Recovery and Stuff

Hello People!
I'm very happy to finally say that recovery from surgery is better!





With that said, I thought a little explanation may be in order...
My family and most of my friends know that I'm disabled and have a pain pump that helps with pain control. I've had one now for around 8 years, works wonders, allowing for low doses of medication to be delivered directily into the spinal fluid 24/7, very high doses of oral narcotics no longer needed (PRAISE GOD!). Anyway, I'm on my 2nd pump (battery life was expected to be approx 5 yrs, mine last 7 on the 1st pump). That pump was replaced last year. In the last year I've done better than I have in many, many years, thanks to this therapy. Well....the pump malfunctioned & I went into severe withdrawals (leads one to question, how to junkies live?! And how could anyone think recreational drug use was fun?!). I knew what it was, started oral meds immediately, which slowed it down & saw my doc the next a.m. He thought the tubing had become unattached @ the pump due to my weight loss (70 lbs, thank you very much) and, frankly, because freaky medical things have happened to me my entire life !!!
Okay, I had to then see my neuro surgeon, he thought the same thing. Surgery was scheduled the next week (this was 2-3 wks after malfunction - if it ain't actually full on "life-threatening" one doesn't have the luxury of immediate surgery). The withdrawals were under control with oral meds for pain and nausea....a very, very, very bad time was had by all, this I assure you!
Well, when the doc opened me up everything looked fine....no disconnection of the tubing @ either the pump (lower left abdomen) or in the spine.
What?! you may asked happened!! A freaky occurence, like I said has happened to me many times! The tubing had been blocked by a granuloma had formed on the tip of the tube, thus blocking the delivery of meds. So, the doc had to replace the tubing and reposition my pump (it had dropped from lower left adbomen to kinda hanging over my pelvic bone [this, too, of course, was very freaky].
Okay, surgery went well, I went home the next day, but with the worst headache ever....made a migraine feel all sweet and nice! Well, both my docs were on vacation! I kinda suspected I had a spinal fluid leak because every time I raised my head this incredible headache hit. I was scheduled to see my pain doc in a few days, so I dealt with it.
Of course, when I saw him he told me that I was the only patient he had ever had that had had this granuloma....we all laughed because....only me!
He told us (my Music Man and me) that he would correct the spinal fluid leakage the next day by doing a blood patch - freakishly painful procedure when done right below spinal incision! But, YAY....it worked, no more terror heachaches!
The stitches in my back were removed yesterday!! Steri strips on abdominal incision are to 'fall away' (this has internal stitches and steri strips). I'll see neuro surgeon soon for info on when my life can continue (working out, etc).
I'll continue seeing my pain specialist weekly 'til we get back the the proper level of medication....can't just go back to the dosage I had because we have no way of knowing if the granuloma had been blocking the flow of medication.


All that to say....I'm trying to post much more regularly than I've done in past couple of years! Lots of good things, happening in the knitting world! For example, the good people of Verena Knitting magazine want me to review a bit of each magazine (cool, huh) and a publisher of an upcoming knitting book wants me to do the same....(so cool!).

Stay tuned.....(please).....