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Patrick Oliver
Boulder climber
Fruita, Colorado
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Topic Author's Reply - Nov 3, 2009 - 12:38pm PT
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Thanks, Ray. I was afraid to go back and look and see
how bad they would trash me after I made that remark on that
thread.
My friend who loaned me his crutches also gave me one of
those freeze wraps for the knee, and I've used it a bit,
but icing doesn't seem to work, and I can't stand the pain
of just having that small of an amount of weight on my knee
(the weight of the patch itself).
I set it there, but it is agony after only a few minutes.
I've done that several times, the result always the same.
The pain/anti-inflammatory patch seemed to work a small bit,
or I finally reached that place where no pain could keep
me awake, because I drifted off several times. I kept having
to get up to pee, but I did sleep a little, more than the
whole 18 previous days. The pain is still very much there,
but I think I see some small improvement for the first time.
I also know any movement, and there will be a set-back. Someone
want to come over and do my dishes?
I'm not sure if this small bit of progress is due to the patch
or if I have reached some state of mind where at last I am
able to deal with the pain in some mental way... ?
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Jan
Mountain climber
Okinawa, Japan
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Pat-
I'm glad to hear that there is some small slight improvement whatever the reason.
We're still sending good wishes and positive energy your way.
Please keep letting us know how you're doing. The overnight report from you is the first thing I check every morning here.
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Patrick Oliver
Boulder climber
Fruita, Colorado
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Topic Author's Reply - Nov 3, 2009 - 10:46pm PT
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Ok, I did drift off a few times last night, as I said,
and I think that helped a bit. This morning I thought I
could discern a slight decrease in pain. I was not willing
to get too optimistic, though. I took my crutches and slowly,
carefully went to the mail box, took the trash out for the
weekly trash pickup, and drove to where I paid my rent. I also
had to pay to renew my license or get a huge fine (the beaurocrats
dreamed up a new punishment, a big whammy financial fine if
you're late in renewing). Close by I got a haircut, while out,
since I got in the mail a 5 dollar haircut at Great Clips. At
every step I moved as slow as possible and kept all my weight
on the crutches, i.e. put no weight on my leg at all.
But the second I got home the raging pain returned.
I speak of pain that seems to go deep into the core of the bone,
nothing topical, but something very deep and untouchable.
I went upstairs, with crutches, and got into the bathtub, because
I imagined a scalding bath would help. While in the bath my lower leg,
the shin bone about four inches above the ankle started hurting
like it never has before, wild burning pulsing hideous pain, as
though I broke my leg just stepping into the tub. I massaged it
lightly, while agonizing, but finally had to get out of the bath
and, with crutches, limp back downstairs. Now here I sit to give
my sad story of woe and misery. I can hear what everyone will say,
that I was utterly stupid for going out. But you can't imagine how
stare-crazy I get. This is, at times, as much a fight for sanity
as for anything. I'm in too much pain to write or work on music.
TV is hideous. Movement takes my mind off the pain somewhat, and
you know maybe the new pain now had nothing to do with my little
foray out into the world. In fact when I get up and start to move
it's usually because the pain is getting too intense again. So it
definitely does start without any provocation of movement. By the
way, the patch didn't do much, maybe a little. I'm going to try the
second patch now and see if it does any better. Keep sending that
good energy. Maybe without it I would be far worse off. I tend to
believe so.
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Patrick Oliver
Boulder climber
Fruita, Colorado
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Topic Author's Reply - Nov 4, 2009 - 04:37am PT
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Raging, cruel, relentless pain from about 6 pm to 2:30 am, and
still going strong.
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Jan
Mountain climber
Okinawa, Japan
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If nothing else, I guess you've proved that putting heat on it makes it feel worse than putting cold on it?
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Patrick Oliver
Boulder climber
Fruita, Colorado
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Topic Author's Reply - Nov 4, 2009 - 08:56am PT
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Jan, there doesn't seem to be any pattern I can follow.
Hot doesn't work, but makes me think it will for a short time.
Cold doesn't work, but makes me keep wanting to try...
I can't find any position where the pain is less.
Usually when you have something, any kind of illness,
you quickly figure out what position is best. Tonight
the only thing that had any brief result, and it was a
minor one, was to stand. When the pain got too intense,
I stood up and just remained there, or I hobbled on the
crutches across the room and back. I had about a half-hour
respite from the pain, awake all night, and I'm fully in the
middle of most aawful pain again. I just don't get it.
I think I'm going to call the doctor today and get that
referral to the orthopedic specialist. Who knows? Maybe
one more person can come up with an idea, because I'm about
ready to put my head down on the track.
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ionlyski
Trad climber
Kalispell, Montana
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Hang in there Pat. This too shall pass.
Arne
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Toker Villain
Big Wall climber
Toquerville, Utah
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Now I understand why they say getting old ain't for sissies.
With the taco demographic Chris needs to add a new tab to the top of the page.
Isn't the Yiddish word tsoras?
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Reilly
Mountain climber
Monrovia, CA
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Pat,
Maybe you didn't get them, what with the time change and all, but I have been sending the good vibes.
I've got an ortho rap sheet as long as my short leg with a couple
of entries like yours only less so. Forget the 'cold', you're long
past the point where that is indicated. In my experience heat is
not so 'hot' for the deep muscle injuries.
