Did you wonder if I was coming back? Here I am!!
I had no intention of being gone for so long, but recovery from my surgery has been a lot tougher than I ever expected. There were a few problems with the surgery, as some of you are aware, so let me start there...
Surgery was on October 31, and the plan was to do a thoracic laminectomy at the T6-7 level, with rods & screws - and for me to just be in the hospital overnight. Unfortunately, I woke up over 24 hours later in neurosurgical ICU on a ventilator. Scary stuff. Apparently, the surgeon had problems getting the last screw in at the T7 level (probably due to my scoliosis below that level), so he moved down to the T8 level. Somehow, either my aorta or intercostal artery was nicked & there was a lot of bleeding. They had to call in a cardio-thoracic surgeon, and do an arteriogram, a venogram, 3 CT scans, & give me 4 units of blood before deciding that I could go to ICU. For obvious reasons, they wanted me to lie still for a time & also keep my blood pressure under control, so that's why they kept me in a medically-induced coma on the ventilator for 24 hours.
I remember seeing Gus's shadow & hearing his voice saying that I was okay and everything was going to be fine. I remember nodding & then starting to cry - and he told me not to cry, everything would be fine. When I finally "really" woke up the next day, I was still intubated - and let me tell you, it was horrible. It was really hard not to fight the tube. Even after they turned off the ventilator, they left the tube in for several hours to make sure I could breathe well enough on my own. I swear it was the longest few hours of my life. They kept me in the ICU for 2.5 days, and then finally moved me to a regular room on the neurosurgical floor. After another 2.5 days, I was allowed to go home. I was in a lot of pain, could only do a few things for myself, and I was as weak as a newborn kitten.
Those first few weeks, I relied on Gus for everything. I don't know what I would've done without him. I was supposed to shower 3-4 times/day (to help prevent muscle spasms in my back), but even with a shower chair, he had to help me. The first 4 weeks, I wasn't allowed to do much at all - which is good, because I probably wouldn't have been able to anyway. After 6 weeks, I was allowed to go back to physical therapy. After 8 weeks, I was doing better - less pain, getting a little stronger, doing more for myself.
Now it's been almost 12 weeks since the surgery. I'm still going to physical therapy twice per week, I still need pain meds, & I'm using Lidocaine topical patches for some of the nerve pain. I continue to have muscle pain as well as the nerve pain, but for the most part, the pain in my legs is gone. I have good days & bad days - and on the bad days, I tend to get discouraged. I still can't do much around the house, I can't do much work for my business, and I can't spend much time at the computer. It's difficult to deal with that.
I've seen the neurosurgeon a few times & he's pleased with my progress as well as being dedicated to helping me recover completely. I've also seen the cardio-thoracic surgeon, and my latest CT scan showed that the hematoma on my aorta has resolved, but I still have a pleural effusion on the left. He feels it's probably blood, which would be fibrous at this point & impossible to remove without opening up my lung. I've lost about 5% of my lung capacity on that side, but since I seem to be mostly asymptomatic, he doesn't plan to do anything. I'm supposed to have another CT scan in March & if it's okay, I won't have to see him again. I still can't cough very well and I can't sneeze, but they think it's due to muscle weakness & the fear of pain. Again, I don't know what I would do if I didn't have Gus to take care of me!
So that's what's been going on for the past 3 months! I have a ton of things I want to blog about, so I'm hoping that my tolerance for sitting at the computer will get better before I forget everything!!
I hope you've all been well & are having a great 2012!
Showing posts with label health. Show all posts
Showing posts with label health. Show all posts
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Taking care of you...
Friday, September 9, 2011
If you're guilty of not exercising because you only have 15 minutes and you figure "what's the point, it's not enough to do any good" - think again. Last week, I found an article on msnbc.com entitled, "15 minutes of fitness a day can add 3 years to your life".
The article talks about a study in Taiwan where they tracked 416,000 people for 13 years, looking at their health records & reported physical activity. They took into account differences in age, weight, sex, & certain health issues, and discovered that 15 minutes of moderate exercise per day increased life expectancy by three years compared to the people who were inactive.
