Thursday, September 12, 2019

Surgery Update and Even More Walking

We saw the surgeon's PA on Tuesday.  Jim's initial good days were replaced by some really awful terrible horrible days.  It was very demoralizing.  I think the bad days were actually worse than the bad days after the spinal fusion.  Mr. Swaims addressed our concerns by reiterating that after a nerve has been pinched for some time, and then it's released from its prison, the brain once again becomes aware of the nerve's presence.  The brain wants to check on things.  It does this by sending pain signals.  A simple hello will not suffice.  No.  Lightning bolts and a deep penetrating ache are how the brain assesses things.  Thanks brain!  Tuesday was actually a good day.  The take home message was "all of this is normal, it will take some time."

Wednesday was not a good day.  We did a flat walk in Issaquah and then went to Target.  There are more fish in the hatchery.  This is a big fish.  He's not moving much, he appears to be tired.


There are now fish beginning to collect at the bottom of the weir.  They're tired, too.  They didn't have the fish ladder open so they're just hanging out, waiting.  None of them were throwing themselves at the weir.
 

We continued on through the neighborhoods.  This is a really nice back yard.  They have attractive raised beds.  On the left is a patch of clover for the pollinators.


The hydrangeas have pretty much peaked for the season.  This one is hanging in there.


Today we went down to Renton for MLS Laser Therapy on my left foot.  My foot hurts enough to try things that I'm not convinced aren't snake oil.  The theory is as follows.
MLS Laser Therapy uses specific wavelengths of light that have a strong anti-inflammatory, anti-edema effect on tissues that are exposed to the laser. Painful conditions accompanied by swelling or inflammation benefit from this technology.
Photons of laser energy penetrate deeply into tissue and accelerate cellular reproduction and growth. As a result of exposure to the MLS Laser, the cells of tendons, ligaments and muscles repair themselves faster. As inflammation is reduced pain subsides very quickly. In simple terms, laser energy kick-starts the healing process, thereby speeding recovery.
It has something to do with increasing oxygen uptake by the mitochondria.  Generally twelve treatments are recommended.  I'm really hoping we won't be here long enough to do that many.

Then it was off to Bellevue.  Jim was perfect today.  Nothing hurt.  We walked for an hour and a half, with stairs, and it was good.  It will be interesting to see what tomorrow brings.  Thus far there is no steady climb towards good.  As I said after the last surgery, the arc of recovery is curvilinear.

The blue buildings in Bellevue are pretty cool.


Rain returns tomorrow, yay!

11 comments:

  1. I hope the laser treatments work on your foot, and I'm sorry that Jim is having to go through so much pain. It doesn't surprise me that they are using laser treatments for things like this. I've had friends treated with Gamma Ray lasers for brain mets from breast cancer. It has helped with their pain and symptoms for a while. I hope it's a cure for you.

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  2. That blue building is close to unreal. I could look at it for some time. Or come back to look at it often.

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  3. Oh my gosh .. I hope he's past the worst part. Weird how our brains work.
    I hope the treatments on your foot work. It sound reasonable to me!! It sucks to get older!!

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  4. Wishing you both full "recoveries," so you can hit the trails running, or walking, in Tucson.

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  5. I love the hydrangeas - that one is very pretty. And, the blue buildings - look like the sky shimmering to the ground. I'll be interested in knowing if the laser therapy works.

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  6. I do hope Jim's recovery continues on a steady upward trend, and hopefully without much more pain. And please let us know if the laser treatment offers some relief. I might try it myself.

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  7. as my chiropractor told me more than once, two steps forward and one step back is still progress. the body gets in habits and like us it doesn't like to break it's habits.

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  8. Oh wow, so sorry to hear that Jim's recovery has been so difficult. And your foot issues have continued as well! We are dealing with a new medical issue as well: Barry has shingles. Life is nothing if not interesting!

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  9. Wonderful Photos & Sure Hope You All Recover Soon - Sending Positive Vibes

    Cheers

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  10. Love the blue buildings! Poor tired fish. It's hard to be a salmon, I suppose. Hope the back pain subsides over time -- that's got to be miserable. :(

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  11. That is interesting how a pinched nerve heals. Interesting and painful at the same time. I love that hydrangea and the blue building. I hope those laser treatments work. The amount of new ways to treat things is staggering.

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