Cake, please....

[vanillafluffy]

I went to the doctor today---actually, because it was Friday, I got to see his physician's assistant, who had x-rays taken of my cervical vertebrae...according to her, everything there is perfectly normal, my disks are all properly spaced, nothing pinched, no abnormalities.

She prodded my shoulder, and said that my muscles seemed to be spasming. She recommended an injection of steroids and lidocaine...I've been worn down enough by the pain that I agreed. The shot itself didn't hurt, but at the moment, I hurt more than I did before. Hopefully, this is temporary.

So, I'm missing yet another day from work. I'm still in pain, and my BP is a stratospheric 160/120. No wonder I feel like crap.

Comments

[pwcorgigirl.livejournal.com]

Oh, honey. *gentle hugs*

Pain will make BP go way up, so this one incidence of it being high probably doesn't mean anything in the big picture. The shots should make you start to feel better soon. Muscle relaxers would help, too, but they might make you sleepy in the daytime.

Do you have a thick comforter you can put under the fitted sheet on your mattress to serve as a temporary cushioning pad? That might help with the spasms. (My husband jokes that I need a mattress like the Princess and the Pea, and my side of the bed has three pads on it.)

[vanillafluffy.livejournal.com]

I usually have low-normal BP, so I'm not mega-worried about that. (She said the same thing about pain affecting BP.) I got a scrip for muscle relaxers...need to get it filled. Meanwhile, I still have some heavy-duty painkillers hoarded from previous woes.

[pwcorgigirl.livejournal.com]

Here, this may cheer you up: I was about to get in my car to run an errand this afternoon when I heard a very distinctive throaty rumble. I looked up to see a burnt orange vintage Impala, impeccably restored, go cruising past my house. On the way home, I saw it going outbound and got a good look at the front and side at close range. It's a '67 four-door!

If these folks live in our neighborhood, then I'll get to see this thing of beauty often. :)

[vanillafluffy.livejournal.com]

There's a business I drive past on my commute---it's a headliner/car interior restoration shop---and they often have cars for sale. They've had a couple Impalas in the time I've been going past---currently there's a '66 convertible. Le sigh!

They also have a rather nice 1980 Camaro, bright red---talk about a cop magnet!

I like burnt orange in general, for car, clothes and decor. Yeah, I know it's a VERY 70's color, but that's okay. I like avocado green, too!

[smtfhw.livejournal.com]

... my BP is a stratospheric 160/120. No wonder I feel like crap.

Bloody hell! That's not good. Are they planning on doing anything about it?

[vanillafluffy.livejournal.com]

The PA said pain can cause high BP, so it should go down as I get back to normal. And it's better than it was---the pain, I mean.

[jdsgirlbev.livejournal.com]

There's a relitively inexpensive over the counter back med called Robaxacet. I took it whenever my back went out (usually a five day period of complete bed rest)and I found it really helped, so perhaps it might help you too. A heating pad might help too. Though with the Florida temps these days a HEATING pad may be more than you can take!

[vanillafluffy.livejournal.com]

What's the active ingredient? I looked up the brand name at our major drugstore chain here and...nada.

[jdsgirlbev.livejournal.com]

The active ingredient is methocarbomal. Maybe it's not available in the U.S. as this particular brand name.
http://www.feelbest.com/Pages/robaxacet.aspx

[ang5fam.livejournal.com]

Keep an eye on the blood pressure- my high BP surfaced last summer while being seen about my back.
When you get to be our age (and esp if it runs in your family) you need to start taking a simple water pill - they are like $4 RX at Wal-Mart and will help keep your BP in check. Unfortunately, I also had to start a beta-blocker as my pulse was racing and my heart was beating fast. I take a pill for that now as well-- I call them my heart attack meds. I would go to Publix to take my BP before I consulted my family doc- it never went back down to normal before the meds and mine was always low-- even while pregnant and giving birth...

[vanillafluffy.livejournal.com]

It was okay a few weeks ago when I was in there getting my throat looked at, something innocuous like 130/78. It's the stress.

[ang5fam.livejournal.com]

Don't mean to add insult to injury but I am writing this from Minnesota--where there is NO humidity and the temp was 80 yesterday. I am loving this!!!

[vanillafluffy.livejournal.com]

Gee, thanks for that.

[socialhermit.livejournal.com]

Unfortunately, it is common to feel worse - temporarily - after receiving a steroid injection. Been there, done that. *hugs you*

[vanillafluffy.livejournal.com]

I *have* noticed some improvement in my range of movement---I can now actually raise my left arm slightly above shoulder height before it starts to protest---although I've also had some shooting pains when I wasn't even moving, which was not happening before.

[starhawk2005.livejournal.com]

Ouch!

Hope you feel better soon. It's rainy here, so my poor Starhubby's arthritis is acting up something fierce....

Pain definitely SUCKS.

[vanillafluffy.livejournal.com]

The cortisone helped enormously. This morning was the first time in weeks that I haven't woke up and immediately grabbed for the Excedrin. I filled the scrip for the muscle relaxers she gave me and I'm waiting for them to kick in. I've been warned they'll make me drowsy, but the worst case scenario is, I have to watch Harper's Island on DVR.