So while 30 minutes may be optimal, it seems that 15 minutes does have some benefits. I like this affirmation that even on the days when I can only fit in a 15-20 minute walk, I'm still doing something positive for my health.
We should give ourselves credit for even the little things. I know that the more things I do to be healthier, the better I feel. And the better I feel, the more I want to keep doing the healthy things. Do it for yourself - and do it so that you'll be around for your family.
I have what is referred to as familial combined hyperlipidemia. What that means is that I inherited the tendency to have both high triglycerides & high cholesterol. This greatly increases my risk of early heart disease. My grandmother had her first quadruple coronary bypass surgery when she was 57 - I will be 50 in November. My mom had a major heart attack when she was 60. My grandmother died of heart disease at age 74, and my uncle just passed away from heart disease at age 71. This is all really scary for me.
I started seeing a lipid specialist in February, when it was discovered that I cannot tolerate statin drugs (the drugs of choice to treat high cholesterol). She has changed my life. I have met with a dietitian also, and together, the three of us (well, four if you include Gus - and I have to include him because he cheers me on when I do well & gets me back on track when I slip a little) have managed to make great changes in my life - and my health. Since February, I've lost 10 lbs, and my labwork has improved significantly. My triglycerides were 481, now they're 241. That's still a bit high (they like them to be under 150), but it's a major drop that has a significant effect on my risk level. My cholesterol was 276, now it's 223. Again, a bit high still (they like it to be under 200), but a good drop. One thing my doctor tells me - don't look at the total cholesterol, pay attention to the HDL (good cholesterol) and LDL (bad cholesterol) - those are more indicative of heart disease risk. My HDL was 34, now it's 37 (they like it to be over 50). But the big change - and the most important one - has been in my LDL. My LDL was 195, and now it's 138. They like your LDL to be under 130 - and my doctor says that clinically, my result is normal!!
How did I do this? Mostly a change in diet. I was already eating pretty healthy, but the dietitian helped me see that some of the choices that I thought were healthy, really weren't. And portions. Ignore the portions on the boxes/cans!! LOL! They're all much larger than they should be! For my particular health concerns, I am allowed to have per day: 3-5 oz. of lean meat (preferably closer to 3), 2 servings of fat-free dairy, 3-5 servings of "good" fat, 3 servings of fruit, 4 servings of non-starchy vegetables, 6 servings of starches (preferably "good" starches), & 2 servings of miscellaneous items (like sugar-free candy, etc). That comes out to about 1000-1100 cal/day - and I know that's less than what is recommended, but remember - I'm under a doctor's care. So please don't attempt to follow a diet like this without consulting a doctor.
Exercise is important for me, too. Not just to improve my cardiovascular health, but it seems to be the catalyst that kickstarts my weight loss & keeps it going. Unfortunately, with my back problems, I haven't been able to exercise as much as I'd like. Actually, some weeks, I haven't been able to exercise at all - not even walking. That part is frustrating, in addition to dealing with the pain. But thanks to a great physical therapist, I seem to be getting better, and I've been able to walk a bit. Walking a mile takes me about 20 minutes - but that's the speed & distance that doesn't irritate my back & legs. So I try to do that once or twice a day.
The only medication I take for my cholesterol is WelChol. It's basically a drug that you take with lunch & dinner (I take 3 huge horse pills with both meals), and it sits like a sponge in your gut and soaks up the cholesterol/fat that you eat. You don't absorb it systemically, so there are no bad side effects. Sounds great, huh? Well, it's okay. It really can only lower your cholesterol 15-18%, so while it helps, it's really the diet & exercise that are doing most of the work.
So take a walk, pop in a yoga DVD, or fire up Just Dance on the Wii - even if it's just for 15 minutes. It's a step in the right direction on the road to feeling better and quite possibly living a little longer.
Stay healthy & have a great weekend!!
The article talks about a study in Taiwan where they tracked 416,000 people for 13 years, looking at their health records & reported physical activity. They took into account differences in age, weight, sex, & certain health issues, and discovered that 15 minutes of moderate exercise per day increased life expectancy by three years compared to the people who were inactive.
