The Epidural-One Year Later

One year ago today, December 21, 2007, I headed over to Fort Wayne Orthopedics, and received the painful but beneficiary Spinal Epidural Injection. It took weeks for the benefits to kick in....and now one year later, I can call it a success.

I still have back issues, and "tingling" in my fingers, which means, the Spinal Stenosis could come back at anytime.....but for the most part...one year and 130 officiating sports events later....I can still move, and get up and down the court, field, or diamond. The Blood Pressure has had its ups and downs, and still needs to be watched.

Will check back when events warrant.

11-07-08

Sheet! It's been almost 2 months since I posted on this "off" journal. Anyhow, I survived football season, so much so, I have decided at 59 years + 8 months to get my basketball license to go for the "hat trick" of high school sports...baseball, football, and now round ball....first game is a girls JV scrimmage up in Columbus Grove next Thursday night.

Since returning from a Michigan fishing trip, I have kicked down the beer drinking a few notches, and the blood pressure shows...120/69 this afternoon...with a pulse at 73.

The back has been good, until yesterday...a hard two hours of tearing down vines and ivy on the old dog kennel has put the back on alert to "slow down"....I can feel it, and don't like the feel. Will lay off the weights and lifting work and see what shakes out over the weekend.

back later........hopefully not another 8 weeks, but as long as I can move well, no complaints means few posts.

Drop by the regular blog if you wish @

http://patsdailyrant.blogspot.com/

9-15-08

Back holding up(so far) during the football season....5 weeks to go. BP is holding average/high. Starting a concentrated effort to lose 20 lbs by Thanksgiving...5 so far, that would get me down to 190. Then another 15 by baseball season(60th Birthday). 175 would put me 8 lbs less than when I left the Air Force in 1972...a lofty goal, but doable....since I am now lifting reps rather than heavy weights.

4 Scrimmages Down

8-19-08--Did my 4th football scrimmage of the young season, my first regular game is this weekend.

So far the back is holding up...I do feel some twinge and pressure/pain, but so far not enough to slow me down....will see how it goes the next few games.

August 6, 2008

Went in for my 6 month check-up yesterday...down 6 lbs, BP was 142/82, actually not bad for being at the doc office. Stay on the same meds, those being one 10-12.5 tablet of Lisinopril-HCTZ a day.

I do have to say I'm between baseball(ended July 31st) and football(begins August 14th) officiating seasons....my back has had some "issues"...I'm moving OK, but at times(like right now), it gets some of those old feelings...we will see how things progress, and if things go downhill, I am ready, willing, and able to stand another back epidural injection...although I would rather stay status quo.

Time will tell........

back later>>>>>>>>>>

July 26th...2008!

Well, I've made it through baseball season, 80 games of umpire work thus far, and just one all-star American Legion game to go next week(July 30th).

So far the back has held out...although there are days I get a "feeling" or worry about it....and some other signs I do not like(tingling in feet, middle back ache, buttock pain, etc)...so far however, my motion remains about 95% of what it was this time last year....so I can't complain much.

The big test is coming...FOOTBALL! That is where the problems started last year....scrimmages begin in a couple of weeks....right now I'm looking a 40 dates, including some Recreation double headers....this will be the test. If I end up like last year, at least I know the injections are part of the solution.

As far as the Blood Pressure? Have not really been checking all the much...last week it was upper normal. Although I have to admit, my BP monitor is all over the charts, as I check it 5 times, using both arms at least twice.....it's been in the range of 120-140/70-80...all-in-all, if this is accurate, not a big problem, despite the amount of beer I drink during the hot weather....my check-up/physical is August 5th....so will know more then.

6-24-08

I see it's been about 7 weeks since I last posted on this blog....and so far the spring and early summer has not seen a total return to my back problems. Not that there haven't been issues, but after 50 baseball games I can still jog and bend over......another 20 games and then football season(about 40 games) and we will see if I continue to hold my own. Some mornings I feel like the back issues are starting to return, but then fortunately they go away.

The BP is also holding in the 125/75 range with a doctor's physical to come around the first of August...we be "back" with periodic updates as I feel necessary.

Back from Mesick

Got back from the Hills of west central Michigan....lots of walking, but so far the back is holding out...have not tested the BP yet...with all the beer and junk food, afraid it might be a tad high...will check it out in the morning, when it's had a chance to settle down.

