Deep Bone Stimulator, Cervical Surgery and Life...

I am asking this because I knew when my Orthopedic Surgeon sent in the request for my neck surgery to my insurance, he had added something about a "deep bone stimulator"... I knew they used them, especially on osteoporosis patients, that have issues with bones not wanting to heal as properly or quickly as some others without the issue. Plus even with osteoarthritis, and like RA using Prednisone, and some of the other medications they use for RA, they can have an effect on bone healing, especially in the thigh and spine. BUT, he said NOTHING to me before the surgery or after. Even when I went in for my 1st recheck after the surgery, not one word was said, although he expressed concern about the bone back in my cervical spine not being much left there to do something with surgically if this didn't work.

Which left myself and my son and daughter concerned. Thus I am in this damned hard collar for these 5 weeks, which last time i only wore about 2 weeks, then wore a soft one, but I also was able to not wear one and could drive especially here locally. Anyway, I got a call from a Rep about a "deep bone stimulator" but it came in on my cell phone, I guess last Thursday or Friday and I never got the voicemail. I've noticed that happening some, not all the time, but at times either the phone does not ring long enough, or I don't find out about a voicemail or even text message for a day or at least a few hours. So this guy I guess works for a company in Plano TX, and was going to be down here last Friday in the area close by, in Waxahachie, and was supposed to try and get down to me, because MY DOCTOR had ordered it and my insurance had approved it... well I knew that it had been approved for a YEAR! I got notice from my insurance company twice in fact 3 times about the surgery and this stimulator being approved by my insurance. Anyway, so I didn't even get the message until yesterday, and called him back and left a message. What did get me, I guess the main company maybe located out of state or something, but the phone number he called from and gave me was way out of state, like on the

 East Coast, but he did say he was located in Plano.... so those kinds of phone calls get confusing. I've had several calls on my cell lately, that are "bogus" or either someone who had the number before gets a call and that has happened a couple of times, but what I thought is they HAVE TO HAVE CALLER ID. I know on my home phone if they don't have caller ID, I have them blocked... anyone legitimate will have a caller ID name... now I know they can get around that now and do by putting something in their that is not their real names, but it burns me up, for one and I am going to let my cell phone company know I am NOT getting my voicemails promptly, and that numbers are coming up "odd" and with no caller ID on them... so when I number comes in from some state that is strange and I do not know anyone from there, I don't answer it or it is usually someone trying to cause problems so I block that number. Fortunately, the guy left a message, so I knew to keep that number, but he had his name on it also. What also gets me though here it is 6 WEEKS, almost 7 since my SURGERY, AND THEY ARE JUST NOW GETTING THIS BONE STIMULATOR ON ME???? I read that should have been done on my 1st FOLLOW UP VISIT, NOT 8 OR 9 WEEKS AFTER SURGERY!!!

 I was so pissed about it, because I hate this damned collar, I am worried as hell and want to do things around the house, but everything I do I feel like I am not sure whether I should or not... even typing on the computer, I am concerned over... I know this doctor is going to get a piece of my mind when I go back in... this is ridiculous to not have something that important with me to use, supposedly 2 hours a day! I am so fed up with the entire thing. I am mad that I have to have this one for the holidays and my daughter and her family are coming, and it is my youngest Grandson's birthday... this will be the FIRST BIRTHDAY I get to celebrate with him since we live so far away from one another... I am so excited about it and we are taking him to the Fort Worth Zoo and in fact I have never been to it, I have the Dallas one, but not the one in Ft. Worth! I hope the weather is decent... I know right now it is not looking all that great for the holiday weekend.... and the Seniors are graduating this Friday also, so I hope they can have it in the football stadium... and they will if the weather holds out.... anyway, life sometimes just irks the heck out of all of us I know...

Coconut Flour, Whole Wheat Flour, Gluten Free and other "heathier" choices in Desserts

After going through the hip fractures and then the Cervical Neck Surgery plus knowing shortly I will also be probably having Lumbar Surgery, I'm truing to move to Healthier Recipes, Using more Whole Wheat Flour & Coconut Flour. I already use Almod Milk, and do all types of different things, such as using Turkey for my Ground Meat, staying away from red meats, trying  to eat more fish if possible, NEVER using Lard, Shortening, but only Canola Oil, and more lower types or fat free items. Of course, you have to really watch the labels, and me smart about  what the ingredients are now days. Just because something says "Organic" or Lower Fat and Carbs, you will find out some of that is not exactly true. I've tried and also had luck, and had failures especially with Coconut Flour, that only take a small amount BUT LOTS of eggs (I use substitute, or other items to add moisture to it. 

