My name is Joanne Eslick, but my friends here call me Jo or joey (I am 4ft 11" a shorty....and joey being a baby kangaroo and kangaroos are bouncy creatures *sigh* get the picture?) anyway Tish, I have ignored the latest lot of tiff central, tempers and feelings flare from time to time here on the board, and unfortuneatly it is the nature of the pain we live with daily.
Being a normal happy person is pressure enough in today's hectic and materalistic world..... I have been a regular on this board since Feb 2001 and I have formed some very important friendships here, as well as learned so much about the nature of our disease and the pain, frustration of finding adequate medical assistance as well as simply finding ways to help our family and friends understand what it is we are going through.
Pain management is one of my favourite subjects and I have a bag full of ways to help me focus on other things instead of pain. I call them my diversional therapies..... some of them I have actually learned naturally as I grew up with pain, while others have been things I picked up from others and twisted and changed to suite me! :-) Oh, I am an Aussie by the way, and our medical system is very different to the States, so sometimes I am afraid my advice can be lacking, but Helen Dynda and others can help you there that is for sure!
I have actually started a website to compliment the International Adhesions Society, called http://www.bombobeach.com and while it is an aussie site, many of my friends from around the world have become members and enjoy visiting the site, I hope you will join us too ;-).
I have just spent 6 weeks in hospital in Sydney which is three and a half hours away from where I live with my family in a town called Bathurst (It was aweful bein away from my family for such a long period of time) which is in the central Wester of New South Wales. I have a great team of specialists looking after me and consider myself one of the lucky ones. I must say though, that the recomendation for the doctor came from Dr David Wiseman who founded this site and I will be forever grateful to him for taking the time to help me find a doctor on the other side of the world!
During the six weeks, I was subjected to all sorts of tests and my pain was comtinuing to increase. My doctors knew that surgery was not on my agenda and that pain management was the road I wanted to follow..... as it turned out after five and a half hours of surgery I had adhesions in places no-one expected! I still have another three and a half hours left for next year (depending on my pain levels between now and then)
YES, I an feel a difference and believe that the surgery has made a huge difference to my pain....I was really beginning to feel the benefits as I was discharged from hospital Monday week ago...... until we had a car accident an hour after my release! My husband and I then spent a very uncomfortable two days in another busy inner city hospital....... now my pain levels are extreme and my hubby is experiencing some pretty dreadful pain too..... thankfully our children walked away from the accident without serious injuries and have been a great help to us around the home.
I was also glad to see that you have a hubby who is doing his bit to help you and support you through this very confusing and painful part of your life.... just a word of advice..... Sometimes more help can be found with honey instead of vinegar, BUT if you are getting no response at all….. then your hubby’s method is a gold medal winner! LOL
As you probably have guessed Tish…. I am the motor mouth of the group…. Or should that be fingers? LOL I tend to just keep typing until I have nothing further to say on a subject!!
LOL I am only just flexing my fingers and diving back into helping people like you here on the board, Welcome and please take a peek at http://www.bombobeach.com I even have a section on “How to Cope” which includes an article on how other family members react and cope with a chronic pain sufferer in the house.
I look forward to reading your future posts!
-- Love and gentle hugs, Joanne Eslick Founder Australian Adhesions Support Group http://www.bombobeach.com Australian Co-ordinator of International Adhesions Society http://www.adhesions.org
-- I am not a medical person, and all my messages are based on personal experience. I am a fellow adhesions sufferer reaching out to help others.