Sunday, January 23, 2011

PART 2 - KNEE PAIN AND HOW I AVOIDED SURGERY

While waiting for another opinion to have knee surgery, I read about Lime Disease being ramped not only where we lived in New City, New York, but all over the world. The paper mentioned symptoms most of which I had. It also listed Lime support groups in every neighborhood.

My husband and I went to one which devastated us. The room was filled with about thirty people. Some consisted of very young teenagers and adults. They all claimed they had knee pain at the beginning of their disease. Most of them had unsuccessful arthroscopic knee surgeries.

Everyone in the room were in poor health. Most needed intravenous every day because the oral antibiotics were not effective. Unfortunately they waited too long for proper treatment. Each person spoke one at a time in orderly manner telling their story. Most said they could not get out of bed each day. They all had mood swings, poor concentration and felt ill. It appeared a spirochete from a tick or a bite from a mosquito  invaded their nervous system. The teenagers could not attend school and the adults could not go to work or function normally.

My husband and I looked at each other with complete fear that this was going to happen to me. It was too unbelievable as I was always very healthy up to that point. When it was my turn I spoke about my symptoms which were similar to theirs but definitely not as serious. I said, "Tiredness came often with spells which I could not describe. I found it difficult to concentrate on my business, but still tried pushing myself. I  just assumed the symptoms would go away."

When I told them about my planned operation they all gasped at the same time. "DON'T YOU DARE" they said with anger. "The operation will do nothing. You need to be on Doxycycline at once before it is too late. It is an anti-inflammatory as well as an antibiotic. It will never kill the spirochete, but It will put it to sleep for decades stopping them from further damage in the body.. If it should ever wake up and you are feeling pain with similar symptoms, retake Doxycycline."  They all tried other antibiotics of which none worked as well as Doxycyline. "But you must take Acidophilus with the antibiotic to avoid yeast infection", they said

They laid out a map of what I had to do. They all recommended the same doctor who will treat my symptoms rather than a blood test. There were only a couple of those doctors in the country and the one they suggested was not too far away from home.  They told me most doctors would not treat me unless my blood test shows positive. But their doctors said if my blood was positive I would be helpless and too late to cure me.

The spirochete could have been in my body for years. Perhaps as young as an infant, a mosquito bite could have bit me not knowing how severe it would be later on.  Some times we get aches and pains, never attributing it to a spirochete invading our bodies. We think it might be arthritis  How many times have we been bitten by a mosquito which developed into a rash? Who ever knew about ticks until it was broad casted everywhere in the 80’s?

This toxin, bug eats into your tissues. It can attack your knee, joints, lungs, heart, nervous system, kidneys, and heart, whatever it can find. It starts attacking usually when there is stress to the body. Usually the first place it hits is in the knees.

After the meeting I took a blood test which thank God was negative. My doctor refused to prescribe the antibiotic because by blood was fine. Therefore I went to the support group's doctor who treats the symptoms rather than the blood test. After completing a long questioner and an examination, he prescribed 100 milligrams of Doxycycline for 30 days.

When the 30 days were up, I was not feeling better. So the doctor prescribed another 30 days of the drug. After I got the new prescription, I hesitated taking the pills. I waited almost a  week  as I was dubious about taking too much medication.

When the week was up, I was pain free. The full bottle of antibiotics were not used. My original orthopedic doctor told me I was foolish not to have the operation. He said it was like having a marble in my knee whereby the pain would come and go. Eventually if I did not have the operation, my knee would get worse and I would be a cripple in less than 10 years. Luckily I was happy with my decision. I heard so many stories of people who did not have Lyme disease having the surgery.  Unfortunately they still suffered with their knees and eventually had to go for knee replacement. There are cases as well that arthroscopic knee surgery was successful in some patients.

For about fifteen years I was pain free.  I will never know if I ever did have Lyme Disease.  However, the treatment for it helped me. I was well again, playing  tennis and walking three miles every day.  For a few years I stopped playing tennis when I moved to Florida.  But when I started playing again, guess what happened?

