Friday, October 2, 2015
Elbow Saga
Well my elbow hurts. A lot. It has been for some time now. Starting in Jan/Feb of 2014 after a big dead lift. I set my new max and was very happy about it. A couple of days later my forearm muscles hurt and discussing it with my trainer it seemed rather obvious it was from gripping the bar so hard. Made sense. Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation (RICE) all done per usual on anything that hurts. That helped a bit, but nothing really improved for real.
May of 2014 I see a chiropractor through a chance encounter. All in all, those treatments helped quite a bit, but again, no real healing. I got a cortisone shot in July if 2014. Voila! Much better. But then the pain came back around January of this year (2015). I have been fighting it ever since.
In July of 2015 I again had a cortisone shot before we left on vacation. This time very little help indeed. I went again to my orthopedist and had an MRI done. Ick. 40% tear in my right extensor tendon. Commonly known as Tennis Elbow (although I've never played). Anyway, on Wednesday I had a procedure done called TENEX. I don't know if I am pleased yet with it or not, but I really do not want full on surgery if I can avoid it. It hurts a lot although the radiating pain into my shoulder and back are much less.
I talked with Alan (a friend in BSF leadership with me) this morning about it and his wife has had similar issues. She had TENEX and it did not help. She got the surgery (whatever they do in the cut world) and is perfect now. He just told me not to get discouraged if this does not work and to not sweat the surgery and rehab. I don't know what the next so many weeks will bring, but I will be happy when I can get more than a few hours of sleep a night.
Monday, June 22, 2015
Frankenfoot
Thought I'd share a bit about my foot saga.
On Memorial Day weekend 2012, that Saturday, I went jet-skiing, more correctly on a WaveRunner, on Grand Lake. No big deal I thought, I've done this a two or three times a summer for a while back. I haven't been in two years though since last year there was a blue-green algae scare on the lake so we didn't do anything that would make us get 'in' like jet-skis or tubing, etc.
It started off normal enough. We usually rent them from a marina at Shangri-La and head across the lake to a place where larger boats tend to leave a cove as we gets good waves to jump. And then the problem starts. A small boat is returning, really small mind you, no deep V, nothing heavy, leaving a wake maybe 2 feet high. The lake is already choppy and any real 'get on the gas' speed makes you feel like you are getting beat to death, so nothing like a fast approach. I hit my first wake of the day at maybe 25. I had just hit the throttle really and turned into it. Nothing I hadn't done a bunch of times in the past.
But that day was not ordinary.
In fact, the next 3 seconds I barely remember.
I vaguely have a vision of coming back toward water. I somehow landed with all of my weight on my left foot. CRUNCH! I hear it and feel it. I get launched, however I went, off of the craft and into the water. When I come up all I remember is yelling over and over non-stop, "OW! OW! OW!..."
Luckily, I was not alone. Julie, her dad, her brother, and both boys were out there with me. David (my brother-in-law) got to me first and got me holding on to the one he was riding while he swam to get mine who had floated some distance away.
I floated for a few minutes just trying to get my mind somewhat back into the moment away from just the pain of it all. I had to get back to the marina! Floating in a lake I'd never get my foot fixed (and at the time I thought I had broken my ankle). I'm so glad I have been working out. I had enough strength to pull myself back up onto the waverunner and got Logan transferred back to another craft. I then got to ride back to the marina with my broken foot. Not fun. When I got back to the marina, the two sons of the owners, probably 18-19, got to help me hobble up the dock to the car which Julie went and got.
We tried to go to a very near (about 15 minutes away) medical center but they had no one there who they thought could treat me. We went on to Grove, about another 20 minutes and went to an urgent care. They shot the first x-rays and got me in a boot. According to them I broke my third metatarsal and cracked my tibia (inner side ankle bone). They said I needed to see an orthopedist as soon as I could to see what they wanted to do if anything to fix me up. We went back to the condo and I just laid back and elevated my foot and took my pain meds.
