The General Chat Thread (2016-2022)

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Windigo said:
So I've finally seen the pain specialist today, and she was very impressed that I managed to go off tramadol on my own for a full month before seeing her today. I've learned the following things:

1) My pain caused by my frontal hernia is definitely not imaginary, and I have to be careful with excercise to make sure it does not get worse. Swimming was recommended for me, and days visiting a festival etc should unfortunately take place in a wheelchair to make sure I don't overstretch my abdomen because that can be dangerous.
2) Unfortunately, beside opioids there's no cure for my pain unless I want to undergo a surgery which has an 80% chance of re creating the problem on another spot on my abdomen. So no thanks.
3) The constant muscle spasms and pain I'm currently having is caused by quitting tramadol cold turkey of my own initiative after taking it for three full years, and it will pass. It might take a few months though.

If I keep having muscle cramps and pain after three months, I can return for further evaluation because there's some uncertainty with doctors whether my pain is caused by opioid withdrawal or rheumathoid arthtritis.
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It's always good to know that the pain isn't imaginary. Too many times, back in the UK, the NHS have told me I'm imagining it or making it up even right up to us leaving the UK for Australia. Both times the cause has been found in the end. I was lucky quitting tramadol, I had no issues with it. I'm the same with the morphine, but not so with lyrica. That one is a bugger to come off but I'm getting there. It's the hot sweats & muscle cramps that is getting me.
I know it's your decision with the op, but I was offered something similar once and took it. The odds were similar. Too this day the issue hasn't reoccured for which I'm internally grateful, but it may yet still.

It's a shame about the wheelchair and having to use it for certain things but it does sound like she is on your side and understands and that is so very useful when it comes to chronic pain management.
 
SatNavSaysStraightOn said:
It's always good to know that the pain isn't imaginary. Too many times, back in the UK, the NHS have told me I'm imagining it or making it up even right up to us leaving the UK for Australia. Both times the cause has been found in the end. I was lucky quitting tramadol, I had no issues with it. I'm the same with the morphine, but not so with lyrica. That one is a bugger to come off but I'm getting there. It's the hot sweats & muscle cramps that is getting me.
I know it's your decision with the op, but I was offered something similar once and took it. The odds were similar. Too this day the issue hasn't reoccured for which I'm internally grateful, but it may yet still.

It's a shame about the wheelchair and having to use it for certain things but it does sound like she is on your side and understands and that is so very useful when it comes to chronic pain management.
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Yeah me too, I've been told my pain couldn't exist by several doctors too on several occasions, this happens more often when you're a woman because women manifest pain differently than men and most studies are male centric, as you probably already know.

I'm glad the odds were in your favor! But my frontale hernia is basically a hole in my abdomen, so making a hole on the other side instead will likely only worsen the condition of my abdomen by creating two weak spots instead of one. So that's why I won't do it.

I'm not sure what lyrica is? Another opioid? I declined any other opioid based meds, as they all stop working in time. I'm just using tylenol now. Lying down helps me as much as a painkiller does too.
 
Windigo said:
I'm not sure what lyrica is? Another opioid? I declined any other opioid based meds, as they all stop working in time. I'm just using tylenol now.
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Lyrica is pregabalin only the brand name, sorry. It's for pain for spasms and cramps.

I've not had the opiates stop working on me thankfully. Ben on them 7½ years. Also on the synthetic version of them for a 5½ years. Lyrica is the one that is selling on the black market for kids to get high on. Sadly I'm not sure how it affects then that way, but I certainly haven't had that and I've been on very high doses of it for a very long time.
 
SatNavSaysStraightOn said:
Lyrica is pregabalin only the brand name, sorry. It's for pain for spasms and cramps.

I've not had the opiates stop working on me thankfully. Ben on them 7½ years. Also on the synthetic version of them for a 5½ years. Lyrica is the one that is selling on the black market for kids to get high on. Sadly I'm not sure how it affects then that way, but I certainly haven't had that and I've been on very high doses of it for a very long time.
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I've only ever been on tramadol, but I found out on my own that it was causing most of my pain instead of curing it, because it caused constant bowel blockages as it turns out. That caused most of my pain. I stopped the tramadol voluntarily because I read on the internet that it could cause that. None of my doctors had thought of it. My pain is still there but a lot less severe since I stopped taking tramadol.

