8 months

Good afternoon! As I get ready for the evening I wanted to take a moment to reflect back that tomorrow will make 8 months since my surgery. On this date 8 months ago many things were going through my mind. I have to say that the surgery has helped greatly! I do have my bad days but they are not as bad as they used to me. Some people at work have heard me refer to " the headache train" that is a term I have been referring to describe when I have a headache. Lets say I have been on the headache train for almost 2 weeks now. The last few weeks have not been nearly as bad as before surgery, but is very frustrating. It has I have came to the conclusion that after the first of the year I am going to ask if my stimulator settings can be changed. It is almost as my brain has got used to the sensation. My settings have been all over the place and I can not seem to find a good number. The cold weather has also been getting to me along w the clouds I am doing my best to stay positive and not get frustrated. As some may be aware I have been on a sleep med the last few weeks. It is also under the antidepressant class so it seems to be helping with my mood and frustration levels :) it is so nice to be able to sleep better and not wake up in a crazy amount of pain. Some may ask, " wasnt the surgery spost to help with the pain?" To answer that yes! It has helped alot w the nerve issue and my neuralgia, but the surgery caused a big change in the spacing inside my neck. The open area between c1 and my skull was filled w the stimulator electrodes and wiring whiz means I lost alot of space for movement of my head. It also causes the back of my neck to be very sore and makes it difficult for moving my head up and down. Another common question lately has been " didn't the surgery make your condition go away?" To answer that no this condition will never go away and it COULD and most likely will get worse... I am very aware and ok with this.

On a final note I want to thank everyone for their cont support and encouragement as all of you have been fantastic. I also want to wish every one a great Christmas and new year. Please have a wonderful time an be safe :) also my heart and prayers go out to the responders and their families from the incident in NY this am. " Rest in Peace my brothers we will handle it from here" My greatest thanks go out to each of you for your dedication to your community! May God bless you, your family, coworkers and the community!

JR

7 months post surgery

Good morning its 11:20 am on Tuesday 11-27. Two days ago was my 7 month mark. Let me say the last few weeks have been hard.  I have been having a lot of pain in my neck and lower back. I have also been having problems sleeping. The only way I can describe it is I lay my head down and it feels like it is going to explode. I am also not able to find a comfortable spot for my head. As many of you know I have also lost a lot of motion in my neck which has been very frustrating. The cold weather has been very frustrating as the right side of my body is very cold and the left side is warm. I have also been getting waves of sharp pain through the right side of my head. I am at a point where I have the stimulator settings high enough where it takes away about 90% of the pain, but the feeling is almost uncomfortable. I have not asked for the stimulator settings to be changed because MOST of the time it has been working really well. One thing that has been thought of is changing the settings where it cycles through different stimulation levels. This will cause the feeling to change every few mins and will  "confuse the brain" (Some people will say I am already confused ;) )Some people have noticed my moods changing and have saw me very frustrated. As some know this is part of the condition and I am sorry if I have made you mad or you felt I was ignoring you!  Sometimes it just helps me to stay to my self and not be bothered. Again a huge thank you to my fantastic wife, my family and my friends. I also continue to send a big thank you to my extended EMS and Fire family. All of you have been so helpful and the positive encouragement really helps! Again a big thank you to every one :) A lot of you are very meaningful in my life and have given me a great deal of support ( It would take for ever to tag every one of you! ) Every thing else is going good for the most part, just getting ready for the holidays and enjoying my few days off :) To end this I would like to wish every one a happy holidays and please have fun and stay safe :)
JR

