Oh God Back Pain Sucks!

[Dr_Girlfriend]

I have a LOT more sympathy for my father that has lower back issues. Yesterday I twisted the wrong way while helping my husband move our 8,000,000 pound dresser. This SUCKS.

Also, I went into work today and they made me go home because I seemed "out of commission" to the pharmacy director. That pissed me off since there are still some things that I can help out computer wise.. dosing and troubleshooting and whatnot since we just went live with a new computer system. The practically chained me to my desk when I had food poisoning stating they could "work around my GI issues." So now I have someone else that I'm not completely sure of their abilities covering my patients for today and tomorrow. I don't like that.

So yeah, I'm sort of a one woman pity party right now. My apologies for that. But on a lighter note, the Vicodin makes me loopy and a bit amnesic (is that even a word..?) and it just took 3 minutes to find the question mark button on my keyboard. Had to go through and make sure I didn't make any stupid posts last night since I can barely remember what I did.

Just me and the cats... chillin' yo...

 

[User38]

My heart goes out to you. I too have had serious back issues -- 2 disckectomies in a row and am seriously limited with movements. I now have to THINK before I make any moves. Any moves I do make must be thought out and planned so I don't pull my back.... It is a difficult situation at best.

To top that off, all the medications I have had to take for my back and surgeries have left my stomach in the crapper, literally. I can get acid reflux, upset stomach, diahrea, and horrific stomach cramps -- this is not fun. And, to top that too I now have a high cholesterol/trigliceride count due to my liver not working up to par.

Have faith, and perseverance -- it all gets sorted out. Also, try anything that is a NATURAL remedy. The more meds you take the more you can get sick or make other organs sicker.

Best of luck

 

[Dr_Girlfriend]

Quote:

Originally Posted by HerGreyness My heart goes out to you. I too have had serious back issues -- 2 disckectomies in a row and am seriously limited with movements. I now have to THINK before I make any moves. Any moves I do make must be thought out and planned so I don't pull my back.... It is a difficult situation at best. To top that off, all the medications I have had to take for my back and surgeries have left my stomach in the crapper, literally. I can get acid reflux, upset stomach, diahrea, and horrific stomach cramps -- this is not fun. And, to top that too I now have a high cholesterol/trigliceride count due to my liver not working up to par. Have faith, and perseverance -- it all gets sorted out. Also, try anything that is a NATURAL remedy. The more meds you take the more you can get sick or make other organs sicker. Best of luck

Wow, that's horrible. I truly feel for you. When I was still an intern, I worked at a retail pharmacy. We had a customer that was on about 10 different narcotic pain meds, muscle relaxers, pain patches, and penile injections for erectile dysfunction because of spinal nerve damage. He was a detective. He and his partner were caught in a gunfight. He survived and his partner was killed. Because of everything, he pretty much couldn't handle solid food and then needed anti-emetics because of that. More meds because of a problem tolerating his meds... I started off completely despising that man but then we got to talking more and more and he ended up one of my favorites.

Hopefully I should feel better in a couple of days. I now know I need to start working out again and eating better to get the extra weight off. This is ridiculous.

I appreciate your concern. Thank you.

 

[RedRibbon]

My pain is lesser than both yours but I'm still being a pussy about it. I cut my leg pretty bad whilst shaving the other day, there is a massive cut down the back of my left thigh and I can't bend my leg. To make matters worse, I tried to lift a really heavy pool table yesterday (estimated weight :100 million tonnes, no exaggeration) and that didn't help the cut either.

It's healing itself as it would, I took the plaster off yesterday and saw some yellowy substance, I was convinced it was going grangrene and woke Mr RR up to tell him and he put my mind at rest

..vaseline is on at the moment. I never thought a cut could make you pretty much useless, I can't sit properly because it kills and worst of all, I've got one clean shaved leg and one leg which is 0.75 smooth and 0.25 hair, I think I'm more concerned about that than anything.

