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He also came close to sticking me with an 18 gauge needle because the nurse had placed the wrong one on the tray; oops. He opened the door of the exam room a crack and told her that he didn't want to harpoon me, could she please find the right needles? Grin...

Small bruises anyway, but no biggie. One of the side-effects of the lidocaine is drowsiness; combined with the other meds I take it makes me rather, 'dipsy-doodle,' so I promptly came home and took a nap as I usually do. A couple of hours on Wendy's, 'princess pad,' (I'll explain another time) alongside Bubba the cat & all was good enough.

My right knee, which has less bone deterioration than my left, is feeling quite a bit better than it used to at this point. While I still have some occasional sharp pain in my left knee, it is not as severe as it used to be. Neither of my knees pop & crack as much as they used to, and both of them move more freely, to be sure. I do not doubt that Hyalgan was not designed to treat bone deterioration, which would explain the occasional sharp pains on the outside of mainly my left knee.

In combination with the Tramadol HCL (Ultram) that I am taking, I get around well enough I suppose at this point. Now I can run around for a couple of hours without it making my knees throb to the point of no return. They still ache when I do, but maybe I could expect that. I have even taken the, 'hinge,' out of my knee braces, using the neoprine portion of them instead.

Twenty-four years of lifting people and power chairs will do your knees in I guess. You know what? I would do it all again. I don't regret having spent a single moment with any one of the people with disabilities like myself, or the seniors I spent time with; not one. If any of you are reading this know that you are still very, very loved.

Tom.]]> http://community.disabled-world.com/AbilityLane/blog/four-out-of-five-ain-t-bad/ Thu, 18 Mar 2010 12:28:53 +0000 AbilityLane http://community.disabled-world.com/AbilityLane/blog/lidocaine-8211-the-shot-before-hyalgan/ Hyalgan shots intended to ease the osteoarthritis I experience...]]> Hyalgan shots intended to ease the osteoarthritis I experience. The doctor I have found for general practice is actually a, ‘D.O.,’ or Doctor of Osteopathy – in other words he understands osteoarthritis very well. The skills he possesses were not ones that I specifically sought out; it just happens that he has them. He is equally skilled at treatment of a wide-variety of other issues.

Prior to the injection of Hyalgan, my doctor injects Lidocaine to numb my knee. Lidocaine is the generic name for the medication, it is also known by the brand name, ‘Xylocaine.’ Lidocaine is an injectable liquid medication that is used prior to surgery and additional medical procedures such as the shots of Hyalgan I am receiving. The dose of Lidocaine I am receiving is dependent upon my physical condition, as well as my response to it.

Not that I prefer to get two shots per knee each time I go to visit the doctor I like – it puts a damper on an otherwise enjoyable relationship; but the lidocaine shot actually does ease the hyalgan shot. Some of the side-effects of lidocaine could include things such as:

* Nausea
* Drowsiness
* Mental/Mood Changes
* Ringing in the Ears
* Dizziness
* Vision Changes
* Tremors
* Numbness
* Headache
* Backache
* Fever
* Rapid or Slow Pulse
* Trouble Breathing
* Seizures
* Chest Pain

Allergic reactions to lidocaine are rare. You can bet I would contact my doctor immediately if I had a severe allergic reaction to it. When I chose the plan I am on through Medicare this time around, I chose one that is associated with the AARP, even though I am only forty-five years old. I qualified because I am a person with disabilities. There is a health care provider list associated with this form of insurance, and wouldn’t you know it? I lucked out again. My doctor is quite literally right across the street. I can look out of my deck window and see his office. At any rate, some of the symptoms of an allergic reaction to lidocaine may include:

* Rash
* Itching
* Swelling
* Dizziness
* Trouble Breathing

I would imagine that if I had such an allergic reaction to lidocaine, it would be easier for me to cross the street than to call for an ambulance. I also imagine that my doctor would reach for an epi-pen or benedryl; but I am not attempting to either diagnose or treat such an allergic reaction. For others who might experience such an allergic reaction to lidocaine, it is always best to contact your doctor immediately.

People who are receiving lidocaine injections need to tell their doctor about any medical conditions before receiving them. For example; heart block, heart failure, high or low blood pressure, allergies or kidney problems are all things a doctor needs to be aware of beforehand. Lidocaine can make people dizzy or drowsy, so driving after receiving shots of lidocaine is not something that is recommended; neither is pursuit of other activities that require you to be alert. Lidocaine shots can make you feel temporarily weak or light-headed, so it is important to get up slowly from a seated or lying position. People who have received shots of lidocaine may experience temporary issues with muscle control, particularly people who are older, or children, who may be more sensitive to the medication. Women who are pregnant need to tell their doctor before receiving lidocaine because this medication does pass into breast milk.

