pain management

[Guest guest]

,

Some people (me included) do not get adequate pain relief from Morphine, which

is what they usually administer via the pump. It might be that she is resistant

in some way to the drug. My doctor switched me to Delaudid, and I got immediate

and measurable relief from the pain. It could not be administered via the pump,

but the nurse gave me a shot every few hours, and I slept like a baby.

P.S. Sometimes, it is much harded to be the spouse than it is to be the patient!

Your wife will most likely remember this experience as an unpleasant narcotic

induced blur. You, however, will have days and nights of worry and stress. It

will be over soon. Take care of yourself, and accept any help and support

offered by friends. Let them clean the house or cook you dinner. You deserve it!

pain management

Hi,

My wife had surgery last thursday. she had a T3 to L2 fussion. At this point

her skin is becoming very delicate from being in bed. I was thinking perhaps

a lambs wool pad and a memory foam pad for the bed? have any of you

discoverd some type of lotion that works best to help alleviate some of the

tenderness? also, she is in the process of being weened from her self

administered pain med pump and is having some real trouble managing the

pain. in any given day she fluctuates from a pain level of 3 (on a 1 to 10

scale) to a 10, several times a day. is this normal or should we be able to

keep her more steady?

thanks

paul

[Guest guest]

Hi ,

I also had surgery, anterior/posterior revision surgery fused from T1 to L4.

I hurt for your wife. The pain level does fluctuate during the day. And

it will when she goes home. I can remember feeling okay and then an hour

later couldn't wait until I could take my meds. I agree with Carole. She

needs

to get up and walk. They will give her a walker which helps.

I remember my last surgery I pushed myself to get up and walk and they even

said to take it easy but I knew the faster I got back on my feet, the faster

the recovery.

I wish her luck and I wish you well. People forget the caretaker needs

support also.

Kathy

[Guest guest]

farmerpsv <farmerpsv@...> wrote:

Hi,

My wife had surgery last thursday. she had a T3 to L2 fussion. At this point

her skin is becoming very delicate from being in bed. I was thinking perhaps

a lambs wool pad and a memory foam pad for the bed? have any of you

discoverd some type of lotion that works best to help alleviate some of the

tenderness? also, she is in the process of being weened from her self

administered pain med pump and is having some real trouble managing the

pain. in any given day she fluctuates from a pain level of 3 (on a 1 to 10

scale) to a 10, several times a day. is this normal or should we be able to

keep her more steady?

thanks

paul

[Guest guest]

>

> Hi,

> My wife had surgery last thursday. she had a T3 to L2 fussion. At

this point her skin is becoming very delicate from being in bed. I

was thinking perhaps a lambs wool pad and a memory foam pad for the

bed? have any of you discoverd some type of lotion that works best

to help alleviate some of the tenderness? ...

Hi ,

I've been a " sensitive skin sufferer " most of my life so thought I

could share some ideas that may be helpful once you all get home.

Use 100% cotton sheets and blankets/comforters. Wash all bedding

with Dreft laundry detergent - made for babies, pricey but worth

every penny. Don't use any bleach in the wash, and in the dryer use

the Bounty " free " dryer sheets. If there is anyway to cut down on

the chlorine in your household water, that is a help too. Chlorine

can be very hurtful to my skin. I have a filter on my shower head.

As far as lotion I have found " 's Natural Apricot Hand & Body

Lotion " it is organic, to help my skin. Also have used generic

topical analgesic lotions for areas like elbows.

I hope some of my ideas can be of help, it is hard enough to deal

with surgery recovery without extraneous problems. Your wife is very

lucky you are such a strong and concerned advocate for her.

[Guest guest]

Pain management is a biggy of mine! After a failed hip revision, I am in nearly constant pain at one level or another, but later in the day, always getting intense. I tried a tens unit, which did help...for a time. Then tried Neurontin for the shocking nerve pain I had due to the sciatic nerve damage in surgery, and using pain medication as well. I would love to get off all these medication, however, the surgeons aren't sure they can fix me up and warned me I might not be able to walk if they risk another surgery to fix my hip.