Here are a few I've picked out to try and thought I would share them with you

Basic Cake Recipe Above with Whole Wheat Flour

Applesauce Cake Above with Whole Wheat Flour

Cookie Bars

World Autoimmune/Autoinflammatory Arthritis Day

World Autoimmune/Autoinflammatory Arthritis Day

@WorldAutoimmuneArthritisDay

 In one week we'll be putting the AUTO in AUTOimmune & AUTOinflammatory Arthritis by hosting a virtual awareness race via Facebook & Twitter - and YOU need to help "drive" the awareness!

Learn more at www.WAAD17.org - and invite others (SHARE!) — with American Autoimmune Related Diseases Association (AARDA), CreakyJoints and International Foundation for Autoimmune & Autoinflammatory Arthritis.

Take a look at the website, and Facebook page! YOU can find out more at both of those.

It's time to take Autoimmune Arthritic Illnesses, and "run" them off the track! 

 

 

Wishing ALL of the Mom's Grandmothers, Step Mom's, & Each and every Lady that has"been, felt and feels like a "Mom" - Happy Mother's Day!

Wishing Each and Everyone of the Mom's Out there a Very Happy, Joyful and Wonderful Mother's Day!!! All MOM"S are truly SPECIAL!!!!

Know You have blessed so many with your kindness, love, caring, and all that you give every day unconditionally!!!

 

A Mom's "job" is never done. Once we are "Mom's" that is our lifetime commitment. No matter how old or young our kids or we are, it is truly a lifetime of love....

World Lupus Day/Month May 2017!

 

Lupus Awareness Month 2017

Lupus is more pervasive and severe than people think, and has a devastating impact that the public doesn't realize. In fact, research shows that a staggering two-thirds of the public knows little or nothing about lupus. You can help change that.
Join the nationwide effort to pump up the purple this May to raise awareness and funds for lupus research and education programs. Rally support from your
friends and family and get started today!

http://www.lupusawarenessmonth.org/index.html

Take Action on the American Health Care Act, More Work Needs to be Done!

 

 

WE MUST TAKE ACTION FOR ALL OF US IN REGARD TO THE GOVERNMENT AND THE HEALTHCARE ACT!!!

Update on my Cervical Neck Surgery..... news is frightening honestly!

My visit went "okay" on my follow up 11 days after the neck surgery. What I found out though this HAD TO WORK AND IT NEEDS TO HEAL AND STAY WORKING! I don't have much bone to even work with anymore... he took out all of the hardware, and one of my other surgery levels had completely fused and was awesome. It was "between" the two the were new and then one that never quite healed right from the 2012 surgery. It is amazing to look at the X-rays and wonder how the heck they get all of that in there, and make it work. I am in the HARD COLLAR THOUGH another 5 WEEKS! 

Then i go to a soft collar, but he told me frankly we needed to take every precaution we could to make sure this does get the job done... my lumbar spine he said, and he was upset I did not tell him months back about how bad it had gotten, but my neck after seeing NO SPACE LITERALLY between two of the discs, and how he managed to put almost 2 1/2 inches of space and then remove a huge bone spur that was also in that area... but lumbar surgery could be done in about 9 weeks if it stays bad or gets worse. He said I could have lower surgery even a bit earlier as long as my neck progresses .... anyway, I then I think put myself in a "tension" after hearing him and then I think I am having muscle spasms on the left side where it is so bad, plus just stressed myself out so 

I didn't sleep again as well as I should have and was up "early" but at least not at 2AM and was actually asleep until about 3:30AM before I finally got up. I don't want to sit and type much. Right now although the pain and burning etc has really gone down so much so quickly, I don't want to chance i and I don't want to run into messing something up.... so that is my report... once I get the operative report, I will have to post some of that so you can hear just how much he had to do in orde to have enough to work with this time...

LUPUS Awareness MONTH May 2017!!!! LOTS you can do to get message through to Congress, to Walk, Advocacy from Home and Much More!

bit.ly/WalkwithUs #WalkwithUs

http://www.lupusresearch.org/advocacy/legislative-action-center.html#/takeaction

Use the Lupus Research Alliance Legislative Action Center to tell legislators why we need greater funding for scientific research at the National Institutes for Health and allocations to continue a dedicated lupus research program at the Department of Defense. Equally important is to convey why we must make sure that any new healthcare policy allows all people with this challenging disease to get the critical medical care they need. And to be most effective, share your own story – share how lupus affects you! bit.ly/LupusLAC

 

 

Cervical Neck surgery OVER BUT COMPLICATED, PAINFUL AND HARD COLLAR DRIVING ME NUTS!!!