Personally, I have experienced some muscle weakness, drowsiness, and light-headedness. I wouldn’t want to get in my car and drive around town after receiving these lidocaine shots in both knees. In fact – all I really feel like is going home and taking a nice, long nap. The shots make my knees feel like I am a sailor on a ship in fairly high seas for a while; wobbly and well; numb. Despite the lidocaine shots, I can still feel where the injections have been applied, although the sensation is not too troublesome.

Lidocaine interacts with medications such as arbutamine, dofetilide, halofantrine, and pimozide. Your doctor needs to be aware of all of the medications you are currently taking before administering lidocaine, to include non-prescription medications. In particular, your doctor needs to be aware if you are using other forms of anesthetics, such as procainamide, bupivacaine, cimetidine, or tocainide. Your doctor also needs to know if you are using any beta-blockers, to include atenolol, propranolol, metoprolol, mexilitine, amiodarone, succinylcholine, or vasopressor medications like dobutamine, oxytocic, or ergonovine.

Medications that already cause drowsiness such as sleep medications, sedatives, tranquilizers, narcotic pain relievers, anxiety drugs, anti-seizure medications, psychiatric medications, antihistamines, or muscle relaxers may have their sedative effects enhanced by lidocaine injections. Medicines such as cough and cold products may also contain ingredients that cause drowsiness; the effects could be enhanced by lidocaine injections as well. Lidocaine injections have the potential to interfere with certain lab test results, so it is also important to tell lab personnel that you have received lidocaine injections.

I am a person who has had epilepsy since I experienced a heat stroke at Fort Sill, Oklahoma in the early 1980’s. The heat stroke found me with a form of epilepsy where I have experienced gran mal and petit mal seizures throughout the years, requiring a fairly solid dose of anti-seizure medication. The Veterans Administration loves generic medications, and I am taking a form of anti-seizure medication that is fairly old. The medication I take is on the list of ones that cause drowsiness in the first place – lidocaine injections enhance this effect, but not dangerously so. The medication I take that is associated with the PTSD I experience also has drowsiness as a side-effect; this effect is also enhanced by the lidocaine injections I receive prior to the hyalgan injections I am receiving for osteoarthritis.

In other words, for two days a week, over a five-week period of time, I am a pretty drowsy kind of guy as I go through this series of lidocaine and hyalgan injections for the osteoarthritis in my knees. I consider this to be a worthwhile exchange because I will receive six months of blessed relief from the endless aching and stabbing pain associated with that osteoarthritis. The major side-effects of lidocaine injections are something I do not experience, so I count myself as being fortunate. Even if I had to follow these treatment sessions with an injection from an epi-pen, I would still pursue them.

Thomas C. Weiss]]> http://community.disabled-world.com/AbilityLane/blog/lidocaine-8211-the-shot-before-hyalgan/ Thu, 04 Mar 2010 15:15:55 +0000 AbilityLane http://community.disabled-world.com/irishguy/blog/another-doctor/ Today I started with a new Doctor. This is the second Doctor I have had to change in the last year.He is a foot doctor. The doctor I was seeing was i... Today I started with a new Doctor. This is the second Doctor I have had to change in the last year.He is a foot doctor. The doctor I was seeing was in my home town which suffered a flood last fall. The hospital which had doctors offices in it was flooded badly to the point they will probably not repair or rebuild it.My foot doctors office was totally wiped out and he decided to close his office and not travel to Gowanda any more, he has another office in Buffalo. I was impressed with the new doctor. He is the first one that said my feet were high risk and recommended moisturizing them twice a day. He said we have to get the legs as soft as possible or the skin may crack and cause infections. I guess I am not as smart as I thought I was because I never thought skin could get that dry. He also said I was a high risk for loosing pieces of the foot. I am to be very aware of any hits on the feet as any tear of the skin could be very dangerous. With my luck both his parents had spinal stenosis to the point they could hardly walk. He had also directed one of his friends to the neurosurgeon I use with great success. I think we picked a good foot doctor. http://community.disabled-world.com/irishguy/blog/another-doctor/ Thu, 25 Feb 2010 00:13:26 +0000 Tom