[Guest guest]

we have tried a mix of different pain meds and anti-inflamitories. it took a

while to get the combination right

pain management

>

> margaret in .au wrote:

>

>> Interesting that no

>> one, aside from the original Orthopeadic Surgeon, asked what I did to

>> reduce my pain levels

>

> so, um, what =did= you do to help manage and reduce your pain?

> I hope you don't mind me asking, but I'm always curious about other

> people's methods.

>

> Given that analgesics have mixed effects with the specifics of bone

> pain, it's always worth finding out about any methods that can help.

>

> regards,

> katie

> (who has tried acupuncture for pain control, with limited success,

> basic meditation/headtwistytricks of her own, and TENS machines with

> some good but not reliable results)

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Hi Lynette,

How long before you realised you had a failed revision on your hands?

The last few weeks I have started wondering if my hip is as good as it

will ever get. I doubt that I can go back to work like this though.

Margaret from Australia

>

> Pain management is a biggy of mine! After a failed hip revision, I

am in

> nearly constant pain at one level or another, but later in the day,

always

> getting intense. I tried a tens unit, which did help...for a time.

Then tried

> Neurontin for the shocking nerve pain I had due to the sciatic

nerve damage in

> surgery, and using pain medication as well. I would love to get

off all

> these medication, however, the surgeons aren't sure they can fix me

up and

> warned me I might not be able to walk if they risk another surgery

to fix my hip.

[Guest guest]

Lynette: have you gotten some different opinions from other surgeons?

I can't imagine your discomfort, both physical and psychological!

However....let me tell you about a patient I just saw. He had just

gotten a THP which was doing quite well, but the surgeon had to do some

special bone grafting and special prosthesis. It was the patients 6th

surgery on that hip! He had a revision that got infected, and they had

to take out the prosthesis, go back in to clean the infection and

placed a medicated filler implant into the joint space, then removed

the filler, and allowed him to heal without a joint at all. He went

for 3 years with no hip joint, and was actually doing quite well,

farming and riding his tractor. 8 weeks ago he was in a car accident,

and re-injured the same hip. That is when the surgeon went back in and

implanted this latest THP. 3 weeks post-op he is doing quite well!

Good luck, Marilyn

LynetteLyn@... wrote:

Pain management is a biggy of mine! After a failed hip

revision, I am in nearly constant pain at one level or another,

[Guest guest]

Marilyn- Thanks for giving me some hope! It has been over 2 years of daily pain, and I am about tired out! Maybe one more would help?! So hard to know! But this cage and screws...yikes! hurt like heck! Heard about a transdermal patch for pain, might give me better pain coverage. Know anything about them?

[Guest guest]

well, thats always good, jk. ive read that you need to go for 10-15

treatments. thats a lot of money, even with insurence.

[Guest guest]

Hello all! I am an active duty Marine. I began having pain in my left knee

after being kicked in the leg (martial arts). At the time of this initial

injury, I also had a bone calcification arise in my left thigh. I continued to

have minor pain over the next year until I went to a very physically demanding

school. After the school I could not hardly walk. My doctor diagnosed me with

chondromalacia and a MRI showed minor patellar tendinitis. I started physical

therapy but the pain only increased. I went in for surgery a few weeks later

with the purpose of scraping the scar tissue. My doctor hoped this would take

some of the pain away. When he went in, he saw that I had ruptured my patellar

tendon. This was fixed appx. 12 wks ago. This is my last week of physical

therapy - the doctor told me I could start jogging at my own pace. Since then,

I have been having a lot of pain, especially at night. I have pain going up and

down stairs and during any physical activity. I also

have pain when my knee is bent for a while. I don't think all this is normal

and neither does my physical therapist - but the doctor says its normal, he says

to keep pushing myself. What do you all think?

gassysnake420@... wrote:well, thats always good, jk. ive read that you need

to go for 10-15

treatments. thats a lot of money, even with insurence.