6 months post surgery

Good afternoon all its about 2pm. I know I am a little late on writing this but I have been busy. Things are going well for the most part, but I still have my bad days. On the 16th of Oct I went in for my 6 month post op apt and to get some medication refilled. My actual 6 months surgery date was Oct 25th.  I was told that every thing with my stim is still working as it should and there is been no movement in the wiring (a very good thing) It is very common to have wire movement specially with the job that I do. Also all 16 electrodes are also  working right and there is no noted problems with the system. I was very excited to hear this news. For the most part my programing changes have been working really well and I have got used to the feeling of the stimulation. A few days ago I took an instructor class which seemed to put alot of strain on my neck. When I got home I could feel the first signs that a headache was coming on. I tried to relax and before I could change any settings on my stimulator I was asleep. When I woke up a few hrs later I had fuzzy vision in my right eye and felt the pain in my face, arm and neck. I then increased the stimulator settings. From what I could recall this is the 2nd or 3rd big headache since I had surgery. Also one thing I have noticed is that when the headaches do come they do not seem as severe and to last as long. I have learned that the key is to turn up the stimulation right at the sign of a headache.
  My neck and back are still pretty sore from the surgery. My neck also still feels very tight with turning and rotation. I have also had a lot of itching and discomfort at the area of the battery. From the research I have done I learned this is caused by the forming of scare tissue and should get better over time. I was asked the other day, " Are you still glad you went through the surgery?" My answer to that questions is YES!. Let me say there were only a few select people that really knew how my life was day to day and got to experience first hand with me  how bad this condition was at it's worse (right before I had surgery) I will have to agree with them that my quality of life has improved 100% I also have to say I get about 90% relief from the stimulation. I would recommended the surgery to any one that meets the qualification for it. I am getting better every day but still do get frustrated with the discomfort and the other problems this condition causes, (nausea/light sensitivity/mood changes  and balance problems) I want to continue to thank my fantastic wife Nicole for her support- If it was not for you encouraging me and comforting  me through the worse pain of my life I <3  you a lot! I also want to thank my family and all my friends for the daily support I get. Also to my EMS and fire family THANK YOU! and all of you guys and girls are truly FAMILY in my book. If it wasn't for all your support positive comments and encouragement I would most likely still not be on the ambulance. Well not much more to note for now but I hope every one is doing well. I also  wish every one a Happy Halloween, Please be safe and have fun as I will be at work :) * Also for some that have been asking me the small ribbon on my profile pic came from a stimulator site that I am a member of. The purple means chronic pain, the red means chronic headaches (occipital neuralgia), and the black at the top is support for the frustration and such this condition creates. The picture also shows 3 of the many important things in my life (My love, my dog and the ocean)

5 months post op

Good morning today marks the 5 month post op date for my surgery. I want to first start by saying that I am glad I had the surgery. As some know the surgery has caused a lot of pain and discomfort. I have lost a lot of motion in my neck and at times bending can be difficult. Since I had the stimulator implanted I have only had a few really bad headaches, but the intensity of them were not as bad.  Also with the adjustments that were done last month every thing seems to be working a lot better. I am still trying to find a happy medium with the settings but the over all relief and coverage area are much better. I have still got frequent shooting pains across the back of my head and eyes but that is to be expected. Going into this I knew that it would not be a complete fix to the problem. Another thing to note is that the area around the battery pack has been very sore ( I have been told this is normal due to all the muscle tissue that was cut and the placement of the battery) I am getting used to the feeling of the stimulation and its amazing how I can easily adjust the power of it. One complaint I do have is that I can frequently feel the stimulation changing with my position ie sitting to standing. My medtronic rep told me that is very normal, but can not be corrected with my type of battery. It has been said that when my battery needs to be replaced ( 6+ years from now) that I will be able to get one with that option. I am also very impressed how the 3 different sites have healed over the last 5 months. The one on the back of my neck is very hard to notice. Of course I was told that I had a neurosurgeon stitch them up ;) To end this I want to thank the support of my fantastic wife Nicole ( I love you a lot and your support means the world to me!) I also want to thank all my family and friends for their continued support every day and for asking me how I am doing. I also want to continue to thank my EMS and fire family for all the support and encouragement it really means a lot that all of you have stood by me during this! :) To all I hope you have a fantastic day! 

