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blackwolf

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Everything posted by blackwolf

  1. my prayer and healing thoughts go to you and yours. please keep us posted. blackwolf
  2. thanks everyone! i'm glad to hear from so many of you. i'm waiting for a follow up mri on the 5th of January(yipee-not!) and an appointment that afternoon. will find out then if physical therapy is in my future or if i have to wait longer. i am ding most of my old stretches and light weighs again, but i find i am slower and have to spread it out over the day to get them all done. i'm having two new troubles that are going to change my mri from just the surgical area to including my neck. i'm having extra pain in my arms and extra swallowing trouble. my surgon is already on vacation, but his PA and my neurologist have been in touch and are keeping me in the loop. again, blessings to all, and thanks for all your prayers and healing thoughts. blackwolf
  3. just thought i would stop by and wish everyone HAPPY HOLIDAYS! i'm sorry to be away so long but my recovery from surgary has been slow, one step forward and two back. i'm sure many of you know what i mean. it has been painful and difficult. i have developed new symptoms(difficulty swallowing is getting really bad) and have had to rest so much after the easiest things i used to take for granted. walking is better, most days, and i have less pain in my chest, though it is still there. I'm sorry so many of you are having so much trouble and i hope that over the holidays you get a break from symptoms and have a good time. blessings to all, blackwolf
  4. i have terrible visual trouble whenever my symptoms are worse. it can get so bad that even my glasses are useless watching tv. i can't read or sew and i just have to listen to what is going on around me. sometimes it is a little scary, but it does end after a few hours. i drink tons of liduids and just rest till it ends. best of luck, blackwolf
  5. thanks everyone, been rather down lately as i have had some more trouble with my shoulder muscles(spasms mostly) and i am having a hard time getting going out and about again. i really miss even those short trips out. i have gone along and just sat in the car just to get out, but it still isn't the same. still hangin' on, blackwolf
  6. i have been "away" for so long and have a lot of catching up to do. i know it will take a long time for me to catch up on all the posts, but i will. recovery has been slow-as expected but had more surgary than planned. started with just the cyst at T4 but ended up with "fiberous removal" at T3 and T5. i ended up with a 8 1/2 inch cut instead of 3-4 inches. recovery has been slow but improving. i already have relief from chest pain and headaches. in the begining i was nearly completely paralized in the left leg, but as the swelling went down it has slowly come back. i have daily walking and excersices that help but still going slow. doc says i have done better than planned and should be starting pt in the next few weeks if needed. upper back is still tender but i feel better every day and am starting to get into my old habits. trying to be good. it is amazing how much those muscles in the upper back are used for EVERYTHING. thanks to everyone who has writen, sent cards, etc. blackwolf
  7. as a constant source of support for me i return everything i can back. cyber hugs and kisses and prayers blackwolf
  8. i just thought to let you know that i am home and doing ok. surgery was good, pathology says no cancer(they checked everthough it was just a cyst). walking inproving alot, left leg was nearly non functional after surgery but much improved. only bad sideeffects have been loss of temp control-either too hot or too cold, some new trouble swallowing. only other bad thing was a "super spasm" that i had last nite and has kinds thru me off on what i can and can't do(breath, cough, move) you know the little things. it is getting better, but i have been allowed to up my pain meds in order to keep moving. i am sorry that this will be the limit of my post for now and that i just can't sit here long enough to reaad and catchup right now. thanks to all of you for all your kind words and thoughts and prayers, if you can keep them coming, still have a long way to go(6 inch incesion in upper back will take months to heal) and i will gladdly take any help i can get. hugs and blessings to all, blackwolf
  9. Surgery went fine they found only a cyst by her spinal cord. she is recovering well.
  10. thanks again everyone!!!! this will be my last post till i get back. starting with the jitters again, but not so bad. will miss all of you very much, even i don't post so much i read alot. miriam-boy am i looking forward to that. i have been just tolerating the pain for the last 2 weeks and i can't wait for some pain control, hope there isn't a big need for it after the first few days. again thanks everyone, will have hubby post and let you know what happens. blackwolf
  11. thank you all so much!!!! i am full of pre-surgery jitters, but with all of you there, i'm sure i'll be just fine blessings to us all blackwolf ps i have left my not-so-computer-literate hubby as to how to post, hope to have news on wed. or thurs.
