Friday’s State Of The Geoff Report

Today ends my third week away from work with back problems. This sucks!

It all started in July when I began having leg pain for no apparent reason. With time it got worse. I visited my family doctor who told me it was actually a back problem. X-rays then an MRI confirmed the diagnosis of a herniated disk.

Today ends my third week away from work with back problems. This sucks!

It all started in July when I began having leg pain for no apparent reason. With time it got worse. I visited my family doctor who told me it was actually a back problem. X-rays then an MRI confirmed the diagnosis of a herniated disc.

Steve, my family doc, recommended a neurosurgeon who recommended an epidural delivering steroids directly to my disk. Ouch!

Within a few hours there was a change. The most severe pain was gone. I could sit or stand without feeling like I was being filleted with a hot knife!

I hoped recovery would continue at that pace. It has not.

Things are better than they were in the hours following the epidural, but just barely. The trend is in the right direction, but this will take time.

The scary part to me is, even at this reduced level of pain I am incapable of doing anything productive. Standing or walking for a minute or two puts me back in pain. You have no idea how much I wish I was at work.

I have more doctor appointments next week. I hope for positive news. I wait.

22 thoughts on “Friday’s State Of The Geoff Report”

  1. *hugs* Aw Geoff! 🙁 Sure miss watching you on tv! Really hope you start feeling much much better and soon! Snuggle Doppler, I’m sure she can help a little!

  2. We’re waiting patiently for your return to the Fox on Fox. The weather certainly isn’t better without you. We need your input. I hope you improve with this new therapy.

  3. Geoff,
    Really miss seeing you on the tube. Haven’t seen you since the move in CT. Wish you had moved to FL!
    I too have a herniated disc. I fell off a wall (yep, like Humpty Dumpty) while living in Greece and it still gives me pain. Not like what you are experiencing,but I do feel for you. Good luck at your Dr. appt. and keep a smile on your lips and in your heart!

  4. Geoff, there is light at the end of the tunnel and things can get back to fairly normal even though now it doesn’t seem that way. I was where you are 9 years ago, age 51 at the time. I remember having to lift my body off the bed, turn it, and then let it back down. I couldn’t roll over in bed. Trying to walk meant concentrating on every step and feeling like someone removed a hinge-pin from my middle. I just wanted the pain to go away and to be able to walk without thinking about it. I couldn’t drive, sit, or stand, and just laid around making up designs in the popcorn ceiling. Every few seconds it seemed that I had to reposition myself to relieve the pain and the pain would go away for a few seconds and return all over again. I was out of work about 6 weeks, then started back to half days. I actually broke the seat of my car the first week trying to stretch as I drove to relieve the pain. Physical therapy was what did it for me. I know you’re tired of reading these scenarios, but I just want you to know it is possible to recover and get back to normal. Feel better real soon!

  5. Oh Geoff!! Thankfully my run with sciatica was a ‘short’ two week sprint.
    I know it’s tough and you’re dealing with something much more complex than I did. However, you WILL get there! And while you try to recoup…. I send nasty notes to Cablevision! 🙂 (Did that at least give you a smile?) Feel better!! Soon! xo mj

  6. I have felt your pain!! My exception was that I actually felt the back pain, too. I make a stupendous save playing volleyball which was meant to help keep me in shape and fit (yeah, right!) and recall thinking…this is going to hurt. Went back to playing and forgot all about it. The next few days my lower back twinged, but I didn’t think anything about it. Then the back of my leg hurt when I got up to walk, but I could walk it off. Then about two weeks later I COULDN’T walk the pain off. Then the pain began to travel down my leg. Within a month the pain went to my ankle.

    The chiropractor told me I had a herniated disc and did physical therapy, told me to get an appt with a neurosurgeon, and if the pain was too severe (it was) call my PCP for pain meds. The PCP, believe it or not, told me I had bursitis in my hip! She just didn’t have a flippin’ clue! She actually told me I could drive while taking narcotics, too, and continue to go to work and sit all day. I just needed to take “enough” of the narcotic. Lunatic…

    I am happy to say, Geoff, that surgery – as much as I did not want it – fixed my back and that hot knife pain. I’ll always have back issues but I’ve learned I need to keep going to the gym and exercise. Volleyball…nope, no more!