8/14/2012

Good morning!! Its about 9:50 and it has been one week since my stimulator settings have been changed. Things have been going really well. I am trying not to get too excited but I have to say that it has been great this last week. I have only had to change the settings one time. Since the change I have also found that I have more movement in my neck and the back of my head is not as sore. I was also told that when the stimulator was placed that the space between my skull and c-1 (first cervical disk in my neck) was extended by about an inch and 1/2. Jacob said that this may be a reason why I have felt problems with range of motion. I have even noticed that when I am working I can leave the settings alone. The feeling and area covered is much better than before. I want to thank Jacob once again for making these changes happen. I also want to thank Nicole and all my family for being so supportive and helpful! Also a special thank you to all my EMS and SFD family! You guys have been so helpful and have really been a second family to me THANK YOU!! I also appreciate you guys checking on me every shift and asking if any thing can be done to help :) To end this I just want to say that I really hope this keeps working as good as it is and I am so glad the surgery was performed. 

8/7/2012

Good morning its about 1045. I just got home from my apt. Things went very well and a few changes were made with the programing. Jacob is truly amazing!! He was very patient and concerned that I was feeling the stim settings were not working very well. He then looked at the programing and started making adjustments. I have noticed a huge difference in the changes he has made. He also adjusted my secondary settings so I have something else to use in case I get a bad headache and my primary setting is not helping with the pain. It is really amazing they have such technology to make changes like this. Jacob also told me that the system is fully intact, meaning that all 16 leads and the wiring  are working as it should. It is very common to have problems with the devices, so I am very lucky that every thing so far is working. I have noticed a huge change in the pain levels since the change in the programing. Prior to the changes my pain was about a 5/6 out of 10 and now it is 1/2 to a 1. I am not too sure what happened to cause the increase in discomfort since wed but I am so glad it has been fixed. Jacob was also able to correct the issue I had with my head burning since last wed. I have to update Jacob in 7 days how the changes are working, but so far so good :) Bellow are some pics of how the surgical sites are healing. Again I want to thank everyone for their continue 

support every day! 

Update 8/6/2012

Good afternoon,
   It is about 6pm on Monday Aug 6 2012. A few things have happened since I last updated this. Last wed the first of Aug I got a sudden of a very severe headache. I was at work when it happened and had to come home. It was also the first very severe headache I have had since surgery. It was very disappointing and frustrating at the same time. I was happy because I was able to control the headache with the medications I have here at home. Since the first things have been up and down and I have constantly been adjusting my settings. It seams as if when I find a setting that overrides the pain after a while the back of my head and neck become very uncomfortable. Then when I turn my stimulator down I have to deal with the pain. I just cant seem to find a right setting. Before last wed I had not changed the stimulator settings at all for a few weeks.  I talked to my rep Jacob the other day and he feels he may have a solution to the problem. What he thinks is going on is that my brain has got used to the " frequencies" being used. Jacob said this is very common to happen and they can adjust the programing. It is also being considered of putting in programing that has a constant changing frequencies. I called this am to the Kaiser clinic that provides support to the patients with neuro stimulators  and they were able to give me an apt for tomorrow am. I was very excited to hear that they were able to make these adjustments so fast. I am hoping for the best, but I do know it will not be a permanent fix for the problem. I do keep reminding my self of the statement given to me by my neurosurgern during my pre-op apt, " Your condition is complex and advanced, this procedure will not erase the headaches completely but it will help control the severity of them."  I have been very thankful that they were able to place the stimulator and that the surgery and every thing has cost me only 20 dollars out of pocket. Also because of researching the devices I was aware that a type of incident like this could happen.   Over the last week my pain levels have also been up and down. Also dealing with pressure behind my right eye and problems with the brightness (which are both common with this condition). I have also been very sore in the neck and back area following the direction of the wire placement (I have been told this will get better over time) Not too much else to update on, but I will be updating tomorrow after my apt to give every one an update. I hope ever one is doing great and I want to thank every one for their continued support!
:) JR