  12. WOW!!!!!! great news and i hope you don't ahve to wait to start getting your help blackwolf
  13. i have tried several BB's and ended up on toprol. for some it helps for others it just isn't worth the trouble. i also have some breathing troubles. i wish i could help more but i only can say that i am a lab rat myself. have you tried Norpace? best of luck. blackwolf
  14. i can't say so much on light therapy, but i try to spend 20 minutes in the sun almost every day. we have a large south facing bay window, so it is really easy for me. as to "sleep shifting" i do it about once every 3 months. works for me, sosmetimes i go back, sometimes i have to go forward *does that make any sence* whatever. blackwolf
  15. i rarely get it but i do find i get it after being POTSY. mostly in my calves. i hope it gets better soon. blackwolf
  16. WOW and GREAT!! hope everything keeps going the right way. blaessings, blackwolf
  17. muscle spams are a daily thing for me also. i have tried everything from more potassium to assorted muscle relaxers to a few herbs which made me sick as a dog. i have settled on a combo of generic Soma at 350mgs(as needed) and a banana every day. i am also a religous stretcher, every day 3-4 times a day. does it help? yes. do i feel worse if i don't? YES! but this works for me and i can't say it will work of anyone else. best of luck, blackwolf
  18. what a blessing, i wish Dan the best in recovery blackwolf
  19. thanks sssoooo much everyone. the news of the surgery had given me a case of the jitters, but i have calmed down now and feel better that way. still alot of pain, but i am dealing. splurging today as we are going out to eat to celebrate my hubbies birthday. unfortunately i have to be in surgery on his birthday what a bummer for that i think he is afraid there might be cancer and he wont relax till he gets an answer(his mom and aunt both died of cancer in '99). also getting hair cuts done, no money lost there as my mom does it and we clean her house every other week, though we have let up this last week, since my pain has been so bad. sorry rambling again. again THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!! Blackwolf
  20. Thank you all so very much, you help keep my courage up Got the final word today on the surgery. It will be Wednesday October 5th at 10:30am. What they are doing; Removing a dermoid mass(tissue that doesn't belong in the spinal canal) from the anterior(front/towards the stomach)side of my spine at T4 which is compressing the spine by about a third. I won't beat around the bush, this is a lot of work as they have to lift and turn my spine to get the mass. Possibly also cutting of a few nonessercial nerves in order to turn the spine. lots of fun!! NOT!!!!! Will touch base here before i go in on Wed., but otherwise i will only be "lurking" as the more time i spend upright, the more pain i have. blessings and prayers to all of us.
  21. THANKS TO ALL OF YOU i am in that state of happy/sadnees that i'm sure so many of you have gone thru. i am hoping to get this done as quickly as possible so i can do my best to get back on track with the excersizing, it has been so hard to do as the pain has gotten so much worse since the last mri. i am nearly bedridden and that is kind of scary to me. angain thanks everyone, good nite and blessings, blackwolf
  22. thanks all for hanging in and waiting. sorry it took so long to get back to you all. just got the word today. i have a cystic growth on my spine around T5-7. my next stop will be the neurosurgeon on wednesday. they where not sure and probaly wont know if it is cancerous until after it is removed, chances are that it IS NOT cancer and i'm not worried about it. however, the idea of surgery is not a pleasant one. thanks again for hanging on and waiting for the results with me i will update after wed. appointment. blackwolf
  23. i have always been over weight and i can say that as i have lost weight i have had more trouble not less. go figure. pun intended. i am slowly losing weight now and have been battling symptoms that just won't seem to lighten up. my docs are happy at the wieght loss, but not happy at the symptoms. working my way thru both is a challenge that i would rather live without, but i am doing my best with a goal of 4-6 pounds lost a month. it has been really hard with my new back troubles and going back on steriod inhalers, but at least i'm not gaining. i have a series of stretches that are vital to control both the pain and keeping the weight under control as well as light weights and now pelvic floor excerises to start retraining by bladder and give me better control of my bowels. each person really needs to find the place where they function the best and not be too extreme in either being under or overweight best of luck to us all, blackwolf
  24. got a very short call today from radioligist- might need another mri, more showed up then just the area they where originally looking at, might need to go up to and include the neck i think i'm going to be sick. what i do know is that i have some type of "abscessess" along my spine that are very "irratated". i may need a spinal tap to see what is going on, ie. infection, and what to do to treat it. will let you know when i know more. hugs and prayers and my thanks, blackwolf
  25. i have tiny veins and trouble getting even the smallest amount of blood(usually butterfly the back of my hands or use my feet). i have had nurses, flight nurses and anesth. working on me. i often get the needles that they use on children, just so not to "blow out" the vein. in a small town hospital i had as many as 20+ sticks. i often refer to myself as the human pincushion. i never say anyting to the nurses unless they ask, which is usually after 5-6 sticks. i have had nurses who get me in one or two sticks sometimes too, i also feel it has to do with hydration. blackwolf
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