Today is May 14th, and I'm due to be at Emory Spinal & Orthopedic Clinic at 6am to do paperwork and get my anesthesia started, for the procedure at 7am to fix the frozen shoulder.
Why am I writing this at this hour of the morning instead of sleeping?
Because I can't sleep. I've been in bed since 9pm last night, and actually managed to drop off for a few hours, but keep waking up, and now it's to the point that I can't get back to sleep.
It's sort of like when I was doing major amounts of coffee past the time I knew I shouldn't, but in this case, I think it's more nerves. (Especially since I had a total of two and a half cups of coffee yesterday, and one of those was 75% decaf).
The arm is giving me minor difficulties, by twinging and being annoying however this is definitely more related to the procedure than to anything else.
Am I doing the right thing? I think so. I've been dealing with this for over about a year now and it's time to get it fixed once and for all.
I'll write more after the surgery.
I just wanted to get this down for the record.
Showing posts with label medical. Show all posts
Showing posts with label medical. Show all posts
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Sunday, May 11, 2008
Further frozen shoulder update
Okay, here's what transpired on Thursday when I spoke with the surgeon.
Essentially, he and his resident both agreed that I have a frozen shoulder. (Big duh there...)
So, Wednesday May 14th, I'm going to undergo a procedure known as Manipulation Under Anesthesia,(MUA) rather than Arthroscopic Adhesive Capsulotomy (AAC).
Essentially, for the MUA, I will be given a nerve block in addition to being put under general anesthesia, most likely using a gas such as halothane.
When I'm under, the surgeon will then manipulate my arm, serving to break up the adhesive capsulitis , and then wake me up.
The reason behind MUA instead of AAC is primarily because of my diabetes, because diabetics have a higher rate of infection. And since this is technically a non invasive (read as no cutting involved) procedure, there is zero chance of infection.
Then, I'm to go back to physical therapy for another 8 weeks to make sure that as the shoulder heals itself, it doesn't heal back frozen.
Should this not work out, then I'll be a candidate for the AAC.
And no, this isn't why I'm a crabby SOB.
Essentially, he and his resident both agreed that I have a frozen shoulder. (Big duh there...)
So, Wednesday May 14th, I'm going to undergo a procedure known as Manipulation Under Anesthesia,(MUA) rather than Arthroscopic Adhesive Capsulotomy (AAC).
Essentially, for the MUA, I will be given a nerve block in addition to being put under general anesthesia, most likely using a gas such as halothane.
When I'm under, the surgeon will then manipulate my arm, serving to break up the adhesive capsulitis , and then wake me up.
The reason behind MUA instead of AAC is primarily because of my diabetes, because diabetics have a higher rate of infection. And since this is technically a non invasive (read as no cutting involved) procedure, there is zero chance of infection.
Then, I'm to go back to physical therapy for another 8 weeks to make sure that as the shoulder heals itself, it doesn't heal back frozen.
Should this not work out, then I'll be a candidate for the AAC.
And no, this isn't why I'm a crabby SOB.
Monday, May 5, 2008
Frozen shoulder update
Well, I've been at physical therapy for the last 8 weeks ever since the "official" diagnosis of frozen shoulder back in March.
I had my followup visit with the specialist today, and while there's been some improvement, there hasn't been enough.
So, on Thursday I meet with a surgeon to discuss the next step. There are two options available, however I think he'll decide to go with the surgical release rather than manipulation under anesthesia. I could be wrong, however I'm basing my opinion on Dr. Mautner's observations today.
And to top it off, I'm still more likely to have it happen in the right shoulder now that I've had it happen in the left.
I'm going to try and get it scheduled for next week, when I won't have to take as much time off work.
Theoretically, it'll be outpatient and I won't miss that much work. But miss work I will, since this is surgery.
More on Thursday.
I had my followup visit with the specialist today, and while there's been some improvement, there hasn't been enough.
