good luck iris

Hi Iris,

Nerve pain sucks. I’ve got a great deal of it, arms and legs. Fractured my neck, twice and the last time about put me down. Lots of surgery and chronic pain  a result, but still breathing and moving. The reason I mention it was your Rx for Gabapentin. I’ve been taking it for close to 20 years. It hasn’t caused me any additional hepatic issues, nor has it affected my LFT’s adversely. It does help with the burning. There aren’t too many drugs that don’t affect the liver, or the kidneys in some manner. If your health demands require medication, this one is worth considering. Whatever your choice, I wish you well.

Hey guys, Yea I can ask to see the other practitioner next time I have to go in...that I was hoping would be never after my virus was cleared.  I only need a women's annual and have been putting off that...they are in a different department anyway.

For now the podiatrist has referred me to an orthopedic guy. How I didn't have to go back to my primary for that?, I'm not sure, but grateful to have bypassed that pain in the ass. The orthopedic guy wanted me to get on Gabapentin and Mobic, neither Rx have I filled. Then he called me that eve and said he would rather my liver had a year to heal before introducing these drugs, he then said ask my Hepatologist (which I did and she said it should be ok.) I still would rather not do drugs. Ortho guy did an X-ray and looked at my MRI. Besides my lower back being with smashed discs and frayed vertebrae he saw a little something on my mid back that wasn't mentioned in the report...and that's the area my back was injured last November. I may be able to get him to look at that better next time.

So we'll see him again in about 4 week and he is ordering more physical therapy. Pain not too bad if I don't overdo it.

Toes still numb and now right leg (calf area mostly) get a bit tingly every now and again.

Blessings! Iris

I second that, Iris.  You do need another doctor.  Can you see the other one?  I would call my insurance company and ask to be re"assigned"  I hate that the decision is theirs, but maybe you can work together.  You've got to get to the bottom of this.  

I'm so sorry you are in so much pain. It has got to be exhausting. Hang in there.

Iris, 

If the general practioner place you have to go to has only two docs, and your visit with the last doc there was no good, then cannot you not specifically request an appointment (next time) with the other doc who works there?? If you can, then I would try that. That's about all i can think of. Dif doc on a dif day, might make for a dif outcome.

In the meanwhile (only in regard to your spinal nerves/discs) just keep trying not to tweek/aggravate them (as best you can), until you do get further advice about them. Is the foot numbness just exactly the same?, or does it fluctuate, and/or has it improved/lessened at all? 

What words/comments/impressions did the radiologist write on your MRI report?  C. 

Hi Tanner, hope you get this message it's early here in Australia and with my brain fog not sure if I'm sending this right ,need few more coffees to get brain going ,how are you feeling since treatment, hope all ok, it seemed to cure me I'm not young ( bummer )and had very high V L, so it was great to see undetected on letter,I guess it takes a while to feel great again,pinched nerve old age ,miss spent youth hcv treatment are all possible reasons from my Dr why I get arthritic symptoms ha ha, I'm sure she would be lost if didn't have Dr Google in front of her.anyway take care take it easy..Harry

can you call the insurance co and find an advocate? let them know you want a doctor who doesn't make you feel like you are making this up. that you have mri's and he blew you off.

i have had the ibs a long time and yes, when i got stressed i had bloody goose poo; made worse by shredded wheat, oranges and a few other foods. i think inflamation makes everything go crazy in the gi tract.

but the mri showed damage and that needs to be addressed. 

i'm so sorry to hear you got assigned the new doctor with less time to know all these things.

5, don't give up

Hi guys! sorry to be absent for so long. (oh dear bionic Tig welder, thanks for your input) Hoodie, 5, Cheddy, Canuk, Observer I appreciate your support, you all are the best.

I'm really discouraged. I had gone to the dr. for the knife twisting pain on the left side of my belly button and the blood in the stool. He basically said since seemed to be getting better to get some Pedialyte and go home. I told him about my back pain and how the podiatrist said my toes were numb because of the pressure on my spine and that he was referring me back to you for a back doctor and that I brought my MRI, and did he want to see it? He blew me off, said I was seeing too many doctors and that he didn't read MRI's. ...There is only 2 doctors in this practice and I have to stay within my provider for my insurance. I'm so pissed I don't ever want to see this guy again. And I'm tired, I just want someone to hear me.

