In need of moral support!!!

[traci]

OK, I have been off work since last weds., and decided to come back today For those that read the long-timers post, you know I am a 7th gr. Math teacher, and not having a great year! My Dr. said I could be off until the 18th(next appt.)if I wanted(I am going to have to have major back surgery eventually ) But I would not get $$$ for all those days off, so here I sit.
The one thing that will get me through to Thanksgiving is knowing I'll be on the beach in Playa 11 days!
Also, I can hop on here during the day to get a FIX when I need it , anyway, just thought I'd put this out there! Good thoughts, prayers, well-wishes.....all being accepted gratefully :p
THANKS GUYS!!
Traci

[Big Kahuna]

Traci I too have some major back problems that tend to get in the way of every day living. The best part is that I can't vacuum or mop! WooHoo!

Just don't do anything to make the back worse, especially before Playa.
You will be in our thoughts and prayers!

11 days...I could only hope.

[baylainphilly]

I can sympathize. I don't like having to make those decisions between what is best for me and my family vs. what is best for our economic livelyhood. Hang in there sweetie. Wishing you well, Bayla.

[traci]

Thank you both! Kind words go farther than anyone realizes :p Thanks Bayla(love your name!!!)
Big Kahuna, I am not even supposed to lift my kiddos(the baby is 2 1/2 yrs.), but how do you tell her that????? I am also weaning off some of my meds.(serious narcotics), and that is going OK! I am sick of taking all of this stuff, and STILL being in pain . So I told my doc. last week, I wanted to reduce the amount, and then tried going cold-turkey on one of my meds,(yeah, that lasted 2 days an then I was in his office getting a refill!)
Anyway, just know it is truly appreciated!!
The peeps on this site ROCK!
Traci

[Big Kahuna]

It is sooo hard. My twins were very little when I hurt my back. I couldn't pick them up or even sit in the floor to play with them. It is heart breaking! I used to get a chair and have them stand in it next to me so that I could hug them and they felt like they were up on my level.

Sometimes the injury makes me feel 90 years old. I had injections that hurt like hell and helped temporarily. I opted not to have surgery. I had excrutiation pains running down my right leg that nearly drove me crazy. Over time I have gotten better (or more tolerant) and still can't lift anything over 10 lbs without feeling it the next day or stand on my feet for any length of time. I still have to take pain meds on an occasional basis. The good news is that I am much better and it is now just a matter of inconveniece. Hubby and boys make sure I don't do anything I'm not supposed to and are very supportive.

It is a long road to recovery but you WILL get better. I am sure your family is very supportive so hang in there! Don't hesitate to PM me if you have any questions or just need some personal support from a fellow Crip.

[jtm1631]

Keep your chin up and dream of the days you will soon be spending in Playa. Both my mother inlaw and father inlaw were teachers and I have the upmost respect for all teachers and what they do. You should be proud of yourself for being in such an important profession.

Try not to let the frustation of your back problems bring you down. Keep a positive out look and you will be amazed how much better you will start to feel (mentally and also hopefully physically).

If all else fails, when in Mexico drink Tequila, lots and lots of Tequila.

[MikeW]

Back problems, me too. I've had intermittent back problems since I was 18. If I was careful lifting I was fine. But 1 year ago I finally did it. Helping lift musical equipment for my daughter's high school marching band. 8 months later I thought it was better, had no twinges for about a month, and was digging a simple ditch in the back yard and that was it. For the last 5 months every moment I feel a twinge, a numbness, or excruciating pain. I refuse drugs (except alcohol) and surgery scares the hell out of me. I walk often, sometimes in pain, sometimes not. I find the one thing that hurts the most is standing around or walking slow.

The bad part is, I am active. Love sports, can only play when it hurts less. Have to be real careful now and can't go all out like I used to.

So I feel for you. You sound like you have it worse than me. So take it easy, and don't do the things that may irritate it.

[Manitou]

Traci,

We have a few things in common:

I had back surgery (discectomy) 18 years ago. One of the best things that ever happened to me. There are times when I still have bouts of pain, but for the most part have been fairly pain free as long as I do my exercises and stretch.

AND...

I too teach middle school age children (Media/Technology Specialist at a Middle School in Colorado).

AND...

I'll be hangin' in Playa in ten days!