3 months post op

Good morning :) its 1:14am. I am sitting here awake and just noticed and thought its been 3 months since I had surgery. Overall things have been going well. Over the last few days I have had a head ache but its been a lot less severe than before I had the stimulator placed. I  increased the stim settings a few days ago to overpower the pain that started with the stupid clouds and rain. Its working well but some discomfort is still present. Also with the stimulation up higher it makes the back area of my head very sensitive and some what aggravating. I do know it could be a lot worse with out the device and I am so thankful that I was able to have it placed.    I have also been getting a lot of cramping in my mid back area, but from what I have been told that is normal. My lower back seems to be doing really well and their is very little pain or swelling around the battery area. All 3 of the incisions have healed very well and the small one on the back of my head is very hard to find unless I point it out. I have been using alot less pain medication which is a good thing. Another problem I have had is trouble sleeping. It doesn't help because as most of you know I work nights at work so its harder to stay on a reg sleep schedule. Also right now with the stimulator settings up higher its hard to find a decent position to rest. The last time I spoke with my Medtronic rep I was told I wouldn't have to see any one until the 6 month date (which is really good in my eyes :) )  To end this I hope every one is doing well and a big thank you for every one checking on me and being so supportive :) it really means alot!!

60 days post op

Good afternoon J so as most of you know the 25^th was 2 months post op for my surgery. I have been back to work now for almost a month. The headaches have been gone and things are getting better each day. My neck and my back are still very sore. I spoke with the Medtronic rep and he said to expect to be this way for about 6-8 months maybe longer. I will take the back discomfort over the headaches. Work has been a battle with sitting for a long time and being cramped up in the ambulance. We have also been very busy with calls running 8+ every shift in 12 hrs. My partner and a few others have been a huge help with lifting and such. Not much else has changed. Nicole and I have gone camping a few times and we are going again this weekend Sunday-Tuesday. I am glad we are able to go and spend time together. Over the last few weeks I have used the stimulator remote less and less. It seems as if I have found the settings that work. I have only had a few bad days where I have a very slight headache (nothing compared to before surgery) Not too much else to update on, just still very glad I was able to have the surgery. I hope everyone is well and please stay safe this 4^th of July as I will be working J

30 days post surgery

Good evening it is 10:15 pm. Today makes 30 days post surgery. I have been wanting to write a update but I have been busy. I have been feeling really good and the stimulator is working very well. My daily pain has been 0 to maybe 1/2 out of 10, but all related from the surgery.The nasty headaches have been gone!  My back is still a little sore but improving every day. I am returning to work on May 30th!! YAY. I will be glad to be back at what I love. This morning was also emotional due to the fact I attended a fallen fire-fighters funeral. * My thoughts and prayers go out to the Porter family and the Sacramento City Fire Department* Since the surgery I have had alot more energy and have been sleeping alot better. I have got the stimulation settings in a decent range and have not had to change them much. Once in a while I also seem to forget that it is there. It has truly been amazing to be able to feel this way. All of the incisions are healing very well.  I am really surprised on how fast thing have healed up. To answer some questions the stimulator is still on 24/7 and  I would recommend this surgery to any one that is considering it. Both Dr. Pappas and the Medtronic staff have been amazing! To end this I want to reflect back on a quote from the service this am "Hold your head high, chest out and shoulders square!" This quote ment alot to me and I thought back on how much has changed in my life over the last month. I also started to think about all the positive things, how lucky I am to have such a caring family and how each day is so special. With that being said I want to take the time to thank Nicole, my family and all my friends for the support and encouragement I have got over the last few month, most of you don't know how much it has helped THANK YOU and good night :)

