And The Doctor Says.....

                                                             OUCH!!
Hey Ya'll,

Well, I called our PCP's office yesterday and they had a cancellation for 9 am this morning!!  As you know, I usually don't go to bed before 3 am at least!  So I wasn't happy about having such an early appointment, but I was desperate to try to relieve this pain in my A**, so I took it!!!

I went in primarily for the extreme pain that I have been having in my Tailbone.  Since I broke it 12-13 yrs ago, it has continued to hurt through the years, but lately, has become so unbearable that I have to periodically lay down to take the pressure off my Tailbone.  And when at home, I always sit on a pillow unless we have company.

I also wanted to discus with him the pain I have been having in my Fingers.  I am not sure if it is regular Arthritis or if it is the early stages of Rheumatoid Arthritis.  I do have RH Factor in my Blood Work, and RA runs in the Family.  And lastly, I wanted to discus my Fibromyalgia.  It appears that it is flaring up again.  It has been controlled for some time now, but in the last few weeks I have noticed my pain levels increasing, my body hurting all over again, and I am much more tired all the time.  I rarely can make it through the day without taking a nap, even if I had plenty of sleep!!

So...the Doctor told me to continue to take my Fibromyalgia Medication that I have, and he gave me an almost 3 wk supply of a new Fibro Drug to try.  He said that several of his patients have tried it and said it worked wonders.  He said that hopefully it will work for me as well, and if so, it could potentially take care of my joint pain in my Fingers, Knees, Neck, Back, etc.

As for the pain in my Tailbone, he said that unfortunately, once the Tailbone has been broken, you pretty much always have pain for the rest of your life.  He said that the pain I am experiencing, is usually seen in someone 80 yrs old, not someone like me, at my age.  He said that once the Bone has broken, it develops Arthritis.  So get this....I have Osteoarthritis in my A**!!!  What else can go wrong??

We asked him about Surgically removing it to take care of the pain.  He said that Surgery is rarely done for this type of injury and definitely not the preferred method of controlling pain.  In fact, it is usually the last resort as it doesn't always work, and you are still left with the pain.  So he wants to try other options before he considers referring me to a Surgeon.  So he prescribed me a Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Gel called Voltaren to try.  He said that I could also use it on other Joints as needed.  If these two drugs help, then we won't do anything else but continue on with the new treatment.  But if not, he will continue to try other options.  I sure hope this Gel works, it cost me $34!  And who knows how much the Savella (for Fibromyalgia) will cost if I end up taking it long term....

Well, tomorrow we ride up to Reno on the Bike for my next Fill Appointment.  It will be my first long ride on the Bike.  So far, I have never had pain in the A** from riding.  Partly, I believe because the seat forces me to sit up straight, and Walt's seat back is directly against me, keeping me in an upright position.  So here's crossing my Fingers that I don't have to ride in pain tomorrow!!!

The problem is that once we get there, I will have to weigh in wearing long pants, which will increase my weight.  I will take off the heavy riding boots, but still.....any extra weight is never a good thing!!  LOL  Well, I guess I should go for now.  Till next time......

Aloha My Friends  :)