Cold Weather Stinks!

*******First let me say as always...I am not a Doctor nor do I play one on TV but this information herein is based on my MANY years struggling with back issues.  ALWAYS, ALWAYS seek homeopathic or medical advise from a trained person.  I am just sharing with you what I have tried and what is currently going on with me.  There are many wonderful practitioners out there.  Perhaps, you have been refereed to this site by one.  They have the information on latest treatments and also know YOU better than I.  I do however, hope that you can find some comfort and laughs in my words and know you are not alone*********

So many times growing up I heard  "I can feel the cold coming in my bones" to which I laughed.  I should have never ever laughed. Ha!  It in fact is true. Who knew?  I always feel so much worse when it is cold.  I seems like nothing wants to move or work right in addition you get nifty new levels to the ever present nerve damage left overs called Neuropathy.  What little jewel is that you may ask...well I will tell you it sucks.  It is basically nerve damage and you can get it for all kinds of reasons.  Mine is from the damage in my spine. Neuropathy means nerve damage in the peripheral nervous system not the main cord itself. The way this feels is like when you hand or foot falls asleep.  It is not  the dead dead kind of asleep but right as it starts to.  To me things feel "thick" like there is a super secret invisible layer over your skin ad it feels "not normal" but can progress to total numbness. Like when my leg is there one minute then the next it is totally numb and I fall on my face.  Which, I might add is pretty funny but usually hurts like hell. I do laugh though because well...its funny.

I asked one of my many Docs once or twice as time has worn on and it turns out I actually am not crazy and this does actually have a name.

It is called Cold Allodynia. It is real and it really is painful.  Here is some Wiki info for you.

Allodynia (Ancient Greek άλλος állos "other" and οδύνη odúnē "pain") is a pain due to a stimulus which does not normally provoke pain.^[1] Temperature or physical stimuli can provoke allodynia, (which may feel like a burning sensation),^[2] and it often occurs after injury to a site. Allodynia is different from hyperalgesia, an extreme, exaggerated reaction to a stimulus which is normally painful.

The thing is, for some people even a light touch can elicit a great deal of pain.  Even a well meaning hug.  For me, it is an increase of what I normally feel as a sharp burning pain.  What I affectionately call "Hot Fire Pokers".  Now does that sound lovely or what?  It is like someone places a brand spakin new iron fire poker in the fireplace and forgot about it.  Then to their surprise (and yours) once they realized it was in there, they decided they should poke you with it right in your lower back and hold it there a second or two. FUN FUN FUN!

When it is cold this gets worse.  I take medication for this pain called Gabapentin and the dose goes up in the winter.  It is some crazy stuff.  I am in now way a doctor or have gone to medical school.  I do however, know about myself and that is what I speak of here in hopes to help others in my shoes or back brace whichever you prefer.  Now, this drug has helped a lot.  I will list out all the crap I take in a different post but this does help with the Neuro pain and without it I would be in some major trouble.  As the chill fills the air outside I try to stay warm.  I keep close to the fire and have my heating pad going most of the day and night. Keeping it warm helps a lot. When I go outside I try to bundle up and at times I have used those stick on heating pads which they say work for 8 hours.  THEY LIE!  No way have I had one last that long.  They do help though.

The best advise is above KEEP WARM!  Try to plan your activities so that you can be inside more than out but being in the fresh air does wonders.  So don't avoid it just plan for it.  You can be a normal person with modification.  Exercise is good and getting out and doing things, even if you have to cut them short is better than doing nothing.  I take the dogs out and walk around as much as I can.  Sometimes the cold just hurts too much,

Another thing most people forget is your feet!  I have some weird thing going on not one single Doc can explain.  My legs turn purple.  Like dead people purple.  To this day the only explanation was compression on my veins in the spinal cord.  This makes my feet super cold.  More so than normal and way worse in the winter.  Those puppies are super important to look after.  I hate things on my feet.  I am and always will be a barefoot girl...however, in winter I don the fuzzy socks and slippers.  My super amazing grandmother (Nana) got me some warm booties I call my Nana Boots and they are a mainstay in winter.  They can be worn inside and out and are super fuzzy and warm.  They along with some knitted booties with soft leather soles that my bestest friend Angie got me help me survive the winter.  Keep your feet warm!

Well kiddies my spine is screaming at me so I need to go lay on my side.  I sat up as long as I could and just for you.  Do you feel special?  Have a lovely holiday and keep warm.  

