OT: Good News and Bad News

Good news: I won't need more surgery, thank God. My arm is no longer paralyzed, and I've regained some strength.

Bad news: The reason I won't need more surgery is that because the first surgery never healed properly, the doc is afraid that re-doing the spinal fusion would leave me even worse off than I am now. He feels that I won't ever get full strength back on my left side, and that the pain I feel now is going to be a permanent condition. I'll be going to the pain clinic as soon as I can get an appointment, so I can learn to live with this.

Also, I am back in the wretched collar part-time. The doc wants me to sleep in the collar and also wear it while I bead (so my neck won't tilt to one side). He asked me how I would feel about giving up beading, and when I told him that was not an option, he said that we will work on some way to allow me to bead without making my condition worse.

More Good news: While waiting for an X-ray, DH and I started talking to a fellow who repair Harley Davidsons for a living. When we mentioned that my sister's husband is a Harley nut, he asked if it was Bill. Amazed, we repied that it was -- turns out the fellow knows my sister, and since we look alike, he figured out that Bill was the Harley nut we were talking about.

Without prompting, he said that my sister is the light of Bill's life, and that before he had met her, Bill was the saddest person he had ever met. Bill is a sweetie, but not the hearts and flowers kind of guy, so I was sure that he had never told my sister anything of the sort. So, I called and told my sister. She was so surprised and happy that she started crying. :-)

Even more Good news: DD had been placed in a disciplinary class in error, and was scheduled to be moved to a regular classroom. Her principal called me and asked if I would allow DD to stay in the disciplinary class for a week, to show her what happens to people who refuse to do schoolwork. (Last year DD was on a homework strike and got very poor grades, despite having "A" averages on tests.

Today, after a week in the Hell class, DD was moved to her proper class. I had assumed it would be a standard level class, but it turns out that she is in an advanced placement class, and is very, very happy. The principal has promised her that if she reverts to her old lazy ways, she's back in the other homeroom. Right now, she's so happy to be actually learning something, she did her homework without any complaining.

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So, it's been a mixed day. After all the poking and pulling and prodding at the hospital, I really hurt. I think I'll take an evening off from beading and try to get some sleep.

Oh yes, one more piece of good news: DH brought 11 packages to the post office today, and I have sent out pretty much everything. I only have two more packets to put together: the one for the beading class and one for my cousin. Hooray!

Kathy N-V

Reply to
Kathy N-V
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Smart principal, love Bill's friend for telling you that and am continuing to pray for the health issues. Love you, love you, love you.

Becki "In between the moon and you, the angels have a better view of the crumbling difference between wrong and right." -- Counting Crows

Reply to
BeckiBead

-- "Kathy N-V" wrote

Ok... that is good :-)

Bummer!

Thats good.. do what you can about what you can.

Ugh. Thats to bad.

You have a keeper kind of doctor!!!

That is also good news!

Sleep well.. and feel better in the morning. Diana

Reply to
Diana Curtis

I am so sorry that you have to keep having pain. If laughing doesn't hurt, I have a good one for you. You said you still have to wear the collar? You could get some white plastic, cut it to look like what a dog has to wear when he gets neutered, wrap it around your neck and yell into the other room, "I am so SICK of having to wear this thing!" And when DH comes in to comfort you he will rotfl, yes?

Reply to
CLP

Kathy,

I'm so sorry you are in pain. My husband had his neck fused a few months ago. He was in horrible pain. My best friend had back spinal surgery just three months ago. She only has half her vertebre left, but she's hopeful that she won't need surgery for a long time.

I'm happy to hear all the good news. You need the little things in life to bring a smile to your face.

Reply to
starlia

Now this is a very wonderful story. Wish the rest of your day had had less bad news in it.

Tina

Reply to
Christina Peterson

vj found this in rec.crafts.beads, from Kathy N-V :

]Good news: I won't need more surgery, thank God. My arm is no longer ]paralyzed, and I've regained some strength. ] ]Bad news:

Dear Gods, Kathy!

i don't know how you keep your sanity and keep going. i'm glad that you do, but i don't like hearing the constant pain part!

still keeping you on my prayer list!

----------- @vicki [SnuggleWench] (Books)

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's not what you take, when you leave this world behind you;it's what you leave behind you when you go. -- Randy Travis

Reply to
vj

vj found this in rec.crafts.beads, from Kathy N-V :

] Right now, she's so happy to be actually learning something, ]she did her homework without any complaining.

good for her! may the lesson stick!

----------- @vicki [SnuggleWench] (Books)

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's not what you take, when you leave this world behind you;it's what you leave behind you when you go. -- Randy Travis

Reply to
vj

vj found this in rec.crafts.beads, from Kathy N-V :

]I said thank you, she said you're welcome and skipped back off in her ]mother's direction.

the things children say! sheesh!

----------- @vicki [SnuggleWench] (Books)

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's not what you take, when you leave this world behind you;it's what you leave behind you when you go. -- Randy Travis

Reply to
vj

The last time I had to wear a cervical collar for any length of time I started covering it with silk (or at least silky) scarves. It felt better on my neck and somehow didn't seem quite as starkly noticeable.

But I think a completely bead-encrusted collar might be cool ...

Elise

Reply to
EL

Crap!!

Loved the story about your sister and DD. I will continue to pray for your health!!

Carol in SLC New JustBeads auctions:

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Reply to
Carol in SLC

Sounds like it.

I hope your pain management help really helps. And if you haven't seen it, I heartily recommend Part 3 of the Bill Moyers series called "Healing and the Mind", which addresses the very topic of the management of chronic pain ... the kind that medicine can't really address ... and how to have a life worth living -- through, around and in spite of the pain.

Sorry the medical news wasn't better, and glad that your daughter wants to escape the 'hell' class, even if the price is doing boring homework. (I know how she feels, though ... and she has my sympathies.)

Deirdre

Reply to
Deirdre S.

Thanks for this post, Deirdre,

I'll check that out for Pete.

Tina

Reply to
Christina Peterson

vj found this in rec.crafts.beads, from "EL" :

]But I think a completely bead-encrusted collar might be cool ...

oh, yeah! as long as it's still lightweight and comfortable!

----------- @vicki [SnuggleWench] (Books)

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's not what you take, when you leave this world behind you;it's what you leave behind you when you go. -- Randy Travis

Reply to
vj

Oh. Well, I guess there is that.

Tina

Reply to
Christina Peterson

Kathy, I hope your shoulder eventually heals. Has the dr mentioned physiotherapy? It's doing my foot/ankle a power of good.

Reply to
Marisa Cappetta

I love how kids can make an observation without attaching any judgement LOL. A friend's child once informed that my caboose was on the large side. *sigh* Yeah, thanks for pointing it out!

Reply to
Marisa Cappetta

in article snipped-for-privacy@nntp.TheWorld.com, Kathy N-V at KathyNV snipped-for-privacy@hotmail.com wrote on 16/9/03 10:42 AM:

*chortle* You see the funny side of everything, Kathy. I love it!
Reply to
Marisa Cappetta

Dr's in the USA seem very quick to get out the ole' knife. Do they try other forms of therapy first?

Reply to
Marisa Cappetta

Kathy! :-(

Try to focus on the 'no more surgery' aspect - that's really good news. And FWIW, the folks at the pain clinics really truly can be astoundingly helpful. Thank goodness you are so spunky! What would be devestating for most anyone is an 'adventure to be overcome'for you as you are able to find some small good in anything (and everything I think!).

Very happy to hear that beading is not 'out' - that would be un-thinkable!

Keeping glass rods and mandrels crossed for you that things improve quickly!

Faith

Reply to
Quest Glass Studio

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