17 days post surgery

Good evening its 11:00 pm on sat night- First off most of you will be reading this on Sunday so happy Mothers Day. The last 17 days have been amazing for me. I am still sore from the surgery but that is getting better each day. The surgery sites are healing very well and the incision on the back of my head is hard to notice. The stimulator is working very well. I had my 2 week apt with the surgeon on the 9th. The apt went very well. Jacob the medtronic reb was also there. All the functions of my stim were checked and it was said every thing is working as it should. The dr also took out the stitches that were on the back of my head/neck area. (that was painful because the area was starting to scab and they had to pull it off to get to the stitches ) The other two wounds were stitched from the inside and then steri strips placed over.  Jacob also added more programing to my stim remote. I  now have a few different settings to use. He added 1 that gives a wider coverage area and feels different. I can also change the impulses per second. That range can go from 10-100. Right now I have it at 45, so basically it taps 45 times a second. I don't have much feeling to the full right side of my head (it will stay that way). I can feel pressure but not pain or heat/cold. I am getting used to the feeling of the stim and it actually feels good and the stim  has been running 24/7. To clear up some questions the stim will stay permanently and will prob run 24/7 for at least a few years. Also to answer another question I will be returning to work soon ;) My return date will be in between the 23rd of this month  and 6th of June. When I talked with the doctor he said it was really up to me and how I am feeling. I have been very board at home and anxious to do things but I know I still have some healing to do. My next re-check apt for the stim will be in about 3-4 weeks and then it will be about every 6 months. Another common ? I have been getting is if I am glad I had the surgery. The answer to that would be YES! I am very glad that I had it done as I have felt AMAZING and the headaches are GONE! Jacob told me I will still have my good and bad days but the pain will never be a severe as it was before. With the stim I can also control and " block" the pain. what I love about the program is I can turn it up or down or even off if I want to.  Not to much more to say but that I am doing really well. I also want to take the time to thank my wonderful wife and my few special friends that have really helped me through this past month. Also a big thanks to all my family and friends for all the texts and messages :) Good night and I hope everyone has a great weekend!  * to my EMS/FD/PD please stay safe and I will see you soon ;) * If you would like to see updated pics please click here as the last 3 in the album are updated from the last 2 days

One week after surgery

Good afternoon :) today is one week after my surgery. I am doing very well and the pain is very minimal. The headaches have been gone since last week and it has been amazing to be living with out the headaches, dizziness. nausea, motion sickness and pressure behind my right eye. I will say that this surgery hurt ALOT and it was not very fun to go through. My incisions are healing good and we got to take the bandages off that were placed in the operating room. I have some updated pictures, but some many say they are graphic so if you want to see them please click on the link at the bottom of this entry. Each day I am getting more motion in my neck and today I can describe the pain like a pulled muscle (mostly in the back area) I have been taking very little pain medications which is a good thing. I took vicodin before bed last night (11:00) and then around 1pm this afternoon. In the next few days I am going to try motrin and see how that works. I have found a really good setting for the stimulator and have not had to change it very much. My next dr's apt is May 10th. They hope to pull out the stitches and plan on adjusting the programing and adding more features that I can use. The rep (Jacob) from medtronic has been VERY helpful and has been checking on me alot. Its glad to know that the people that make this stimulator actually care how the patients are doing afterwords. Today is also a special day for another reason. It is my 3rd wedding anniversary (I love you alot Nicole and thank you for being by my side for all of this!! You are truly an amazing wife) So I am hoping to be able to go back to work soon and have been very board around the house. I also want to thank all my family and friends for the support they have given me over the last few months. Not much else to say, but I am so glad I am feeling better and things are getting back to "normal" for me (some will know what " normal "means ;) )  I hope everyone has been doing well and keep in touch :)

to view my pictures

3 days post surgery

Good evening its 9pm. Just wanted to put a quick note up that I am doing good. The stim unit is working very well and I have been headache free since Thursday AM. The stimulation has helped a lot and does not hurt. It feels like a tingling sensation through out the right side of my head. I have been very tired from the surgery and all the antibiotics/meds. As most know I have three different surgical sites. The first one is on the back of my head near my right ear (where the stim electrodes are). The second one is the upper back area in between the right shoulder blade and spine (where the extension wires are connected from the electrodes to the battery). The third site is to the right lower back/belt line area (Where the battery is located) Each of these areas are very painful but have been getting better each day. The first two pics that are listed below are from Thursday when I got home from the hospital. It was also the first time that I actually saw the surgical sites. the third pic we took this am when the bandage came off  I plan to keep the pics updated so people that want to see the progress can.  a few people have asked what spot hurts the most and I would have to say the back of my head and the area where the battery is. So not to much else to say except all my headache issues have been resolved (no pain/nausea/vomiting/visions problems/dizziness/pressure behind my head) I will do my best to cont to keep every one updated. Also a big thanks to my wife, family and friends for everything. To end this I have to send a huge thanks to Kaiser North Neurosurgery team/DR Pappas and the Medtronic team for all there help!!