I went researching (I know, not the best idea) but in my opinion the area that the nerves in my back are being pinched is affecting the nerves that control my bowels (and bladder) Apparently this is a common cause for IBS in which bloody stools can happen, though I very rarely have constipation which is one of the complications, but I have every other symptom of it. Which really seemed to coincide with my gall bladder removal. Injury to the area during this surgery can also cause this. I can guess all day long. Don't know when I'll be going back to the dr. (he's newer in the practice and I was assigned to him when the last one left.)

My insurance will cover physical therapy only for 8 sessions which isn't enough to rehabilitate anyone, I have one more session left. 

BB, Iris

Iris, sheeesh! Maybe now youll get the care you need and deserve! Thank god for that podiatrist. let the healing begin!

i too hope iris finds a good solution to her pain

and for sure , back pain is bad. i've had a sprained lower back twice and had to be stlll on the heating pad for a few days and then months after i walked like a duck.

my hubs has a bad back too and suffers almost daily with it.

but no one over my way has broken their neck twice.. you are a hero tig

No kidding! I’ve kept my guardian Angel busy... I like to tell people, I have enough metal in my neck to build a jumbo jet! It helps me realize that there’s a reason for all the numbness, shooting pain and limited movement, besides age! Or is that just added fuel for the fire? I hope Iris can get to the bottom of her situation and get some relief. Back pain makes for some miserable days.

omg!  broke your neck twice? i'm so glad you made it thru that. wow .

They stabilized the damage, but stability doesn’t equate to pain relief. I broke my neck, not once, but twice. I’m just lucky to be alive! I have 3 bad discs in my lumbar spine, too. So, it’s a daily reminder that I’m falling apart... Whadaya do? 

tig i hope all your surgeries have made life better for you and not worse

So, what's the plan, Iris? There are so many new methods of treating disc degeneration, bulging and herniated, too. If they recommend surgery, they can get in to that area with a small incision in most cases and you end up walking out after the repair! It's pretty amazing what they can do now. I've had so much spinal surgery, I feel like I could be the poster boy for bad backs! I'm sorry you're dealing with that pain and numbness. I truly understand it...

canuck, you are right

it was the foot doctor that came thru with the diagnosis for iris so she can find a way heal them lil' disks

Oh poor iris,

Not what we needed, 2 discs malfunctioning! But kudos to the foot doc, he was the one who did not really do anything for you except insist you get imaging?? Pretty wise on his part if that was how it went down, he had a pretty good suspicions, just based on your signs, symptoms and complaints/hx that you had been describing to him. 

Not good news about the discs, but I AM really glad we at least know about the discs now - now you can all come up with the right approaches, treatments, precautions to help deal with the discs not being able to do their jobs properly. Phisio/brace, footwear (like the insoles you mentioned you used), activities/motions to avoid, all things in the right direction which may start to improve things for you. 

Saw your other thread about stress at home - fer sure, stress is not a nice scenario, makes everything worse/ more uncomfortable.

Just keep doing your best Iris, we know you are - keep going, no matter what the circumstances. Things will ease off, even if it is just for little bits, you will get seconds to catch your breath again. You are a strong and smart lady and i know you can succeed in overcoming any kind of difficulty! C.

Wow Iris, that must feel like a bit of a runaround but at least youre narrowing in on the cause and can hopefully get to some help for the discs. 

Iris,

Well, at least they are finally looking in the right places. I sure the back doctor gets you some relief.

Iris Dragonfly wrote:

---

Well, it's official... the foot doctor cannot help me. I have two herniated discs near my tailbone pressing into my spinal cord, he said that was why my toes were numb. He referred me to my primary to see a back specialist.

Hard to say if this was aggravated by the treatment or not, the timing was uncanny. and unfortunate.

bb, I.D.

---

 that is sad news iris, even sadder that they made you go thru so many hoops.

have you ever been in an accident?

my hubs has  had a long slow recovery with his muscle/skeletal issues plus his bad back. 

i hope they get you to a back specialist soon since you've had to wait so long.

Well, it's official... the foot doctor cannot help me. I have two herniated discs near my tailbone pressing into my spinal cord, he said that was why my toes were numb. He referred me to my primary to see a back specialist.

