daily log" on my back, so the newest entries are last.

      This entry has a happy ending; my latest notes show how happy I am that my recent injections at the pain clinic really made me feel better almost right away (in that part of my back).

                              

12:44 AM 7/18/06

     My back is really stiff ... in all areas ... slight to moderate pain ... but, real muscle stiffness & soreness.

     I did finish the main phase of my weeding yesterday.  I did it in two sessions, morning & late aftenoon, and took plenty of aspirin & some gin during the day. I did not do any housework... even going over to put the clothes from the washer to the dryer sounded like too much, so I quit for the day ... laid down on the sofa early in the evening ... even slept some.  Now, the pain woke me up & I could not find a comfortable position.

7:35 AM 7/18/06

     I am up, but certainly NOT attum ... today ,I don't know when, I am to have Very Important Company.  My housework has been left undone so that I could finish my weeds ... so ... somehow, I must do at least a tidy-up.

    I am on my feet but still too stiff & sore to do much.  SO, I am going to extremes:  I am having some gin.  I put on lots of liniment.  I must have something quick to eat so that I can take some   aspirins.

    CONGESTIVE HEART DISEASE: I don't understand it, but I have it.  More & more, I seem to have "a frog in my throat"... trying to ignore it.

     MY BACK:  right now, I am walking slowly, with pains in my left hip, etc. that keep me hunched forward & to the right.  Anything on the floor is not within range.  Hopefully, my emergency tactics & just moving around will loosen me up.  Usually, I purposely get off to a slow start.  It does the muscles harm to insist upon moving around until they are loosened up.

10:15 PM 7/18/06

     I ruint my back doing a big housecleaning today (company coming) ... didn't even make supper ... just had a few drinks & lots of external liniment, too ... then took the telepone out on the deck for several hours.  I really slept well (hadn't slept much the night before.)

8:37 AM 7/19/06

     APPOINTMENT AT THE PAIN CLINIC TODAY!    Not supposed to take aspirins for several days before, but, my back was so bad this past week that I gobbled the aspirins big time.  I'll be able to tell him, tho, that I haven't had any since yesterday morning.

      I've be sorta up & about for an hour ... but not moving too fast.

12:53 AM 7/20/06

     What a day that was!  I think that I napped a bit, got up & HAD to spend an hour & a half giving the dog a trim so that I could get all the burrs out of his hair.  Three weeks trimming burdocks, & somewhere this dog got burrs all over him!

     My back has been so miserable.  I had the injections yesterday; could feel the relief almost right away.  I was wondering if this was beause the Pain Clinic doctor always gives me some "numbing medication" first.  Maybe  lkkkkkkkkkkkkl (WHOOPSIE ... I FELL ASLEEP.)

9:45 AM 7/20/06

     I have been up early ... meant to go back to bed ... but, my back feels so much better that I am sooooooo ambitious that I keep getting ideas of something to do first before I sit down, even for breakfast.

     When the Pain Clinic called for the followup-next day phone call... I told them how happy I was that my back was feeling better.  I said that the other sections of my back that also have problems are also feeling much better today ... just slight muscle aches there.  I said, yes, I think that I have 100% improvement in that mid-back part ... lower ribs & the small of my back.

     This is (I think) the most dramatic effect of any of my treatments ... I wonder if there is an accumilative effect?  For the first many months ... I couldn't even guess if there were any improvement.

      I have at least three major problem areas in my back; in two weeks, my lower back is scheduled for the "lumbar facets". 

     From the x-rays ... they tell me that there are 6 points, all up & down my back, that show serious problems.

4:34 PM 7/20/06

     OH WHAT A GRAND DAY!  I FELT LIKE BOUNCING OUT OF THE CHIROPRACTOR'S OFFICE. 

     My back was already feeling much better than usual from the injections yesterday; the top of my back felt so much looser, now, too.  My lower back was only a mild ache ... I didn't have my usual stiff walk ... I am sure that I actually had a little wiggle to my walk.

8:53 AM 7/21/06

      I am up, but not attum yet.   Part of the reason is that I did not get enough sleep last nite.  Part of the reason is my usual morning stiffness & soreness ... WHICH IS MUCH LESS SEVERE THAN USUAL.  My lower back is still making it painful to stand upright ... the rest of my back just has a lot of aching & soreness.   But, since I feel better than usual at this point of the day, I am hopeful that this will be a good day.

L o i s
my website: Crystal Falls, MI
my blog: Upper Peninsula, MI and beyond

Ups & Downs

5:19 PM 7/5/06

     Okay ... so I had a bad yesterday & today with my back ... so ... I am now relaxed with some gin ... GUESS WHAT?  My back pain is mostly gone.

11:46 AM 7/6/06

      OH WELL ... I slept well last night, but, have had a really hard time getting in gear today.  Thank God that I had some leftover coffee ... I just couldn't even bring myself to make a pot of coffee right away.

     Slowly, I am getting loosened up ... I even made breakfast & did a few things on the computer.

     I made a grocery list; I'm going to town as soon as I can psych myself into getting ready. 
     OUTSIDE WORK?  Not right now.  Later,I have to at least get the water hose going to water my plants & flowers.

