Quillan Posted February 4, 2014 Share Posted February 4, 2014 Life has not been to kind of late. Mrs Q after months of treatment and tests will be going to hospital soon to have part of her intestine removed which hopefully will be the end of a long, very stressful and painful saga.Me well I have a problem with C5,6 and 7 vertebrae which will require an operation on my spine. I have been in a lot of pain even when taking loads of Tramadol which unknown to me at the time is quite addictive (especially when your doctor tells you take as many as you want through the day) so I have been going through the stress and pain both mentally and physically of getting 'clean'. The side effects for many of coming off this drug is not very nice and thats for sure. This leaves me almost unable to do anything. Ten minutes of driving is all I can manage, I can't work, I can't do much of anything. I have a special collar that 'jacks' up my spine to relieve me of the pain which works reasonably well but it still means that I spend most of by time stretched out on the sofa or in bed. The worst bit of all however is not being able to give any real support to Mrs Q while she has her pain coupled with the stress and worry of her operation to come and then there is of course the problem of looking after her for four to six weeks when she comes home. OK we get a nurse and a cleaner paid by our insurance but thats about it, she really deserves better from me is how I feel.Sometimes when you're (see I can get it right) down in the dumps and totally fed up with your own problems you stumble across something or somebody who is actually far worse off than you yet they have an excellent outlook on life and inspire you to do better. Quite by accident whilst browsing through YouTube I found the following short film. It has inspired me to try and do better and perhaps it might inspire others. If it has ever been on the forum before I never saw it and I apologize in advance.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zOzsjEmjjHsDon't get me wrong I am not trying to tell a hard life story nor gain sympathy. These things happen in life and you just have to get on the best you can, sh*t happens, you get over it and move on. Hope is also a wonderful thing and after Mrs Q is better (she has been in pain far longer than me hence she gets her operation first) I can get my operation and return to near normal. Anyway I hope you enjoy the short film and find it equally inspirational meanwhile having ensured Mrs Q has been fed, watered and tucked up for the night with her book I am off back to bed. Nighty night. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tinabee Posted February 4, 2014 Share Posted February 4, 2014 Like :o) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulT Posted February 4, 2014 Share Posted February 4, 2014 Sorry to hear of both your problems.Someone I knew was diagnosed with terminal cancer in his 40s. He said that having been to the cancer hospital and seen all the children with terminal cancer he could not feel sorry for himself - he had far more a life than those children. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NormanH Posted February 5, 2014 Share Posted February 5, 2014 I am sorry to hear of the medical problems you are both suffering.It is brave of you to post about Tramadol, which I mentioned the other day in another thread, and I wish you bon courage.Back pain like that is one of the worst things to bear.You are usually so on top of the world with the business thriving and nice weather that this is rather a shock to read.You are right though to see things in perspective. When I was having chemotherapy I shared a room on a couple of occasions with people in a far worse position, and each time I have a check up in the specialist clinic I see how lucky I have been.My very best wishes to your wife for her operation. Nearly 3 years down the line I am like a new man, though it does take time.Get yourselves straight so we can argue....[:D] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gardengirl Posted February 5, 2014 Share Posted February 5, 2014 So sorry to hear about the health problems you've both been having, and all the very best to you both for your treatment/ops. Are you able to keep your business going? although maybe the past few months have been quiet.I suffer from really bad backache, but obviously nothing compared to you and the damage you have to your back. I take tramadol, but only take it when backache is at its worst, knowing it can be addictive - my heated cushion then pilates come first with ordinary painkillers. Your doctor was more than careless allowing you to take tramadol like that; I've only been allowed them when running short after phoning my GP for a chat, although at my last appointment I was allowed them on my repeat prescription. That was after checking my past use of them from my records and that I was very aware of addiction to them.That clip was amazing - some people really make you think when you see how they can overcome adversity. I've been having lessons in this recently; a close realative has been told she hasn't long to live and is carrying on as best she can - says she isn't going to sit and wait to die and wants the rest of us to carry with our normal lives. so very brave. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Judith Posted February 5, 2014 Share Posted February 5, 2014 As you say, truly inspirational! I'd not seen that video before, though I have seen him in something else, and I thought then, how does he do it? Because of his joie de vivre you completely forget that he is so physically handicapped. He lives his life as though he were not. A true lesson for us all.We all have so much to be thankful for, and we tend to forget that far too many times.Good luck with all the ops, and hope that before long you'll both be back to good health. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cendrillon Posted February 5, 2014 Share Posted February 5, 2014 Truly inspirational!Bon courage M. et Mme Quillan[:)] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quillan Posted February 5, 2014 Author Share Posted February 5, 2014 All - Thanks for the best wishes from both of us.Gardengirl - We have quite a few reservations for later in the year and fortunately it is a late easter this year. We have a one nighter booked this weekend which was booked before my neck gave out so I will just have to take a deep breath and get on with it.Norman - Found the thread (knee replacment) and your warning.Tramadol - If you just research by its name what you read does not seem to alarming, well no more so than with other drugs you can get. It gets more interesting when you add either of the words addiction or withdrawal. As a matter of interest just a week or two ago ACMD's chairman Prof Iversen has recommended that having or selling the drug without prescription should be treated as a class C drug offence in the UK.http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-21540677I was just dwelling on the fact that some of my French friends more and more use the Internet to find out what is wrong with them when ill. I never really thought about it till my doctor emptied the big envelope with my scan photos and out slipped a printout I had made from the NHS about neck problems and possible remedies. He knew enough English to know what it was and gave me a stern look. I explained it was just because some of the French terms were too complicated for me, it was only for my personal interest and that he was the doctor not me.On one hand I thought these medical websites, there are few in both English and French, could be a dangerous thing and that even while they always finish with 'see your doctor' they do lead to a certain amount of self diagnostics. On the other hand if I had not researched the Tramadol I would never have known how dangerous a drug it could be especially is misused. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patf Posted February 5, 2014 Share Posted February 5, 2014 Very sorry to hear about your health problems, both you and your wife.Hoping things improve with correct treatment, and you're back to normal sooner than you think.[kiss][kiss] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chancer Posted February 5, 2014 Share Posted February 5, 2014 Really hoping the the quality of life improves massively for both of you.Regarding the inspirational guy, and this is very irreverant, can he actually swim with his one appendage (no jokes please) or does someone follow him into the pool to tow him out? I can see that he would float better than most people apart from the obese and he must really enjoy the waterslides, especially peoples reactions but hats off to him it must be awfully scary the first time, I know high diving boards are for me even as an able bodied person.My favorite dive buddy is a paraplegic, favorite by a huge margin, he is just so capable despite being completely paralysed and having only limited use of one hand, he can move and press things but not really grip them. He is not ashamed to ask for help when he needs it but rarely does, I carry his dive bag up the stairs to the fosse, he leaves his wheelchair at the bottom and shuffles up on his bottom, we put a garden chair by the fosse for him to get fitted up, once he is in the water his handicap is much reduced, in fact he is one of the more competent divers which is why I like to be his buddy.The saddest thing of all was his injuries were caused while diving, he was instructed to do a giant stride entry in too shallow a water (perhaps a tidal error) that was 15 years ago and he is still fighting for compensation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hoddy Posted February 5, 2014 Share Posted February 5, 2014 Here's hoping that everything improves for you and Mrs Q very soon.On the subject of tramadol -they seem to handed out like sweets with no advice about how addictive they are.My OH was discharged in a hurry one Sunday afternoon. He was given a box of tramadol without instructions. He only took them for a few days, but when he tried to stop he had massive mood swings. At one point I was quite afraid of him which is something that has never happened in the many years I've know him. It wasn't until we searched the internet that we realised that he had withdrawal symptons.Hoddy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gardengirl Posted February 5, 2014 Share Posted February 5, 2014 Chancer, after watching the link Quillan gave, I looked at another couple of links shown at the side. One was of him swimming, with his one foot propelling him along, and then getting out of the pool up the stairs, having his shave, cleaning his teeth etc - just amazing! Bear with the adverts and the foreign wording onscreen:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ZumF7cTQgw Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Judith Posted February 5, 2014 Share Posted February 5, 2014 [quote user="gardengirl "]Chancer, after watching the link Quillan gave, I looked at another couple of links shown at the side. One was of him swimming, with his one foot propelling him along, and then getting out of the pool up the stairs, having his shave, cleaning his teeth etc - just amazing! Bear with the adverts and the foreign wording onscreen:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ZumF7cTQgw[/quote]Yes, I think that's the one I saw before. It never ceases to amaze me what will power (and a positive attitude) can achieve. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mint Posted February 5, 2014 Share Posted February 5, 2014 Q, I just want to wish you and Mrs Q all the best with your treatments.In a few months from now, I hope you will be able to tell us that all's been done and dusted and that you are welcoming guests once more chez vous [:)] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rabbie Posted February 5, 2014 Share Posted February 5, 2014 Q, All the best to you and Mrs Q with your treatments. Hope everything goes well. At least you have the 6Nations to watch over the next few weeks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frecossais Posted February 6, 2014 Share Posted February 6, 2014 I always think that for most people there is an "annus horribilis", Quillan, so maybe this is yours. But everyone I know who has had one (including me and my OH) has come through it and out the other side. Keep going, and good luck with the treatments for both your wife and you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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