See ya soon - Chel

Frustrations with Treatment...or lack of one that works.

Frustrations abound!

As someone with horrible pain and extremely short patience I write this in hopes to help someone…as always.  This is a much condensed version of a future endeavor.

My experience with this has run the gambit of not only methods but emotions.  My journey began without a choice.  I could not walk.  I was a single mother of two small kids.  It had to be done, and done fast.  So, without the luxury and flexibility  of “time” I went through with the fusion at L 1-2.  Which, I am now told was the start of many surgical procedures.  It solved a much needed need and I was able to go back to work and play with my kids but it took 3 months.  Time went on (3 years to be exact) and I began having pain again.  JOY!  I went through tons of physical therapy, water therapy (which I loved best – and still do).  I tired many herbal remedies from better vitamins, tea and pain aids all natural.  Nothing worked.  It turns out I have a few things battling against me. 

Scoliosis - Scoliosis is a lovely condition that causes an abnormal curvature of the spine. Scoliosis is not something limited to one group of people.  It is an equal opportunity body wrecker and can affect children and adults, and may have different treatments.  It is split into two categories. Rotation of the spine or what I call “Twist and Shout” or “The Bends” meaning a lateral curve one way or the other and in some cases both.  Eeeek!

Spinal Stenosis – “the Skinny of It” a condition of narrowing of the spinal canal (the space surrounding the spinal cord and or the spinal nerves).  When these super important nerves are compressed you get weakness and numbness in your limbs. FUN!

Degenerative Disk Disease – This is the deterioration of the disks, as you age they become more fragile.  Some feel it occurs in part due to the disc becoming dehydrated if you can believe that.  Your back is thirsty!  It basically loses its ability to act as a cushion or shock absorber.  I only heard this recently. 

It became clear that yet another surgery loomed in my future. Again, I tired herbal stuff first Willow Bark, Glucoimine (sp) you name it.  I then opted for Cortisone Injections which let me tell you, after the Doc got the right spot was fantastic!  I felt bullet proof and even could do Kart Wheels in the yard.  It was great but it is some really bad stuff.  You can only have 5 a year from what my Doc told me.  I ended up begging for more.  He said most people ask for narcotics and you beg for an “oil change” as I called it.  I felt great.  However, after my seventh one he said no.  So, this time we went with a Laminectomy.  They cut a “window” out and take off the pressure and Junk (yes, that is the technical term – ok not really).  This was great and my recovery was only 3 weeks.  MUCH MUCH better than a fusion any day. 

Time went on and the pain came again.  In the middle I enjoyed what I can now only barely remember as a time without pain and when it felt bad I took some Advil and was fine.  Then with more injections, changing diet, therapy you name it…here came Fusion number two at L 4-5.  That sucked.  I was great for 3 years.  Now, I need another one. GREAT!  I thought the previous surgery was no good and when I went back they said it was actually L3 that was the problem.  In addition to a new thing in the mix. Enter….Sciatica!

Sciatica - this  is a particular fun type of lower back pain , or leg and back pain that comes from injury (I cracked my hip a few years back (NO!  I was not wearing my bubble wrap suit or my helmet) or pressure on your sciatic nerve.  So, I had my nerves microwaved!  ZAP!  That has been great and at Seven months I can feel them coming back. NOT COOL NERVES, NOT COOL….just die already.  This was called a Rhizotomy.  However, before that I was hypnotized, past life regressed in addition to using a product called Zeal (which actually did reduce the amount of Anti-Inflammatories I was ingesting…which can you guess what THAT caused?  An Ulcer! So, I am super thankful for the Zeal which is also for weight loss (more on that later). 

At last we come to some frustrations in treatment.  No doctor here will operate or see me really because I have so much damage and so many different surgeries.  Can you believe that?  NO ONE WILL HELP ME.  I have to go out of state.  Crazy right?  Like I enjoy this crap and I loved having different surgeons.  Whatever!  Now, I am trying to find someone to help me here so I do not have to stay for months in Texas or travel hours away from home for a doctor visit.  At this point I am willing to do it to get some relief and have my life back.  I don’t know call me crazy but the meds I have to take are NOT kind to my liver and no way do I want to get that replaced….I like mine.  It is cute!  This sucks!  So join me on the excursion will you?  Do you have questions because now I am pretty much the expert on all things spine.   

Since it is 4:18 am I am going to try to lay down.  Wish me luck kiddies.