Pain Fog: Living in spite of Chronic Pain
  • Home
  • About
  • Blog
  • Resources
    • Body Scan
    • Trial and Error
    • Relationships
    • Parenting in Pain
    • Mental Health
    • What the Doctors Don't Tell You
    • Travel
  • Contact

Day 187. What a backbone!

9/4/2015

0 Comments

 

My entire life I have been told I have tough skin and a strong backbone.  I had a habit of standing up for myself and anyone else I thought was being unjustly treated. I could take a lot without withering and therefore resiliency became my thing.  

Well it turns out metaphorically I may have both both, physically I have neither.  My back bone has created some three surgeries this year alone, and I've just been diagnosed with osteoarthritis.  That's a lot of crumbling backbone.  I'll work on that.

The second part of this conundrum is the tough skin.  Man, I wish I had tough skin.  My skin tears and rips, blisters and festers when medical tapes are used.  We have such a mess made of both hands, and arms from intravenous, my leg from the catheter, all the leads from the EKG's and my back well that's another story.  The back is covered in a large bandage and checked daily by the surgeon, closed again and if needed replacement the nurses remove it and start over.  That a lot of ripping of the skin. I have been given every consideration for sensitive skin and nothing seems to work. Theres been skincare teams in the past, doesn't help.  Every person who looks at it has a different idea, without much result.   All I know is it hurts. Subday there was a tape tear so bad it was seeping and the drops were hitting the open area and I wanted to scream. I'm doing better now it is starting to heal and it should heal fast. It heals when there is no more tape or glue on my skin.

We have all found it a little ironic that the two things I am known for are the two things that are taking me down physically.

Onward and upward I say.

We have been given the okay to leave the city on Sunday, provided there are no other incidents before and that I see my physical early in the week . Barry went by Toronto Western to pick up the special staple remover for my doctor.

I am feeling good about our plan.  The hotel room becomes small after a while and getting out is challenging with a very full city.

I know it will be a tough four hours of driving time, but nobody said I couldn't handle it, right?  I have tough skin and a strong backbone. Homeward bound on Sunday. Fingers crossed!  

Picture
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Picture

    Maureen Clout

    I'm going in for a 4th neurosurgery; this time it's a repair to my lumbar fusion. Here, I will post my daily updates on dealing with diagnosis, surgery and recovery. Join me on my journey.

    About

    Archives

    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015

    Categories

    All
    Bad News
    Chronic Pain
    Crisis
    Daily Life
    Depression
    Doctors Appointments
    Family
    Fear
    Focus
    Friends
    Frustration
    Goals
    Help
    Insomnia
    Laugh
    Learning
    Leg Pain
    Meditation
    Memory
    Mindfulness
    Nap
    Neurosurgery
    Pain
    Pain Management
    Planning
    Preparing For Surgery
    Rehabilitation
    Risk
    Serenity
    Service
    Sleep
    Stress
    Strong
    Support
    Surgeon Appointments
    Surgery
    Toronto Western Hospital
    Travel
    Waiting

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.