So, on Thursday I meet with a surgeon to discuss the next step. There are two options available, however I think he'll decide to go with the surgical release rather than manipulation under anesthesia. I could be wrong, however I'm basing my opinion on Dr. Mautner's observations today.
And to top it off, I'm still more likely to have it happen in the right shoulder now that I've had it happen in the left.
I'm going to try and get it scheduled for next week, when I won't have to take as much time off work.
Theoretically, it'll be outpatient and I won't miss that much work. But miss work I will, since this is surgery.
More on Thursday.
Saturday, March 15, 2008
March 15th 2008
Okay, I've really been slack about posting.
My apologies, hon, but I've had a lot going on, and still do.
Medically, I have had 2 warts removed from my leg, my blood sugar I believe has been stabilized, (more on that in a minute), gone off Chantix and on to Wellbutrin for the smoking.
I'm in physical therapy/rehab for my frozen shoulder, 3 times a week for at least 8 weeks, to get my shoulder unstuck.
Dolly Parton has rescheduled her concert due to medical concerns.
(I.e., due to the size of her breasts and her age, her back's giving out and she's been forced to reschedule...) regardless, she's still appearing at the Fox April 29th, just 6 weeks later than originally expected. Grandpa Don and I are planning on going... we have excellent seats, too.
I'm currently up to 40 units of insulin daily, in addition to taking the oral med, Metformin twice a day.
This has brought my morning blood sugar down to "normal" levels - this view is confirmed by what Dr. Springer has said about my AiC levels being excellent.
I'm very seriously considering changing jobs - I don't know where that's going to go though. I've been with this company for 13 years now. More on that in a bit.
This morning, a tornado blew through downtown Atlanta - I saw firsthand the missing windows at the Westin Peachtree Plaza, although thankfully I was at home, in bed when it rolled through the city.
I saw the missing windows downtown because I went to check on Uncle Bobby & Aunt Sheba's house, and they currently live on the side of town that was affected.
They're currently in Tennessee on vacation.
That's about all I got now, I'm going to go eat lunch now.
Love you!!
My apologies, hon, but I've had a lot going on, and still do.
Medically, I have had 2 warts removed from my leg, my blood sugar I believe has been stabilized, (more on that in a minute), gone off Chantix and on to Wellbutrin for the smoking.
I'm in physical therapy/rehab for my frozen shoulder, 3 times a week for at least 8 weeks, to get my shoulder unstuck.
Dolly Parton has rescheduled her concert due to medical concerns.
(I.e., due to the size of her breasts and her age, her back's giving out and she's been forced to reschedule...) regardless, she's still appearing at the Fox April 29th, just 6 weeks later than originally expected. Grandpa Don and I are planning on going... we have excellent seats, too.
I'm currently up to 40 units of insulin daily, in addition to taking the oral med, Metformin twice a day.
This has brought my morning blood sugar down to "normal" levels - this view is confirmed by what Dr. Springer has said about my AiC levels being excellent.
I'm very seriously considering changing jobs - I don't know where that's going to go though. I've been with this company for 13 years now. More on that in a bit.
This morning, a tornado blew through downtown Atlanta - I saw firsthand the missing windows at the Westin Peachtree Plaza, although thankfully I was at home, in bed when it rolled through the city.
I saw the missing windows downtown because I went to check on Uncle Bobby & Aunt Sheba's house, and they currently live on the side of town that was affected.
They're currently in Tennessee on vacation.
That's about all I got now, I'm going to go eat lunch now.
Love you!!
Monday, February 4, 2008
February 4th
Sorry, I got a little slack about the posting - but I'll fill you in on last week - it started with a diabetes class on Monday and Tuesday, during which they started with what to expect in the way of complications in case you don't manage the disease on day one and then moved to how to manage blood sugar by label reading and portion control on day two.
All of that made sense to me, however I wasn't happy about learning that I now would essentially be required to eat 3 meals and a snack daily; in addition, the schedule they were proposing was designed with someone who works day shift in mind, not some schlub like me who works 2nd shift.