Hard to say if this was aggravated by the treatment or not, the timing was uncanny. and unfortunate.

bb, I.D.

You have earned a well deserved day off, Iris! Thanks for all of your hard work. You brought joy to many hearts

Hey Hoodie!...no not a regular job. I've been a florist forever. Just been semi retired for a few years now. Never wanted to play at Valentines day again, yet, there I am.....and no, I did not make all the flowers, we had 3 other designers....thankfully!

I bought insoles for my shoes, that helped my back tremendously! My toes though are a mystery.

Blessed V-D to all !! Eh, so I'm a day late 

Iris

Harry,

This is fantastic new!  I knew you would get here.   Which test was this? 12 weeks post?  I'm really happy for you.

Are you cooling down down there?

Take care always!

Fantastic News Harry!!!! I'm so pleased for you.

CONGRATS HARRY!!!

I am doing the happy dance for you right now!

Iris, did you get a job in a flower shop?! Thats a cool picture! Hope you are well. Hugs!

Harry, havent met you yet but WOW what great news! So happy to hear this. 

OMG, Iris...I just saw this pic of all the flowers. Did you do all that work? so lovely and happy. I wish I could come to your shop and just fall into those. 

WOOHOO! Congrats Harry! It was never in doubt

Harry wrote:

---

Hi , everyone out there it's me Harry again, still got numb fingers a bit and and a few other minor details, the great news is liver.clinic rang me this morning to tell me I had cleared the virus wow big surprise for me seeing my VL was so high and prob caught it in 70s , very relieved and thankful for all the support from u guys ,I'm in a state of shock ATM will get back soon ,Shemp Hoodie Tig everyone ,

---

 so awesome harry!!! , we will have iris bring some flowers for our table as we celebrate this good news

Iris,

Glad the MRI was easy...smart of you to zone out/meditate ...  

pretty sure I fell  

I love the description of the light show on your eyelids.   sounds kewl. 

Harry: yay!!!! Congratulations  

IRIS!

Sure enjoying that photo, it's almost like I have stepped in there and can smell those roses myself! Sweet, delicate, cool rose perfume wafting over me and my mind, makes me think of my Granny! Thanks for sharing that.

Congrats Harry!  : )

Ha! The cooler is almost full and there is stuff all over this small maybe 600sq ft shop. Fun times 

@Cheddy, no eye covers and ya that thing seemed pretty tight. 

Thanks for the good wishes 5, Scrffy, Tanner, Cheddy, and my treatment sista Hoodie!

Oh dear Scruffy!!...you numb nuts!! LoL

Well I must say ...I feel like I'm hanging in there with the flowers   maybe better than I ever have since treatment. Usually by now I would be feeling really worn out and sickish with sore throat and generally aching all over Like I'm catching the flu...well there is still two days left, let's see what I feel like tomorrow eve   but so far I'm astounded and feeling pretty good My foot did bug the crap out of me all day

lemme see if I can get a picture on here. Uummm those cakes look yummy. Let's party

Best wishes as always Iris

That's hilarious Scruff!!!!

And to think it's posted under  My toes are numb!

There's a chuckle for you Iris.

Hey, Iris, good to hear you made it through. I don't have any flowers for you, but maybe a few daisy cupcakes?

Scruffy, I'm sure you weren't laughing about it then, but you're sure making me laugh right now!

Ahhh....MRI

Had one years ago and had the crew in stitches. On my way in they handed me a squeeze bulb and said if I was having a hard time to squeeze and they would stop. When they pulled me out tech said you did good you didn't have to squeeze once. I said what!!! I was squeezing like crazy and you didn't let me out. Bulb was laying next to me and me hand was well you know and I said opps wrong bulb.

Hope everything turns out ok Iris

iris, thank you for posting today , you do live a fun exciting life even with all that goes on with your body

that's a great idea for mri, close eyes, use earplugs

do you wear any kind of goggles over your eyes? 

enjoy the flowers iris

5

Iris.  Wow that MRI imagery reminds me of the 60s!  

I sure do hope you get some relief soon. Wearing a back brace and having numb toes does not sound like fun.  

