Need Practical Ideas

[susiestar]

I am having a lot of bone pain due to the softening of my bones. I have been told that I am to NOT even THINK about kneeling or sitting on the floor. Too much stress on my hips esp the one they took bone out of for the first neck surgery.

So HOW do I manage to get things picked up off the floor other than continually griping at husband and the kids?

Any ideas are welcome. I am SO frustrated by this limitation and cannot tolerate this much longer.

I am also having a lot of burning pain when anything touches my skin - even clothing. It makes it even harder to try to do ANYTHING, so if anyone has solutions for that they are appreciated also.

Thanks!

 

[HaoZi]

No clue on the skin, is that a normal kind of thing for you from time to time? If not it sounds like nerve damage that needs looking at.
For picking stuff up, look into the tools that they use to pick up trash, like the claw-grabbers (like people use to reach stuff in high cabinets) and the stick-pin type stabber thingys. What to use on which item can depend on your mood (and might get them not leaving stuff around so much!).

 

[Hound dog]

Go to walmart. Go to where they stock the As Seen on TV gadgets. Grab one of the claw grabber thingies. mother in law swore it was the best xmas gift we ever gave her. I've since found it to be lovely myself and I don't even have your issues............and it sure beats sweeping things up off the floor with a broom/dustpan.....yeah even did that with the big stuff. lol

 

[susiestar]

The skin is nerve pain. It used to come and stay for a day or two and go, but in the last few months it has not gone away. It is sheer, unadulterated he&&. Unlike when you touch something and at first it bugs you but then you stop registering it, I often register it for hours/days on end. Nothing really helps. Have used several medications for nerve pain and they helped some, but not a lot. Certainly not enough to justify the enormous cost and the hideous side effects. I think that part of why my extended family thinks I am so "angry" is that if I have clothing on I am usually struggling not to cry from the pain. Of course they claim that I am making this all up because "no one can live with pain like that and you aren't dead so it isn't happening" - a sick phrase I have heard for decades to describe my migraines, fibro, the bone pain, the arthritis, etc....

It is bad enough that sometimes I wish I was dead. At that point I get in touch with my therapist and up my antidepressants. I am NOT a danger to myself and would NOT hurt myself because it would devastate my kids and leave them unprotected from my family. The nights are the worst for some reason. Not sure why.

I will look for one of those claws. I used to have one but it broke very very soon after we got it.

Thanks!

 

[nvts]

For those of us who are vertically challenged (I'm probably shorter than 5'2"). It's called the Gopher - that squeezy thing on tv that Hound Dog was talking about. I got mine at CVS Drug Store. It was a lifesaver when I was pregnant with Evie.

Beth

 

[KTMom91]

Walgreens usually has a good selection of As Seen on TV stuff, too.

 

[Hound dog]

That's it the Gopher.......................and yeah I'm vertically challenged too! Helps with the high up places as well as those down low. And when you stand under 5 feet and everyone seems to think it's no big deal to hide your step stool..................

 

[HaoZi]

Yeah, those things! Couldn't remember the name. And Beth, I'm only 5'1" myself.

 

[susiestar]

Beth, you and Haozi are BOTH taller than I am!! I was 5 feet even before the bone stuff. Now I am even shorter.

Some days my feet don't reach the floor. Not even when I stand up, lol!!

 

[HaoZi]

Have you tried any of the medications and supplements for osteoporosis, or does it contraindicate something you're currently on or worsen other conditions?

 

[trinityroyal]

Susie, I just did a quick search on reachers and assistive devices. Here are some products that came up in the search.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000PGO8ZC...e=asn&creative=395105&creativeASIN=B000PGO8ZC

The claw grabber that comes with this kit looks more flimsy than some others I've seen, but this might give you some idea of what's out there.