Read what my doctor discovered and how my knee pain left me for good.
Next week

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KNEE PAIN - HOW I AVOIDED SURGERY

Over twenty two years ago, I took my 16 year old daughter to look at a college in Boston. Prior to the trip, I had been lethargic for several months with unexplained spells. Not wanting to disappoint her, we packed an over night bag and started our trip. While driving, my knee started to bother me. The further I drove the more painful it became. I couldn't believe the high level of pain I endured. It felt as though my knee was being sawed off.

Screaming was not what I wanted to do, but found myself actually crying. I never had knee pain prior, nor anything so intense that I could remember. I did not understand how or where this pain came from or what caused it. I wanted to turn back to go home, but we were halfway there. I reasoned with myself that pain eventually goes away.  Getting off the exit, I road into town where I purchased a bottle of pain relievers.

Making the best of it, for my daughter's sake, we continued with her plans to be interviewed at Boston University. Afterwards we drove to the popular Quincy Market which is a tourist area and a college hangout. On the weekends entertainers, jugglers, etc., would come out. We enjoyed a lovely lunch and ventured to the mall. Walking was very difficult so I stayed in the car and told her to go alone. That weekend was a nightmare.

Arriving home, I immediately saw my doctor who referred me to an orthopedist. My exray showed a torn cartilage which had to be repaired immediately by arthroscopic knee surgery.

Before undergoing the operation, I was about to go for a second opinion when I read in the paper about an alternative to knee surgery.

How I got rid of the pain for good. ….. continued next week

Saturday, January 15, 2011

WHAT ABOUT THE ELDERLY IN THIS JOB MARKET

Recently I read a blog on AOL about a young woman who was unemployed for two years. Her story won publication with AOL. The title was called The "Forgotten Woman" because she was once a CEO of a successful construction company. Now unemployed like most of us who had great businesses, jobs, and financial income. From that piece she was offered many job offers and hopefully her story will continue to have a happy ending.

There were all sorts of blogs and comments from other unemployed Americans. Some were in their twenties while others were aged in the high fifties. Although heartwarming, no one speaks about the elderly over age sixty. Those who were used to the finer lifestyle and now live in fear as to what will become of them. Some are maxed out on credit cards. Their savings have dwindled down to the minimum and God for bid they wont dare ask their kids for help, as most have their own problems

The job market is almost like a depression these days. How can a healthy elderly person find a good job? Who will hire them? Young employers do not realize the mass amount of successful experiences and knowledge an elderly person can share with his employer. The rewards are definately beneficial.

Sunday, January 9, 2011

PUSH THE WHEEL OR GET OFF

It's January 2011, a time for people to get excited about the new year, a new start, and new opportunities. So what's in store for you?

We take stock in our lives as to where we have been and where we are going. Were we happy, did we accomplish what we wanted, did we make others happy?  Were we productive? Did we make enough income to support our families?

Some of us PUSH THE WHEEL. We work very hard at our jobs, sometimes long hours feeling unfulfilled.  Are we making enough money for the time and work we put in? Does our employer appreciate our efforts? is this what I want to do the rest of my life?  Do we want to continue working long hours and have less time to enjoy family?

Are we so busy fulfilling the needs of our adult children and grandchildren that we realize we have little time to enjoy our lives?

And students; are they working  hard at their studies?  Do they see little success in their grades?

All of us are PUSHING THE WHEEL doing whatever we have to every day of every week.  We have to ask ourselves, is it time to get off the wheel?  There are many fortunate people who have pushed the wheel and have seen success and are truly happy.  In that case, stay on the wheel and keep pushing.

Hopefully the job market will open up in 2011 to make it easier for those to get off the wheel and try something else.  Another wheel may roll down the path to a better life.  Perhaps invent another path to push the wheel and help the economy in doing so.  This is the time to start doing something you dreamed about before it is too late.

The college student who works hard without success, should evaluate his situation and realize it is not because of him/her, it is because they are on the wrong wheel.  Get off that wheel and change your major.  I have a cousin who was on probation in college and was given another semester or he would be out.  He changed his major and became a world renowned success.

If you are unhappy with your lifestyle, routine, work, whatever, this is the time to try another direction. The wheel is what you are pushing.  Get off!

Lets hope for a better economy and more jobs.

Good luck!

Would love to hear about your work or school experience.  If you wish to comment below, please do so