[misc.handicap] COPING

Joe.Chamberlain@f140.n150.z1.fidonet.org (Joe Chamberlain) (08/21/90)

Index Number: 9895

 PF> The next topic at our support group meeting deals with 
 PF> coping.  We are to all
 PF> bring in at least one way of coping written anonymously

        The nicest way of coping is with the support of a loving
companion.  This also has the advantage of being the nicest was
to escape too.  That loving support can give you courage to go on
and try.  I think we too often overlook this.

                                -=joe=-

--
Uucp: ..!{decvax,oliveb}!bunker!hcap!hnews!150!140!Joe.Chamberlain
Internet: Joe.Chamberlain@f140.n150.z1.fidonet.org

Joe.Chamberlain@f140.n150.z1.fidonet.org (Joe Chamberlain) (08/21/90)

Index Number: 9918

 PF> Joe, this is quite true.  But I believe the group is  
 PF> looking for things to share with one another....
 PF> I think I'll be "stingy" with Rusty! (grin)

        Coping is a walk in the woods.  Coping is a warm modem.
Coping is a good action movie like 'Die Hard'.  Coping is a good
book.
        Coping is a break-away.  It is a bail-out.  Fishing.
Birdwatching.  Growing plants.  Television, music, or talking on
the telephone.
                                -=joe=-

--
Uucp: ..!{decvax,oliveb}!bunker!hcap!hnews!150!140!Joe.Chamberlain
Internet: Joe.Chamberlain@f140.n150.z1.fidonet.org

Ed.Harler@f201.n273.z1.fidonet.org (Ed Harler) (05/09/91)

Index Number: 15459

[This is from the Chronic Pain Conference on Fidonet]

Open to any suggestions on coping with constant pain.

My wife had a hip operation, which the doctor says is perfect!
(That is, she can move her leg properly, walk, etc.)  He also says
there is no reason she should have pain or the paralizing cramps
she gets.  (He never heard of the latter and indicated that it
wasn't possible.   Other women who have had the same operation tell
my wife they have the same problem.)

Also interested in info on how she can put on her stocking and
shoes by herself.  (See above.  In spite of the doctor telling her
that her leg movement is ok, she still can't bend enough to do the
above.)

Thanks.

    Ed

--
Uucp: ..!{decvax,oliveb}!bunker!hcap!hnews!273!201!Ed.Harler
Internet: Ed.Harler@f201.n273.z1.fidonet.org

Derek.Oldfather@p1.f62.n282.z1.fidonet.org (Derek Oldfather) (05/14/91)

Index Number: 15609

[This is from the Chronic Pain Conference]

 EH> Also interested in info on how she can put on her stocking and
 EH> shoes by herself.  (See above.  In spite of the doctor telling
 EH> her that her leg movement is ok, she still
 EH> can't bend enough to do the above.)

I got myself a long shoe horn and a lobster claw style gripper for
doing the shoes.  But it's three years since my hip replacement and
I still can't put on my own sock on the left leg and it has gotten
harder to do it on the right leg.

--
Uucp: ..!{decvax,oliveb}!bunker!hcap!hnews!282!62.1!Derek.Oldfather
Internet: Derek.Oldfather@p1.f62.n282.z1.fidonet.org

Shoshona.Bieman@f102.n103.z1.fidonet.org (Shoshona Bieman) (05/14/91)

Index Number: 15610

[This is from the Chronic Pain Conference]

Ed, there is an apparatus available (at surgical supplies or even through
the Sears Catalog for Home Health Care) that resembles a real long shoe
horn. It also has grips that will pull stockings up, etc. It should not be
too expensive - maybe $40 or so tops. As to the Dr., they are just plain
wrong a good share of the time. Of course, a lot of that can be chalked upi
to us lay people not finding the right words to describe the problem! Even
so, pain can be proven - either with thermography or with a dynamic EMG (a
very painful test I once had). Very few doctors know about Dynamic EMG's, so
you might not find a Dr. in your area to do one. I was fortunate - one of
the country's leading pioneers in the field has her practice in this area.
Let me know how things work out for your wife...

    --=[[ Shoshona ]]=--

--
Uucp: ..!{decvax,oliveb}!bunker!hcap!hnews!103!102!Shoshona.Bieman
Internet: Shoshona.Bieman@f102.n103.z1.fidonet.org

Gary.Bewell@f424.n104.z1.fidonet.org (Gary Bewell) (05/14/91)

Index Number: 15612

[This is from the Chronic Pain Conference]

On 06 May 91, you wrote to All

 EH> Open to any suggestions on coping with constant pain.

I think I have tried most things to cope with constant pain over
the past 15 years.

For me, self-hypnosis or biofeedback have help the most.  I've only
once had a lack of pain, but these methods have helped to bring it
down to a level that I can tolerate.  (I hate drugs because they
impair me too much.)

 EH> My wife had a hip operation, which the doctor says is
 EH> perfect! (That is, she can move her leg properly, walk,
 EH> etc.)  He also says there is no reason she should have pain
 EH> or the paralizing cramps she gets.

I know that one.  I have one pain trigger between two toes in my
right foot.  I had two operations on this area that have probably
created more pain for me.  If someone steps on this part of my foot
or I step the wrong way, I get a shooting pain from my foot into my
groin.  A couple of hours later the muscles of the foot and ankle
start going into severe spasms.  A few hours later the cramps
spread to the lower leg.  By the following day all the muscles of
the leg are involved and I can't walk.  It feel like something is
trying to rip all my tendons.

My last bout of this was two weeks ago when an orthodics specialist
pressed on this trigger point while fitting me with special shoes.

 EH> Also interested in info on how she can put on her stocking
 EH> and shoes by herself.

You should be able to get things that would help her from a medical
specialty shop or by contact agencies that help people with
disabilities.

     Gary

 # Origin:  Time passes... , Calgary, AB  (MetroNet 201:5500/198)

--
Uucp: ..!{decvax,oliveb}!bunker!hcap!hnews!104!424!Gary.Bewell
Internet: Gary.Bewell@f424.n104.z1.fidonet.org