Pain: Update 2

[filkertom]

So far, so meh.

I crapped out for a few hours yesterday, and woke up still feeling pretty dreadful. It eased off as the evening proceeded. This morning, I felt about the same as I did yesterday morning, i.e., pre-NGAAH! muscle spasms: sore, annoyed, but basically (slowly) mobile.

Given how much I've slowed down the past few years, this does not fill me with joy.

Anyway. Les came to schlep me to the doctor's office.

The clindamycin had nothing whatever to do with the pain. Current problem is likely muscular, but she wants me to get an X-ray. Also long-overdue blood work. Because of lack of money and insurance, I'm going to go to the Hope Clinic in Ypsi next Saturday (between Windy and Thanksgiving). Gotta fill out forms, make a first appointment. Also got forms for M Support, some insurance through the University Medical System. Here's hoping.

Doctor is worried about me generally; wants me to get the bariatric surgery. (Heh. "Bariatric" isn't in Firefox's spell checker. What is? "barbaric" and "brickbat".) I really really really don't want to; can't afford it in any case.

Doctor called in scrips for flexeril, a muscle relaxant, and (because of my lowered antidepressant dosage a few weeks ago) a new drug, wellbutrin, basically an upper. Expensive -- as in, $109 for three months. I think that scrip will go on file for now.

Les got me back home. Many, many thanks to Les. I got myself into my van with not much more trouble than usual, and headed off to Kroger. Parking lot full; fine, they've got a drive-thru pharmacy. Only there's some communication problem, and Kroger didn't yet get my scrips. Sigh. Fine. I drive home, no big trouble. I get out of the van and into my house, no thang. I'm sitting here at my desk, all is well.

Windy is now very likely. If this holds, or (I hope I hope) improves, then it'll be no problem. The biggest thing I'm worried about is my cart. At one point in this little escapade, I tried using a shopping cart, and walking with that hurt terribly; if I go through that with my gig cart, I'm in trouble. (Grainger apparently has the right sized cart for me, as do a couple of music gear sites. Maybe that'll be my Xmas gift to myself.)

In any case. As I said: Windy's lookin' good. TomBoat II: This Time We're Recording It Properly goes off at 9:00 p.m. Friday -- be there or be somewhere less fun.

And how are you?

ETA: The names of the drugs -- thanks, Kroger. (I love my Kroger store, the one on Whittaker Road in Ypsi. They really do take care of me.)

Comments

[lizziecrowe.livejournal.com]

Happy that you're home and doing at least semi ok. Let us know if you need ANYTHING. Seriously, you have numbers, we have mobiles. As filk second for WindyCon, I am at your disposal for everything from a flat tire to a jail break.

[filkertom.livejournal.com]

Let's hope I need neither. :) Hugs, doll.

[scifantasy.livejournal.com]

I wish I could make it to Windy. 'Twould be a lot of fun, I'm sure. In the meantime, work is proceeding apace, as is life, and I'm getting ready for a Four-Con January.

(Gafilk, Arisia, Confusion, Conflikt. And then, perhaps, Capricon in February. Oh, and that's after Chicago for New Year's.)

[filkertom.livejournal.com]

I did that the other year. Fun, but exhausting. But fun.

[roane.livejournal.com]

Hey, that's my Kroger too. :)

Hang in there, my understanding is that bariatric surgery ('barbaric'--heh, appropriate) usually causes more problems than it 'solves'. I get pressure to get it often as well.

[filkertom.livejournal.com]

My understanding as well, and I Do Not Want.

[judifilksign.livejournal.com]

Hugs. And do be careful at Windy.

[filkertom.livejournal.com]

Thanks. And, I will.

[chaosdancer.livejournal.com]

Wellbutrin tends to have something of a viagra effect on women...not sure if it works that way on men. It's kind of fun. :) But this last time I took it, it gave me tinnitus pretty badly...didn't do that a few years ago when I took it. So I hope when you can take it, that it gives you all the fun and none of the random background noise.

