Last post Fri, May 23 2008 11:37 PM by brknbnes. 33 replies.
OH DUCKY ! WELCOME TO THE CHATROOM , EVREYONE LOVED YOUR HUMOR! YOU SHARED SO MANY SMILES WITH US ! YOUR WORSE THEN ME LOL THATS BAD ! WELCOME ! WELCOME ! WELCOME ! RAINEY
Hi ducky, I'm Sandy. I am 50 and have fibromyalgia and arthritis. In Oct. I had back surgery. They fused together Lumbar 3, 4, & 5 [lower back] and replaced two discs. I was a bartender before this. Of course, I lost my job. I don't really understand what you are going through, but I am just a shout away if you need to talk about anything. Have you been to the chat rooms yet? I just wandered because I am new at this. I can't wait to hear some of your humor. Take care now. Sandy
Hi Ducky I'm Bruce,a 56 yr old stroke survivor. Welcome to Disaboom
LOL, thanks, Rainey, I had a nice time chatting with everyone. Not sure if my humor is worse than yours, but I think between us, we can give everyone a run for their money! I should be in bed, got a busy weekend, but I just could not resist popping into the forums for a while. Will catch you in the week!
hugs from ducky
Hi, Sandy, pleased to meet you as well! I'm sorry to hear that you lost your job with your disability. I've also been unable to work due to mine (I have a combination of health issues, including back problems, not just the recently removed leg). Then again, I used to work in retail, so some folks might say that's kind of a good thing! And, yes, I popped into the chat room for a while on Thursday night (thought I saw you there, too, but was getting a little lost in all the scrolling for a while!) I thoroughly enjoyed myself, it was nice to be able to chat with folks in real time. Oooh, a bartender! I've known one or two of those in my time, LOL. Of course, these days, I mostly get drunk on every day life, because the drinking kind of alcohol really messes with diabetes. You may remember me - I was the one who had three drinks at karaoke and then thought she was Carly Simon, and, unfortunately, tried to prove it. LOL. I also understand about the arthritis, as I have osteo in my spine and a touch of it in my hand. In a way, it's nice to be able to predict the weather, but it makes it very hard to play guitar and crochet some days. Look forward to catching you in the chats again!
Hey Ducky! Your MRSA story could have been written by me. I was on IV antibiotics for about month and then orals for 10 months. I was convinced my surgeon gave me my MRSA. However, I was watching Dr. Phil one day and they had a show on MRSA. They said on there that you can contract the infection, but not show symptoms for up to three weeks. Dang, I really wanted to blame that bugger of a doctor too!! I was immune compromised on chemo at the time, so who knows where I got it from.
I had to have a lot of surgeries and couldn't get my prosthesis for a year. I really missed driving. Well, one day I got fed up with my husband being so overprotectiveness and I just got in and drove. I was scared s***less, but off I went. I just kind of tuck my right leg up and jam my toes under the dashboard! I got used to it over time. It's kind of tricky when you have to brake suddenly or brake repeatedly, stop and go stuff, but you learn to anticipate those kind of problems.
I drove to my son's track meet yesterday to a town about 1-1/2 hours away, and it was hard driving for that long. My left leg gets kind of crampy. I took my leg off for the trip home and that felt much better. I have a high BKA, only about 4 inches of stump there, and I hate when my liner and socks get all bunched up behind my knee. Taking the leg right off helped. Saw a few deer on the way home, but they stayed on the side of the road, thank goodness.
I was going to get our vehicles adapted with a third peddle, but it was kind of expensive. One guy was supposed to do it for me and check on it, but he never did. It worked out for the best anyway. Our two sons were just beginning to drive around then and I didn't want to have that peddle there in the way of their driving.
I'll tell you a funny story though. I've been an amputee for three years and three months. Both of my sons have learned to drive over these past three years. I would ride with them, you know, when they had their learner's permit. and they were practicing driving. If I felt they were going too fast, I would use my right leg to brake, not my left. I always thought that was interesting. Even after being used to driving with my left leg, I still do that.
See ya!
