Ok, so I went back to work 2 weeks ago. All seemed well. My hand wasn't hurting. The burning, itching, numbing pain was gone from my hand, neck, and shoulder. My muscles are still tight, and my shoulder hurts like hell, but overall, I thought I was making really great progress.
Then, I went back to work. Don't get me wrong - it's somewhat of a relief to get back to work. I think my brain began to atrophy from the lack of exercise of critical thinking and problem solving. Seriously - when your biggest problem to solve is which load of laundry to do first, you don't work all that hard to come to a decision.
By the end of the second week, I began to experience what I called "pain spikes". A sharp, stabbing, pain, right in the area of my fusion, that spread up the back of my head, halfway down my spine, and radiating across my shoulders. I'm having those a couple of times a day. The pain then dulls to a throbbing sensation that can just be noticeable, but not crippling, to a serious headache that makes me just want to cry.
Called my doctor about it - and, they have no idea why this happening. My x-rays look great, and this isn't part of the normal healing process. So, they have changed the dosage of my painkiller, and also given me a non-narcotic painkiller I can take on the days I work. They also recommended I wear my neck brace for the rest of the week. Worst of all, they've restricted my work hours for the very week I was going to increase them. Aarrrrggghhhh
To add to the misery, I began to experience asthma like symptoms - tightness, throat feeling like it's going to close, coughing (anyone who's ever had to work with me in the office knows that barking, incredibly annoying, cough I develop - lasts for months. The more kind of my coworkers offer me cough drops, which I'm thankful for, but know won't work. I sincerely apologize to ANYONE who's ever had to work with me while I'm trying to get my asthma back under control. Also, let me just say how glad I am to work at home now, so my coworkers don't have to endure the {literally} every 5 minute coughing spasm), and feeling like crud. So, I called my pulmonologist, who has put me on steroids. Don't worry - I have my broom handy.
Last night, my hand swelled, and turned bloodless white. Well, how thrilled am I? I tried calling my doctor again, but they were closed for lunch, and I forgot to call again. But, tomorrow, I will have to call, because today, not only did my hand swell up again (to the point where my elderly neighbor noticed and commented on it), but also because I don't think this is asthma I'm experiencing. The tightness is all in the wrong place. It's all up around my scar, and it hurts to swallow. I've not had that experience in 16 years of having asthma. Literally, on a whim, I decided to take a 1/4 of a pill of valium. Within a half hour, I could breathe better, my throat wasn't tight, and it didn't hurt to swallow.
So, the upshot. I don't understand what's going on. The collar kind of panics me, making it hard to breathe - it feels so tight on my throat. I know the collar is tight, but the feeling that I can't breathe is just an emotional response not based on reality.
I'm frustrated because I didn't expect this. I thought most of these problems were over and done with. I'm ready to get with life, and my plans. This does not factor in.