I hope you have some fun helping your friend out this week.  It's amazing how much the calendar demands of us.  I don't think the ancients had Hallmark in mind they invented the calendar.  I try to show my love everyday and leave the assignments out of it, but so many people do enjoy it.

Keep taking care.  You have done so well insisting on getting to the bottom of this.  Some people resign, but not we warriors!

Keep us posted, please.

Ched

Hi, sorry for the delay. The MRI was terribly noisy. He gave me ear plugs. As they slid the tray into the tube I closed my eyes and didn't open them again until I knew I was coming out. Boy am I glad I did! that was close. I tapped into my inner calm and tried to go to sleep, LoL Saw weird imagery on the insides of my eyelids, purples and blues with little yellow lines radiating out. Anyhoo I do not have the results yet but I started physical therapy this a.m. for my back. I see the foot dr. next week?, I think. 

This week is all about flowers, now hoping my back and my feet hold out!  At least they got some cushion for the floor and I don't have to stand on cement all day. Plus new insoles for my shoes and I'll wear the back brace while I work. Oh yea...did I mention I was helping my friend at his flower shop? AAaaaghhhh the madness begins

Thanks for checking in on me 5, more later!

BB, Iris Dragon-no-fly

iris, how'd the test go? 5

iris, do they check you regularly for diabetes?

my hubs has a lot of pain since the harvoni; he stays active but has to take the muscle relaxers and small does of vicoprophen as needed. the pain is real. he was prediabetic on the last tests so is off the sugar, sweets  and artificial sweetners too now without much relief from aches and pains. hopefully in time he will feel better.

so your toe curled under during the pain?

Oh, Iris, this is awful. Pain + uncertainty is the worst; I'm so sorry to hear this. I don't get the back thing (MRI) but I guess to determine if that part of the spine which relates to the foot is damaged. I really hope it isn't because nerve damage is, as Tig said, difficult to resolve. 

I’ve had dozens of MRI’s and you will be wise to use the earplugs! Those things are loud. Ask if they can put you in the tube, backwards. Some machines will allow that. Your head is outside, instead of inside. They also have open MRI machines, which eliminates the confined feeling. 

They look for abnormalities and can examine your spine literally by the millimeter. If there’s a pinched nerve, or a bony process that is pressing on a nerve, they can see it. They imagine a perfect spine and look for that one defect to stand out. The test typically takes less than an hour, often times half that. It depends on what they’re doing. You don’t have to do anything, just hold still and listen to all the knocking, buzzing and whirring sounds! 

If the nerve damage is drug related, they may be able to visualize the area of inflammation responsible for compressing the nerve. If they can see it, they can at least determine what should be done next. If they can’t, then you have ruled out part of it and can move onto other causes. Nerve damage is a difficult thing to resolve...

So...I went and saw the new podiatrist a few weeks back. Think I mentioned it somewhere else,  anywho, not sure this guy is on it or just trying to get as many co-pays out of me as possible.

Seen him twice and he had yet to even examine my foot, he looked at an x ray that is nearly a year old and taken when I had pain so excruciating I wanted to cut my toe off, told him the pain had turned to numbness and he didn't think they were related. Said my toe is curved at the second knuckle and I told him that deforming all happened when I was having all that pain, at the  time it was swollen and red. I asked if it looked broke, he said no, then I asked if it could be an old break giving  me issue, he said he can't even see evidence of an old break.

So now he is sending me for a MRI  of my back....I have never had an MRI in my life and am somewhat claustrophobic and really anxious to to do this test. I don't have portable music or headphones, I asked if the test place had music, they said no, just ear plugs...oi...

I guess my question is, if it is nerve damage due to the drugs how will they be able to tell on an MRI ? The test is tomorrow.

Bb, Iris

hey Tim...good to see you! No, I haven't been diagnosed yet. My primary said arthritis, which may be part of it,  right now I'm trying to get re-referred to a different podiatrist, I recently made a rant about the one they tried to refer me to, then I saw a yelp review on him, may be best that they wouldn't return my call, or that the phone disconnected 3 times when I finally did reach them, worst review I ever saw.

Does this neuropathy manifest in other ways? I've been getting a wicked pin point pain in my left pointer finger, that just showed up randomly. And today my sciatica is taking out my right leg. 

How are the horses? I was terribly worried for you with that Blue Cut fire. Bye for now!

Iris