Re: Reconnecting

[Guest guest]

Aw geez Kay, I'm sorry you've had such a tough

time of it! Glad things seem to be starting to

look up for you. My mom is going to be having a

knee replacement later this month. She is SO

ready. Seeing what she has gone through with her

knees is part of what encouraged me to have my

WLS, since my own knees were already deteriorating.

You are to be commended for NOT having gained

weight during your ordeal. Please keep hanging in

there, and know that there are some of us who are

rooting for you, because we care!

At 12:27 04/06/2006, you wrote:

>Hi folks,

>

>It has been a long time since I last posted. I

>am feeling a tad guilty about not keeping up

>with all the news here . . . but life was hell

>there for a while. I finally had to accept that

>I would never catch up with the postings here

>and I could either just go away or jump back in

>and hope that you all will understand that it

>will take me a while to get back up to

>date. You folks have always been so incredibly

>supportive that I trust you will understand and excuse my silence of so long.

>

>Please forgive me for the length of this posting

>and know that I don't really expect anyone to

>read through it all. I am just feeling like I

>have to tell my saga one last time. (Those I

>have seen at in-person support groups have

>probably already this story way too often. Sorry about that.)

>

>When my right knee was replaced last December,

>it triggered events that I fervently hope never

>to repeat. Something happened during the

>operation - either the placement of the spinal

>or just the way I was jockeyed around on the

>table - that set off a MAJOR back

>problem. After the number of times that I have

>been cut on in the last couple of years, I know

>that I am not a wimp when it comes to

>pain. However, when the spinal wore off after

>my knee replacement, it took them 5 hours to get

>me drugged enough to stop screaming. Even then,

>the pain wasn't gone - just dulled enough to get

>me to shut up. I was in the hospital for 5 days

>and then discharged on massive doses of pain

>killers. Nothing they gave me seemed to help

>beyond dulling the pain for a couple of hours -

>after which I would count the seconds until I

>could take some more meds. I have about a

>5-week gap in my memory . . . for the most part,

>I only have hazy memories from that time . . . I

>think it is my body's way of helping me cope. I

>certainly don't want to remember those painful

>moments any more clearly. I have never, never

>done this before. With my other surgeries I barely used any meds.

>

>The knee replacement itself seems to have been a

>success - but it seems that the area where the

>sciatic nerve comes down from the spine was

>extremely inflamed. So I had an extreme sciatic

>attack continuously for weeks. I was going out

>to Kaiser for shots of anti-inflammatories

>(after all, we can't take them by mouth) and

>even that was only giving me a little temporary relief.

>

>Things finally started getting better when two

>things happened. First, a friend of mine who is

>a massage therapist insisted on working on

>me. (I say insisted because I kind of resisted

>because I couldn't afford to pay her.) About

>the same time, I was referred to a physical

>therapist who works with the spine clinic in

>Union City. He put me in traction a couple of

>times a week - and I gotta tell you - if you need traction, it feels great!

>

>A third thing really improved matters

>dramatically. The spine clinic set me up with

>their acupuncturist, Dr. Debonis. (I had no

>idea before that Kaiser even had an

>acupuncturist.) Dr. Debonis is now my

>hero. From the very first treatment, the pain started to subside.

>

>One of the worst things about all this (besides

>the pain itself) is that I wasn't able to rehab

>my knee the way I would have in better

>circumstances. In fact, I have been completely

>forbidden to exercise except for those few

>things that Dr. Debonis has specifically

>approved. ARGH!!!!!!! I am now very, very

>aware of how important exercise is. I mean I

>knew it was important . . . but it never felt so

>real before . . .. I know that doesn't say it

>very well, but I seem to be at a loss for

>words. One fact may help illustrate . . . while

>my weight has remained pretty much the same as

>it was before this fiasco (it vacillates in

>about a 5-pound range), I am now a full size larger. Double ARGH!

>

>To make things worse . . . about the time that I

>was finally starting to get better, my computer

>died. We replaced the hard drive, but still

>took my hubby weeks to get the system reliably back.

>

>Anyway . . . I finally got to start the knee rehab class last week -

>only 3 months late. And, since the flexion of my knee seems to be

>seriously compromised, I am due to have a " manipulation under

>anesthesia " on the 19th. I'll admit to being a bit scared.

>

>Well . . . this is already way too long. Many thanks to those who

>actually read through all this.

>

>I hope to be better about keeping up.

>

>All the best to you wonderful folks.

>

>Kay (in San Leandro)

>open RNY Dec. 1, 03

Eleanor Oster

eleanor@... (personal address)

www.smallboxes.com/gastricbypass.htm

San , CA

Open RNY (100 cm bypassed) 07/15/2003

P. Fisher, M.D., Kaiser Richmond (CA)

~5'9 " tall

05/09/2003 319 Orientation

07/15/2003 ~290 Surgery

Current 157±2 Goal until plastics?

[Guest guest]

Hi Eleanor,

Thanks for the kind words.

I hope that your mom sails through the procedure with no complications.

Most people have no problems and generally say it is one of the best

things that they have ever done for themselves. The only caution I

would give to anyone going for this type of surgery is to say that a

spinal is NOT necessarily the best for folks with back problems. The

medical folks prefer to use a spinal because does have fewer risks in

general - but for some of us, it is strongly contraindicated.