[Guest guest]

well, let ne tell you, all of your symptoms are the things ive been living

with for over a year. i work retail and i'm constantly bending, going up

ladders, etc. i am in terrible pain from 9am till i fall asleep. this is what

chondromalacia patella is, or at least what my definition of me. I have been

told to

stop going on the ladders and bending so much. everytime you walk up a step,

you put 3X your weight on your knee. im not a doc, so i can only tell you what

i know, but you gotta stop the bending and the stairs. ive been in physical

therapy for 3months now, an it hasn't done much for me. The only thing that will

help me at least is to have a job thats doesn't entail much bending and

stuff. My PT also doesn't know why i'm in so much pain, but i had my first

sublexation 9 yrs ago, so go figure.

[Guest guest]

wow, thats a lot. if you dont mind, how much do u pay per visit?

[Guest guest]

Hi!

I did accupuncture for my chondro prior to having surgery on Dec.

16. I am unable to take the usual meds (including NSAIDs) so I was

pretty much left with Tylenol or natural.

I use accupuncture for a host of other ills and it worked great for

me. I would get treated every 4 or 5 days and would do without pain

in between.

A cocuple of notes on accupuncture:

1. Make sure that you go with a doc who treats your current ailment

(not one who's more interested in balancing your chi). Balancing

your chi is going to be great in the long run but you want immediate

pain relief.

2. Make sure your doc is certified. Mucho important. Also - make

sure they use pre-packaged sterile needles.

3. Don't go back and go back if you don't get results. With

accupuncture you should get relief almost instantly. Every doc is

different but the treatment should still be the same.

4. You should have 4 or 5 needles - primarily in your knee.

Sometimes they'll put one in your hand and that one is for balance in

the body.

I'm not a doc but I have had lots of experience with different

accupuncture treatments. I hope that you have luck with this - it is

a great alternative. All and all if something works keep doing it -

and if it's not try something else!

Good luck,

Kim

[Guest guest]

I also had surgery on my left knee and was diagnosed with reduced cartilage

under the kneecap. The surgeon said that he would go in and clean up the

loose cartilage. In doing so, he reduced the cushion that I had and now I'm

in a lot of pain. I would guess that is exactly what has happened to you.

The only thing that I've found that helps with the pain is Flax seed oil. I

eat a granola bar that has mostly flax seed that seems to help. I do

exercises twice a day and if I walk up stairs and take the elevator down

that also seems to help. I think that our thigh muscles are weak. This is

what has worked for me.

I'm going to try a new light therapy once my knee starts to hurt me again.

I'll never be able to run, but just as long as I can walk to where I want to

go without horrible pain, I'll be happy. If the light therapy works, I'll

give everyone the info.

Hicks

>From: <patandarica@...>

>Reply-chondromalacia treatment

>chondromalacia treatment

>Subject: Re: pain management

>Date: Tue, 8 Feb 2005 08:17:42 -0800 (PST)

>

>Hello all! I am an active duty Marine. I began having pain in my left

>knee after being kicked in the leg (martial arts). At the time of this

>initial injury, I also had a bone calcification arise in my left thigh. I

>continued to have minor pain over the next year until I went to a very

>physically demanding school. After the school I could not hardly walk. My

>doctor diagnosed me with chondromalacia and a MRI showed minor patellar

>tendinitis. I started physical therapy but the pain only increased. I

>went in for surgery a few weeks later with the purpose of scraping the scar

>tissue. My doctor hoped this would take some of the pain away. When he

>went in, he saw that I had ruptured my patellar tendon. This was fixed

>appx. 12 wks ago. This is my last week of physical therapy - the doctor

>told me I could start jogging at my own pace. Since then, I have been

>having a lot of pain, especially at night. I have pain going up and down

>stairs and during any physical activity. I also

> have pain when my knee is bent for a while. I don't think all this is

>normal and neither does my physical therapist - but the doctor says its

>normal, he says to keep pushing myself. What do you all think?