Finally at home

Good evening- 6:50pm. I am finally home :) Things went very well!! Surgery got pushed back and did not start till around 3pm.  Surgery went very well and was about  2 1/2 hrs. They used a non rechargeable battery. The dr and medtronic rep said this would be easier so i would not have to worry about the re-charging issues. i ended up with 3 incisions. on in the center of the neck 1 between the spine and right shoulder blade. and one right lower bottom area. The lead wires were placed in the neck, the anchor and wires were tunneled down near the spine/shoulder area and connected into the batter which was placed in the right lower back/bottom area.  Was in recovery for a long time due to no rooms available. I finally got moved to a room around 11:15 pm. I want to thank the recovery staff for being so kind! they did have a complication with my heart rate going into the 160-170 range (which they thought was from the drugs used in the surgery) We all know that I have to be a pain in the ass for everything!! :)  Was in a lot of pain at the surgery sites and headache last night. Didn't get much sleep last night and had a issue with my med dosages being low but it was straightened out. This am around 955 i turned the stimulator on for the very first time. I was truly amazed by the results. Nicole was by my side for it and she also saw first and how the headache pain disappeared!! I truly feel blessed that I have been able to get such device. Throughout today I have have been making slight adjustments to the levels of stimulation. Pain has been 0/10 as far as headache and 3-4 in the incisions. I would like to thank everyone that was involved in this process and Dr Pappas. The medtronic reps have also been VERY helpful! My next apt is May 10 to meet with the surgeon and Jacob the medtronic rep. Jacob just called me and said it sounds like every thing is working very well. He will then expand the settings I am able to use at home when I go for the apt (my stimulator has over 1,000 settings)   I also want to thank all my family, friends and everyone that has sent me text messages, facebook messages and phone calls. Since I am very tired at this point I am going to close this blog and type more later.

The countdown is on :)

Good afternoon!! Just wanted to make a quick note of whats going on and how I am feeling. So I got a phone call this morning saying that my arrival time for tomorrow is 10AM. My surgery is scheduled for 12:30 tomorrow afternoon. Many things are going through my mind right now, but that's to be expected. Emotionally I am ready for the surgery and I know I will do fine. Again I want to thank every one for the messages, texts and phone calls as it really means alot! I also want to thank my very supportive wife  for helping me stay positive. The main things that come to mind right now is how I will feel after surgery and how this stimulator will help my life and hopefully keep the pain to a very minimal level. Right now the pain is very minimal, but I am very medicated. a while ago i got a text message from a friend that was pretty funny. It said " Thinking of you" and attached was a you tube video. I thought of sharing it with every one as it did make me laugh!


Video that was sent to me :)

Also another funny thing I was asked is " Will they give you a car charger so you can charge your battery in between calls at work?" :)) the answer to that question is NO....  I will go out of service and some one else can take the call  ;) (M-72B)
  So that you guys know I will be staying overnight at the hospital. I will also do my best to give a update on how everything went when I can :) Well not to much more to say for now so I will close this entry. On a side note good luck to one of my good friends Patty as she takes her National Registry Paramedic Test ;)
I also hope everyone is well and to my EMS brothers and sisters " please stay safe!" 
JR

Pre op yesterday and surgery wed

Good morning, its 10:30. First off thanks to the people that have asked me how I have been doing. Things are going alright. Every thing feels fuzzy but that is from the medication. Yesterday was a good day as I was able to only take 3 dilaudid pills  instead of 4( equivalent to 30mg of morphine instead of 40mg)  Thinking and typing is a little hard for me right now, but I wanted to give everyone a update on how the apt went yesterday. The apt was with my doctors assistant and she went over the procedure again. My Dad was able to come, which helped to give him a clearer idea on what was going to be done. To make it easier for some people I have found pictures to give a clear explanation. 