[filkertom.livejournal.com]

We won't get into the physical, but my emotional libido is juuuuust fine, thanks. :D And I definitely don't need tinnitus. So that may go on the back burner for awhile.

[redneckgaijin.livejournal.com]

As you probably expect, bariatric surgery is a class of stomach-shrinking techniques. The long-term benefits are questionable; the high risk of surgical complications is not.

A couple of friends of mine are on a strict zero-carbs (especially zero wheat) kick, and both have lost massive amounts of weight since doing so. (One, a diabetic, has actually been able to ditch his meds since he went zero-carb.) You may want to consider that as a cheaper (if less enjoyable) option.

[filkertom.livejournal.com]

I might go low-carb for awhile. Goodness knows I do eat far too many.

[autographedcat.livejournal.com]

Check with the pharmacy. Wellbutrin (which I've been taking for a few years) is available in a generic as well, which may be cheaper.

[filkertom.livejournal.com]

Unfortunately, that is the generic.

[starmalachite.livejournal.com]

Yay for the new drug, hope it works.

I was on flexeril briefly, too. It actually managed to make me woozy; most drugs that are supposed to don't, or not as much as advertised. That's why I'm no longer on it -- the dose that worked for the muscle stiffness interfered with cognition & coordination enough that I couldn't safely drive. That's a real non-starter in a maintenance drug.

Before you drive to Chicago with this stuff on board, you might want to try a shorter trip with an honest witness riding shotgun to make sure you're good to go. After 2 days on my max dose, I thought I was just having to concentrate a little harder than usual until the nice cop pulled me over...

[filkertom.livejournal.com]

I promise, I'm not going to do anything stupid. If it makes me woozy or crazy, I'll drop it for the duration, and then pick it up after I'm home and not moving much.

[poltr1]

Wellbutrin? I took that in '05. Made me agressive, and it probably contributed to me being manic that year.

[filkertom.livejournal.com]

Hmph. Another vote for I Don't Think So At Least Not Right Now.

[palenoue.livejournal.com]

$109 for Wellbutrin to make your quality of life better? We can raise that. Let's start a "Making Tom Feel Better Through Drugs" fund. Where do I put the monies?

[filkertom.livejournal.com]

*lol*

[sveethot.livejournal.com]

Rest as much as you can. Happy, healing thoughts headed your way, together with one of my patented chunkyhugs.

[filkertom.livejournal.com]

Dot verkz for me, dollink. :D

[raven-ap-morgan.livejournal.com]

I'm on Wellbutrin. I can report very useful results in my case, though (as autographedcat pointed out) psych meds tend to be a YMMV proposition, both in effect and side effects. Several facts:

1) There is a generic - bupropion - and it is cheaper.

2) I've not experienced additional tinnitus from it, though I do have some due to too much loud rock and roll.

3) While other anti-depressants are members of subclasses (MAOIs, tricyclics, SSRIs, and so on), Wellbutrin is in a class by itself - there are no other drugs that are related to it. It is primarily (but not exclusively) used with bipolar patients, since in most cases, it has a much lower probability of triggering manic episodes, unlike virtually all other anti-depressants.

Raven (Endless Compendium of Useless Knowledge, at your service)

[filkertom.livejournal.com]

Much obliged, m'friend. As I mentioned above, the pricing I got was for the generic. So I'm a little hosed. Sigh.

[bayushisan.livejournal.com]

As to the Welbutrin I can tell you with confidence that there's a generic for it called Bupropion. I know because I take it myself for depression. Now I don't know how much the generic will run you because the insurance I get through Wayne County pays for the generic but I wanted to let you know that one exists.

[filkertom.livejournal.com]

Like I said, the price above is for the generic, bupropion. At least at Kroger. I will shop around....