>

>gassysnake420@... wrote:well, thats always good, jk. ive read that you

>need to go for 10-15

>treatments. thats a lot of money, even with insurence.

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Oh my....you just hit the nail on the head! I had your same surgery last

September and this is what is going on! Please keep updating on what helps you!

Joya

I also had surgery on my left knee and was diagnosed with reduced cartilage

under the kneecap. The surgeon said that he would go in and clean up the

loose cartilage. In doing so, he reduced the cushion that I had and now I'm

in a lot of pain.

[Guest guest]

I would also like to know if anyone's had success with this.

Last week I walked 4 miles on soft trails at about 2 mph and my knee didn't hurt

-- until 4-5 days later, and then only very mildly. I probably should have used

ice twice a day for good measure in between, but wanted to test whether I'd

somehow gotten " cured " . Then this week I walked 2 miles & my knee has been

hurting since -- not real bad, but I can tell that if I do it again, I'm going

to be sorry. I wasn't using tape or a brace. I think if I'd been using tape

I'd be OK now.

Anyway, I'm interested in whether acupuncture can help with CP.

Just went to a new OS & he says you " can't do anything about it " . But he also

said you can't have a shoulder replacement, and I'm pretty sure you can. Sigh.

Ann

pain management

hi everyone, i was just wondering if anyone hs tried any sort of acupuncture/

pressure for their pain. i'm thinking about it because he naprosyn doesn't

really do much most of the time and i dont wanna take anything addictive.

thanx,

iris

[Guest guest]

Do you use McConnell tape?

Ann

Re: pain management

well, let ne tell you, all of your symptoms are the things ive been living

with for over a year. i work retail and i'm constantly bending, going up

ladders, etc. i am in terrible pain from 9am till i fall asleep. this is what

chondromalacia patella is, or at least what my definition of me. I have been

told to

stop going on the ladders and bending so much. everytime you walk up a step,

you put 3X your weight on your knee. im not a doc, so i can only tell you what

i know, but you gotta stop the bending and the stairs. ive been in physical

therapy for 3months now, an it hasn't done much for me. The only thing that

will

help me at least is to have a job thats doesn't entail much bending and

stuff. My PT also doesn't know why i'm in so much pain, but i had my first

sublexation 9 yrs ago, so go figure.

[Guest guest]

Thats a good question - Being active duty military the government pays for

everything 100%. I am lucky enough not to pay a dime.

gassysnake420@... wrote:

wow, thats a lot. if you dont mind, how much do u pay per visit?

[Guest guest]

I have been having grinding and a clicking feeling when I flex my quad - do you

think this is from the Chondro or could it be residuals from the surgery?

Hicks <racyspyder@...> wrote:I also had surgery on my left knee

and was diagnosed with reduced cartilage

under the kneecap. The surgeon said that he would go in and clean up the

loose cartilage. In doing so, he reduced the cushion that I had and now I'm

in a lot of pain. I would guess that is exactly what has happened to you.

The only thing that I've found that helps with the pain is Flax seed oil. I

eat a granola bar that has mostly flax seed that seems to help. I do

exercises twice a day and if I walk up stairs and take the elevator down

that also seems to help. I think that our thigh muscles are weak. This is

what has worked for me.

I'm going to try a new light therapy once my knee starts to hurt me again.

I'll never be able to run, but just as long as I can walk to where I want to

go without horrible pain, I'll be happy. If the light therapy works, I'll

give everyone the info.