 

[gildedangel]

I'm so sorry! I haven't had severe back pain before but I can certainly imagine that it is very painful and not fun! I do love Vicodin though! I think that my doctor may have overdosed me on it though because when my dad broke his rib they gave him the exact same dosage. He is a burly 250 lb man, I am a scrawny less than 100 lb girl. lol

 

[MAC_Whore]

I so feel your pain. I have done that before. This is so frickin' lame, but I was unloading the dishwasher when I tweaked my back. Apparently the bend and twist motion tends to bring on back issues. Sounds like you are worse off than I was. They only put me on Flexeril.

My boss (at the time) was not as accomodating as yours. He was being a big baby and giving me crap about it just being a bad back. NOTE: He comes to work the day after surgeries and with the stomach flu. I wanted to say, "Listen dude, I appreciate that you have thrown your back out before, but until you are carrying around 10lbs of boobs and throw your back out, zip your trap!"

We never realize how much we use our backs and knees until we throw them out.

I hope you feel better soon. Vicodin and cats sound like a good course of meds.

 

[Dr_Girlfriend]

Quote:

Originally Posted by MAC_Whore I so feel your pain. I have done that before. This is so frickin' lame, but I was unloading the dishwasher when I tweaked my back. Apparently the bend and twist motion tends to bring on back issues. Sounds like you are worse off than I was. They only put me on Flexeril. My boss (at the time) was not as accomodating as yours. He was being a big baby and giving me crap about it just being a bad back. NOTE: He comes to work the day after surgeries and with the stomach flu. I wanted to say, "Listen dude, I appreciate that you have thrown your back out before, but until you are carrying around 10lbs of boobs and throw your back out, zip your trap!" We never realize how much we use our backs and knees until we throw them out. ETA: The last time that my father threw his back out, he was picking up a towel off of the floor. Go figure... I hope you feel better soon. Vicodin and cats sound like a good course of meds.

LOL there's just something very therapeutic about have all my "babies" with me when I'm bedridden for the day. It's just very comforting. The last time I had to call out, I had a stomach virus. Basically their idea of accomidating me was giving me an extra trash can in my office if I couldn't make it to the restroom. Lame as hell. Ha I've got 4 kitties that are all asleep right next to me. So relaxing! I love them so much.

Definitely need to strengthen my lower back and abs. I've gotten very lazy about that. Maybe it's a blessing in disguise... it gets me to start taking better care of myself.

ETA: The last time my father threw his back out, he was bending down to pick a towel up off the floor. Go figure...

 

[Dr_Girlfriend]

Quote:

Originally Posted by gildedangel I'm so sorry! I haven't had severe back pain before but I can certainly imagine that it is very painful and not fun! I do love Vicodin though! I think that my doctor may have overdosed me on it though because when my dad broke his rib they gave him the exact same dosage. He is a burly 250 lb man, I am a scrawny less than 100 lb girl. lol

It's not likely that you'd overdose unless you take more that what your physician prescribed. The biggest concern (in my opinion) is not the narcotic component (hydrocodone) but rather the amount of acetaminophen that you take. The max amount of acteaminophen that one can ingest is 4g (4000mg). It's very easy for someone to OD on Tylenol since most people believe that it's safe to take whatever they want since it's over the counter. Overdosing on Tylenol can cause severe acute liver failure.

But I have to agree with you that's a good feeling once it kicks in. It's like there's not a care in the world. I can see WHY someone can easily become addicted.

Hopefully that all made sense... My apologies if it didn't.

 

[BeccalovesMAC]

awwwwI feel your pain. I have huge boobs and my back is always hurting take care

 

[frocher]

........

 

[Dr_Girlfriend]

Well, decided not to be stubborn this time around and made an appointment for this morning. Just your standard bad posture and stupidity with lifting heavy boxes. The steroids should start to work rather fast. Hopefully I don't need any more of the pain meds after today. Still loopy and BORED and playing fetch with Babydude (the youngest of our 4 cats.) Thank you all for the well wishes!

Absolutely LOVED the doctor but hated the practice. The receptionist was so rude that I almost went off on her ass. Figured that in my current state, that wouldn't have been the wisest approach. The MA that took my blood pressure screwed up. She scared the doctor half to death. Her result was 158/120 which scared me since my blood pressure is usually low. They needed a urine specimen and gave me a PAPER CUP which was just weird. Oh!.. and she mistook me for my mother-in-law (she's 69 and I'm 27..??). On a better note, the doctor may be leaving that practice to start his own. Let's hope that happens!

