posted
He had an infarction in his leg. As a result the muscles in his upper thigh started rotting in place and had to be removed. But he's still in constant pain and thus pops the vicodin.
-------------------- I haul cardboard and cardboard accessories
Registered: Mar 1999
| IP: Logged
posted
This is what I've got. You can search and find some pretty graphic pics if you care to- it's depressing. In a nutshell, on my left shin (Tibialis Anterior) I have an area about 20x24cm with no skin whatsoever.
Picture the worst knee-skinning you ever got: one where you can see that white fatty layer under the skin....I'm looking at the layer of tissue underneath that. Straight muscle layers that I cover with telfa and zinc oxide paste to aproximate skin. Funny thing is, nerve damage is a blessing here- between that and narcotics (percocet by scrip and methadone when I run out of that) I have gotten by the last three years of various treatments, tests, hospital stays etc...
I'm a frikkin study case.
My Doctor is the big kahuna at Cedar's Hospital and is the guy everyone else referrs me to if I go for a second opinion anywhere, but nothing's working.
The whole "Job" routine is gettin a old- I dont usually bitch about this too much as I cant do anything about it and so many people have worse shit (I thought I had cancer for almost a month while waiting for test results once) but enough is enough.
Not to mention the almost 10 granh I've paid out of pocket in expenses, lost time at work and all that shit...
Er...who is House?
-------------------- Justice inclines her scales so that wisdom comes at the price of suffering. -Aeschylus, Agamemnon
Registered: Aug 2002
| IP: Logged
If it helps at all (and it doesn't), about 14 of the medications I've been put on in the last year now have large class action law suits against the manufacturers for the long term health effects - no one told me THAT bit of news and I gulped them down hapily each day.
On the plus side, I've been thinking about jumping on board with all of these lawsuits and living the high life.... if I play my cards right, I may never have to work again
Don't stress about the cancer yet though - you're at a higher risk, but you don't actually HAVE it - so there's no sense worrying about it. Be aware, but don't panic.
I found out about my high stroke risk due to my migraines and the medications I'm on a few months ago (something the doctors never told me.......) and I went into super panic mode - a 20 year old girl in my support group died of a stroke, and I realized that could be me! For several weeks straight, all I did was worry, and every day, when the migraine came on, I wondered to myself "Is this the day I'm going to die?"
It finally occured to me, it's not worth all of the worry. I'm glad I'm aware now, because I can prepare the people around me - my manager and several coworkers are educated in the signs of stroke. My boyfriend is aware of the signs of stroke. There are several key people at my jobsite who have consistantly updated lists of my medications to give paramedics, in case I go down on the job, plus I keep a list in my wallet and my boyfriend has a list (he's my emergency contact). Other than that, I don't worry. Life is too short to spend worrying, especially if the worst case scenario DOES come along and end it abruptly *hugs*
I wish you the best and I hope you can find peace in this knowledge, though I know it won't be easy. We're here for ya if you need anything....
~Liz
-------------------- "You are anal twattypoo who has ruined my good mood" PsyLiam to TSN May 01,2006.
Registered: Mar 1999
| IP: Logged
posted
Wow. You're the coolest- really, that's what I needed to hear.
It's odd, I dont like talking about it with people generally. They have sympathy but not understanding. You've been there in many ways.
I've got a doctor's appointment tomorrow where I'll bring all this up (I dont know if he's even aware of the study yet), but as this was already a last gasp kinda treatment, I dont know if stopping will allow the disease to accelerate - It's been getting worse as I've lowered by steroid intake- they were making me angry all the time and pack on weight no matter what you eat- but I actually feel better than I have in a while.
The frustrating thing (and I know you understand LOA) is that the docs dont understand why this is happening to me and there is no cause in my case (I've been tested for Chron's Disease and all sorts of other likely candidates). As Cedars is a teaching hospital, I've been the subject of endless student examinations and "grand-rounds"- being on display is no fun.
It's my immune system that's gone all awky- it seems that my body's defenses are attacking the new cells as they form- preventing healing- then when the wound gets infected in any way, it gets worse, then the cycle starts all over.
At most, it's been a holding action to slow it down.
I'm, taking Methotrexate (chemotherapy with no radiation) to inhibit my immune system, and that is like getting kicked in the nuts each week (I have to do it on my day off of work- it means an additional five or six hours in bed "asleep".
Oddly, it's only in that area (thank God), but every scrape or nick on my other leg is a cause for concern. How people can live with this shit on their hands or back is beyond me.