Hicks

>From: <patandarica@...>

>Reply-chondromalacia treatment

>chondromalacia treatment

>Subject: Re: pain management

>Date: Tue, 8 Feb 2005 08:17:42 -0800 (PST)

>

>Hello all! I am an active duty Marine. I began having pain in my left

>knee after being kicked in the leg (martial arts). At the time of this

>initial injury, I also had a bone calcification arise in my left thigh. I

>continued to have minor pain over the next year until I went to a very

>physically demanding school. After the school I could not hardly walk. My

>doctor diagnosed me with chondromalacia and a MRI showed minor patellar

>tendinitis. I started physical therapy but the pain only increased. I

>went in for surgery a few weeks later with the purpose of scraping the scar

>tissue. My doctor hoped this would take some of the pain away. When he

>went in, he saw that I had ruptured my patellar tendon. This was fixed

>appx. 12 wks ago. This is my last week of physical therapy - the doctor

>told me I could start jogging at my own pace. Since then, I have been

>having a lot of pain, especially at night. I have pain going up and down

>stairs and during any physical activity. I also

> have pain when my knee is bent for a while. I don't think all this is

>normal and neither does my physical therapist - but the doctor says its

>normal, he says to keep pushing myself. What do you all think?

>

>gassysnake420@... wrote:well, thats always good, jk. ive read that you

>need to go for 10-15

>treatments. thats a lot of money, even with insurence.

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Yes, it's the arthritis that you have under the knee cap. Flaxseed seems to

help along with primrose oil.

Hicks

>From: <patandarica@...>

>Reply-chondromalacia treatment

>chondromalacia treatment

>Subject: Re: pain management

>Date: Wed, 9 Feb 2005 07:19:52 -0800 (PST)

>

>I have been having grinding and a clicking feeling when I flex my quad - do

>you think this is from the Chondro or could it be residuals from the

>surgery?

>

> Hicks <racyspyder@...> wrote:I also had surgery on my left

>knee and was diagnosed with reduced cartilage

>under the kneecap. The surgeon said that he would go in and clean up the

>loose cartilage. In doing so, he reduced the cushion that I had and now

>I'm

>in a lot of pain. I would guess that is exactly what has happened to you.

>The only thing that I've found that helps with the pain is Flax seed oil.

>I

>eat a granola bar that has mostly flax seed that seems to help. I do

>exercises twice a day and if I walk up stairs and take the elevator down

>that also seems to help. I think that our thigh muscles are weak. This is

>what has worked for me.

>

>I'm going to try a new light therapy once my knee starts to hurt me again.

>I'll never be able to run, but just as long as I can walk to where I want

>to

>go without horrible pain, I'll be happy. If the light therapy works, I'll

>give everyone the info.

>

>

>

> Hicks

>

>

>

>

> >From: <patandarica@...>

> >Reply-chondromalacia treatment

> >chondromalacia treatment

> >Subject: Re: pain management

> >Date: Tue, 8 Feb 2005 08:17:42 -0800 (PST)

> >

> >Hello all! I am an active duty Marine. I began having pain in my left

> >knee after being kicked in the leg (martial arts). At the time of this

> >initial injury, I also had a bone calcification arise in my left thigh.

>I

> >continued to have minor pain over the next year until I went to a very

> >physically demanding school. After the school I could not hardly walk.

>My

> >doctor diagnosed me with chondromalacia and a MRI showed minor patellar

> >tendinitis. I started physical therapy but the pain only increased. I

> >went in for surgery a few weeks later with the purpose of scraping the

>scar

> >tissue. My doctor hoped this would take some of the pain away. When he

> >went in, he saw that I had ruptured my patellar tendon. This was fixed

> >appx. 12 wks ago. This is my last week of physical therapy - the doctor

> >told me I could start jogging at my own pace. Since then, I have been

> >having a lot of pain, especially at night. I have pain going up and down

> >stairs and during any physical activity. I also

> > have pain when my knee is bent for a while. I don't think all this is

> >normal and neither does my physical therapist - but the doctor says its

> >normal, he says to keep pushing myself. What do you all think?