With a little tweaking, I did manage to get it worked out, however I'm still having problems with the whole "eating at least 3 times a day" thing. I've gotten by for over 30 years on coffee in the morning with my single main meal late in the day. Only rarely did I actually eat breakfast, and that was closer to brunch than breakfast.
Honestly, I am finding it the hardest thing in the world to eat after I get up. My concession to this has been to do yogurt and toast or a biscuit in the morning, since it's light and still fits into the meal plan I was given.
On the other hand, I did get some things done around the house, putting two shelves up in the kitchen to increase my storage space (wonder of wonders, I now have 2 free shelves in the pantry, in addition to increased storage under the kitchen sink for larger pots and pans)
Friday, I went to see the Dr about the results of the MRI of my shoulder - let me tell you, that was an interesting discussion, because when he opened with "I'm not sure how to tell you this..." I was honestly expecting to hear the worst - but then he followed with "nothing showed up...minor degeneration in the shoulder joint, but that wasn't near enough to cause my issues, no bone spur, nothing else out of place...so I'm at a loss to explain why it's happened"
Thankfully, he decided that the best course of action will be to start with a physical therapist, so that's next on that agenda. My insurance is just going to love me.
Then, we got to discussing my diabetes, and based on the average of my blood sugar readings according to the glucometer, he decided to increase my insulin from 10 units to 15, with the goal of getting it to 20 units to see if that will bring my readings into more of a "normal" range. (That being around 100, I'm currently averaging around 150)
I'm sure my insurance is just loving me right now...I've had a sleep study ($2500) that discovered that I sleep on my side and therefore have no problems with sleep apnea, an MRI, (another couple thousand) that discovered nothing wrong, diabetes classes ($2000), and now a physical therapist.
I hate getting old.
All of that made sense to me, however I wasn't happy about learning that I now would essentially be required to eat 3 meals and a snack daily; in addition, the schedule they were proposing was designed with someone who works day shift in mind, not some schlub like me who works 2nd shift.
With a little tweaking, I did manage to get it worked out, however I'm still having problems with the whole "eating at least 3 times a day" thing. I've gotten by for over 30 years on coffee in the morning with my single main meal late in the day. Only rarely did I actually eat breakfast, and that was closer to brunch than breakfast.
Honestly, I am finding it the hardest thing in the world to eat after I get up. My concession to this has been to do yogurt and toast or a biscuit in the morning, since it's light and still fits into the meal plan I was given.
On the other hand, I did get some things done around the house, putting two shelves up in the kitchen to increase my storage space (wonder of wonders, I now have 2 free shelves in the pantry, in addition to increased storage under the kitchen sink for larger pots and pans)
Friday, I went to see the Dr about the results of the MRI of my shoulder - let me tell you, that was an interesting discussion, because when he opened with "I'm not sure how to tell you this..." I was honestly expecting to hear the worst - but then he followed with "nothing showed up...minor degeneration in the shoulder joint, but that wasn't near enough to cause my issues, no bone spur, nothing else out of place...so I'm at a loss to explain why it's happened"
Thankfully, he decided that the best course of action will be to start with a physical therapist, so that's next on that agenda. My insurance is just going to love me.
Then, we got to discussing my diabetes, and based on the average of my blood sugar readings according to the glucometer, he decided to increase my insulin from 10 units to 15, with the goal of getting it to 20 units to see if that will bring my readings into more of a "normal" range. (That being around 100, I'm currently averaging around 150)
I'm sure my insurance is just loving me right now...I've had a sleep study ($2500) that discovered that I sleep on my side and therefore have no problems with sleep apnea, an MRI, (another couple thousand) that discovered nothing wrong, diabetes classes ($2000), and now a physical therapist.
I hate getting old.
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
Stopping smoking the Chantix way and other medical news
I have decided that 34 years of smoking is enough, and I have started on Chantix. This is the latest in my attempts to quit smoking, having tried the patch (a couple of times), nicotine gum (nasty nasty stuff), cold turkey, and Wellbutrin.
