Wednesday, February 8, 2012

Painful Times


The start of this year - end of last, it's been a very painful time. Since the middle of January my pain has gone up a notch, so much so I can't even get off the toilet. I thought it might be muscle strain, that I keep on straining. On Thursday night, 2nd February I had this pain attack on my right side, around my rib, hip and lower back and my foot was throbbing. I've had this pain on and off for years, my doctors and myself just put it down to my posture and my ribs rubbing together. It was so bad that night, nothing I did or took made it better. I was so close to going to the hospital emergency, I even called my sister to come. But after lying on my right side it began to ease, luckily it did. The pain was such, I just felt like I wanted to take a bottle of pills to get it over with. We decided not to go to Emergency because there would be a long waiting time and I wasn't in so much pain anymore, they probability just send me home anyway. 


So I phoned my GP the next morning, considering I was in such a state I managed to sleep ok, but was really tied. My GP tried to make a home visit but got called away on an emergency so he came on the Saturday. I was feeling a lot better but I still had the pain, nothing like Thursday night but it's still there. We think that it's a pinched never in my lower back, so my GP arranged an appointment this Friday with my NS. My GP mentioned a spinal fusion, not sure weather that can be done on my spine with all the other stuff that's going on inside my spine. 


I almost had the same pain again that night, so before it took a hold I laid on my side and it eased. So I'm managing the pain but still cannot stand on my own, can't feel my right foot and my left leg, being the weaker one it isn't helping any. Since I've taken up the chair my pain has increased. My pelvis is so out wack, sitting makes it so much worse. It feels like my top have of my body is going left and the bottom half is going right and my spine is shrinking or getting shorter. I need to hang upside down like bat I think..lol. I have to spend most of the day reclining in my chair, finding it hard to sit up for long. I'm trying to cut back on my transfers to avoid the pain.


My other headache is organising transport, my NS is in Newtown near the city about an hour away from where I live. Usually I can get the local community transport for wheelchairs, they are subsidized by the government and the most you pay is 37 dollars. The catch is you need to give them at least a weeks notice, sometimes more especially when its further away. Unfortunately I couldn't get a booking for Friday. So I have to get a Wheelchair Accessible Taxis (WATs) which is fine but it's much more expensive. It's subsidized too but anything up to 60 dollars I get 30 dollars off and I have to pay the rest. So we're looking at $200 and that's if we don't get traffic. What I'm worried about is, it won't probably be a one time thing. If then my NS wants scans and x-ray's and then I'll need to go back to see him that will be another two trips. Back in the better times, like when I was a kid, doctors would book you into hospital for a week and would run all the tests and scans and if needed, be seen by other doctors. I don't think they do that anymore, it would be less tiring on me and would be quicker. I can't sit up for longer than a few hours or the pain comes back. I will put it to him when I see him, it would save me a heap of pain and strain. Will post soon....

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