 

[susiestar]

Cannot seem to get enough calcium in my blood to be able to safely take them. If you do not have enough calcium for them to pull it out of your blood, it results in extreme pain - even worse than what I have now. My body is not using vit D and calcium in any way that the docs can make sense of. The common ways to treat the deficiencies are not something my body cooperates with, and even Vit D shots (very expensive) provided only a negligible raise in levels. being in the sun does not seem to let my skin make Vit D. I get really sick to my stomach and my skin starts to look VERY strange, even with just 20 mins in the sun. I end up very sick.

I am so frustrated with this mess. My body just does NOTcooperate! Thanks!

 

[HaoZi]

I've heard there might be some promising soy proteins that help absorb calcium, but I've only scanned it a bit. I'm in the early stages of osteopenia myself and dosing myself with extra milk and orange juice with D and calcium and yogurt and whatever. I've cut back on my caffeine and am trying to cut back on smoking enough to have a better chance at quitting again, since those are my two major contributors right now. Isn't there some connection between D and cholesterol, too?

 

[susiestar]

D is linked to almost every important thing your body does, from what I have read. I keep trying various ways to get both D and calcium in, but my body does NOT appreciate it (dang fool difficult child body!). OJ upsets my stomach because the acid. I even had to stop drinking coffee regularly and I ADORE it!! I have gone from osteopoenia to osteomalacia in a hurry. None of the docs know why, or how to fix it.

I kept telling my parents I was allergic to vitamins - from the time I was a kid drinking milk or eating a lot of D rich foods made me sick to my stomach!!!! I was joking back then, but when I made a crack about it to the endocrinologist he didn't think it was funny. I can remember HATING to eat with a friend's family. Her parents insisted that everyone under their roof except adults with their own homes had to drink a big glass of milk with each meal. Took about 8 sleepovers where I ended up throwing up in the bathroom after a meal for them to let me be the exception. I WISH it was a joke! Three docs (different one with each kiddo) each told me to stop taking prenatal vitamins because the upchucking was causing more problems than the risk of not taking the vitamins. I tried, and tried HARD, but never could tolerate them. (husband LOVED them!! He would take one if he knew he had a really long day or if he was getting sick. men get a real boost from prenatal vitamins, lol!!)

 

[HaoZi]

Have you tried the liquid vitamins for infants? I'm guessing a good chance you can't tolerate them either, or vitamin shots, but if you haven't tried... Is it an allergy, absorption issue, processing issue?

 

[susiestar]

Yup. Tried them. Same result. The docs cannot figure out if it is a real allergy (seems no one knows if this is possible), an absorption issue, a processing issue, something else or a combination of those things. Having the deficiency is not rare, but the way my body reacts to it certainly is. Thanks for the suggestions. I am quite terrified of what happens when my bones get much much worse. My teeth are crumbling also. The dentist is afraid to do fillings or crowns because of this. Dentures will happen at some point and may be a relief in the long run as my orthodontist aligned my teeth in such a way that I have TMJ pretty bad. It is the most common cause of TMJ because until 15-20 yrs ago orthodontists didn't focus on how the jaw was aligned, but aligned the teeth regardless of whether it pulled the jaw out of a healthy alignment. Mostly the TMJ isn't a big deal anymore unless I chew gum.

Thank you for the ideas and suggestions. I go back and try things every few months to see if maybe I "outgrew" the problems. ANd I never know when a suggestion will turn out to be the solution, so I enjoy them all!

 

[HaoZi]

I know magnesium is also needed for calcium absorption, has that been checked? What I'm finding googling "vitamin D intolerance" is a link also to celiac disease and gluten intolerance. You seem quite thorough and I've no doubt you've checked these routes, but in case it's new medical info I though I'd toss that out there. Maybe you need a lot of dark chocolate

 

[timer lady]

Susie, I needed something sturdier than the Gopher. Please hit the medical supply sites (I use Allegro Medical) & check out the various reachers. I have one on my walker, one in my kitchen & one near my art table.

They may cost a bit more but are well worth it.