I am home, thank goodness. Got home yesterday afternoon about 4:00PM... I thought I was staying another night... the surgery was COMPLICATED AND TOOK 3 HOURS!! Things were MUCH WORSE than even my surgeon thought. Was should have been a 1 or 2 level surgery, turned into a full 3 level surgery, plus talk about PAIN!!! MY entire chest, arms, head, neck, even my left ear HURT SO BADLY, they really could not give me enough meds to get it calmed down. 

My throat was so sore I could not even swallow a popcicle, so of course I stayed Thursday night. I found out yesterday morning we had waited WAY too LONG doing the surgery, thus the complications. My neck was over 21/2 INCHES SHORTER than it should have been, so he had to literally STRETCH MY CERVICAL SPINE ENOUGH to get those over 2 inches BACK AND put in the discs, and get the cage in, and then I had a BONE SPUR THE SIZE OF 2 INCHES, that he removed, and used it in the cage for my bone to hopefully regenerate itself. Needless to say I am miserable. This very HARD COLLAR, ALONG WITH THE STRETCHING, feels like someone put my head in a vise and literally PULLED MY HEAD AND NECK UP ALMOST 3 INCHES. Jason even said he could tell by looking how much straighter and longer my neck was yesterday. 

Anyway, I pray this all heals well, and never will I WAIT AGAIN, to have something like that done... of course my situation was crazy last year between Mom being so ill, then passing away so quickly, then between after the funeral and paperwork, my twisting both ankles, and then falling and fracturing my hip in December none of which was "my fault" for not having surgery much sooner... honestly the surgery should have been done December a year ago, but that is when my pain pump went out, and I had to have it replaced on the 29th of December 2015, thus about January 10th is when Mom then was in such a fast moving Dementia, I could not have surgery due to that, and the her passing away in June, I severely sprained both ankles the right one horribly worse, which my doctors feel contributed to me tripping and breaking my hip.... 

my lower back honestly has been getting worse now and really had been bad before the neck issues came up... so I feel I may face lower back surgery later in the year, especially if we see that things are worse, as I fear they maybe.... anyway, I am home, and now they have adjusted my pain meds, where I am not in so much pain, just MISERABLE FROM THIS DAMNED HARD ITCHING COLLAR!!!! I hope this does the trick, and now I get better as far as the cervical spine.... more later, I can't sit here for long and type at my desk, but I may be able to use my laptop soon on the sofa.... Hugs to all, Rhia

May you Find Blessings, Peace, Harmony, Love and a Wondrous Easter Day and in the Days Ahead....

 

May You Be Blessed with Hope and Love Today, Easter Day and in the Days Ahead....

Happy Easter to All! Mine started out insane, I didn't go to bed until late, just because I have been NOT sleeping for several reasons over the past 8 weeks or so. Either I have terrible night terrors, that wake me up, and I am crying, then I get "stopped up" and can't breathe, and by the time I get settled, then I am not sleepy... or I just wind up turning the TV back on, and then I can sleep at times. I keep waking up at 2am, 3am, 4am, until I am so sick of the hourly issue, that I give up, get coffee, and sit up watching something on Netflix until I feel okay enough to do things. 

Also, my pain level is off the charts for the most part. My neck is so bad, that i am in constant pain with either a horrid headache, or my neck so stiff I can't turn it, and then I get more tense, and my entire body hurts.., this humid weather is not helping... although not all that "hot" the humidity has just been off the charts this past several weeks. I get up and every morning even if it has not rained everything is so "wet" grass and all, it it is muggy, sticky and too wet to even take Peanut out until it dries out later in the afternoon... plus I've had so many "catch up doctor visits, then Echocardiogram last week, follow ups on my hip, which is really been sore, but between the weather stuff, my RA is in a severe flare, and so is my Lupus, so that contributes to the pain, and it just all continues to circle around and around, causing me to not sleep, and then by early afternoon, I am so exhausted, I've just been up way too many hours, but I don't want to try to go to sleep at 8 or 9 pm, then the same cycle starts over again.

 Also, I've had so many things as far as paper work, trying to decide if I even want to "stay" in my house. I've just about decided to sell it. Right now it is a "seller's market" and like my investment lady and I talked about last week, I could sell quick more than likely, and do it without even a Realtor, and save that money and hassle. I've just gotten to where between ALL of the outside stuff, mowing, fire ants, other ants, bugs, and so forth, the weeds are nuts, the wasps and such are already trying to build nests, and I am constantly fighting them so i don't get a nest like last year, where i don't "see it" and they sting me, because I don't find the nest... that is what happened last year... they built 
in my gate to my car port, and then I found a huge nest from last year close to my front porch a couple of weeks ago... i could not see it last year, so I was constantly having to watch to keep them from getting in the house... so I've knocked down the old nests, been spraying and knocking down new ones as they start them, but I have dead trees, the "weeds" in the back look more like "trees" than weeds... so trying to weed eat, mow, cut, chop, saw, and then the inside NEEDS so much work, I still don't have the floors finished in the bathroom, kitchen and now the kitchen and bath need to be either finished or repainted... the outside still needs painting and it is terrible... plus it needs a roof... 