  7. Geoff,
    Don’t give up it may take of couple of the injections to actually free you of your
    pain. My husband had three of the injections. Try to avoid surgery if you can…..
    Soaking in the tub if you can helps…….

  8. Oh Geoff, I feel so bad for you! I have a lower back problem, which gives me the same pain, but it doesn’t start until I’ve been walking about an hour. Pain Dr. tried to fix it the same way, 3 times, but couldn’t get into the spot because there’s a spur blocking the needle entry site. I’ll just have to live with it, but thankfully I can still be productive. I hope they can do something to relieve your pain, cause I miss you! Get better soon!

  9. If friends sending good thoughts and wishes could make it better, you’d be back on your feet (pun intended) – take care & God speed.

  10. Not to add to your stress level, but is anyone taking care of the garden? And could you arrange to do forecasts from home? I wish you the best. My brother has sciatica but no disk involvement that I can tell. He works construction and when it’s aggravated he can be out of commission for several days. He’s lucky. I hope your situation’s resolved soon…

  11. I also have had this pain, although not the herniated disc. My son had the surgery for the disc and it has never returned, although he has to be careful with how much he can lift. I have the spinal stenosis which flares up from time to time, but does not last as long as it did before. I really miss seeing you do your tv work and look forward to you being well enough to return.

  12. Hi Geoff,
    Last week, you mentioned you were nervous about taking pain medicine — if you need it take it. “Addiction” is when you have a craving for the high, not the pain relief. People don’t get “addicted” to insulin — they need it, just like people *need* pain medicine! I’d worry more about the muscle loss from not moving and not weight-bearing. The more deconditioned you become, the tougher it will be for you to support yourself when you are upright.

    Having been down this road, a couple of other recommendations.
    1. Pain is the perception of electrical impulses sent up the spine to the brain. If you can interrupt or distract the transmission, you can reduce the pain perception. TENS (transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation) units work by placing electrodes around the painful area, connecting to a device and then you can adjust the frequency and amplitude of the electrical impulses to optimize your results. Traditionally, managing the electrodes — particularly trying to get them on your own low back when you can’t possibly twist — has been a deal breaker. That was until a company came up with a wrap that contains the electrodes. You just wrap it around your low back, cross the Velcro in the front, connect it to the TENS device and you are good to go. Changed my life for the better. I could get out and about without being snowed, so I was safe to drive. Amazing. AND, my insurance paid 100%. I can’t say enough great things about their customer service. http://empi.com/empi_products/detail.aspx?id=256

    2. Another option is Lidoderm. These are adhesive patches you put on the skin over the painful area. They contain lidocaine — the anesthetic the dentist uses (or that you get for stitches). A long-term version is used in the epidural injection. While they are marketing now for shingles pain, they work great for muscle and nerve pain from back problems. http://www.lidoderm.com/about.aspx The only problem is that it’s 12 hours on, 12 hours off. So, which is worse? Not being able to sleep, or being in pain during the day? When I was in the shape you’re in, I used the TENS during the day and the patches at night.

    And, for the good ol days of TV, look for ANT-TV and ThisTV. We have both on Cox digital, and we’re talking Outer Limits, Highway Patrol, Sea Hunt, Patty Duke, Alfred Hitchcock Show, Burns & Allen, Jack Benny, Dragnet, Father Knows Best, Dennis the Menace along with the standard Beaver, MASH, Partridge Family, etc. Enjoy! And hope you get some relief soon. When does Helene get the Nobel Peace Prize?