This round of treatment is also the single most costly attempt I've made - the "starter" pack cost over $100, and the first month's supply of pills cost around $140. Quite the out of pocket investment, so I'm obviously determined to make this work. My plan is to do this regimen for at least 2 months and then go back on Wellbutrin for a couple of months, until I've managed to break the psychological addiction of smoking.
That's usually ended up being my downfall...I can deal with ending the physical addiction, however inevitably, something happens that triggers me to start smoking again.
Anyway, as of this post, I've been on Chantix for 2 days now. I'll write more about this after I've put down the smokes for the last time, and continue detailing the effort.
(Side note to Andrea: if I **EVER** catch you smoking young lady, you won't be able to sit down for at least a month. I don't care what your mother says, I'll kick your ass.)
The regimen starts with a half dose for the first 3 days (ie 1 pill instead of 2) , then a pill in the morning and a pill in the evening. Apparently, I'm also the guinea pig for the family, since Sheba, Bobby and Grandpa Don are all waiting to see how this works out before they commit to trying it.
On another front, I'm scheduled for an MRI of my shoulder on Thursday the 17th. After undergoing a few months of Chiropractic treatment abetted by massage therapy and still having limited mobility of my left arm (the condition is known as "frozen shoulder"), I went to the Doctor and got a couple of shots in the shoulder - they didn't do much good, so he's now sending me to have the MRI so we can get a better picture of what we're dealing with. I'm honestly not looking forward to a surgical solution to this issue, however I believe that will end up as a last resort.
I'm still on 10 units of subcutaneous insulin daily, however I've lost 11 more pounds - based on what Doctor Springer said when I started the insulin, I've only got about 40 more to go and I should be able to come off the insulin and manage the diabetes through diet alone.
That's all I have for now... you're being stubborn and haven't made your appearance yet, (Grandpa Don was wrong about that, quelle suprise) but I'm still holding out for the 21st/22nd. We'll see.
This round of treatment is also the single most costly attempt I've made - the "starter" pack cost over $100, and the first month's supply of pills cost around $140. Quite the out of pocket investment, so I'm obviously determined to make this work. My plan is to do this regimen for at least 2 months and then go back on Wellbutrin for a couple of months, until I've managed to break the psychological addiction of smoking.
That's usually ended up being my downfall...I can deal with ending the physical addiction, however inevitably, something happens that triggers me to start smoking again.
Anyway, as of this post, I've been on Chantix for 2 days now. I'll write more about this after I've put down the smokes for the last time, and continue detailing the effort.
(Side note to Andrea: if I **EVER** catch you smoking young lady, you won't be able to sit down for at least a month. I don't care what your mother says, I'll kick your ass.)
The regimen starts with a half dose for the first 3 days (ie 1 pill instead of 2) , then a pill in the morning and a pill in the evening. Apparently, I'm also the guinea pig for the family, since Sheba, Bobby and Grandpa Don are all waiting to see how this works out before they commit to trying it.
On another front, I'm scheduled for an MRI of my shoulder on Thursday the 17th. After undergoing a few months of Chiropractic treatment abetted by massage therapy and still having limited mobility of my left arm (the condition is known as "frozen shoulder"), I went to the Doctor and got a couple of shots in the shoulder - they didn't do much good, so he's now sending me to have the MRI so we can get a better picture of what we're dealing with. I'm honestly not looking forward to a surgical solution to this issue, however I believe that will end up as a last resort.
I'm still on 10 units of subcutaneous insulin daily, however I've lost 11 more pounds - based on what Doctor Springer said when I started the insulin, I've only got about 40 more to go and I should be able to come off the insulin and manage the diabetes through diet alone.
That's all I have for now... you're being stubborn and haven't made your appearance yet, (Grandpa Don was wrong about that, quelle suprise) but I'm still holding out for the 21st/22nd. We'll see.
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