    What hurts is mainly my mid & lower back ... making me think that my guess that my lumbar facets have worn off IS CORRECT!  Maybe ... if I tell the doctor (my appointment's in two weeks), he will schedule me differently for the NEXT appointment.

     OR, I haven't had the injections into my upper back for quite a while ... maybe I'll have to add these?

     UP & ATT'UM ....

8:10 PM 7/6/06

     ALMOST DONE ... ALMOST DONE FOR.  I just have one more thing to do up by the shed, then I'd better quit for the day.  I had wanted to do a little more planing on my new screen door so that it fits ... BETTER WAIT UNTIL TOMORROW!

     Then, I just have to bring the dog in & turn the water hose off.

     I'll change clothes ... maybe take a shower (which I hate)  & heat up my supper (prepared).  I'll settle back with the phone or whatever.

    My lower back is in real agony.  All day today, I had to force myself to do anything.  I just took four more aspirins ... have been sipping on some gin.  I think that I will call the pain clinic tomorrow to see if I can get an appointment SOONER!

8:40 AM 7/7/06

     For hours last night, my shoulder hurt, my lower back hurt, & I just couldn't get sleepy.  I think I may have slept a little bit about 7 am.

    Now, I am not able to walk upright yet ... some friends are coming over to work on their camper ... I have to try to look alive.

12:41 PM 7/8/06

     My "lumbar region" is a real problem right now. The most strenuous thing that I did so far today was to sand a door.  I didn't work outside, or walk much, or wash dishes ... here my lower back is in extreme pain & has that dreaded "gonna kink if you just move a muscle" feeling.

     Monday ... I can hardly wait until Monday!  I have an appointment with the chiropractor, & the doctor from the pain clinic is to call to discuss planning for the next series of "lumbar facets" (injections).

2:41 AM 7/15/06

     I should have been writing here; my back has had so many drastic changes this past week. 

     I did make it until my chiropractor appointment ... the day AFTER that my back started to feel a little better, but I still made the appointment for another series of lumbar facets next week.  It seems as tho the others had "worn off" at the end of June.

     I had two really bad days in the middle of theweek, with the pain at the base of my neck returning.  Yesterday, Friday, I felt well enough to do some more weed wacking.

     I only did a little late in the afternoon, in two different sessions ... took much aspirins before & after ... then, some gin to relax my back.

     I headed for the sofa, and didn't do any housework, just quit for the day.  There is much discomfort, mostly in my mid & upper back now ... which is probably what woke me up.

  L o i s
Upper Peninsula, MI and beyond (my journal)

Now ... this REALLY hurts!

9:00 PM 6/30/06

     I started out this day rather slowly; I had a big project on the computer that took several hours.  I did some kitchen projects ... cooking  cleaning.  I sorted clothes ... altogether nothing very strenuous.
     Late in the day, I did spend some time outside, weed wacking & watering.  I made sure not to do too much.
     My back is loose, only mild aching. I have had some aspirins & some gin ... have been sitting in the lounge chair.

5:02 PM 7/1/06
    
     Another busy day where I didn't do much of anything important ... no outside projects ... just putzing .... GUESS WHAT????  MY BACK FEELS GREAT!!!!  Now, if I could just afford a someone to do my projects around here!   I haven't even gotten around to resuming my housepainting from last fall.

8:04 AM 7/2/06

     Last night, I tried doing a second shift to finish a small project ... kept at it until after midnight ... finally quit when it sounded like too much work to go down to the basement to get a larger drill bit.

     I fell asleep on the sofa, slept well, just got up now.  It took some time rolling around to different positions & stretching everything to want to stand up.  It was a real chore to take the dog outside; I'm going to have to go lie down for a while yet.
     My left hip has moderate pain; I cannot stand upright.  My lower ribs, esp. on the left, have slight pain.  The base of my neck is more of a discomfort.  My mid back, just below the ribs & the lumbar region are starting to develop real pain as I move.  TIME TO GET BACK TO THE SOFA!

     Maybe, I can force myself to start the coffee pot, first?

3:10 PM 7/2/06

     BREAK TIME AGAIN ... the major things that I did was a sit-down carpentry project and sort out a drawer of papers ... NOW ... my lower back has a lot of pain.
     I took some aspirin, having a gin drink, and will put on some lininment and sit back in the lounge chair for a while ...

2:09 PM 7/5/06

     WOW ... DID I EVER RUIN MY BACK YESTERDAY !!!!  All I did was to go to a Fourth of July celebration.  There, all I did was to walk around and sit a lot here & there.  I came home early because my back was bothering me.  I laid down for a while, and, because there was no point in trying to do anything ... I went outside to sit an watch some friends who came over to construct their hunting blind.  At dusk, I decided that I just wasn't up to driving over to Alpha to see their fireworks display!

     Instead, I fell soundly asleep until 5:30 this morning, then, went back to another sound sleep until 9!

    All that I accomplished so far all day was to get the dishes caught up.

    My mid & lower back has such extreme pain that I have no hope of trying to do too much today.  

     I have been wondering if those steroid injections (lumbar facets) have worn off???  Also, I was wondering if the new & not very delightful problem with my right shoulder & arm (weakness & pain) would be from a pinched nerve?  From my base-of-neck pains???