Drugs & Diet, BTDT

[realinterrobang.livejournal.com]

I was on Wellbutrin for a while, and it gave me something akin to drug-induced Parkinson's. My normal spasticity (I have cerebral palsy) went all the way to a fairly pronounced rigor, to the point where I was really having difficulty walking unassisted, and I had a constant cramp in my jaw muscles from about 45 minutes after taking the first dose. So if you're prone at all to spasm (and it seems like you may be, given the Flexoral), you might want to watch out for that.

On the upside, I have found being on antidepressants to be an excellent appetite suppresant. And Wellbutrin and Effexor are both "weight-neutral," as my doctor put it; I specifically mentioned that I was afraid of weight gain from antidepressants.

I'm now on Effexor, and it works pretty well, although not nearly as well for mood stabilisation as the Wellbutrin did. On the other hand, it has virtually no side effects, unless you count getting the spins from missing a dose.

As to diet modification, I really don't recommend a no-carb diet, because it's a sure way of being malnourished (fruits and vegetables are largely carbohydrates in terms of caloric content, for instance, but they're very nutrient-rich). See here for more: http://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/index.php/whats-for-dinner/#more-207

And please, talk to a doctor before you do anything drastic to your diet. You may have exceptional nutritional requirements (I do -- I have issues that cause me to need more B12 and iron than most people), and you don't want to wind up with, say, peripheral neuropathy and cognitive impairment because you aren't getting enough B12.

Re: Drugs & Diet, BTDT

[filkertom.livejournal.com]

I'm gonna try low-carb, not no-carb. First, I know myself and my appetites. I will not be able to cut carbs out completely. Second, I can do low-carb. It's more a matter of keeping myself distracted than anything else -- as some doctors say, "ritual eating" is what does me in. e.g., sit at the desk, have a few crackers. Or a lot of crackers. It's not gonna be drastic, but I have to cut some things down.

[huskiebear.livejournal.com]

Bupropion should not cost anywhere *near* that much. I'm seeing $50/120 at online pharmacies. You may just need to chop around.

[filkertom.livejournal.com]

Hm. I see that. I'll check the dosage again tomorrow, and find what I can find.

[virtualvirtue.livejournal.com]

OK, can I ask, without being blasted (because I know there are folks that hate Wal-Mart on ethical grounds which I can understand, but I also have friends and family that work for them)...

would you be willing to go to Wal-mart for your meds? If so, I understand that they have $4 generics. You'd have to ask in your area if it holds, but it does in our area and the insurance I'm under encourages it.

If they've screwed you around before, I can understand. But just wanted you to be aware of it.

[filkertom.livejournal.com]

Well, it is Wal*Mart. Thing is, fortunately, many other places also have $4.00 generics. Including my Kroger -- the flexeril is a $4.00 generic, for instance. And I usually pay $10.00 for three months of another med. There are a number of other pharmacies to try -- Meijer, Walgreen's, Target, K-Mart -- and I'll shop around. There are also, as huskiebear mentioned, online pharmacies.

[alverant.livejournal.com]

I do have some good news on the personal front. My kitty got his staples out yesterday and is now out of the collar. He did not lose any weight since last Thursday (a big deal since every time I've brought him in, there was less kitty to carry). He's happy and eating again. The surgery was expensive but I couldn't have faced myself if I just gave up on my buddy. He's gave the vets something to ponder because the more we learn about his condition, the more they scratch their heads. Best of all, he's winning. He does need a new med though, I have to make some calls to find a good price. At least this is human meds and not pet meds.

Work is going slow this last week. If I didn't need the money, I'd suggest ending the contract sooner rather than later. (OTOH, if they said I could take a week's wages as a bonus I won't say no.) I got some calls and expect to get more once I actually update my resume and start looking.

Tomorrow or Thursday I have to put my Windycon kit together and update my filk album list (don't want to get the same thing twice). Windycon has a little over 100 panels so I should be able to find something.