-------------------- Justice inclines her scales so that wisdom comes at the price of suffering. -Aeschylus, Agamemnon
Registered: Aug 2002
| IP: Logged
posted
At least you're still living. Sounds kinda similar to something that happened to a dog I had about 7 years ago. She had an auto-immune disease that was attacking her red blood cells. We didn't know anything was wrong until she passed out in front of us. She pretty much had around the clock care for several days after that, including trying many different treatments, until there was nothing else to do.
I really don't mean to compare you to a dog in any way, but that was an extremely painful experience for my wife and I. It took us a long time to move on. Fortunately for you, there are many more options for humans than there are for canines, although I'm sure you're quite familiar with most of them.
Yeah, I'd go with LOA's sentiment, which is what I try to live by even though my worries are not on the same level. The only downside is that it also makes me think of that Bobby McFerrin song...
Registered: Jul 2002
| IP: Logged
Shik
Starship database: completed; History of Starfleet: done; website: probably never
Member # 343
posted
OMG Jason I want to hump you right now, that is like the hottest thing EVAR.
-------------------- "The French have a saying: 'mise en place'—keep everything in its fucking place!"
Registered: Jun 2000
| IP: Logged
Wait, no. No-one should watch more television. What was I thinking?
Anyway, everyone ought to know that drugs, even approved by the FDA, are not tested for long-term effects. They don't know what years of medication will do to a person until people have been taking it for years. Just because you're taking an "approved" drug, that doesn't mean you aren't still a guinea pig.
Registered: Mar 1999
| IP: Logged
quote:Originally posted by Shik: OMG Jason I want to hump you right now, that is like the hottest thing EVAR.
It's not something I bring up on a first date, no.
While I understand there's no viable way to do long-term effect studies, I've noticed a lot of new drugs are being approved with inadequate testing (Viox for example).
I sure hope this is not the case here- Remicade is made with mouse DNA (really!) but Humeria is all human-based. I need something spider-based: then I'd have cool powers and no skin. Kinda Spider-Darkman.
-------------------- Justice inclines her scales so that wisdom comes at the price of suffering. -Aeschylus, Agamemnon
Registered: Aug 2002
| IP: Logged
Shik
Starship database: completed; History of Starfleet: done; website: probably never
Member # 343
posted
Actually, I was sort of serious.
-------------------- "The French have a saying: 'mise en place'—keep everything in its fucking place!"
Registered: Jun 2000
| IP: Logged
posted
You know, other than a bout with some toxins I had the unfortunate run in with this earlier year, I am relatively healthy.
I do wish the lot of you the best.
-------------------- "You are a terrible human, Ritten." Magnus "Urgh, you are a sick sick person..." Austin Powers A leek too, pretty much a negi.....
Registered: Sep 2000
| IP: Logged
posted
Ueah...I was healthy too, then I turned 30 and my warranty expired...
Seriously, prior to this, I'd never been to a hospital since birth.
-------------------- Justice inclines her scales so that wisdom comes at the price of suffering. -Aeschylus, Agamemnon
Registered: Aug 2002
| IP: Logged
posted
I am edging 40, and I feel like a Trek Conduit GNDN.
-------------------- "You are a terrible human, Ritten." Magnus "Urgh, you are a sick sick person..." Austin Powers A leek too, pretty much a negi.....
Registered: Sep 2000
| IP: Logged
posted
Well, okay. If you felt like a EPS Conduit, we'd call the men in white coats...
So, I went to the doctor today and was told b both him and the residents working my case that "It's bullshit" to quote my doc on the Remicade/Humeria story.
I was told this: the study was only done on paitents with severe Ruhamitoid Arthritis, all were over 50 and many had other health complications or were on other drugs that have a cancer risk at the same time. The docs say that this kinds of bullshit is cropping up a lot as companies try to discredit their compitition.
Shitty reporting on CNN/AP's part though. A resident told me the office had fielded over phone calls from concerned paitents since the story broke on wednsday.
Anyhow, I'm (as of today) not going to be on either Humeria/Remicade anyway: neither is working for me and Remicade is counter-indicated for people at risk of the kinds of infections I've already had.
So the doc upped my Methotrexate doesage (it'll be like getting kicked twice in the nuts, instead of just once- goody!).
I can tell my doc's at the bottom of his bag of tricks. Dont know what I'll do from here if this does not magically help.
-------------------- Justice inclines her scales so that wisdom comes at the price of suffering. -Aeschylus, Agamemnon
Registered: Aug 2002
| IP: Logged
posted
Is amputation any sort of option? I'm actually being partly serious here. Obviously not the best answer, but is it a possible answer?
Registered: Jul 2002
| IP: Logged
![[Roll Eyes]](rolleyes.gif)
![[Wink]](wink.gif)
![[Razz]](tongue.gif)
Printer-friendly view of this topic