 

[LMD84]

you have my sympathy if you have back pain! i get alot of back pain because of my work - stupidly i'll think i can manage lifting something when really it's too heavy for me - ie a 46'' lcd tv!

some days when i get home it actually pains me to lie flat one my back - i get shooting pains up and down it

 

[Dr_Girlfriend]

Quote:

Originally Posted by LMD84 you have my sympathy if you have back pain! i get alot of back pain because of my work - stupidly i'll think i can manage lifting something when really it's too heavy for me - ie a 46'' lcd tv! some days when i get home it actually pains me to lie flat one my back - i get shooting pains up and down it

I feel your pain.. I work at a hospital and across the hall from our IV clean room we have a stock room for all of the fluids. Those boxes aren't light! Our delivery men are idiots. They will pack those boxes to the CEILING, which is a violation in itself Also, they won't move the empty boxes that they're supposed to take with them and will place all of the full boxes on top of them! I'm surprised someone hasn't gotten seriously hurt like that. Not saying that's what I did to my back, but I won't rule it out. One of my technicians scared me to death the other day when I heard a big crash and a blood curdling scream. This girl is 5'1" and 80 pounds... that pissed me off. So hopefully they'll take the pharmacy workers concerns a little more seriously.

 

[LMD84]

wow they sound like our delivery guys! they will pile big palette high with large lcd tv's - agian not light! and it's not good me trying to grab them down! i'm quite short you see!

this week my back pain isn't so bad but last week it was horrid

i used to get back massages every month but can't afford it right now

 

[User38]

OMG!! STOP!! Do not pick up heavy items, do not do excercise without warming up, Do not make quick funny movements if you have even the most mild back pains -- I KNOW.. I DID THOSE THINGS.. and I had to have two diskectomies which still pain me and bother me.

Don't risk it -- the hell with it -- if something is on the floor, let it stay there. If your kid wants picking up, bend down like in a squat or get on your knees and hold him.. but do not risk your back.

Sorry -- I have been there and am still in hell trying to recover.

 

[LMD84]

Quote:

Originally Posted by HerGreyness OMG!! STOP!! Do not pick up heavy items, do not do excercise without warming up, Do not make quick funny movements if you have even the most mild back pains -- I KNOW.. I DID THOSE THINGS.. and I had to have two diskectomies which still pain me and bother me. Don't risk it -- the hell with it -- if something is on the floor, let it stay there. If your kid wants picking up, bend down like in a squat or get on your knees and hold him.. but do not risk your back. Sorry -- I have been there and am still in hell trying to recover.

yeah see that's another issue of mine... i'd love to be able to squat and kneel down but my left knee doesn't bend properly

if it goes back too far it locks in place and takes days to unlock

i think i should just stop lifting things!!

 

[Shanti]

Quote:

Originally Posted by BeccalovesMAC awwwwI feel your pain. I have huge boobs and my back is always hurting take care

Lol. If only my back hurt due to this, rather than stupid scoliosis.
XD

Hope you're feeling better by now! God forbid you attempt to lift something that heavy ever again.

 

[staceb1990]

Oh man, I screwed my back up once and I literally could not walk. It was excruciating. I hope you're feeling better

 

[Dr_Girlfriend]

It's different from any other kind of pain. Like a toothache.. or even cramps. You just can't sympathize until you experience it for yourself.

I am a little worried. I've still got twinges of pain and now my right hip is killing me. I was bad and went back to work Monday instead of adhering to the doc's instructions of bedrest for a week. My mother has severe hip problems. She's 25 and I'm afraid she's going to need a hip replacement soon. That would be hell for her since my brother needs around-the-clock care.

God, I feel like a hypochondriac...

 

[Dr_Girlfriend]

LOL sorry guys! She's 45 NOT 25. Sounds like the "you are your own granfather because you did the nasty in the pasty."