Kathleen
Cupcake
How long do the injections last, Andy?
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I don't know about Andy, but for my mom, they work sufficiently for several months. I've never had it done, but probably will at some point. I'm not quite there, yet.
CD
Andy M.
Certified Pretend Chef
It varies. She has been able to go over a year on an injection or just a few months.
GotGarlic
Chef Extraordinaire
I need a knee replacement. I am definitely not ready to have the surgery. My two hip replacements went fine and I was essentially healed in a month, but the doctor tells me that recovery from the knee surgery will be much more difficult for me. So far I've gotten relief from quarterly (or so) cortisone injections. It's enough to keep me going.
Kathleen, imagine how a vertebrae is held in place by flexible cartilage. As the cartilage stiffens with age, there comes a point where it pinches on the nerve. That causes the pain, which is why it can come on suddenly.
When I tell people that I have neuropathy in my feet, they often say, oh, so they're numb. Not in my case. Nerve pain isn't a switch that is on or off (feeling or not). A nerve can be damaged so that it doesn't communicate feelings properly, like it will transmit sensations interpreted as tingling or burning or cold, rather than none at all.
The body is a weird and wonderful thing.
Kathleen, imagine how a vertebrae is held in place by flexible cartilage. As the cartilage stiffens with age, there comes a point where it pinches on the nerve. That causes the pain, which is why it can come on suddenly.
When I tell people that I have neuropathy in my feet, they often say, oh, so they're numb. Not in my case. Nerve pain isn't a switch that is on or off (feeling or not). A nerve can be damaged so that it doesn't communicate feelings properly, like it will transmit sensations interpreted as tingling or burning or cold, rather than none at all.
The body is a weird and wonderful thing.
GG, people truly have a hard time understanding that your feet can feel things not there, ache with sensitivity and yet still not know where they are on the stairs, or trip over their other foot.
I ache with sympathy knowing others who say they have a "touch" of neuropathy and hope that is all they ever have.
I ache with sympathy knowing others who say they have a "touch" of neuropathy and hope that is all they ever have.
I don't know Kathleen's actual diagnosis, but I know mine is Degenerative Disk Disorder. I have two disks that are shrinking. They are still in line, but just not filling the gap completely. I also have mild stenosis, which is the canal the spinal cord runs through getting smaller.
The shrinking disks are what causes the sudden pain episodes often reared to as "my back going out on me." It can also pinch my sciatic nerve, sending pain through my right hip, and down my right leg.
The stenosis is the primary cause of the mild, but annoying pain I have all the time.
I haven't had any of those shots, yet, but I will definitely do that long before I even think about surgery. I'd recommend Kathleen or anyone with spine-related back pain to look into it. Like I mentioned before, it has worked well for my mom for several years.
CD
GotGarlic
Chef Extraordinaire
Yeah, I don't know her exact diagnosis, either. I meant the description to illustrate how symptoms can come on suddenly when a condition has been developing for a while - even years.
Kathleen
Cupcake
This is SO true. Most of these issues stem from a car wreck that happened a long time ago. I walked away from it and had some stress fractures that was addressed with a couple of "soft casts."
I now have some arthritis in my vertebrae. Two of my vertebrae (l4 and L5) are out of alignment. The misalignment is creating stress on the muscles, one which is now creating some serious stenosis. Prior to the injections, I could barely stand at times. Now it is mainly an annoyingly miffiness that is pretty persistent. I continue to have the sciatica running down my left leg. (This all came on suddenly in late November. Prior I had some stiffness and achiness which I chalked up to age.)
The doctor is optimistic since I have significant relief from this round of shots. He wants to do a second injection in two weeks in hopes that we can get rid of the lingering grumpiness of the contracted muscle.
In 2005, I had several neck vertebrae fused. After waking with a crick in my neck, I took two Advil and went to work. Long story short, I could not move my left arm and much of my left side by the end of the day. (Yeah, I worked all day with limited arm mobility and drove myself home with a manual transmission. It was my left arm, you know.) C4 through C7 are now fused as their discs had collapsed.
