Sciatica

[dmccarty]

For the "obstruction," try to find some beer from a local brewery or a home brewer that still has the yeast in the beer. If you drink that yeast it likely will clear you out. :laughing:

For the pain are you using ice packs? That does wonders for us. The wifey just had shoulder surgery and we got a machine that holds ice water and pumps it into a pad on her shoulder. At the PT office I saw people with the pads on their knees. The cooler and a plain old ice pack has helped us.

Did you they give you a Tens unit? It is a gadget with a 9volt battery that pulses through pads you stick around the area in pain. We had one from earlier injuries and the Duke doctor gives on to every patient for pain control. Dang thing helps. Just be real careful turning it on and up.

Later,
Dan

 

[RichZ]

Thanks, Dan. I do have a tens unit, and it worked well for quite some time before my surgery, But my sciatica got to the point where it didn't do anything. In fact all of the other treatments I was taking stopping working, which is why I had to have the surgery. But I am a firm believer in the benefits of tens units.

As far as the plumbing, my wife, an RN, has found the right combination of prunes, figs and stool softeners, where I haven't had the problem in a while, and I hope to never have that problem again.

I am slowly weaning myself off the oxycodon. As I take less of it, the problem should be less of a threat.

 

[dmccarty]

...

As far as the plumbing, my wife, an RN, has found the right combination of prunes, figs and stool softeners, where I haven't had the problem in a while, and I hope to never have that problem again.
...

If I lived near you I would drop off a few home brews. If one is not careful pouring, the yeast can get stirred up and go into the beer. Works well as a laxative.

I think I would rather drink the beer with yeast than have to eat prunes, figs, and softeners. Well, figs are ok. :laughing:

Later,
Dan

 

[RichZ]

Well, I went to my first post operative visit with my surgeon on Monday. He was extremely pleased with my progress, and he said that I was way ahead of schedule. He upped the limit of weight that I can carry to 10 lbs, and said that I could help my wife take care of our livestock, as long as I didn't exceed my 10 lb carrying limit and as long as I am very careful. No bending and no climbing. He prefers that I still walk with a cane when I'm outside, just as a precaution. I've also managed to get my oxycodone (pain pills, very strong pain pills) down to 1/2 pill in the morning and 1/2 at night. He said that I can now swith to hydrocodone pain pills, which are not as strong and don't stop up your plumbing as much. He also gave me my super duper electronic healing belt, that I was waiting for. It's not really a belt, but two one foot square flat pieices that buckle, one over my belly and the other over my back. They are connected to a rechargable battery, and the whole thing creates an electrical field over my back, which increases my blood flow, which should increase my healing. I'm wearing the contraption right now. I've done a lot of research on it, and it's used in all sorts of injuries and major surgery to promote quicker healing. I've been waiting to get it, hoping that it will speed up my healing. My biggest problem right now is that I still can't sleep lying down, I still sleep in a recliner. The surgeon said I could try lying down, and if I could roll over pain free, I could sleep in bed. Well I laid down on my back, but when I rolled over onto my side....YIKES!!!! It hurt!!!!! So I'll continue sleeping on the recliner for a while. Luckily, the pain pills make me sleepy enough to be able to sleep on it, but I REALLY would like to go back to sleeping in a bed.

Oh well, I shouldn't whine, the surgeon said most patients are no where near the recovery I've made so far.

 

[Bird]

Rich, we never recover as fast as we'd like to, but it sounds like you're getting there. Hope it continues to go well.

 

[dmccarty]

My biggest problem right now is that I still can't sleep lying down, I still sleep in a recliner. The surgeon said I could try lying down, and if I could roll over pain free, I could sleep in bed. Well I laid down on my back, but when I rolled over onto my side....YIKES!!!! It hurt!!!!!

When you are laying down and need to roll over, pull your knee up and use your leg to push down when you roll over. If you want to roll to the right, pull up your left leg and then push down with the leg/foot when you roll to the right. The leg can help leverage you over and might take some of the strain off your neck and back.

Course then the problem can be getting OUT of bed.

My back/neck has been so stiff and painful the only way out of bed was to roll on my stomach and crawl backwards out of bed.

Later,
Dan

 

[RichZ]

Thanks, Bird. I can always count on you for encouragement!!!!!

Thanks for the tip in rolling over, Dan!!!!