I hope I havent worried you guys with my absence but I should be mostly back now.

DammitJanet

Well-Known Member
Sorry I have been MIA for the past little while but I got hurt. I had been hurting worse since the car wreck but no one was paying attention much to me. I really have got to get some new doctors.

Starting about 3 weeks or so ago I started having really bad numbness in my right leg where the entire outer side of the thigh would go completely numb. At that point I also started to feel like there was a tingling like sticking a live wire down what I can only imagine is a nerve running down the side of that leg because it started right around my hip and went down to my ankle area.

This numbness has caused me to fall several times and the third time I really hurt myself. The first time was bad too but I could manage with just severe bruising to my butt. The third time I went down and hit all my limbs. I must have strong hips because I didnt break one...lol. I live on a concrete slab basically. I have bruises on both arms, my left leg has a couple of bruises but my right leg took the real brunt of it. This happened two weeks ago tomorrow and I am still in bad pain. My knee swelled up to at least twice its normal size if not bigger, my lower leg is swollen, shiny and has red and purple patches all over it. I also must have wrenched my back because I can barely stand up for any time at all any more. Basically I am a useless ball of extreme pain. My pain doctor's wont even look at my legs. I gave up on the chiro before this even happened because he wouldnt look at my knees which were hurting from the accident to start with. All he would do is heat and rub my upper back.

Billy was with me the day I fell so badly two weeks ago and he has not come back by to see if I am okay. I am ticked off. Actually Tony and I are pretty much ticked off at everyone these days. I more than anyone to be honest. I realize Tony does go to work but I have been pretty much bed ridden for two weeks but he forced me to go do laundry one day this past week. He has either cooked a few times or brought food in but every single dish we own is dirty. He refuses to wash anything at all. I have to do that. I guarantee that should I end up in the hospital that everything would still be waiting for me when I got home. Actually I know it would, it happened in 08 when I was in the hospital for 2 and a half months!

I cry pretty much constantly so I havent been any use to anyone else. I dont know how much longer I even want to be around. Tony thinks I am selfish. He doesnt have to live my life. I am in really bad pain, so bad that I can hardly take it, I dont feel like anything other than a maid. Only the oldest granddaughter even cares to come see me. One thing...my dog adores me. I cant go anywhere as long as she is alive because no one would take care of her the way I do. She is part pit so Tony and the boys think she should be an outside dog. Not me, I think she needs to have fence time during the day but she is attached to my hip. In fact, she is asleep right now cuddled up against me.

Anyway, I need to get a doctor to order me some tests and some medical equipment. It would be extremely good if I could get orders to have a helper come in a few hours a day to just help me. I cant keep up with everything. Yeah, I havent gotten to the doctor yet. I have orders to go get xrays before I go back to my pain doctor but those arent because I fell, they are just updates for them. I need to find someone who will figure this out. I know it started with the accident because I never had this numbness and falling before. I havent settled with the insurance company...even for the vehicle...and they took the rental car away and we got our old truck out of the impound lot. It is actually drive-able except the drivers side is all pushed in and I am missing a light. Some Ahole at the impound lot stole a ton of stuff out of my car too! Including my tag and inspection. My dad had bolted a CB into the truck and we never took it out. They ripped it out. They must have thrown away a bunch of papers I had in the glove box because it was empty. That ticks me off because I had left all the old paperwork my dad had left in there. All the old registrations and inspections in his name where he had signed them. It was just a part of him in the truck.

Oh well, just wanted to let you know what is going on. Im still valiantly trying to get this soap business off the ground because I have so much money tied up in it already. I somehow find a way to make at least 2 to 3 loaves of soap a week because I can mostly do that sitting down. I now have to get all my pictures taken to put up on the website I already bought and packaged to go sell. I probably have at least $400 of soap here to sell with more being made all the time. I have to spend so much money just to get all the stuff I need to get started but after I find out what sells it will go easier. I can just buy certain scents in larger bottles and I have finally found the places to buy ingredients cheaper than locally. One thing I really need Tony to make me is a soap cutter which is so easy its pathetic. Im not expecting one of the really nice ones, I just want one that looks like a miter box where an inch is marked off so I can slide the bars in and know exactly when I am cutting an inch and it will be a straight cut. Thats hard to do. I gave up on him building me molds and spent a small fortune buying them. Oh well...he gets to deal with my lack of money. Most likely I will just order the soap cutter too if I dont get it in the next week.
 

Scent of Cedar *

Well-Known Member
When do you see the doctor, Janet?

difficult child daughter was started on a Fentynal patch about two weeks ago. It has made all the difference for her.

It was good to hear from you!

Cedar
 

LittleDudesMom

Well-Known Member
Glad to "hear" from you Janet. Sorry things have been so painful and rough for you. I hope you get to the doctor soon and figure out what is happening. The numbness is worrying.

Hugs,
Sharon
 

recoveringenabler

Well-Known Member
Staff member
Sorry things are so tough now Janet. Sending warm hugs for a quick recovery and for things to move to a positive place............
 

Aimless

New Member
Hugs and prayers for relief from your pain and frustration. It is so amazing how sometimes we find out that the very folks we have done everything and anything for, for years, can't be bothered to do much of anything for us, even when we are knocked flat! Stay strong and follow your passions. I'm sure your soap products will bring many people joy using them.