I know that is coming soon.,.. and there is just so much to keep up with that costs a fortune, or is beginning to be things that my "body" does not like me doing... like sawing, and even using the light weed eater and although all is cordless and battery operated still with all of my joint issues, pain, and now the Lupus and RA getting worse, I pay a price for 3 or 4 days after i work on things.. then I suffer like today, I hurt from head to toe... I do know having hold of that pole saw really helped my arms... i actually have "muscles" built up from the weed eating, mowing, sawing, cleaning and so forth... rather than all droopy, although the skin still is some, I finally have built back up some muscles in my arms and legs..,. if someone would have told me just 10 or 12 years ago, I would not be able to do even little things, trying to use a can opener, button buttons, zippers, and all kinds of things using my wrists, hands and fingers, I would have thought they were nuts... not true... my hands, fingers, wrists, and elbows are always stiff, not able to be used to open anything, and trying to do just about anything with them, on some days is almost impossible. Even sitting here to type, hurts my hands, wrists, fingers, but my neck, shoulders, lower back, all of me takes a "beating" from even sitting for very long.., it sucks and I KNOW I AM NOT THE ONLY ONE, but I think after doing some thinking, and I found out i probably can do some investment stuff where I would have enough money from one or two of them to pay rent monthly for an apartment, and avoid all of the money I am pouring into this older home, that truly needs much much more work and funds, than I want to put into it.


I never thought I would feel that way, but after living in Seattle for 5 years, in an apartment where NONE of all of those things like upkeep, yard, problems, were anything i had to worry about, honestly I LOVED BEING FREE... I love having a yard, flowers, trees, but everything that goes along with them is getting to be more of a burden than "fun" like it used to be... I "hope" that between myself and my doctors nurse, who can be a jerk honestly, that we have my insurance company now where i DO NOT HAVE TO HAVE A CT ETC. before my neck surgery! They told her last week I needed an "MRI" before they would approve it, well i cannot HAVE AN MRI DUE TO MY PAIN PUMP, and a CT scan is a waste of time and money - I have TWO LETTERS, ONE FROM JUST LAST DECEMBER, just before I broke my hip stating the INSURANCE APPROVED MY NECK SURGERY.... I fell, and we had to postpone due to the hip fractures... but the neck of course is WORSE, AND NO CT SCAN, will show different... the X-rays in themselves show the damage and how much worse it is than just 6 months ago or so.... anyway, I am going to stay on the nurses butt this next week, so she will do her part. I DID MINE FRIDAY! I got all of the information from the insurance company, faxed her the letter, and what they told me on the phone, and if she will not drag her feet, we can probably get it set up and done the last week of the month. I decided to wait and did not go to the Casino today.., the weather here and up that way is "wishy washy" today and tomorrow... and besides, 

I've had so much to do here, before surgery, and I feel like I've been beaten, I decided to "change" the reservation until next Sunday,,, I hope to go then and if not then wait until I am over the surgery in 5 or 6 weeks then I can go to the Casino then. I did get my ham baked, I made those home made biscuits with the Sprite Zero that are so good, got some fresh fruit, I have sweet potatoes etc if I wanted to fix them, and I have a half a cake that I baked earlier this week, etc.,,, so I don't think I will do much other cooking, I did bake some very "healthy" oatmeal cookies this morning, without all of the fat, sugars, carbs and so on in them... I ground my own oat flour, used Splenda, and the Ranger cookies of course have Oatmeal and Corn flakes in them... so they don't even have any white flour, and I used "County Crock" and not any type of oil or "bad" butter sat fats etc... they turned out really good and are not too sweet, and don't have a bunch of empty calories and "processed mess" in them, I re-potted a few of my plants that needed it, and right now my arms, hands and entire body hurt like hell. I think I am headed to the sofa for awhile to rest... I HAVE TO HAVE A SHOWER in a bit, but did not want to take that until I am finished with all of the "chores" stuff around 1st.... Hope everyone has a very blessed Easter and in the days ahead my prayers are that we find hope, peace, and "good things"... the way our world is, right now honestly it is frightening.... but "worrying" won't fix it, so rather than worry, I am just doing my own stuff, and enjoying my days and moments as they come.... Happy Easter again to all..