So while 30 minutes may be optimal, it seems that 15 minutes does have some benefits. I like this affirmation that even on the days when I can only fit in a 15-20 minute walk, I'm still doing something positive for my health.
We should give ourselves credit for even the little things. I know that the more things I do to be healthier, the better I feel. And the better I feel, the more I want to keep doing the healthy things. Do it for yourself - and do it so that you'll be around for your family.
I have what is referred to as familial combined hyperlipidemia. What that means is that I inherited the tendency to have both high triglycerides & high cholesterol. This greatly increases my risk of early heart disease. My grandmother had her first quadruple coronary bypass surgery when she was 57 - I will be 50 in November. My mom had a major heart attack when she was 60. My grandmother died of heart disease at age 74, and my uncle just passed away from heart disease at age 71. This is all really scary for me.
I started seeing a lipid specialist in February, when it was discovered that I cannot tolerate statin drugs (the drugs of choice to treat high cholesterol). She has changed my life. I have met with a dietitian also, and together, the three of us (well, four if you include Gus - and I have to include him because he cheers me on when I do well & gets me back on track when I slip a little) have managed to make great changes in my life - and my health. Since February, I've lost 10 lbs, and my labwork has improved significantly. My triglycerides were 481, now they're 241. That's still a bit high (they like them to be under 150), but it's a major drop that has a significant effect on my risk level. My cholesterol was 276, now it's 223. Again, a bit high still (they like it to be under 200), but a good drop. One thing my doctor tells me - don't look at the total cholesterol, pay attention to the HDL (good cholesterol) and LDL (bad cholesterol) - those are more indicative of heart disease risk. My HDL was 34, now it's 37 (they like it to be over 50). But the big change - and the most important one - has been in my LDL. My LDL was 195, and now it's 138. They like your LDL to be under 130 - and my doctor says that clinically, my result is normal!!
How did I do this? Mostly a change in diet. I was already eating pretty healthy, but the dietitian helped me see that some of the choices that I thought were healthy, really weren't. And portions. Ignore the portions on the boxes/cans!! LOL! They're all much larger than they should be! For my particular health concerns, I am allowed to have per day: 3-5 oz. of lean meat (preferably closer to 3), 2 servings of fat-free dairy, 3-5 servings of "good" fat, 3 servings of fruit, 4 servings of non-starchy vegetables, 6 servings of starches (preferably "good" starches), & 2 servings of miscellaneous items (like sugar-free candy, etc). That comes out to about 1000-1100 cal/day - and I know that's less than what is recommended, but remember - I'm under a doctor's care. So please don't attempt to follow a diet like this without consulting a doctor.
Exercise is important for me, too. Not just to improve my cardiovascular health, but it seems to be the catalyst that kickstarts my weight loss & keeps it going. Unfortunately, with my back problems, I haven't been able to exercise as much as I'd like. Actually, some weeks, I haven't been able to exercise at all - not even walking. That part is frustrating, in addition to dealing with the pain. But thanks to a great physical therapist, I seem to be getting better, and I've been able to walk a bit. Walking a mile takes me about 20 minutes - but that's the speed & distance that doesn't irritate my back & legs. So I try to do that once or twice a day.
The only medication I take for my cholesterol is WelChol. It's basically a drug that you take with lunch & dinner (I take 3 huge horse pills with both meals), and it sits like a sponge in your gut and soaks up the cholesterol/fat that you eat. You don't absorb it systemically, so there are no bad side effects. Sounds great, huh? Well, it's okay. It really can only lower your cholesterol 15-18%, so while it helps, it's really the diet & exercise that are doing most of the work.
So take a walk, pop in a yoga DVD, or fire up Just Dance on the Wii - even if it's just for 15 minutes. It's a step in the right direction on the road to feeling better and quite possibly living a little longer.
Stay healthy & have a great weekend!!