Take care of yourself Tom and I hope to see you on Friday!

PS Has anyone else read Snuff by Terry Pratchet? I just finished the audio book and I don't remember Death making an appearance. Either I got the abridged version or he didn't show.

PPS Speaking of missing recurring themes, when did Al mention 27 in Alpocolypse?

[tcgtrf.livejournal.com]

Glad your cat's doing better, they cost a bit sometimes, but having them sleeping next to you makes up for it, as far as I'm concerned.

I'm excited about Windy, but may be a little late because I was invited to the Beckoning of Lovely event at Milennium Park and kitten and I don't know how long it's going to last.

I've got a pair of panels on Saturday night--one on near-future consumer goods and a Science/Religion one immediately afterwards. If you stop by after the second one, please introduce yourself and I'll buy you a drink to celebrate you saving your cat-cat.

Best,

Tom Trumpinski

[patoadam]

Hope you feel better soon!

Sorry you live in a country so uncivilized that it doesn't have single-payer tax-funded health insurance.

[lemmozine.livejournal.com]

One of the major flaws with LJ is there's no like button. Like.

I find an opposite problem with FB - no dislike button.

[dysprog.livejournal.com]

I'm glad your making it to windy. I discovered scifi cons about 5 years ago and have been to every windy and dukon since. At that first windy, I overhead a song that I recognized. See, I had downloaded about 3 and a half of your filk songs from random places around the net, with out ever realizing they were from the same guy.

I have since been to the Tom Smith concert at each con, except one where I failed at reading the schedule.

I am looking forward to TomBoat 2. The first one RAWKED.

[filkertom.livejournal.com]

:) Thanks. We're really hoping, and and also hoping that this time I won't have to beat the audio with a stick.

[rdmaughan.livejournal.com]

Glad to hear it is improving, sorry it is not improving faster.

US health care is one of the main reasons why, despite being married to a US citizen, I expect to never live in the US.

Currently short on funds but hoping that will change shortly, if it does I would be happy to donate to a fund to get you well and keep you that way.

[filkertom.livejournal.com]

'Sokay. And, believe me, I'm really starting to understand the live-in-a-civilized-country vibe. On the other hand, I think that, between the Occupy movement and many election results from last night, we might be starting to slowly, slowly turn things around.

[joecoustic.livejournal.com]

Thinking of you and sending supportive thoughts and *hugs*!

[filkertom.livejournal.com]

Thanks, dear. [hugs back]

[jenrose]

Get the generic of welbutrin, and don't get the fancy SR, and it should be quite inexpensive.

[filkertom.livejournal.com]

That's the hope. :)

[holmes365.livejournal.com]

Check out this group. http://www.pparx.org/ They seem useful. Good luck with the UM.

[filkertom.livejournal.com]

I will, and thanks!

[vettecat.livejournal.com]

Hope you feel better soon!

[filkertom.livejournal.com]

Thanks, dear. Hugs to you and Solomon.

[devospice.livejournal.com]

My cousin had the surgery. I don't recommend it. She almost died on the operating table. Twice. And now her body is not absorbing calcium at all. As a result she is shrinking and her bones are becoming brittle. She's on massive doses of calcium supplements and basically just passing them through. She has had other complications as well but I can't remember what they were off hand.

My father can tell you all about it in better medical detail than I can. (He's a doctor. He's not a surgeon but he understands the process and complications better than I ever will.) I can put you in touch if you want.

On the other hand, I have lost 40 pounds with good old fashioned calorie counting using The Daily Plate. (http://www.thedailyplate.com) This is also the site Shoebox has used which allowed him to lose 100 pounds in a year, and the site Luke is currently using to lose weight. He's down almost 40 pounds since starting as well. It's not easy, but it works. That I can whole-heartedly recommend.

[filkertom.livejournal.com]

Yeah. I've gotta start using that or Figwee (http://www.figwee.com/) again.