I'm no doctor but I got West Nile Virus in 2002 and had encephalitis and meningitis which caused some serious painful side effects, including the shooting pain and numbness in my arms, legs, hands, and feet, migraines, visual auras, and light sensitivity. I struggled to get help for 3 years, and finally took myself to a neurologist in 2006 and he totally understood that these things WERE in my head, from head trauma! Keeping you close in prayer and hope you rally back soon!
 

GuideMe

Active Member
So good to hear from you Janet. Missed you and I'm sorry that you are not getting the help you need. Geez, talk about family being selfish. I hope everything goes well for you from here on out and I wish you lots of luck with the soap business!
 

BusynMember

Well-Known Member
Janet, I'm so glad you checked in because I DID wonder where you were. I am sorry you aren't getting much help from home, but do you think maybe you can get in touch with a home nurse? You do need somebody to help you and they are trained to do so.

I hope you get to that doctor and he/she can help make you comfortable.

Please, please, please don't check out. I know, it's selfish. But you are so beloved here on the board and give such good help to others...ok, so it's selfish. We would miss you and grieve for you. You have so much to offer people. Often those closest to us don't appreciate what we have been to them until we are no longer here...it's sad, but not uncommon.

Get a nice nurse to get you out of the house, take care of your physical needs, and help with the work you have trouble doing. I am not sure, but I do believe they are covered under insurance.

Hugs to a long time and valued board member and, in my heart, a friend.
 

DammitJanet

Well-Known Member
Thanks guys. I have a primary care doctor appointment on Monday. I really dont know who else to go to at this point. The chiro didnt help because he only did the upper back area. My pain management only gives out pills and wont even talk to me about what is happening. My old ortho only wants to give me those shots in my knees and I have done at least 8 of them by this time and they dont work anymore.

I dont know what this is but I am miserable. I have been bipolar for as long as I can remember and have been in bad pain since 2000. I have never felt like this. I sit and cry almost daily....multiple times a day. Most of the long timers here know how nuts I go about Xmas...I havent even bought one thing.

I am hoping Tony can get off work to go with me to the doctor because I feel I will be taken more seriously. I am hoping I can at least get one of those hospital beds with the bars so I can pull myself up out of the bed. that is one of my biggest problems. I can sit on a stool to wash dishes. I can simply not go out. Its hard when I cant get out of bed to go to the bathroom.
 

InsaneCdn

Well-Known Member
I am hoping Tony can get off work to go with me to the doctor because I feel I will be taken more seriously
Janet... Tony NEEDS to be there. It DOES make a difference, especially when dealing with pain issues.
 

TerryJ2

Well-Known Member
OUCH!!
I feel for you.
How was your dr appointment? Did you get pain medications? I'm sure he saw all of your bruises.
 

2much2recover

Well-Known Member
Fentynal patch
You do realize that this is an opioid drug right? Have been on them for chronic pain and they are highly addictive and getting off them really, really SUCKS!
Would rather deal with pain (mostly) than do opioid medications after going through withdrawal!
Sorry, but I am shocked that such a young person would be given such a strong medication. Lot's of young have people died after leaving what I call "medical heroin" for the real thing. (both drugs are opioid drugs)
 

InsaneCdn

Well-Known Member
Those of us who have been around Janet for a while know that the pain she is dealing with isn't something anyone can "just live with". She's been on all sorts of medications, most of which don't work. And she isn't exactly young. I'm more worried that she hasn't been on the board for a while now. That is NOT like Janet at all.
 

2much2recover

Well-Known Member
Sorry, when I wrote that I misread the poster and thought that is was an 18 year old being put on the Fentanyl patch. My diagnosis is CRPS/RSD i.e.Chronic Regional Pain Syndrome/Regional Sympathetic Dystrophy. Basically like MS it is a neurological disease, but instead of destroying muscles it destroys the nerve endings and leads to deterioration of the whole nervous system. It is a burning pain that feels like the effected areas are on (literally) fire. I like to inform people of this disease because it is not well known, has no known cure BUT effects 5% of people who injure a limb. I received the diagnosis after casting (fell off a ladder and shattered my wrist) Once diagnosed, this disease is so debilitating and so unlikely to be cured that it is at the top of the list for immediate permanent disability with SSDI. I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy.
Again I apologize, I thought we were talking about a teen being given the patch, and there are young people with this diagnosis as well who may need to use it.
It is just my thoughts having been down a long trail both with the pain and the treatments. The problem with opiates for pain is they are meant to be for short term pain, not something with a lifetime painful diagnosis. What I found was the more opiates I took, the worse my pain actually got. (the brains way of screaming for more drugs) I would compassionately warn anyone needing these types of drugs to be careful and try to use them as infrequently as possible as I have been there/done that and the withdrawals are HE-double hockey sticks. Also because of my diagnosis I am still prescribed opiates but exhaust all other ways to cope with pain before even thinking about taking one. Doctor says I am not an addict, but because of diagnosis will be dependent on pain medications the rest of my life so I try to NOT use them as much as possible. Having prescriptions at home prevents me from having to go to the emergency room for injections.
 
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