Health update
Friday, June 17, 2011
For those of you who may be wondering, I did have surgery on May 20. My neurosurgeon discovered on my second MRI that the disc between my 3rd & 4th cervical vertebrae was completely gone and the bone spurs that had formed from the disc were really large and pinching the nerve - so surgery was the only option to stabilize my spine and relieve the pain. He took a piece of bone from my left hip and placed it between the 3rd and 4th vertebrae, and over time, that will fuse.
I'm really lucky in that I have a wonderful neurosurgeon that I trust implicitly. Back in 1989, when I worked at the hospital (where I had both surgeries), I always noted that his patients had smaller incisions, needed less pain meds, and had quicker recovery times - so there was no doubt in my mind who would do my surgery - both in 1989 and 2011.
My surgery took about an hour, and when I woke up in recovery around 9:00 am, I was completely awake - no grogginess, no nausea. I had some pain, but it was tolerable. When I left recovery (on a stretcher), I was taken to a room on the neurosurgical floor - and I was able to get off the stretcher & walk (well, okay, limp, LOL) to my bed. My nurse was awesome - she kept me supplied with Sierra Mist & Lorna Doone cookies. :-)
I was able to tolerate my pain with just one Percocet, even though I was allowed to have a pain shot. After dinner, around 6pm, I was able to go home!! How awesome is that??!! Some of the nurses were even surprised that I wasn't staying overnight. Seriously, I owe it all to my surgeon.
So now, I'm about 4 weeks post-op and I'm doing pretty well. I still have to wear the soft cervical collar when I'm in the car or doing something that requires a lot of bending, but other than that, I really don't have any restrictions. The first couple of weeks, I had to take a nap everyday, which was a huge change for me - I never nap unless I'm really sick, LOL. But so far this week, I haven't had a nap. I'm able to do things that I haven't done for 6 months - which is really nice. I still have some weakness in my right arm, but building up the strength will take time. I also get muscle spasms occasionally, so I have to be aware of how much I do and try not to overdo it.
One of the best parts is that my incision is pretty much unnoticeable. The surgeon cut into one of the creases on my neck, and now that the swelling & bruising are gone, I don't even have to use concealer on it!! Yay!!
Unfortunately, I'm still having problems with my lower back, and pain/numbness/tingling in my left leg and foot. I start back to therapy next week, so I hope that will help. As well as this surgery went, I do not want to have more surgery any time soon!
So that's pretty much it. Thank y'all so much for all of the prayers, get well wishes, cards, & emails. They were much appreciated!!
I'm really lucky in that I have a wonderful neurosurgeon that I trust implicitly. Back in 1989, when I worked at the hospital (where I had both surgeries), I always noted that his patients had smaller incisions, needed less pain meds, and had quicker recovery times - so there was no doubt in my mind who would do my surgery - both in 1989 and 2011.
My surgery took about an hour, and when I woke up in recovery around 9:00 am, I was completely awake - no grogginess, no nausea. I had some pain, but it was tolerable. When I left recovery (on a stretcher), I was taken to a room on the neurosurgical floor - and I was able to get off the stretcher & walk (well, okay, limp, LOL) to my bed. My nurse was awesome - she kept me supplied with Sierra Mist & Lorna Doone cookies. :-)
I was able to tolerate my pain with just one Percocet, even though I was allowed to have a pain shot. After dinner, around 6pm, I was able to go home!! How awesome is that??!! Some of the nurses were even surprised that I wasn't staying overnight. Seriously, I owe it all to my surgeon.
So now, I'm about 4 weeks post-op and I'm doing pretty well. I still have to wear the soft cervical collar when I'm in the car or doing something that requires a lot of bending, but other than that, I really don't have any restrictions. The first couple of weeks, I had to take a nap everyday, which was a huge change for me - I never nap unless I'm really sick, LOL. But so far this week, I haven't had a nap. I'm able to do things that I haven't done for 6 months - which is really nice. I still have some weakness in my right arm, but building up the strength will take time. I also get muscle spasms occasionally, so I have to be aware of how much I do and try not to overdo it.