So I do feel optimistic, but also know that L4&5 surgery looms if the pain does not significantly subside. I am certain the the age-related disk shrinkage is contributing to the issues here, but it has not been the focus of most conversations.
Aqua fitness classes have been wonderful to keep me moving.
Trying to clean up a few files on my laptop and came across this. May even have come from DC, I don't remember. But thought I'd share before I deleted.
L4 and L5 are my problem verts, too. Mine are not out of alignment, it's just the disks are going flat on me. Basically, if I were a car, my shock absorbers are worn out. The stenosis is mostly in L5, and that is kind of arthritis related, according to my neurologist/ neurosurgeon.
No bad car accidents for me, but I was a pretty "enthusiastic" skier back in my 30s. I'm sure that didn't help, although my spine doctor says that wasn't the main cause of my back pain issues.
The days that I can't stand up and walk are few and far between. It happens, but usually goes away gradually over a few days. But, when it happens, it is like a knife in my back. I'm guessing you know all about that.
CD
Oh my! Sounds an awful lot like my own medical reports.
Kathleen
Cupcake
I can relate, CD. Nerve pain redefines the word "pain."
GinnyPNW
Master Chef
+1 on what Kathleen said.
mseaglecook
Senior Cook
My husband has stage 4 colon cancer. That is why there are days between my post because I am busy taking care of him. I need some advice. He has begun to say strange things, speak out of his head. I don't know if the cancer has spread to his brain of if he has chemo brain fog. Do ya'll have any advice.
GotGarlic
Chef Extraordinaire
I'm so sorry to hear that. My husband has colon cancer that has spread to his liver, so we're in a similar situation.
It could be either of those things. I would make sure his doctor knows about this, so they can order any necessary testing to determine the cause. I go to all my husband's appointments with him, to be sure we both know the doctor and his staff, and we both understand the plans and his progress. Best wishes to both of you.
mseaglecook
Senior Cook
Kathleen
Cupcake
Prayers and warm thoughts for both of you and your families. I agree that the doctor should be made aware. My mother suffered from cancer. We had a few "episodes" where the doc said that it was the result of the stress, chemo, and medications. By episodes, erratic behavior. She knew all of us, but was easily frustrated and shocked us all as we did not know that Momma knew those kinds of words.
Well, I've had some random tooth aches lately in the upper right corner of my mouth, around the last molar. I thought it was food getting wedged between teeth back there. I could generally just floss and rinse, and it would go away. But, yesterday, it got worse and my gum around that tooth swelled up.
I went to the dentist today, and he did an exam with ex-rays, and there is a periodontal abscess that is eating away at the bone that holds the tooth in place. The tooth is completely healthy, but it has to come out.
I have not had a cavity since I was a teenager back in the 1970s. This has nothing to do with tooth decay. It is yet another joy of getting old.
Anyway, I'm on antibiotics now, and the tooth comes out next Tuesday.
My only concern is how it will affect how I eat food from then on. I'm used to chewing on both sides of my mouth. Anyone else had this happen?
CD
I went to the dentist today, and he did an exam with ex-rays, and there is a periodontal abscess that is eating away at the bone that holds the tooth in place. The tooth is completely healthy, but it has to come out.
I have not had a cavity since I was a teenager back in the 1970s. This has nothing to do with tooth decay. It is yet another joy of getting old.
Anyway, I'm on antibiotics now, and the tooth comes out next Tuesday.
My only concern is how it will affect how I eat food from then on. I'm used to chewing on both sides of my mouth. Anyone else had this happen?
CD
Kathleen
Cupcake
Not an abscess, but my lower back molar split in two after years of post-root-canal happiness. The end result was the tooth had to be pulled and nothing was put in its place. At first, I noticed it a lot. After a few weeks, I found I was favoring the other side so consciencely push myself to chew on both sides. Now it is fine. I don't notice, chew on both sides. All is fine.....except my sadness of my lost tooth. My parents did not have a lot but they ensured we went to the dentist every six months. Loosing the tooth felt like a total betrayal of the parents who tried to ensure we had good teeth all of our lives.
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