5-7-08 Coming Back?

Since yesterday I'm not happy with the stings and dings in my back....I'm afraid after 4 1/2 months, the Epidural Treatment is wearing off....I will keep a stiff upper lip, knowing what needs to be done if it is indeed the return of the spinal stenois.

4-29-08

Blood Pressure is normal low for me...on average it was 124/74 yesterday and the pulse was 59-63, also below my normal.

4-24-08

Working more days and umpiring more these past 2 weeks, but the back is holding out(little butt pain this AM), and the BP is still upper normal.

4-9-08

Back is holding it's own during the early days of baseball season....some late game pain but all-in-all not bad when I wake in morning. BP is not bad, last checked yesterday at 137/79 with a 69 pulse....weight is steady at 208, would like to drop to 195 by summer's end, but wishing won't get that done.

3/26/08

After the first baseball scrimmage of the season last night I was concerned how my back would react...and the early signs are...Not Bad! At least this next morning, some 13 hours after the game ended, it feels no worse for wear...still about 75-90% of normal.

Meanwhile after 4 blood pressure takes: The first one was rather high at 152/84 but by the 4 one, some 5 minutes later is had dropped to 120/75 with a good pulse rate of 65.

3/18/08

You can tell when you're getting old....spending 5 days in a luxury RV driving across the southwest and southern California is easy....taking 5 days getting back to normal and recovering from the "jet lag" after a "Red Eye" back is another story.

After turning 59 on Sunday, I still had not fully gotten back to "normal"....but today I seem to be closer.

BP is 130/76 with a pulse of 70 and back still feels about 80%....but if I stand on a hard cement floor for more than a 40 minute span(like this morning), I can still feel it.....with baseball umpire work just around the corner, we will see how things work out.

March 14, 2008

The trip out west did not do a bad job on the back, so can not complain.....blood pressure remains mostly in the high/normal range, sometimes dropping, but not really a problem at this time.

The main thing was, 4 nights sleeping in a RV did not bring back the major pain, just the usual complaints.

March 7, 2008

Getting ready to head out to New Mexico and So California this morning. BP taken 5 times in 5 minutes was all over the place...the low end 125/74 while the high end was 152/80 ..the pulse was a little up at 71 and 72.....pain in the hip was noticeable for the first time in awhile, we will see what this trip..RV, then bus, the long plane trip does.

3/6/08

10 days away from birthday #59....blood pressure made a jump the past 2 days...running around 148-155/ 80-82. Might be the diet, I had lost about 5 pounds, but gained 3 of that back, and some foods are suspect, so will cut back on those and the salt......will see how that works as I head out for New Mexico then California for the next 5 days, starting tomorrow.

February 26, 2008

After a couple of days of increased(albeit minor) back and leg pain, today so far has been good....and the blood pressure was excellent, standing at 122/62 with a pulse of 69.

2/20/08

Shoveled snow(the light fluffy stuff) and then got the snow blower out and fired that up....then went and did mom's walk and sidewalk...no back pain to speak of....keeping my fingers crossed.

2/16/08

Blood Pressure was a good 125/69 with a pulse of 66 at noon today....this after walking a mile.....little pain compared to December. Not yet perfect, but things at this time are looking pretty good.....the next few weeks may tell the tale.

2/10/08

After only 4 hours or so of sleep(had to drive to Dayton and back late), I went ahead and took the BP....was in the low range(for me) of 120-130/55-60...but pulse a little high at 70-72 over a couple of tests.

Back has, for the most part, been feeling as well as anytime since October 5th when the stenosis broke out.....still some moderate pain after my mile walks(began earlier this week), but usually not lasting long...also started my weight loss and weight lifting(light reps) programs again.....no walking today though, at least not outdoors...50 MPH winds with chill factors well below minus 20....I'm not that gung-ho!

2/6/08

BP was 138/76 this afternoon, after being in the 150/78 range earlier...pulse is at 67.

Back for the most part has been OK...except for Monday night when it was acting up after Dartball....right now it is doing as well as can be expected.

Weight contines to be a problem....I lost 4 pounds last week, but it bounced back up to 210 today....I need to drop down to 195 by the time baseball season begins on March 31st....was doing better, but being retired has it drawbacks for losing pounds.

