My back surgery...

[The Chairman]

If you need them, these new drugs can be amazing. I'm just glad when I can get off of them every now and then.

 

[DandyDon]

Plus just started seeing an oncology cardiologist at the Mayo - the guy looks his mom should drive him to work.

​

 

[Scott G. Bonser]

Geez...I just started taking Eliquis. This sounds like it could be fun.
Plus just started seeing an oncology cardiologist at the Mayo - the guy looks his mom should drive him to work. I have a new drug from him - it sounds like manoloblahnik, but I'm pretty sure it's something else.

….keep an eye on ‘bleeds’ from the Eliquis. Mine began looking more and more like weak dyed water with tiny red sand grains in the middle. ( blood cells) the hospital cardio doc immediately called my Cardiologist and BOTH told me to stop Eloquis and started me on Xarelto. I have had much better results. This was before the surgeons started me on Lovenox for having my appendix surgery, which is injectable.

 

[The Chairman]

keep an eye on ‘bleeds’ from the Eliquis.

I didn't have that, and while it's a live saving drug for many, it has its complications. Complications that I don't want to ever experience.

We are so, so alike, and yet it's obvious how much we actually differ.

 

[Jeff_O]

I looked at the first post. I saw the hospital UFH and the webpage for uf-health-comprehensive-spine-center.

They mention: Advanced medical, interventional, minimally invasive and surgical treatment options for various spine-related conditions are available.

The wording minimally invasive, was that with the operation you had. What I mean, did it use like pin hole and camera etc go inside, do the work needed and not have a big incision?

I had my cubital tunnel surgery on an arm for hand nerve pain. Nerve release operation. Though I was referred from a spinal surgeon since I have compressed disks in cervical spine.

I am not really ready for any other operation quite yet, as my pain from cubital tunnel surgery incision area continues since February. It was not that way before the operation, but I understand that is how it may be.

I have not felt any change to hand nerve pain since the scar tissue in my elbow was remove and released the ulnar nerve compression. Still, the nerve conduction study shows night and day improvement from the test of current to prior the surgery.

Now I am done with peripheral nerve surgeon and back to the spinal surgeon. Next is to hear what spinal surgeon sees in recent MRI.

 

[Scott G. Bonser]

I didn't have that, and while it's a live saving drug for many, it has its complications. Complications that I don't want to ever experience.

We are so, so alike, and yet it's obvious how much we actually differ.

You are so blessed my friend. I detest blood thinners. At this time a drug that I need for my condition…keep moving ahead as we all have our concessions to make. I keep asking my specialists “ Is this Rx really necessary??”.

 

[The Chairman]

“ Is this Rx really necessary??”.

That's the best question to ask, and to keep asking. I really like to get second opinions on a lot of things, and ultimately, it's my decision as to what I ingest. They can 'order' me to take anything, but they can't make me. My hematologist thought 3 months of Eliquis was fine, but the pulmonologist wanted 6. Without feeling any symptoms, I stopped at 5. They want to see me again in 6 months, but if I don't feel any symptoms, I'll probably just cancel it a week or a month out. The junior doctor was pretty sure that this last meeting was our last, and I liked his vibe in understanding -me-.

I literally sat for the past five/six years. It started when I broke my leg in Fiji. It took a long, long time to heal and then my sister got sick and started developing a lot of confusion while I was out. Then, in her final days, I really injured my back, to the point of almost total disability. Obviously, my BP is a bit elevated, and my GP put me on Lisinopril. That's OK, but as I'm getting more active, I bet I'll get back to having low BP again, and I'll get off the Lisinopril. I like being hypotensive and bradycardic. Fortunately, my resting pulse is still in the mid-fifties. I want to be fit again, and I know I can do it.

 

[The Chairman]

You are so blessed my friend.

I certainly feel blessed. Friends and family make it doubly so.

 

[tekkydiver]

That's the best question to ask, and to keep asking. I really like to get second opinions on a lot of things, and ultimately, it's my decision as to what I ingest. They can 'order' me to take anything, but they can't make me. My hematologist thought 3 months of Eliquis was fine, but the pulmonologist wanted 6. Without feeling any symptoms, I stopped at 5. They want to see me again in 6 months, but if I don't feel any symptoms, I'll probably just cancel it a week or a month out. The junior doctor was pretty sure that this last meeting was our last, and I liked his vibe in understanding -me-.

I literally sat for the past five/six years. It started when I broke my leg in Fiji. It took a long, long time to heal and then my sister got sick and started developing a lot of confusion while I was out. Then, in her final days, I really injured my back, to the point of almost total disability. Obviously, my BP is a bit elevated, and my GP put me on Lisinopril. That's OK, but as I'm getting more active, I bet I'll get back to having low BP again, and I'll get off the Lisinopril. I like being hypotensive and bradycardic. Fortunately, my resting pulse is still in the mid-fifties. I want to be fit again, and I know I can do it.

Why 6 months of anticoagulation? Risk of residual clot diminishes dramatically after 6 months of a DOAC. Some may be on it for a year. A pulmonologist may tell you the first sign & symptom of a PE is instant death. A case of the benefits outweighing the risks.

 

[The Chairman]

The wording minimally invasive, was that with the operation you had.

Nope. Mine was quite invasive. The surgery last year was pretty minimal, and while it was needed, I needed much, much more. My right leg is still healing.

What a wonderful ending for the year. I started out swimming just before 8:00 am, with Ethan in tow. I'm using my fins now and they're giving my thighs and calves a real workout. The swimming around the pool is great and watching the baby turtles scurry away in an absolute panic is cute, as well as watching this crawdad near the weedline. But then I just hold on to the steps and kick, and kick. While I was able to do this without fins for 15 minutes, I'm only up to three so far. I stop when I start to feel trembly. Then, after breakfast, it's into the shop. We're still finding areas of neglect where debris is hiding, and we're cleaning it up, up, up. Ethan is beginning to get the rythm of the shop, where you're constantly cleaning up after yourself, so the other person can work there too. Leaving your schitt for others to work around simply isn't cool, and he's starting to see the need to work neat. It's safer too!!! I called it quits right at 3:30pm. Yeah, we took an hour out maybe for breakfast and dinner, and nothing has been rushed. Still, that's a full day compared to the 24/7/365 sitting I was doing this time last year. I'll easily hit 5K steps today, which is less than half of what I was doing 4 or 5 years ago. Still, it's far, far better than this time last year. Life is good. The future's so bright, I gotta wear shades!