My doctor was very impressed with my resolve to do this on my own and will use my experience to help others in my position.

Not getting into the details of why we didn't find out it was causing semi blockages as this is a cooking forum lol.

Am sorry there's no cure for your pain either.
 
I posted around Christmas, I think, that I’d gotten the floor-to-ceiling corner cupboard that my dad and I made decades ago.

I have to laugh, because it always sat in the dining room at their house, exposed to smoke from the wood cook stove (though that was on its way out by then), smoke from the wood heating stove, and decades of frying bacon and ham, and now that I’m using it to store my teapots, I’m noticing when I use those, my tea is coming out tasting of wood smoke and curing salt! :laugh:

MrsT: “Why does this tea taste like your parents’ house?” :laugh:
 
I am having surgery on Thursday so this morning, TVC drove me to the hospital to drop in my covid swab, dropped me off then went to work I am now at home self isolating, it took over an hour in rush hour traffic just to do something that took 2 seconds :o_o:
 
Lullabelle said:
I am having surgery on Thursday so this morning, TVC drove me to the hospital to drop in my covid swab, dropped me off then went to work I am now at home self isolating, it took over an hour in rush hour traffic just to do something that took 2 seconds :o_o:
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Wishing you good luck with your surgery.

I had surgery last year and had to do the same thing - go in ahead of time for a covid test and a blood draw.

I did that first thing, then got a call later that the nurse botched the blood draw, and I had to go back ASAP and get it done again, meaning I had to go back at something like 10:30PM that night. Very annoying.
 
TastyReuben said:
Wishing you good luck with your surgery.

I had surgery last year and had to do the same thing - go in ahead of time for a covid test and a blood draw.

I did that first thing, then got a call later that the nurse botched the blood draw, and I had to go back ASAP and get it done again, meaning I had to go back at something like 10:30PM that night. Very annoying.
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Thank you, it is just routine to correct my deviated septum. Should have had it done on the 10th but it was cancelled a couple of days before due to the surgeon having covid.. fingers crossed it will go ahead on Thursday.
 
TastyReuben said:
Wishing you good luck with your surgery.

I had surgery last year and had to do the same thing - go in ahead of time for a covid test and a blood draw.

I did that first thing, then got a call later that the nurse botched the blood draw, and I had to go back ASAP and get it done again, meaning I had to go back at something like 10:30PM that night. Very annoying.
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Most hospitals and surgery centers here are no longer doing Covid tests pre-surgery. My sister's Hospital stopped, and I didn't need one for my ABP.

CD
 
caseydog said:
Most hospitals and surgery centers here are no longer doing Covid tests pre-surgery. My sister's Hospital stopped, and I didn't need one for my ABP.

CD
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Until today, to go into work, my employer required completing a basic wellness check via a phone app. That was discontinued today, along with just about every other precaution.
 
kaneohegirlinaz said:
Went to see the Doc this morning, it's confirmed, Shingles ... AND an added bonus, secondary skin infection, YAY!
As soon as I showed him the first photo ... "Yup, that's Shingles all right."
So it's antibiotics and and antiviral and then once this clears up and I need to get the Shingles Vaccine.
None here's the rub on that:
Our health care insurance is all out of Hawaii and in order to get that vaccine, I have to go to a clinic that is connected with a pharmacy.
Now that's a mouthful!
The doctor's offices no longer stock nor administer the Shingles Vaccine, only pharmacies here in the continental US, back home in Hawaii, I could simply going to my local drug store, get the shot and have it paid for by our medical insurance.
Another fun fact, when I think back, I've been getting this for probably a good 10 years, if not longer but I never put two and two together.
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I was at my docs yesterday so because I've turned 65 recently I am entitled to a free shingles jab. I didn't know much about shingles but after listening I decided to get the jab.
Sorry to hear you have it.

Russ
 
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