2/2/08

bp sits at 138/63 with a pulse of 66 today...

some buttock pain last night, but not bad through noon today.......

1/31/08

As I approach the 6 week mark of my epidural injection and the 4 month mark of the return of back pain on this last day of January 2008...I can note several things>

The Blood Pressure is back more near normal....the past couple of days in the 135-75 range, sometimes a little higher, but still better than it was earlier in the week.

The back(buttock area) still has daily pain, but for the most part, I can do normal activities...especailly if I rest lying down for 15 minutes a couple of times a day....ready for baseball season? That I'm not sure of yet....we will see if the improvement continues, or I need another lumbar epidural.

Hopefully more improvments are on the way...........

1/28/08

BP has been up since yesterday...as has the pain, especially nerve endings.....

BP was 151/77 with a pulse of 64 this morning....yesterday was worse, 170-180/80....not sure if it's diet, pain, or ?

More reason to drop some weight, which I need to do....and drop more salt/fats from diet....started that this morning.

1/25/08

Friday....BP was 123/71 with a pulse of 63...not bad!

Back is manageable....but far from perfect....will drive 250 miles round trip to Nappanee, Indiana, and back today...will see if any effect.

1/21/08

BP was a little off this morning 140/71 but settled down to a 118/76 mark with a 69 pulse rate....back pain=not much yesterday, this morning had some buttock pain, but as of noon, it settled back down.

1/16/08

Back to Doc Bergman today for the one month follow-up visit concerning Blood Pressure....all looked good, came in and the office reading was 117/70....will keep me on the mild BP meds until my next check up in 6 months.

Pain is manageable today....time to get back to waking(or stationary bike) and some light weights....question is....can I get rid of this case of procrastination?

1/15/08

Blood Pressure was 130/70 with a pulse of 70 this morning.....hip pain has returned to buttock....though not as sever as before the epidural...did have marked up pain last night when I went to bed...probably result of up and down movements at dartball last night/

Back to regular doc tomorrow to see what he thinks of BP and improvements.....will he keep me on medication? Probably! I have no problem with that as it seems to be working well with no side effects.

1/11/08

3 weeks today since the lumbar injection(epidural)....pain in the left front hip this morning(a regular thing of late)...a little worse this morning, but manageable.

BP is good, 30 days on the Lisinopril-hctz mix, BP read at 8AM 116/64 with a 64 pulse....take my low dose aspirin in the evening with the daily Vitamins....usually a couple of doses of Ibuprofen in the AM and after lunch.

The movement is better than a month ago, but still waiting to see what the next days/weeks will bring, if it stays as is, I can press on...if it gets worse, I will need to do another visit to Fort Wayne.

1/09/08

BP was a very low(for me) range this morning...in a 10 minute span it ranged from 119-125/61-65 with a pulse of 71-75(on the high average range)....little pain in the left front hip(the usual spot in the morning)....hanging in there.

Tuesday 1/08/08

Have not taken blood pressure for a few days.....will do that tomorrow, see how it is after a few days of not taking it. Visit the doc next week, for a check up, will resupply the BP meds tomorrow.

Went back to work(my twice or three time a week gig at the Honda location) and the back is fine, nerve endings in the hips are still an issue, but taking 15-20 minute rests on the bed usually take care of the pain.

1/4/08

Pretty much ho-hum, which isn't all bad, on the back front. Still not where I want it to be, but it is bearable at this time.....if I rest and lay down for 15 minutes a couple of times a day....I can get done what needs done.

BP was 134/68 and a pulse of 73 at 3:45 this afternoon.

1/3/08

BP is at 135/74 with a low pulse of 63....

Some pain in left front hip, manageable.....

1/02/08

BP was high when I got home from Indiana...150/80 pulse at 68....after the pill it's back at 125/73 so recovered from the beer, food, and cigars.....back feels pretty good, as it did yesterday.

New Years Day 2008

137/79 with a pulse of 68

some pain in the left front hip this morning...yesterday was probably the worst day pain wise since last weekend after the epidural.....I am still standing up straight, but it appears movement will be limited at times, unless we go another route.

At this time, I will continue to work on this in a conservative manner....I am not ready for open back surgery(not that it is a solution for spinal stenosis anyway).

HAPPY NEW YEAR!