> >

> >gassysnake420@... wrote:well, thats always good, jk. ive read that

>you

> >need to go for 10-15

> >treatments. thats a lot of money, even with insurence.

> >

> >

> >

[Guest guest]

Hey!

I pay my co-pay for medical visits. It just went up this year to

$25 per visit. I'm currently going to PT 3 times a week - and

haven't been back to accu since before my surgery.

When I was doing accu I was going once a week. I know that this is

expensive for some, but because I can't take anti-inflammatories I

have to do something to be able to move and walk.

I've just accepted that this is price I'll have to pay to still be

able to do anything! I consider it an investment right now.

Kim

[Guest guest]

Hey :

DO NOT ignore the grinding and clicking! I did and ended up in a

lot of pain and with surgery at the end. I probably would have had

the chondro anyway (my kneecap was off-centre), but may not have

torn my cartilage because I would have gotten the inflammation under

control.

I noticed the grinding and clicking when I was doing stairs (up or

down) and just figured it was 'cause I turned 40 and stuff was

starting to fall apart!! I even joked about humming when I walked

up the stairs so I wouldn't have to listen to my knees making noise!!

Anyway - short story long - it was bone grinding on bone. Not ever

a good thing!

Kim

> I have been having grinding and a clicking feeling when I flex my

quad - do you think this is from the Chondro or could it be

residuals from the surgery?

[Guest guest]

It's possible that a piece of cartilage was left inside the knee. An MRI might

help, but if the particle was hiding, or too small, the MRI might miss it. Are

there times when it doesn't grind & click? If you shift your position (e.g. lie

on your side), does it change? If so, it could be a particle.

Ann

Re: pain management

Hey :

DO NOT ignore the grinding and clicking! I did and ended up in a

lot of pain and with surgery at the end. I probably would have had

the chondro anyway (my kneecap was off-centre), but may not have

torn my cartilage because I would have gotten the inflammation under

control.

I noticed the grinding and clicking when I was doing stairs (up or

down) and just figured it was 'cause I turned 40 and stuff was

starting to fall apart!! I even joked about humming when I walked

up the stairs so I wouldn't have to listen to my knees making noise!!

Anyway - short story long - it was bone grinding on bone. Not ever

a good thing!

Kim

> I have been having grinding and a clicking feeling when I flex my

quad - do you think this is from the Chondro or could it be

residuals from the surgery?

[Guest guest]

I think you still may have CP and should get a second opinion if your knee

still bothers you. Take a little advice from someone who has had experience

with CP pain------never take for granted an OS knows what he is talking

about. It is your body.

Mike

MT

Re: pain management

>

> Hello all! I am an active duty Marine. I began having pain in my left

> knee after being kicked in the leg (martial arts). At the time of this

> initial injury, I also had a bone calcification arise in my left thigh. I

> continued to have minor pain over the next year until I went to a very

> physically demanding school. After the school I could not hardly walk.

> My doctor diagnosed me with chondromalacia and a MRI showed minor patellar

> tendinitis. I started physical therapy but the pain only increased. I

> went in for surgery a few weeks later with the purpose of scraping the

> scar tissue. My doctor hoped this would take some of the pain away. When

> he went in, he saw that I had ruptured my patellar tendon. This was fixed

> appx. 12 wks ago. This is my last week of physical therapy - the doctor

> told me I could start jogging at my own pace. Since then, I have been

> having a lot of pain, especially at night. I have pain going up and down

> stairs and during any physical activity. I also

> have pain when my knee is bent for a while. I don't think all this is

> normal and neither does my physical therapist - but the doctor says its

> normal, he says to keep pushing myself. What do you all think?

>

> gassysnake420@... wrote:well, thats always good, jk. ive read that you

> need to go for 10-15

> treatments. thats a lot of money, even with insurence.

>

>

>