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Well, some do live with higher pain thresholds. I have a pretty messed up knee and the thoughts of knee surgery is scaring me more and more. I did end up with messed up hip replacement. I'm one of those who complain.
I have not been the complaining type, but from this point on I am starting to be. Before my fall I had good days and not-so-good ones. By good I mean not excruciating pain. Bad means I can't get out of bed. But now that I've fallen and got really really hurt, I'm complaining all over the place. If people want to know how I am, I don't have to hide it. I say I'm in pain, or not good. That complaining will last until I am out of pain. :-)
Sorry about your hip. I haven't read all the posts. I hope you are getting better. I have knee surgery when I was only 19. I am 74 now. At that time they would remove part of the ripped cartilage. Over the years I've had twists, falls, etc. Swollen knee. I used to get cortisone shots but no more. I guess I got used to being immobilized to a certain degree. I got married and after suffering the steps with the NYC subway system, I had to stop because I allowed my husband to pay all the bills. I would go swimming and enjoyed many swims over the years, but then I had this accident and can't walk out of the trailer. So I'm on this leg of the journey. Once I fall, I can't get up by myself. I can't lift myself up. I need two strong men to lift me up.
I don't want to scare you, but I am also scared of any operation. I met a lady in a scooter at Costco and we started talking because I was interested in how she got along with the scooter. I must say it was a horror story. She had like 19 operations for a knee replacement, the knee kept getting infected. NINETEEN! Finally she told the surgeon to just take the lower limb off. I can't imagine how she lives. We did not continue the conversation, but she lives in Pittsburgh, a VERY HILLY place.
The last doctor I saw for my knee told me I needed replacements on both knees. But he was not helpful. I just have a feeling it won't work. Either way. Whether he's a good doctor or not. He didn't show me the x-rays, which I really would have appreciated seeing. I didn't ask, though, and I'm learning to be more assertive. Too bad we have to learn this way. Next time a doctor takes an x-ray I am going to ask him to show it to me and explain. Maybe if he had done that I would have swung in the direction of having knee replacements. But then the scooter industry is probably doing pretty well, so is the wheelchair industry.
OP here: Driving around South Jersey where I live, it seems there are existing pain clinics or new ones popping up just about everywhere. Obviously, as us boomers get into our 50s, 60s and 70s, discs degenerate.. it's pretty much expected from what I've read.
What a huge market for anestheologists, surgeons, etc! And when it comes to injections, which give only temporary relief, it's sorta like ink cartridges for printers. You've got to keep paying for them for the rest of your life, or just say forget it, and find the right exercises, stretching, etc to keep the pain to a minimum so you can still live your life.
Yes, that's what I'm looking for. The right exercises. Right now my "life" is getting in and out of bed, wearing incontinence pads when I can't muster up the mental strength to endure the pain and get up, going from bed to bathroom, or bed to recliner chair (where I am now in the middle of the night), etc. It's been a little over a week ago that I had this terrible accident which put me in this situation. I intend to see a doctor to get an analysis and possibly an MRI, which the hospital recommended.
Good about your daughter, even though my back started giving me pain over 60 yrs ago I got thru it all and surgery was never brought up to me. Today at 79 soon is a different story, I have a tough time standing in the kitchen for long time etc etc....I talked my 72 yr old brother out of back surgery last year, he's a lifetime golfer, and we hear stories about golfer's backs.
I have two friends who had hip replacements on Monday, one is going on 79 and the other is 90...HOPE they have good outcomes. I live with complications from mine at 72. Thanks again. J
Thanks for your post. As I speak to friends and read these posts, I realize how many people are suffering. Although I had pain, and couldn't stand for long periods of time and had recently taken to a walker, on good days I could get around. But now I think I'm in for a long haul. I can only hope I improve, but I'm taking this day by day. We're hoping to have a ramp built, even though it will be expensive and I expect and hope to move out of here, I don't see a big choice. We don't qualify for free ramp building because we are over the poverty level due to pension. Maybe I should refuse the pension - that's a thought. :-) And just take the social security! Hey, there ya go. :-)
Same thing you said about Pandora's Lab written by Paul Offitt, MD on another thread here...
You were going to recommend it to ALL your friends without reading it until I pointed out that Offitt is one of the foremost critics in the country regarding Vitamins and "supps".....THEN you changed your tune
Maybe for future reference, you shouldn't "recommend" books you haven't actually read making assumptions about what is contained therein ????
This prompts me to say something about another area of health, but rather my experience with doctors. I don't like them; I don't trust them. Some are clearly better than others -- go find them. Although if there's no way out, I'll go to a doctor. I'll keep it short. Years ago when I was young I trusted in doctors. I thought they had all the answers. Of course I was wrong. But I was prescribed a ton of tranquilizers because of emotional problems, and, after some years, they began having a bad effect on me. Now "I" could write a book about my experiences ("One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" comes to mind) but I won't, since it would probably make me too sad to recount all that. I'm much better mentally now. I don't take drugs for depression or anxiety. Took time, and God. Not perfect, but have not been on psychotropic drugs for decades. One of the reasons I weaned myself off the pills (AGAINST doctor's advice) fwas because of the awful side effects of these pills. I did a lot of reading about mental illness and books written about it by psychiatrists and patients. I suppose if I did not finally have a relationship with God, I'd be dead. BUT -- this back pain is not a pretty situation either. Can't move yet, except from my bed to the chair or bathroom and back again. Oh yes, when I was getting off the meds, I went to a clinic in Manhattan specializing in this type of stuff. They helped me, but wanted me to stay on niacinamide for the rest of my life, but the niacinamide made me sick, I decided I need to fend for myself, and so I got off that, too. Well, I'm 74, I hope I can live without too much pain eventually. We'll see.
