Better News on Beth
August 28, 2008 | Items of Interest
Beth got the news on her MRI. It is not another collapsed disc, thank goodness. It is swelling caused by the surgery, but still may need to be corrected by more surgery, which will be done on Tuesday, if the swelling doesn’t go down by then. She’s being treated with (Cortisone packs???)
Anyway, her phone went dead, so I didn’t get much information.
4 Responses to “Better News on Beth”
Just got off the phone with Beth. The difference between today and two days ago was unbelievable.
It isn’t another disc, as Mom said, probably some “debris” that might have been there before, or might have been left over from surgery. The doctor has her on the Medrol Dosepak (again, just as Mom said above). That’s prednisone, a corticosteroid; I’ve taken it several times (first time was as a senior in HS) for sinus-related stuff, and it is very powerful for reducing swelling and inflammation.
There’s a good chance that the prednisone all by itself will take the swelling down and heal the problem, but if not, they’ll do some additional surgery next week. It sounds like something that can probably be done with a ’scope, which will be easy as pie.
But the main thing is, little sister’s not in pain any more thanks to prednisone, cold-packs and Demerol. Paul and her sis-in-law Cathy are taking very good care of her.
By bill on Aug 29, 2008
Some people can take that stuff and ZIP… no prob.
For me though… Talk about side effects from prednisone!
Geez, I took it for a sinus infection and was ALL powerful for two weeks after and then I got so depressed for a month I could barely think straight. One reason I’ll NEVER take steroids unless it is life or death. I think Beth will be fine though, just like Bill was and it really does the job on inflammation…
By Bud on Aug 29, 2008
Wow, that’s amazing, Bud! Usually corticosteroids have little to no side effects, since they are after all naturally-occurring in our bodies. But as you say, everyone’s biochemistry is personal.
I’ve actually taken the Medrol (Methylprednosol is, I believe, the generic name) Dosepak probably a dozen times since I was a Senior in HS, at which time my sinus problems really began to show up.
I’ve taken it for other things, too, most recently just a couple of months ago when my lower back started acting up (it’s muscle-related, not spinal; I’m just gettin’ old).
I actually got TWO of the Dosepaks at that time, because (as Nancy will tell you with a sigh and a shake of her head) I lost the first one after two days’ worth of doses and had to start all over again.
Actually, I don’t ever recalling feeling the “Superman” effect that Buddy describes, either, just a more rapid decrease in the swelling and inflammation.
I’ll bet I rival anyone else in the family – maybe even MOM – for the number of meds that I’ve had to take on a consistent basis. Sometimes I get sick and tired of it and want to quit, but the couple of times I have done so, I’ve been sorry (about which ’nuff said).
Beth and I agreed that we’re alike in our approach to stuff that is usually considered “addictive”: we can take it whenever we want and (honestly!) stop whenever we want. For instance, she’s taking oral Demerol right now for the pain. I had intravenous Demerol when I was in the hospital last month, and we had a brief love-affair for those three days. I was in great pain at first, and the stuff was a godsend. Later, I TOLD the nurse “yeah, I’m hurtin’ at about level 5″ when I was actually probably 2 or 3, just ‘cuz I wanted that groovy feeling!
Then, as soon as there was no more pain, *poof*, my desire for the stuff went away, too. It’s like I get “bored” with it or something. I still have some Vicodin left over from three months ago when my back was sore. I sort of treasure it, because it does the trick when I do get a serious headache. It doesn’t make me feel all “gah-gah,” just gets rid of the pain. If I have no pain, I have no desire for it.
I guess Beth and I were lucky that way. I’ve never had the slightest desire for any sort of “recreational drugs” despite being a “Baby Boomer” – we were supposed to have invented the “drug culture,” you know. Even back in HS (even ASFA, where it was RAMPANT) and College (well, it was even MORE rampant at Beloit), when everyone was doing it and I had my friends BEGGING me to “get high” with them, I just had zero curiosity, and zero interest.
It’s just a personality thing because believe me I have my own “thorns in the flesh” to deal with. It’s just not drugs or alcohol, for which I am very, very thankful.
By bill on Aug 29, 2008
I feel for Beth, I think if anyone knows what kind of pain she is going through I do. When I broke my back I screamed!! in pain for a month and then for 9 months after that I had excruciating spasms out of no where and would scream in pain all the time and could barely walk. I really do feel for her, because unless you have had a back injury and the HORRIBLE pain that comes during healing its hard to understand. I will say the spasms feel like labor pains.
By lainie on Sep 1, 2008