Becky
Hi, Becky! I read up on the different types of MRSA as soon as I realized I had it. It was annoying to me, because I had been in the hospital for almost six weeks between the first infection (which was NOT MRSA), two surgeries, my amputation, and my rehab. When I finally did get home, it was directly to a new apartment, because my old one was completely inaccessible to me. Friends from my church had thoroughly scrubbed up the new place and brought in all my things, and my laundry was completely done (heck, they did more laundry and cleaning than I usually do! LOL). Even before I had gone into the hospital, I had been homebound and recovering from a femoral artery bypass for a couple of months prior. I had only been home for two weeks when the MRSA symptoms presented. This was how I knew that the hospital was the only place I could have contracted it. What annoyed me most was that I required a second surgery to take additional tissue from my leg, which set back my rehab at least four weeks, and the fact that no one would admit that I got it there. Not to mention having to stay in the hospital for another week, then remain home with IV antibiotics for a month and orals for another two weeks. I notified my insurers at the time that I suspected it was health-care contaminant MRSA, and that I thought it should be looked into, because the hospital is charging my insurance for medical procedures that were caused by their own negligence. They thanked me for the information, but I haven't heard anything back from them since.
Sounds like you had a real determination to drive, and I think that's a good thing. Being determined seems to be what keeps me strong enough to keep trying new things and refusing to just say "I can't do that anymore." Then again, even when I had both legs, I didn't really drive all that much. I spent most of my life up in Cleveland, where you could catch buses pretty much 24/7 anywhere you needed to go, so a car and the added expense of insurance and maintenance was just not necessary. Still, where I live now, the buses are not so reliable, and very limited (no weekend service, no buses after 5:40 PM). I may eventually get up the nerve to try driving again, if only so I can get out on weekends and evenings without having to ask someone to give me a ride. Not sure whether I'll be more comfortable driving left-footed or with hand controls, so I'll blow up that bridge when I get there, LOL.
I am chuckling over your using your amp leg while driving. I keep finding myself trying to use my right leg in daily activities, too. If I drop something, I try to use my right foot to roll it over where I can reach it, then realize it didn't go anywhere! One of my therepists warned me that most amputees who take falls do it because they "forget" that the limb is no longer there and try to do something with it. I tried to stupid-proof my bed at night by sticking my chair where I could not possily just jump out of bed while half-asleep without bumping into it and reminding myself that I can't just hop up and walk to the bathroom. So far, this has worked. I see we already have some discussions on "phantom" pain, too. I find I've been having a little difficulty with that as well.
Hi ducky, we have met once in the chatroom. Just wanted to let you know that I have been firstly left leg amputee then double below knee amputee and finally (well I hope) a bi-lateral above knee amputee...and all before my 38th birthday!!! Nothing will stop you for long. Prosthetic limb are getting better all the time though it does seem somewhat a geographical issue as to what supposedly 'fits the bill'!! (sorry, couldn't help it!) Still, I have had prosthetics for when I was both single and double amputee below knee and therefore with right leg missing had to begin to use hand controls to drive! No choice im afraid, kids to ferry round and shopping to do when single!! They are an absolute doddle. I worried myself senseless before actually receiving my vehicle back from the fitters. I cried buckets and every junction that night. Then it occurred to me, there's a springy thing here that i'm fighting against. I approached the fitters and they kindly, without charge removed it and I have never looked back!! It was almost like using the feet anyway. I personally preferred the radial hand controls (which are apparently popular more in the states) than the UK's favourite of push/pull variety. Either way, it is very do-able and liberating once you get going! It merely then takes that leap of courage and determination to just 'go for it' attitude, which like myself you are obviously not lacking in. Take care, post me if you wish. Hope this helps.
Hey Ducky! I had to have more tissue removed too. twice. When I got the initial infection, I had a temp of 103 degrees with terrible chills. They put me in the hospital and gave me IV anti-biotics, but my surgeon didn't give me a strong enough dose! I ended up having the fever for a week, which eventually decreased. They sent me home with IV antibiotics and home nursing to test my blood before and after the anti-biotics and they discovered my dose wasn't strong enough. They increased it and I got better, but too late, the damage had been done.