Sorry to hear of your pain, but know that this too shall pass. You are young and will heal quickly. Enjoy yourself in Playa, perhaps we'll see you in town.

All the best,

Russ

[Bumper]

Sorry about your back problems, Traci. Wouldn't wish that sort of difficulty on anybody. They're often so difficult to diagnose or localize or identify accurately. I've had lumbago for about 40 years, but it rarely causes me any difficulty. I'll go years without any incidents, then I get a flare up and I can't get out of bed. Bummer! Fortunately, it's always relatively short-lived and I'm up and about in a couple of days. Keep your chin up, kid. The beach can be very therapeutic, and tequila's curative powers are legendary.

[traci]

It's lunch-time(woohoo! 30 minutes), and I popped back on to get my "fix", and wow!! You Guys are great :p Thanks so much for all of the kind words, ya'll have me smilin'(and let me tell you, that's somethin'!!!!!!)
I do not know exactly when i injured my back, could go as far back as being a kid in gymnastics. I thought my lower back/hips just hurt all the time from being pregnant, picking up kids,etc... My pain management Dr. sd. NO, that daily pain is never "normal" and did MRI and x-rays. I knew my L5 was dropped-in a little(found this out spring-break 03' after a fall while skiing), but we found out it was more like 6mm and it had displaced my spine somewhat, and was aggravating nerves as well. I went to a spinal surgeon last week for a 2nd opinion, and now it's almost 9mm(this is almost a 3mm shift just since mid-April) . I try to remind myself it could ALWAYS be worse, but sometimes it just REALLY sucks!!
Thanks for listening to my whining , but most of all for the encouragement!
Traci

[Mossy]

TNTSMITH,
My wife and I go toa Yoga instructor that constantly says "You're only as old as your spine". I went through life doing rodeo, football, wrestling, skiing.... no problems. Then one day I was planting a tree and felt a burning in my lower back. Three days later, couldn't engage the clutch on my truck. I was given the option of rehab or surgery. Since I'm a wuss with needles and such, I chose rehab (plus the physical therapist was cute) .

I took a year to get back to normal, and I still have to do special stretches/excercises to be relatively pain free. Once you recover, you might look into yoga or pilates after consulting your doctor. I've discovered that keeping my abs strong helps my situation more than anything. Besides the yoga, my back's best friend is that giant ab excercise ball....

[vacationstar]

Traci - I wish you luck and I wish you well. I went to Grand Caymen after injuring my back in a car crash several years ago. I was in pain until I hit that beach chair then it all seemed to fade. (The cocktails my friends delivered helped too) The recoupertive properties of the sand and sun are close at hand. And bless you for being a teacher. One of the truely under appreciated professions. Take care.

[Mikey]

Traci,

Prayers, well wishes, and great thoughts coming your way from Dallas. Everything will be fine. Dont stress about it. There are great advances in back surgery and I know you will come back stronger than ever. Have a great time in Playa wish you could take me with you.

[bbA2]

I suffered a compression fracture of L4 which damaged the disc between L4 and L5 and sometimes irritates the sciatica nerve in a sledding incident about 15 years ago. I have found that certain stretches (which I refuse to call Yoga even though my friend who helps me and teaches me these stretches is a pre-board certified yoga instructor, because Yoga creeps me out eewww granola-garbeldy-gook) help immensely and seem to have (knock on wood) significantly increased the time between flare-ups. The most troubling part for me is that it does not seem to be anything specific like lifting heavy objects, runnung, playing softball, skiing, etc. that causes it, it seems to happen most often doing something as innocent as getting off the couch, bending over to pick up some lint or something like that. Darn discouraging at times. You certainly have my empathy and good luck with the quitting narcotic pain meds...sometimes that can be worse than the situation they are being used for.

stretching and strengthening the surrounding muscles can often provide significant relief, I was a skeptic until it worked so well for me. I have also heard many people find relief through acupuncture, which I would certainly try before surgery, but I remain a little skeptical about this as well. hopefully my situation will not get any worse but I already know that acupuncture will be my next step before using the narcotic pain meds again and certainly before invasive surgery.

Public service announcement: Never sit or let your children sit "indian style" on a sled, that is how I damaged my back.

Good luck!!

bba2

[caramba]

Good luck! Hopefully the visit to Playa will help a little.