On Tuesday I tried to call Tulsa Bone & Joint because I had worked with them previously in my knee arthroscopy about 10 years ago. The guy at the Tulsa location couldn't see me as a new patient until Thursday but his counterpart in Owasso (20 minutes N of Tulsa) could see me that morning. Great! So we went to see him (my friend Kim took me, he is a P.A. so extra awesome to get that kind of backing for anything I'm told. I didn't see him for more than 1 minute. He looked at my xrays that I brought with me form the urgent care and he said I needed surgery and I needed to see the Tulsa guy today. He got me in. Two hours later I'm in the Tulsa office meeting with Dr. S. He had them shoot a new set of xrays and again in 30 seconds said I was going to have surgery. This time though, when looked at by a pro, it turns out I had broken my 2nd and 3rd metatarsals and dislocated four bones in my foot. Surgery got Scheduled for the following Monday as long as I could get the swelling down, so home I went for more ice and elevation.
Monday came and surgery was super fast. He said only about 1/2 hour under the knife. I got two screws into my foot bones to hold them together and a nifty wire down the length of my third toe and sticking out for all to see!
This is certainly a post about the past. This poor post has been sitting here a long time. I need to get something published. At any rate, the pin got removed about 6 weeks after the surgery, the screws got removed and my left knee scoped in November of 2012. It took another year to fully recover my strength in my left leg back to pre-injury condition.
All in all I have been doing VERY well indeed. The medication I was on during the trial was swiftly approved and I now take the commercial medication (Aubagio). I have had basically no progression at any time since starting it. It has truly been a blessing to have this in my life.
I got a tattoo over my left foot in May of this year to cover up my scars from surgery. It reads "Though I stumble, I will never fall, for the LORD holds me by the hand. Ps37:24"
God has been holding me up through my MS and my injuries. He has me by the hand. So although my MS and such certainly has brought with it many stumbles, both real and spiritual, my protection and stability comes from Him.
On Memorial Day weekend 2012, that Saturday, I went jet-skiing, more correctly on a WaveRunner, on Grand Lake. No big deal I thought, I've done this a two or three times a summer for a while back. I haven't been in two years though since last year there was a blue-green algae scare on the lake so we didn't do anything that would make us get 'in' like jet-skis or tubing, etc.
It started off normal enough. We usually rent them from a marina at Shangri-La and head across the lake to a place where larger boats tend to leave a cove as we gets good waves to jump. And then the problem starts. A small boat is returning, really small mind you, no deep V, nothing heavy, leaving a wake maybe 2 feet high. The lake is already choppy and any real 'get on the gas' speed makes you feel like you are getting beat to death, so nothing like a fast approach. I hit my first wake of the day at maybe 25. I had just hit the throttle really and turned into it. Nothing I hadn't done a bunch of times in the past.
But that day was not ordinary.
In fact, the next 3 seconds I barely remember.
I vaguely have a vision of coming back toward water. I somehow landed with all of my weight on my left foot. CRUNCH! I hear it and feel it. I get launched, however I went, off of the craft and into the water. When I come up all I remember is yelling over and over non-stop, "OW! OW! OW!..."
Luckily, I was not alone. Julie, her dad, her brother, and both boys were out there with me. David (my brother-in-law) got to me first and got me holding on to the one he was riding while he swam to get mine who had floated some distance away.
I floated for a few minutes just trying to get my mind somewhat back into the moment away from just the pain of it all. I had to get back to the marina! Floating in a lake I'd never get my foot fixed (and at the time I thought I had broken my ankle). I'm so glad I have been working out. I had enough strength to pull myself back up onto the waverunner and got Logan transferred back to another craft. I then got to ride back to the marina with my broken foot. Not fun. When I got back to the marina, the two sons of the owners, probably 18-19, got to help me hobble up the dock to the car which Julie went and got.
We tried to go to a very near (about 15 minutes away) medical center but they had no one there who they thought could treat me. We went on to Grove, about another 20 minutes and went to an urgent care. They shot the first x-rays and got me in a boot. According to them I broke my third metatarsal and cracked my tibia (inner side ankle bone). They said I needed to see an orthopedist as soon as I could to see what they wanted to do if anything to fix me up. We went back to the condo and I just laid back and elevated my foot and took my pain meds.