As for me . . . I still need to have my other knee replaced. It is safe

to say that I am not in a big hurry to have it done even though I know

it is necessary. I still have a lot of rehab to do on the one that was

already replaced and then the spine clinic docs want me to do a rehab

class for my back before I am back in surgery.

It is getting much easier to be optimistic these days. Starting the

knee rehab class and getting good results from even the short time I've

been in it really helps. Even though it is not the sort of workout I

used to do . . . any exercise seems to have a very positive effect on my

outlook as well as my body.

I was happy to see that you are also reconnecting - with in-person

groups, in your case. As much as I love this group . . . nothing

replaces the in-person support of our peers.

Take care,

Kay (in San Leandro)

open RNY Dec. 1, 2003

Eleanor Oster wrote:

> Aw geez Kay, I'm sorry you've had such a tough

> time of it! Glad things seem to be starting to

> look up for you. My mom is going to be having a

> knee replacement later this month. She is SO

> ready. Seeing what she has gone through with her

> knees is part of what encouraged me to have my

> WLS, since my own knees were already deteriorating.

>

> You are to be commended for NOT having gained

> weight during your ordeal. Please keep hanging in

> there, and know that there are some of us who are

> rooting for you, because we care!

[Guest guest]

Of course we read it. I can not believe what you have been going

through. Thank you so much for sharing this. It makes our complaints

seem infintesimal.You are courageous and a great inspirtion. I am

sure you will get well with your wonderful spirit. You have warned

us and we will heed your cautions Love, Lilka

>

> Hi folks,

>

> It has been a long time since I last posted. I am feeling a tad

guilty

> about not keeping up with all the news here . . . but life was

hell

> there for a while. I finally had to accept that I would never

catch up

> with the postings here and I could either just go away or jump

back in

> and hope that you all will understand that it will take me a while

to

> get back up to date. You folks have always been so incredibly

> supportive that I trust you will understand and excuse my silence

of so

> long.

>

> Please forgive me for the length of this posting and know that I

don't

> really expect anyone to read through it all. I am just feeling

like I

> have to tell my saga one last time. (Those I have seen at in-

person

> support groups have probably already this story way too often.

Sorry

> about that.)

>

> When my right knee was replaced last December, it triggered events

that

> I fervently hope never to repeat. Something happened during the

> operation - either the placement of the spinal or just the way I

was

> jockeyed around on the table - that set off a MAJOR back

problem.

> After the number of times that I have been cut on in the last

couple of

> years, I know that I am not a wimp when it comes to pain.

However, when

> the spinal wore off after my knee replacement, it took them 5

hours to

> get me drugged enough to stop screaming. Even then, the pain

wasn't

> gone - just dulled enough to get me to shut up. I was in the

hospital

> for 5 days and then discharged on massive doses of pain killers.

> Nothing they gave me seemed to help beyond dulling the pain for a

couple

> of hours - after which I would count the seconds until I could

take some

> more meds. I have about a 5-week gap in my memory . . . for the

most

> part, I only have hazy memories from that time . . . I think it is

my

> body's way of helping me cope. I certainly don't want to remember

those

> painful moments any more clearly. I have never, never done this

> before. With my other surgeries I barely used any meds.

>

> The knee replacement itself seems to have been a success - but it

seems

> that the area where the sciatic nerve comes down from the spine

was

> extremely inflamed. So I had an extreme sciatic attack

continuously for

> weeks. I was going out to Kaiser for shots of anti-inflammatories

> (after all, we can't take them by mouth) and even that was only

giving

> me a little temporary relief.

>

> Things finally started getting better when two things happened.

First,

> a friend of mine who is a massage therapist insisted on working on

me.

> (I say insisted because I kind of resisted because I couldn't

afford to

> pay her.) About the same time, I was referred to a physical

therapist

> who works with the spine clinic in Union City. He put me in

traction a

> couple of times a week - and I gotta tell you - if you need

traction, it

> feels great!

>

> A third thing really improved matters dramatically. The spine

clinic

> set me up with their acupuncturist, Dr. Debonis. (I had no idea

before

> that Kaiser even had an acupuncturist.) Dr. Debonis is now my

hero.

> From the very first treatment, the pain started to subside.

>

> One of the worst things about all this (besides the pain itself)

is that

> I wasn't able to rehab my knee the way I would have in better

> circumstances. In fact, I have been completely forbidden to

exercise

> except for those few things that Dr. Debonis has specifically

approved.

> ARGH!!!!!!! I am now very, very aware of how important exercise

is. I

> mean I knew it was important . . . but it never felt so real

before . .

> . I know that doesn't say it very well, but I seem to be at a loss

for

> words. One fact may help illustrate . . . while my weight has

remained

> pretty much the same as it was before this fiasco (it vacillates

in

> about a 5-pound range), I am now a full size larger. Double ARGH!

>

> To make things worse . . . about the time that I was finally

starting to

> get better, my computer died. We replaced the hard drive, but

still

> took my hubby weeks to get the system reliably back.

>

> Anyway . . . I finally got to start the knee rehab class last

week -

> only 3 months late. And, since the flexion of my knee seems to be

> seriously compromised, I am due to have a " manipulation under

> anesthesia " on the 19th. I'll admit to being a bit scared.

>

> Well . . . this is already way too long. Many thanks to those who

> actually read through all this.

>

> I hope to be better about keeping up.

>

> All the best to you wonderful folks.

>

> Kay (in San Leandro)

> open RNY Dec. 1, 03

>