Then they put me on orals. After a week or so, I got fevers again every night, but no higher than 100 degrees. I could count on getting a fever every bloody night about 7 p.m. They did blood test after blood test, an ultrasound and then finally took me into surgery again. They took out a whole bunch of muscle and then left the wound open. I had to wear a Wound Vac for a month, to remove the drainage. A few weeks later, I got the fevers again! Again more tests and ultrasounds. I had surgery a month later to remove more tissue, but he closed the wound this time. I still had a wound tract that I had to take care of every day. It finally closed up after having to have surgery again several months later and I was getting ready to get my leg. However, I fell one day right on my stump and blew a bunch of tissue out and formed a wound tract in my leg. Was I mad. I had to dress that wound again. I had another surgery a few months later to close up that wound. I finally got my leg two days short of a year later. Between the surgeon not treating my infection right and the MRSA itself, I ended up losing a lot of tissue and muscle I could not afford to lose. My stump is only 4 inches long, from my knee to the end of my stump. I can't spend a lot of time on my leg now and I'm gaining weight. I'm in a viscious circle, because I can't exercise to lose weight, so I gain weight. I'm having gastric bypass surgery this summer, so that will help. Hell, maybe I can even go back to work!
I have never actually gotten up to walk when my leg was off. I felt like it one time, but it's not a problem for me. I still get phantom pain, after three years. I take Neurontin for that. It gets worse the more I'm up and walking. I'm worried about my son's graduation party and all the walking and standing I'll have to do. I'm thinking I might take my rolling walker with the seat, so I can move about and sit. My grandmother used to say, "It's hell to get old." She was partially right, but we can't just sit there and do nothing, waiting to get old. I just want to be able to move around and walk more, without pain.
Take care all!
Hi,
Apologies for tacking on to this thread rather than starting a new one of my own but like ducky I'm also new to this game ( left bk amputation on Feb 29, followed by failure to heal properly due to infection followed by MRSA ).Hopefully that's all behind (below?) me now and the hole left in my stump is healing rapidly using a negative pressure system - first appointment fto start getting my prosthesis is next week.
Reading your messages I reckon most of you are US based whilst I'm from England (to be precise, Nottinghamshire on the edge of Sherwood Forest - Robin Hood and all that) so I guess the system for getting mobile will vary somewhat but I look forward to hearing about your experiences and will chip in wherever I feel that I've got something useful to contribute.
Looking forward to hearing from you all.
Tony
Wow, I think that, after reading all you had to go through, I was fortunate. I only had mine for two weeks before they got me into the hospital, and the wound healed slowly, but without being vacc'ed or anything like that. I was only on IV antibiotics for four weeks, then Zyvox for two. (Zyvox sucks, by the way, I had nothing but nasty side effects from it, but it did knock out the rest of the infection). I did have the nasty chills and sickness when the MRSA was running rampant, managed to lose 60 pounds within a five week period. I could barely eat, and had to drink these awful protien supplement drinks. I've got about four inches left on the end of my knee, also.
I've heard that Neurontin can help with phantom pain, but have not taken it. Mine doesn't seem to be as severe as a lot of people, for which I am grateful. Like you mentioned, a lot of activity does seem to kick it into high gear once in a while (I have this problem with overdoing it sometimes when doctors tell me to take it easy, LOL). I have been able to alleviate it pretty well by massaging the stump for short periods. I agree with you to bring along the walker/seat for the graduation, so that all the standing and walking doesn't aggravate the problem too much. (Congratulations to you on the graduate, by the way! That's a feather in the cap of a Mom, is it not?)
LOL about getting old. Before losing the leg, my knees were doing that popping thing whenever I had to use stairs. I told people that as I have gotten older, I've turned into a bowl of Rice Krispies (snap! crackle! pop!) But, as you say, can't just sit around and do nothing, so I get up and about as much as my various health problems let me. Some weeks are better than others, and this week was a good week. Who knows what next week will bring, so I enjoy it while I can!
Hi Tony, welcome to Disaboom! You should post a discussion and introduce yourself to the Disaboom gang!
Ducky, you have me laughing about the snap, crackle, pop thing. I know the feeling. I have to take Neurontin or else I get terrible electrical sensations in my stump. I have tried to wean off of it, even very slowly, but I was not able to get off of it. I like your humor! I've never tried massaging my stump. I'll have to give that a try. Thanks for the kind words about my son. Yes, I'm very proud of him. I took Ensure for months while I was on chemo and then as I was trying to heal up. I switched to a protein powder from GNC and I think that worked better.
Have a great nite!
Hi Ducky
Twenty seven hello's and I forgot to to say... welcome aboard!
Welcome ducky!
hi tony, good to have you join us. i hope you are feeling ok, it is still fairly new to you. nice to meet you and welcome!