On Tuesday I tried to call Tulsa Bone & Joint because I had worked with them previously in my knee arthroscopy about 10 years ago. The guy at the Tulsa location couldn't see me as a new patient until Thursday but his counterpart in Owasso (20 minutes N of Tulsa) could see me that morning. Great! So we went to see him (my friend Kim took me, he is a P.A. so extra awesome to get that kind of backing for anything I'm told. I didn't see him for more than 1 minute. He looked at my xrays that I brought with me form the urgent care and he said I needed surgery and I needed to see the Tulsa guy today. He got me in. Two hours later I'm in the Tulsa office meeting with Dr. S. He had them shoot a new set of xrays and again in 30 seconds said I was going to have surgery. This time though, when looked at by a pro, it turns out I had broken my 2nd and 3rd metatarsals and dislocated four bones in my foot. Surgery got Scheduled for the following Monday as long as I could get the swelling down, so home I went for more ice and elevation.
Monday came and surgery was super fast. He said only about 1/2 hour under the knife. I got two screws into my foot bones to hold them together and a nifty wire down the length of my third toe and sticking out for all to see!
This is certainly a post about the past. This poor post has been sitting here a long time. I need to get something published. At any rate, the pin got removed about 6 weeks after the surgery, the screws got removed and my left knee scoped in November of 2012. It took another year to fully recover my strength in my left leg back to pre-injury condition.
All in all I have been doing VERY well indeed. The medication I was on during the trial was swiftly approved and I now take the commercial medication (Aubagio). I have had basically no progression at any time since starting it. It has truly been a blessing to have this in my life.
I got a tattoo over my left foot in May of this year to cover up my scars from surgery. It reads "Though I stumble, I will never fall, for the LORD holds me by the hand. Ps37:24"
God has been holding me up through my MS and my injuries. He has me by the hand. So although my MS and such certainly has brought with it many stumbles, both real and spiritual, my protection and stability comes from Him.
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
Three weeks in and no change (Good!)
On the 18th of January I was transitioned from the Phase 3 trial to the 'extension study'. What that means is that I'm no longer in a 'blind' portion of the study. Everyone who wen into the extension is now getting the 14mg dose (that is the high dose in the trial; there were placebo, 7mg, and 14mg being tested). It will be a long time before I know what group I was in, but generally speaking I got the 'reset button' on looking for side effects.
It turns out that after three weeks, I haven't noticed any changes at all. That is a great thing! First because I'm not having any side effects that I can tell. Second, that may indicate I was on the high dose even in the trial. Whatever my position in the trial though, for the next 45-50 weeks I get the real medication. The continued care is a real blessing.
It turns out that after three weeks, I haven't noticed any changes at all. That is a great thing! First because I'm not having any side effects that I can tell. Second, that may indicate I was on the high dose even in the trial. Whatever my position in the trial though, for the next 45-50 weeks I get the real medication. The continued care is a real blessing.
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
End of year approaches
The end of the year is sneaking up on me. Work is a bear to say the least as I have a project that I need to finish before year-end. I haven't felt well for the last few days. Nothing serious, just an allergy attack / minor head cold. I'm stuffed up and am generally tired.
Christmas was great. We spent Christmas Eve with my mom and Christmas Day with Julie's family. We had a fun time.
Nothing much to say on the MS front really. That is getting nicer to say more and more often. The drug trial continues, and though they said they were going to transition to an extension study, there has been no more word about it. I had blood labs a couple of weeks ago and if nothing else changes I should have another set and a visit around the end of January. I think I will also have another ultrasound about that time. My symptoms have been minor really for the most part with fatigue in my left leg the most prominent. I have have had less overall fatigue this year. The summer was not nearly as bad as last year even with the more intense heat.
Here's looking forward to next year and the study extension! Cheers!
Christmas was great. We spent Christmas Eve with my mom and Christmas Day with Julie's family. We had a fun time.
Nothing much to say on the MS front really. That is getting nicer to say more and more often. The drug trial continues, and though they said they were going to transition to an extension study, there has been no more word about it. I had blood labs a couple of weeks ago and if nothing else changes I should have another set and a visit around the end of January. I think I will also have another ultrasound about that time. My symptoms have been minor really for the most part with fatigue in my left leg the most prominent. I have have had less overall fatigue this year. The summer was not nearly as bad as last year even with the more intense heat.
Here's looking forward to next year and the study extension! Cheers!
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