While you were remiss to not stay off it early on I suspect some
range of motion PT is now indicated. Hasn't your doc suggested
PT yet?
All the best,
Reilly
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Jan
Mountain climber
Okinawa, Japan
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Pat-
If nothing else maybe a specialist will give you better pain meds. Personally it's hard for me to understand why it hurts as much almost 3 weeks later as it did in the beginning. Your body is trying to tell you something.
The Dalai Lama is giving a talk here in Okinawa tomorrow that I am going to so I will see if I can get some spiritually powerful Tibetans enlisted to pray for you.
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neebee
Social climber
calif/texas
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hey there pat.... wow, i know a lot of serious stuff is going on, but still...
that ol' sciatic nerve is a famouse hidden pain causer, too, and from falls, rightly said, as well... it is not easy to daignos, either, and:
it DOES trick one, as to making you think relief is there (by small sublte adjustments we make with our body, or by walking a bit)---but---it comes right back and full-trottle too...
never lets up, no matter what and goes on for months... sometimes even a year, depending on the etc....
and---it is usualy worse, when it has not had the rest from the day-one (meaning it seems to take a license to have its way alone, if we never rested it proper, from the first day it was "annoyed" by us, by our injury to it--no matter how innocent we were... or, accidently, that we did it...
course, as i said, there is lots of stuff going on, from your injury, but still----keep it in mind, just in case... and ask if anyone can do "whatever" it is to see if that is messed up, as well...
still praying... god bless and some cheer to you, by the ways of the many folks here that care for you...
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Patrick Oliver
Boulder climber
Fruita, Colorado
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Topic Author's Reply - Nov 4, 2009 - 01:10pm PT
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Thanks to all. I have an appointment at 1pm with
a specialist. That's two hours away. This was a brutal
night and morning, and just as the pain lessens a little
I know not to get my hopes up. But I don't think it's
the sciatic nerve. More later.
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Patrick Oliver
Boulder climber
Fruita, Colorado
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Topic Author's Reply - Nov 4, 2009 - 06:18pm PT
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Back from the specialist. He told me, "This is
a very big injury." He explained that, while the femur
had not broken, "...which might have been pretty clear and
clean," I hit the bone, as though with a cinder block.
"The bone is somewhat compressed and deeply bruised." My other
doctor had insisted the internal bleeding had stopped, whereas
this guy looked at me and shook his head: "Not likely." So the process
goes on and on, of the areas with painfully sensitive nerves
being crowded and pressed on by blood pooling in there, and then
swelling on top of that. He said, "I fully expect it to take
six weeks before you can feel really good again." He spent
quite a bit of time fingering and examining the entire leg. He
did say, Jan, that I am a bit out of alignment, and it doesn't
surprise him that my hip hurts too. But, as he said, the nature
of the impact is such as that my hip should have broken rather
than my femur. He agreed with me when I told him it felt as though
blood would run up into my hip whenever I elevate the leg. "Yes,"
he said, "It follows gravity." He told me heat is not that good
for this kind of inflammation and can even be damaging in some
cases. Cold is the best, and he encouraged me to bear with the
icing, or just run an ice cold bath and put my whole leg in it for
as long as possible. He told me he wanted to see me in two weeks.
He said other things, but I can't remember them all. He used to
work at Mammoth with the skiers and knew Bachar and Croft well.
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Jan
Mountain climber
Okinawa, Japan
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Thank goodness you saw a specialist! I don't know about you, but just having a good description from an expert about what is causing the problem always makes me feel better. The other consolation with the pain is that it means you have live tissue. As long as it hurts like hell, you know your nerves and blood circulation are intact. And it sounds like you will need to see a chiropractor at some point to get you hips and pelvis realigned.
I'm in a hurry now as I have to rush to the south of the island to see the Dalai Lama. Will write an email later.
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Curt
Boulder climber
Gilbert, AZ
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Pat,
Glad you saw a specialist and have some better idea of what's going on. It makes sense that heat would be bad--since heat generally stimulates blood flow.
Curt
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Toker Villain
Big Wall climber
Toquerville, Utah
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Hang in there Pat.
I once had a horse rear up and fall over backwards pinning my thigh between the saddle and the ground.
My thigh turned all kinds of colors, but eventually healed up.
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neebee
Social climber
calif/texas
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hey there pat... wow, glad you made it there...
say---oh my! i am really glad your HIP did not break... wheww...
well, hang in there, of course, is now the continued order of the day...
say---NOW, TAKE CARE if you DO the tub-bit, we sure do NOT WANT you to slip and fall again... :(
take care.. and keep us posted so we will know that you are well...
god bless... still praying... :)
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Reilly
Mountain climber
Monrovia, CA
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Really glad you saw someone who knows what he's doing so you won't have to rely on advice from us nutters. I don't include Jan or the other smart people in that 'sub'-group. I am surprised he advises cold at this late date but that's why he's the boss.
Get well soon.
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MH2
climber
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6 weeks until you can feel good again? You're halfway there, man! I sure hope the worst of the worst is over.
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Patrick Oliver
Boulder climber
Fruita, Colorado
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Topic Author's Reply - Nov 4, 2009 - 10:04pm PT
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I revised my last entry a small bit, as clearly I was
half asleep when I wrote it. A rough day and evening,
and I'm pretty sure more to come... Oh well, this is
the price one has to pay, I guess.
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