  13. Geoff, I hope you get some relief soon. I saw last week that you were concerned about taking pain medicine. But, the deconditioning you’re experiencing now is something that would worry me more than the pain meds. If you need them, take them. Addiction is when you crave the high – not the pain relief. Do people say that persons with diabetes are addicted to insulin? No – they need the insulin to manage a health condition. Just like you *need* the pain meds to manage your health condition. Don’t be afraid of them because of the stories.
    There are two other options you may want to explore.
    1. Pain is the result of electrical impulses that travel from the site of the tissue injury up the spinal cord to the brain. If you can interrupt or distract those impulses, you can dampen the pain. TENS (transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation) therapy addresses this. You place electrodes around the area causing the pain. Those are attached to a control unit, through which you can adjust amplitude and frequency to get the best result. Historically, the problem with TENS and back pain is getting the electrodes on the low back – when you can’t even think about twisting! They can also fall off. That’s until a company came up with the idea to put the electrodes in a wrap. Position the electrodes where you want them, pull the wrap around you and close the Velcro in the front. This changed my life when I was in a situation very similar to yours. Allowed me to get out and about during the day without being worried about driving with the pain meds. http://empi.com/empi_products/detail.aspx?id=256 And, my insurance covered 100%. Customer service is just terrific.
    2. You can also try Lidoderm patches. Lidocaine is the anesthetic used by dentists and to numb the skin if you need stitches. You got a long-lasting version with your epidural. Lidoderm is an adhesive patch that you put on the area of pain. While they are currently marketing for shingles (which is nerve pain), it is very effective for low back muscle and nerve pain as well. http://www.lidoderm.com/about.aspx The downside is 12 hours on and 12 hours off. So, which is worse? Not being able to sleep because of pain or being in pain all day? I ended up with the Lidoderm at night and the TENS during the day and I was able to significantly dial back the pain meds.

    And, as for classic TV – do you have ANT-TV or ThisTV? We do on Cox digital. We’re talking about shows like Outer Limits, Highway Patrol, Sea Hunt, Dragnet, Burns & Allen, Jack Benny, Hazel, Father Knows Best, Patty Duke, Alfred Hitchcock – you will get lost there! Enjoy!

  14. Geoff, I hope you get some relief soon. I saw last week that you were concerned about taking pain medicine. But, the deconditioning you’re experiencing now is something that would worry me more than the pain meds. If you need them, take them. Addiction is when you crave the high – not the pain relief. Do people say that persons with diabetes are addicted to insulin? No – they need the insulin to manage a health condition. Just like you *need* the pain meds to manage your health condition. Don’t be afraid of them because of the stories.

  15. There are two other options you may want to explore.
    1. Pain is the result of electrical impulses that travel from the site of the tissue injury up the spinal cord to the brain. If you can interrupt or distract those impulses, you can dampen the pain. TENS (transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation) therapy addresses this. You place electrodes around the area causing the pain. Those are attached to a control unit, through which you can adjust amplitude and frequency to get the best result. Historically, the problem with TENS and back pain is getting the electrodes on the low back – when you can’t even think about twisting! They can also fall off. That’s until a company came up with the idea to put the electrodes in a wrap. Position the electrodes where you want them, pull the wrap around you and close the Velcro in the front. This changed my life when I was in a situation very similar to yours. Allowed me to get out and about during the day without being worried about driving with the pain meds. http://empi.com/empi_products/detail.aspx?id=256 And, my insurance covered 100%. Customer service is just terrific.

  16. 2. You can also try Lidoderm patches. Lidocaine is the anesthetic used by dentists and to numb the skin if you need stitches. You got a long-lasting version with your epidural. Lidoderm is an adhesive patch that you put on the area of pain. While they are currently marketing for shingles (which is nerve pain), it is very effective for low back muscle and nerve pain as well. http://www.lidoderm.com/about.aspx The downside is 12 hours on and 12 hours off. So, which is worse? Not being able to sleep because of pain or being in pain all day? I ended up with the Lidoderm at night and the TENS during the day and I was able to significantly dial back the pain meds.

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