I really was beginning to feel frowsy.  The kids rolled about in laughter and swore they had never heard the word before – so I suggested they look it up, before checking the dictionary myself.  “Seedy looking doormen in frowsy uniforms – scruffy and neglected in appearance”.  Mum helped wash my hair over the basin before the second stage of the surgery, but I haven’t been able to shower since before the trial.  I remember when we were told on the pain course that we wouldn’t be able to shower or bath for a couple of weeks, the response from one of the group, a very funny guy with such a dry sense of humour, was along the lines of  “no shower, For 2 weeks?  i thought this was going to help my love life!”

So my stitches came out and I jumped, ok crawled, into the shower. Bliss!!  And believe me, I actually do not enjoy showering normally.  There is something about the combined heat and pressure of the water, followed by the cold air on stepping out that triggers my pain to such an extent that I physically heave.  Despite a heater, the change in temperature induces such overwhelming pain that my pallor turns grey and clammy, I shake and often vomit, and am unable to determine any more what is actually hurting.  Needless to say, I am really hoping that the stimulator will be able to help with this – although it is hard getting round the feeling that I am placing a current into water.  Yes, yes, I know it is inside me, but physics was never my strong point!  But I feel clean – no more frowsy.

When the appointment was booked with the practice nurse for a 10 minute slot, my husband queried it as i have 2 wounds but the receptionist was adamant.  Over half an hour after entering the room, I came out…….I was the first scs recipient who the nurse had met, and fortunately could tell her exactly what was what, as the discharge summary was not worth the paper it was printed upon.  The sutures on the spine were removed with ease, but those at the implant site well……let’s describe them as a challenge.  They were densely packed in and quite puckered, resulting in great difficulty cutting and removing them.  I believe several broke and thus there may be some rogue ends lurking for future forceps to explore.  But the wounds are healthy and healing well, incredibly itchy and still very sore at times!

The last couple of days have proved challenging due to the weather.  I believe that most of us, with or without ills, have an inbuilt barometer and have eccentricities for predicting the weather.  How many of us can remember granny saying there would be rain ” ‘cos my bunions are playing up” or something similar?  Not quite so amusing as we grow older and our own ailments are doing just that.  For me the damp and/or cold weather affect both the nerve pain and my dodgy EDS joints, so last night wasn’t great despite being mild.  My shoulder is painful but I find myself unable to do my regular exercises as I must not raise my arms above my head – the whole premise of the exercise programme being built on moving my arms within the shoulder sockets and not to dislocate. No mean feat for me!  Must remember to book in to see my fab regular physio, who really has his work cut out for him.

I think that I must be honest for other painbuds and those considering scs, and say that controlling the pain has been a challenge the last few days, and the stimulation is  masking the pain not curing it.  I mentioned in a previous post the battle going on in my leg and back between the pain and the parasthesia, and this continues.  For some lucky people it really does eliminate the pain, but I still believe I have a good result which may be improved upon when the CNS looks at my current programme on Friday. I haven’t felt quite so well in myself either and I think that things are probably catching up with me.  A pal reminded me on another site that when we have surgery, it is important that we respect the normal recovery times and also remind ourselves that we are learning to live with a new, permanent therapy,  Thanks Navchic!  It isn’t visible – there are no drips or pills, just a body and mind adjusting and adapting.    So, normal service will not be resumed for a while yet as I reel in my own expectations and thus those about me – kids, take note!!