I think I have mentioned here that I have recently (a few months) been diagnosed with osteoporosis. My numbers are actually in the osteopenia range but due to my age and the quick decrease in numbers I am to be refered to as having full on osteoporosis. My GP (Dr.B) gave me a list of different medications that could be tried and my Rheumy (Dr.W) and I (and my mom) discussed which treatment would work best for me. We decided that the one that you get as an IV once a year was automatically out because of my veins and even just having to due one IV a year is enough for me as IV's are extremely painfull. I had major knee surgery and when I woke up I didnt care about the knee pain, I just wanted that IV out asap. I didnt care if it meant having to use lesser pain meds, I just wanted the pain of the IV gone! Dr. W took another off the list because it could lead to jaw bone death and at my age he doesnt want to chance that so we settled on the only other option which was Actonel (the bi-annual injection is just becoming available here and we highly doubt it will be covered by my 'insurance' unless other meds have been tried and ruled out).
Just as another quick note - I take all the proper supplements, have added quite a lot of calcium rich foods to my diet, and don't drink any pop or any of the other stuff to avoid. I do not get enough exercise but with the state of my body that is just not much of a reality. So I started the actonel. The pharmasist told me that I would probably be achey the day I took it and to basically just have an 'off day' and it will pass. I took it in the afternoon as that is when I finally wake up and felt fine for the rest of the day. The next day.... pure hell! The worst pain in my back and legs that I have ever felt! I doubled then tripled my pain killers, advil every 4 hours, heating pads, ice packs and anything else I could think of. Thankfully I only have to take this once a month and I guess 12 days of torture will make up for preventing serious injury in the future. Just don't make me mad on that one day a month as I am very very grumpy.
Well my 'off day' happened to fall last thursday. Tuesday's and thursday's are K's karate days. I made a promise to myself when K was born and I started having health issues that my health issues would NEVER interfere with his life, I would never miss an important event in his life because I didnt feel good. Last thursday K got his second stripe of his advanced orange belt. After that we had to go to Walmart so K could get a present for his friend's birthday party the next day (OT - who sends a birthday invite out on monday for a friday party in a small town with no real stores to buy presents at???). We got to the store, I got a cart out, saw the few motorized carts and looked at them and kinda-joking but serious that I should just take one of them. Mom in all sincerity told me to take one and see if it made shopping easier. Well I get enough dirty looks just parking in a handicapp space, I couldnt imagine the dirty looks I would get riding around in one of them. So 'pride' won out over reality and I walked the store, got home and downed more pain killers that night than I usually take in an entire week. Next month if we go shopping on the off day I will be using one no matter what!
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