Mending

[Riley Smith]

Ive been almost beheaded and then put back together. And believe it or not, it hasn't hurt that much. Sure, they gave me some good pharmaceuticals, but I stopped them after a couple of days. Made me paranoid. And I couldn't sleep.
 Oh yeah, I'd dose off into that blissful nothingness and wake right back up, the psyche going like an express train. And a couple of times the paranoid episodes got the heart rate way up. Nah, Tylenol will take care of THIS .
 They fused 4 vertebrae and the headaches are gone .Basically an open-ended recovery. I'm good and counting the days until Prime Time in September/October. Not much to do because the nurse said don't pick up anything weighing more than a coffee cup . I can always make astute observations on FB and besides it's been raining every day anyway.

[Jim B., CD-25]

Good to hear you are getting relief from the headaches, Riley.  Wishing you fast and full healing with the rest of the recovery.  Pretty amazing what these doctors can do to keep putting us old guys back together... a step forward from "all the King's horses and all the King's men."

Knowing that you aren't the type to be idle, I encourage you to follow the plan for recovery.  Look forward to that cooler time in a few months when the getting out is good. FB is OK in small doses.  If walking is allowed, start around the house, then move onto around the block.  Take a small camera or phone with you... look at the world from a different perspective.

Best wishes,
Jim

[Frank B.]

Good for you, the headaches are a thing of the past.  Also good you dumped the hitest pills for Tylenol, those things can often do more harm than good.  With regard to recovery, I think you picked the right time for this, late July through August there isn't much to do on the Gulf Coast except for watching the predictable afternoon T-storm and checking NOAA hurricane site to track storms, so relax and follow the recovery instructions.

Ironically, I just came off of light duty from a surgical procedure.  I was fortunate to not have to take any of the hitest Pharm offerings, Tylenol did it for me from day one.

[rfrance0718]

This is great news. Spinal surgery has advanced, and the outcomes are better, and recovery is faster. Looking forward to more positive news!

[Riley Smith]

Tylenol is great stuff but my personal nurse has warned it is very dangerous if you take too much. Those trying to end it all w/ Tylenol succeed by killing their liver. That nurse is as tough as nails but she'll save your life if possible .I've still had to dip into the hitest but not a steady diet. Yes, the doc has suggested walking is the best way to get built back up. So I'm planning on a foray this afternoon when it cools off some; it has rained the last several days.Take it one step at a time. No need to have heat stroke!

[Frank B.]

You are right, Acetaminophen (Tylenol, etc.) if abused can cause liver damage.  Ibuprofen (Advil, etc.) can cause stomach bleeding if abused.  I make sure to avoid overuse of either.  Usually half the dose for no more than a couple of days.  Prefer Ibuprofen, but it can't be taken after a surgical procedure.  But that hitest stuff (Opioid based) can really do a number on you, much worse so if you can get by with the lesser of the evils you're better off.  Take care and heal well.

[Norm L.]

Riley, good advice on keeping your speed at slow ahead. My business partner (and great friend) had some spinal fusion surgery, and the pain was finally gone. Then he went out to play a round of golf. He didn't recede 100% but it got his attention about patience, which he isn't so good at.

We built a good business with 1 Type A and 1 Type B which kept the ship stable. There should be a 12-step recovery program called AA. Ageing A's.

[Wayne Howard]

I'm going to throw this out because it worked for me. While I was recovering from the leg injury and in some pain, I ran across a CBD store selling Kratom. For me, Red Kratom was the cat's meow. I woould take 2 capsules and notice later that the pain was gone without feeling loopy. I offered some to a friend of mine who was having knee pains and he takes one capsule in the morning and one in the afternoon and says he is pain free.


YMMV and probably will.

And don't go play rugby until your doctor releases you.

[Riley Smith]

I got this hopefully. All I want from Dr. Clark is the agreement to take a BATH. I am not a shower person by choice. The Labrot House has a fabulous tub, too. I've got some books laid by, but haven't been able to focus enough to read. Or write much either, but we plan on spending some beach time there so options are open. There is more to photograph too. There will be no fishing for a while. Besides, that's what the fall is for

[Captain Kidd]

Good to hear you're doing well!

"Routine" surgeries are not always routine. One of my church members just had hip replacement. Surgery fixed the hip but somehow it seems the nerves to her lower leg and foot were damaged. Now she has replaced the hip pain with leg pain - 8 on a scale of 10! And she has "drop foot".

So sorry for her. Glad for you.

[Riley Smith]

The disruption to the sleep cycle has been very hard. The bones hurt the MOST when you try and relax, so it disrupts my decidedly early Circadian cycle. So the best sleep I can get is 2pm. Lets just say 2pm sleep in my house is not optimum. 2am is, but THAT'S when the bones cry. Anyway, it'll calm down soon enough maybe and I did notice the other morning in the quiet that there were no longer grinding noises when I turned my head.

[Doug SC]

Sometimes the best we can do is just keeping on. Sounds like you are managing, but it isn't easy. It's strange how we relate to time. It seems to fly by and stand still. It can even seem to be doing both at the same time. I offer these words of encouragement that there will be a time when this has passed. To quote some lyrics from the past "Hang On Snoopy, Hang On"

[Wayne Howard]

It takes longer for us "old folks" to get over what doctors think is necessary. It took me two years to get over falling down in Key West. LOL