Both my wife and I have back pain. She did have back surgery and unfortunately, it failed to fix her problem.
I'm able to control my back pain with ibuprofen; I'll avoid opioids. I also discovered that walking helps my situation. My next step will be to try yoga. I also went back to work part time and that distracts me from the pain.
I'm 68 and at that age it seems that about half of my friends endure chronic back pain. Unfortunately, it seems to be a part of the aging process.
I think every case is unique and that you should be patient. Most back pain incidents seem to improve with time; that's my experience.
When this whole thing started and my MRI could not find a smoking gun, the next step would have been steroid injections. I said no. I'm glad I did.
One thing I have observed, being in Colorado, is that quite a few folks have greatly reduced chronic pain by using medical marijuana. If my situation does not improve, I'll eventually give that a try as well.
Walking, yoga and rehab pilates -- yes there is such a thing. PT was a waste of time and made it worse because it doesn't address the problem, just the symptoms.
A good chiro is worth his/her weight in gold. Try a sports/rehab chiro who is affiliated with a university (works with the athletes). They know what they are doing because they HAVE to get results. They have to get the athletes back to good health and stability. Don't be embarrassed or afraid to call one.
Both my wife and I have back pain. She did have back surgery and unfortunately, it failed to fix her problem.
I'm able to control my back pain with ibuprofen; I'll avoid opioids. I also discovered that walking helps my situation. My next step will be to try yoga. I also went back to work part time and that distracts me from the pain.
I'm 68 and at that age it seems that about half of my friends endure chronic back pain. Unfortunately, it seems to be a part of the aging process.
I think every case is unique and that you should be patient. Most back pain incidents seem to improve with time; that's my experience.
When this whole thing started and my MRI could not find a smoking gun, the next step would have been steroid injections. I said no. I'm glad I did.
One thing I have observed, being in Colorado, is that quite a few folks have greatly reduced chronic pain by using medical marijuana. If my situation does not improve, I'll eventually give that a try as well.
An MD I hear on my radio talks about a medical code for "back surgery failures". I live with DDD and would NEVER consider a back surgery. Back has been an issue starting 60 yrs ago.
I don't think it's totally imagination but this ole body seems to be liking the Cosamin DS I have posted in supplements. I know where I've been with this knee infection issue and did NOT walk for almost 3 months and once infection got cleaned out, I am finally walking and bending my knee. I'm only into 3rd month on this supplement. I'm on it until ??????
I learned a LOT of effective PT exercises/strengthening methods while in those rehabs for almost 5 months.
An MD I hear on my radio talks about a medical code for "back surgery failures". I live with DDD and would NEVER consider a back surgery. Back has been an issue starting 60 yrs ago.
I don't think it's totally imagination but this ole body seems to be liking the Cosamin DS I have posted in supplements. I know where I've been with this knee infection issue and did NOT walk for almost 3 months and once infection got cleaned out, I am finally walking and bending my knee. I'm only into 3rd month on this supplement. I'm on it until ??????
I learned a LOT of effective PT exercises/strengthening methods while in those rehabs for almost 5 months.
Hi, jaminhealth, that was very encouraging. I hope you are feeling better today. I am not having the greatest day, but I finally (after 11 a.m.) managed to get out of bed to do a few things, now I'm in the recliner. Back and knee hurting when I walk or stand up from sitting position.
Thanks for suggesting Cosamin DS, I will definitely look into it. I ordered that back stretcher gizmo from Walmart "As Seen on TV," have not had the strength to open it and use it, but when I do, I'll let you know if it works. "Bak trax" or something like that.
Some people do go through any procedure as long as it's recommended by the doctor. I just read my discharge papers from hospital ER, and it was written that I refused morphine despite the pain I was experiencing, and they put down that I said, "I know my body, and I don't want it" when I refused. :-) Yes, I do know my body to a degree.
I always tell friends that the only way I will have an operation is if I think chances are it will help me, or if it is a dire emergency and I have no choice. (Like to save a limb.)
My back started to give me pain when I was 18 and I'm headed to 79. I have done a lot of back work over 60 yrs and still do my home exercises as best I can now.
Never did a back surgery.
Yesterday on NPR there was a segment that back surgeries are the MOST repeated surgeries out there. I've heard stories about 3-9 repeated surgeries on the back.
Here's the book, I'm not going to read it as I could write my own, but I'm sure I'd agree with all that is written.
Some years ago I heard an NPR report about women and cancer, supported by a national study made by nurses tracking cancer patients. And the odd (?) result is that they said the survival rate is the same whether treatment is given or not. Meaning that from the onset of the cancer in a small state to the outcome, with or without treatment, the result of survival is similar. So that pushed me into the realm of thinking that whatever happens, happens. I am 74. Never EVER thought when I was 18 (healthy) that I'd ever be 74. :-) BUT -- here I am!
Cindi, we think a lot a like on surgeries. Last Resort.
I'm down to taking 2 ibuprofen ever 6 hrs and this is down quite a bit from the months in rehabs with the mess I was in. I make SURE there is food in my stomach.
I do so much to keep this body going as it does and without surgeries, hip replacement in 2010 caused a spiral of issues on right side where hip was replaced.
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