One of the best parts is that my incision is pretty much unnoticeable. The surgeon cut into one of the creases on my neck, and now that the swelling & bruising are gone, I don't even have to use concealer on it!! Yay!!
Unfortunately, I'm still having problems with my lower back, and pain/numbness/tingling in my left leg and foot. I start back to therapy next week, so I hope that will help. As well as this surgery went, I do not want to have more surgery any time soon!
So that's pretty much it. Thank y'all so much for all of the prayers, get well wishes, cards, & emails. They were much appreciated!!
PSA
Saturday, October 16, 2010
This is a public service announcement - if you haven't had your blood pressure checked lately, please do it ASAP!!
I've been on blood pressure meds for over 10 years, but until recently I only took 25mg of Atenolol (which is a very low dose). Over the past 5 years, I've had a lot of major stress in my life - my grandfather (who was like my father) died & I was the executor of his estate, my father died, we moved, and both of my children graduated from high school. Even though I knew better, I put off going to the doctor again and again - and before I knew it, 3 years had passed.
I would have no doubt put if off even longer, but they wouldn't refill my blood pressure meds anymore without a visit. So off I went to the doctor. It wasn't pretty. My blood pressure was 160/110. I then spent the next 3 months going back to the doctor over & over again - trying different meds - and getting checked. He kept asking me if I had any "symptoms" - headache (I always have headaches), dizziness, blurred vision, etc. - and I kept telling him "no". The one thing I did tell him is that my hands, feet, & face felt puffy when I woke up in the morning - every day. And that my weight would fluctuate as much as 4lbs. in one day.
Finally, we hit upon the right combination of meds and my blood pressure is staying in the 120/80 range. But guess what? I feel like a different person. I feel so much better - just an occasional headache, more energy, no pressure in my ears, no more "puffy" feeling - and some of those things I didn't even realize I was experiencing. I think the symptoms just came on gradually, and I just starting accepting them as the way I normally felt. I forgot what it felt like to "feel good". I'm now taking Avalide 300/25 (300mg of Avapro, 25mg of hydrochlorothiazide).
Here's a couple of pictures to show you the "puffiness". These pictures were taken just about 2 months apart.
What a difference, huh?
So please - make a trip to your doctor for a check-up at least once a year. Don't put off taking care of yourself because you're too busy taking care of everyone else. What would happen to them if something happened to you?
I've been on blood pressure meds for over 10 years, but until recently I only took 25mg of Atenolol (which is a very low dose). Over the past 5 years, I've had a lot of major stress in my life - my grandfather (who was like my father) died & I was the executor of his estate, my father died, we moved, and both of my children graduated from high school. Even though I knew better, I put off going to the doctor again and again - and before I knew it, 3 years had passed.
I would have no doubt put if off even longer, but they wouldn't refill my blood pressure meds anymore without a visit. So off I went to the doctor. It wasn't pretty. My blood pressure was 160/110. I then spent the next 3 months going back to the doctor over & over again - trying different meds - and getting checked. He kept asking me if I had any "symptoms" - headache (I always have headaches), dizziness, blurred vision, etc. - and I kept telling him "no". The one thing I did tell him is that my hands, feet, & face felt puffy when I woke up in the morning - every day. And that my weight would fluctuate as much as 4lbs. in one day.
Finally, we hit upon the right combination of meds and my blood pressure is staying in the 120/80 range. But guess what? I feel like a different person. I feel so much better - just an occasional headache, more energy, no pressure in my ears, no more "puffy" feeling - and some of those things I didn't even realize I was experiencing. I think the symptoms just came on gradually, and I just starting accepting them as the way I normally felt. I forgot what it felt like to "feel good". I'm now taking Avalide 300/25 (300mg of Avapro, 25mg of hydrochlorothiazide).
Here's a couple of pictures to show you the "puffiness". These pictures were taken just about 2 months apart.
before
after
What a difference, huh?
So please - make a trip to your doctor for a check-up at least once a year. Don't put off taking care of yourself because you're too busy taking care of everyone else. What would happen to them if something happened to you?
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