Status report

The pain management search isn't going terribly well; the pain management center at Rose apparently only provides pain meds for people with cancer; no prescriptions for any other type of pain. Not only that, but my clinic should have known that before sending me there. I'm going to contact the University of Colorado Spine Center and see if they can get me in. They've been on a couple of news programs, so it could take a while.

In the meantime, Doug and I will be going in to my "regular doctor" on Thursday morning to let our displeasure be known.

Alyria is doinig reasonably well academically; that was half an hour in the powerchair. Then I sat for over an hour discovering the clinic I'd been sent to couldn't help my pain. Doug had to lift me out of the chair after that session; my back was spasmed too tightly to stand up.

I did go to the gym Saturday -- passed today because of the degree of spasm. I worked out for 25 minutes, and that was a bit much; I got stuck on the toilet when I got home. However, after a few hours of rest, I was OK to move around in the house and go to the potty by myself again. Wednesday I'll plan to work out for 15 minutes and see how that goes.

Trial by fire? Or at least, by back pain?

So, I had my first shot at Diabetes education. There's a waiting list for pain management, but there's always room for one more in Diabetes Education. (As a matter of fact, Rose is part of Health One, so if you don't have United Healthcare, the waiting lists for things at HealthOne facilities should be short. Maybe I should call the hospital doc again tomorrow and see if I can get into pain management earlier.)

In my opinion it's backward, but I'll attend the classes like a good sheep, so I don't develop a reputation as a "problem patient." Testy and opinionated, but not problem.

This was the intro course. I have reading to do, and a couple of day's eating habits to log -- pre-meal plan. They have a 1500 calorie meal plan. At my body size, that might be a little drastic. I want to get into the pool, but am not sure I should till I see the doctor after my hospital stay.

I sat essentially still in my chair for 3 hours, after a rather bone-rattling trip to the education center from parking. It took me a full five minutes to get into the door from the car, with the sprog running the walker out from the house. I hobbled to the bathroom before collapsing, and the effort to get off the pot took a full-throated scream to actually stand. More Percocet and rest improved the situation; I just shouldn't have been sitting so long at this time. I'm planning on the core Diabetes class late in the month, in hopes of better pain management by then. I will prevail and feel well again, and soon.

Night time meds have helped and sleep will help more. I'm heading there presently.

I see my doctor next Tuesday. Gotta get a glucometer, and there are only a couple that handle Vitamin C megadosing, so I'm going to try for one of those.

And one of the fridges seemed to be on the fritz. Turned out, it was a relay that didn't close after the defrost cycle. We did lose some things, and have other things that need cooking in the next couple of days. Nothing earth-shaking. However, hubby decided since we'd already emptied the fridge before roomie came home to reset it, he was going to clean it.

Really clean it.

With bleach.

It's sitting with bleach in it now; he'll finish cleaning it tomorrow, and then -- dun dun DUN -- we tackle the big fridge. I think I've been better about keeping down the science projects in the big fridge, but there are some really ugly spills.

Tomorrow is back-to-school night for the young un's school. She wants us both to go. I want to go, so I'll take the day really easy so I can manage an hour or so sitting. Dinner after, however, may be dictated rather than made by my own hand.

On words and facility with language

My sister-in-law lives in Las Vegas. She housed hubby when he was there after MIL's disappearance and reappearance. She's been living with chronic leg and back pain for years, is on disability, and hubby says that he sees me going through some of the same things he saw with SIL. For example, I lose words. I grope and grope for the right word. SIL warned hubby that I would be going through this. He's more comfortable than I am with the strange difficulty speaking and loss of words. I hope it isn't going to be like this forever. I pride myself on my ability to speak and write well and intelligently.

I fear it will.

End of the long weekend

Well, the Oxycodone with Percocet for breakthrough pain is about 33% effective. If I take two pills of Percocet, the pain goes away, but so does my consciousness; I fall asleep. Only one pill of Percocet will allow me to remain partially lucid, but also doesn't really handle the pain. I'm on one Percocet right now and at about an 8. Tomorrow, I will call the various medical establishments and see what I can do about pain management, and set up the "diabetes education" that I doubt I have. I'll have to set up an appointment for my Family Practice doctor at the same time to see if I can get another blood draw when I've actually been fasting long enough for a fasting blood test.

I so love dealing with doctors...

Home again,home again, jiggity jig

I'm home. I'm on stronger drugs, so now I'm loopy and in pain. If the meds are working, then I'm real glad they aren't any stronger. The Family Practice doctor at the hospital tried to get me a pain management doc while I was there, but they were all focussed on getting out of work for the three day weekend. The doc was quite pissed; he nearly swore in my presence,. he was so angry.

And while my thyroid is fine, my A1C is 7. I'd think that would mean a second test in a few weeks, because the level was right at the cutoff. No, the hospital declared me diabetic and refused to feed me most of what I wanted. I couldn't even get a glass of Gatorade for my cottonmouth from the pain drugs.

I'm home, and if I don't move, it doesn't hurt too much. If the pain is in fact being reduced by the meds, I would be screaming.

Now to catch up on Email.