Balancing exercise and pain - advice?

[Gordon Cook]

Hi Mark,

at the time you wrote this I was actually in ca healthcare a newish hospital on the north edge of Trenton Ewing and falling into apparently a case pretty severe sepsis. other than horrible pain most stark symptom was. I understand the survival rate for what I had is about 5% and I'm told that PNCL's will be needed for each kidney.

there is a muscle and I've been told the name and cannot remember it that lies between the kidneys in the spine and that it had access from what I don't know and become infected. how long it had been that way I am not certain I'm not sure if anyone is certain but apparently a long time probably at least 6 to 8 months from the time my recovery from the other surgery having reached the plateau.

I spec now that the hydrocodone I was taking may have masked the onset of these other problems, and to make matters even worse apparently my kidneys with kidney stones. that came as a real shock so to serious ongoing problems and being treated once and since May 31 I have been treated merwick rehabilitation in West Windsor Plainsboro New Jersey.

I have been getting a daily intravenous drip of something called tchervotonin...... (sp)? a class3 sporin

since about May 10. there PT OT is very good.... my strength is returning I cannot yet walk on my own with a walker but I can't get in and out of bed for my wheelchair and my son got bless them brought in my computer which is the reason I'm online.

my PT mahavesh about 10 days ago allocated the area from which the severe pain is coming and found what she said it was a nodule. she gave what she called a deep friction massage of the area and when she hit the module it really hurt but afterwards felt much better. two more sessions on the nodule revealed changing shape. the next was something the size of a grain of unpopped popcorn and last night there was a third one that felt like a "blob."

we got an x-ray about 9 PM last night and am awaiting the radiologists report. the radiologists came back and took a second picture because apparently the first picture did not show enough of the affected area. of course my pessimistic mindset is worried about lots of other icky problems that could be indicated.

I think my last post in this thread was April 29, the very day that things went south. I share all I only really this in the hope of learning more.

[Gordon Cook]

Hi Mark,

at the time you wrote this I was actually in capitol healthcare, a newish hospital on the north edge of Trenton Ewing and falling into apparently a case pretty severe sepsis. other than horrible pain most stark symptom was DELERIUM. I understand the survival rate for what I had is about 5% and I'm told that PNCL's will be needed for each kidney.

there is a muscle and I've been told the name and cannot remember it that lies between the kidneys in the spine and that it had access from what I don't know and become infected. how long it had been that way I am not certain I'm not sure if anyone is certain but apparently a long time probably at least 6 to 8 months from the time my recovery from the other surgery having reached the plateau.

I speculate now that the hydrocodone I was taking may have masked the onset of these other problems, and to make matters even worse apparently my kidneys with kidney stones. that came as a real shock so to serious ongoing problems and being treated once and since May 31 I have been treated merwick rehabilitation in West Windsor Plainsboro New Jersey.

I have been getting a daily intravenous drip of something called tchervotonin...... (sp)? a class3 sporin

since about May 10. there PT OT is very good.... my strength is returning I cannot yet walk on my own with a walker but I can't get in and out of bed for my wheelchair and my son got bless them brought in my computer which is the reason I'm online.

my PT mahavesh about 10 days ago allocated the area from which the severe pain is coming and found what she said it was a nodule. she gave what she called a deep friction massage of the area and when she hit the module it really hurt but afterwards felt much better. two more sessions on the nodule revealed changing shape. the next was something the size of a grain of unpopped popcorn and last night there was a third one that felt like a "blob."

we got an x-ray about 9 PM last night and am awaiting the radiologists report. the radiologists came back and took a second picture because apparently the first picture did not show enough of the affected area. of course my pessimistic mindset is worried about lots of other icky problems that could be indicated.

I think my last post in this thread was April 29, the very day that things went south. I share all I only really this in the hope of learning more.

of course concerned about the blob seems to be a pain the center on my sacroilliac.

[Gordon Cook]

I am trying to find the item I last posted in.

trying to figure out what happens when they do the pncl's on the kidneys and whether that leaves me with massive amounts of stones traveling to the urethra and how to handle that pain management.

[Mark N]

Gordon, sorry about just now responding as I went with my wife up North to visit with her family and to see a few friends from when we lived there. I have been down for a couple weeks recovering from the trip but should be able to visit here every couple days now.

You have been through the wringer and I am sure the pain meds masked some of the symptoms helping put you in the mess you were in. 5% is a scary place to be but it sounds as if you are working your way back from that dismal perspective. I hope what they are doing has you on the right track for recovery.
Our lives aren't easy and it isn't easy for others to see what we are really going through as pain isn't something easy to see unless you live with someone and can see in in their face and body. I was at CVS and saw an acquaintance from a few years ago and he jokingly said "it must be nice to be on easy street" meaning not working any more. I said yes it is if you mean being in severe pain 24 hours a day every day. We don't need other people's empathy but it just shows how hidden our pain and disability is. I wish you a continued recovery and pray you get back on your feet soon and in the best health you can be.

[Gordon Cook]

Thank you Mark

indeed how you have been able to do what you have done is awesome.

meanwhile I am making definite progress. expect to be going home July 24. came down with C diff. hazard of the three months of antibiotics. the PNCL of the right kidney was canceled because of this. argH!!!!! :-(

I have found out something new that our mention because I have never seen it mentioned before. and I think it explains where my pain has been coming from. S-I joint disorder!!

there is a good article in Wikipedia on this.

hopefully it can be satisfactorily treated and eventually my kidneys cleared out but now the new enemy is the Cdiff

immediately there is one thing that makes me happy and that is has been 23 hours since my last "narco". and feeling of any pain is mild. although if I move my body out of the right position OUCH!

wow! I have been on pain meds far too long.

took the first steps with a quad cane only for support and then walking longer distances with rolellater.

Not sure I understood your remark about empathy, but Lord knows, it seems to me empathy is gosh darn important?

One other thing, for the past five or six years, I had been feeling pain at night where the physical therapists told me it was because I needed stretching exercises because an older people the muscles tense up during sleep.

probably true however this experience has enabled me to sleep on my back. I always slept on my right side the site where what I believe my SI joint disorder has been developing. I had never slept on my back and now being able to sleep on my back hopefully by not putting pressure on THE joint.

I wonder if it would make sense to copy the thoughts about SI joint to a new form?

[Mark N]

Gordon, it is good to hear about all the recovery you have made so far. I had C-diff last summer and it is no fun so I hope you get over it soon. The thing about empathy is about us not needing sympathy about our situation but empathy [which is understanding our situation like it is their situation] as they understand better what we are dealing with. I hope you continue to improve and get to come home on the 24th. It is hard to feel comfortable when away from home and getting back will feel great.

I am still dealing with some recovery from my trip but I am slowly getting back to where I was before the trip.