This picture above shows the right occipital nerve. My headaches are all right sided based so I have very little to no pain on the left side. As you follow the nerves up you can see how the pain travels up the back side of my head and into the forehead area. The leads shown below are in a enlarged side but will be placed around the right occipital nerve right near cervical disk 1 or  C-1. They are placing 2 leads with 8 electrodes on each lead

The wire on these leads are about the thickness of hair and are very hard to damage. The wires will then be tunneled down the inside of my back and be wired into the battery shown below. The battery will sit in the right side of my lower back (just below the belt line) The battery should last 8-9 years and then will need to be replaced. We have decided to go with a non rechargeable battery The size of this battery is 2.6 inches high x 1.9 inches wide and 0.6 inches deep. The weight of the battery is 2.4 ounces.

Update

Good morning- 11:43 on Thursday-  As most of you know Tuesday afternoon was one of the worst days in my life so far. Nicole took me to the emergency room and we got there about 430pm. they took me right in as they always do and I got very good care. I am going to make this short cuz i really dont feel well. So I finally went out on medical leave. They have told me surgery will be next tues or wed. during the time at the er i was given 16mg of diluadid, 30mg toradol, 10mg of decadron, 12 of phenergan, and 10mg of valium. They kept me over night and finally got the extreme pain to break. I was sent home with diluadid to take every 4 hrs (or as needed). I am taking 1mg doses which I was told is equal to 8mg of morphine. Some people may ask how is the pain now. To be honest I really don't feel much of any thing. The plan is to cont this treatment until I have surgery. It has really got to me that things have had to come to this and I am really trying to be strong. I want to thank my fantastic wife/best friend for standing by me and encouraging me to be strong. I also want to say the same thanks to my family and all of my  friends.  My parents and grandma came down last night which meant the world to me. I was glad that they came and were just there to support me. I also want to thank every one that has sent me text and other messages to see how I am doing. Im sorry if I have not responded back to you, but I have read each one and thank you very much!! With this said im not to sure what else to say. I am really hoping that the surgery will be this coming week.  It is expected that I will be out 3-4 weeks after I have surgery. I will do my best to keep you all updated. And to all my EMS brothers and sisters please keep it safe and I will be missing all of you!!

People.... ;)

Thu 4/5/12 @ 2:20pm. Hey just to let you know no new news on the surgery date. Still waiting talked to them this am and was told maybe May now..... I am so sick of this and  I understand that they are really busy but this does not make since. I am trying to be really patient but its getting old very fast (most of you know how much patients I have) What I was told this AM is that my surgery may now be in the month of May....... REALLY ARE YOU KIDDING ME.....!!! ( just a tad bit frustrated there) I understand it is a very complex and complicated surgery but still... They also told me it may be on a sat (which would make it easier for some of my family) but also could give me a longer hospital stay. My head cont to hurt every day, some worse than others. My neck has also been very sore which is making me very tired and cranky. I got off work late this am and did not sleep very well so tonight is gonna be a long shift..... Again I thank every one for asking me each and every day how I am doing, it really means a lot to see how many people truly do care!! I also want to thank my fantastic wife and family for being so supportive and dealing with me and my constant mood changes. Well it is now time to get ready for work. I hope every one has a great night :)
JR

Still Waiting......

Tuesday, April 3, 2012s

            Good evening J its 6:35 pm. This week has been decent. My neck and back of my head is still sore but the pain  is back to where it was prior to the last ER visit. I am still waiting for my surgery date but have been told to plan for it in “mid April” I want to continue to thank everyone that checks on me every day as it does mean a lot! I still am always tired and frustrated, but things have been ok this week. I am glad to see that April has come as it makes it just that much closer to surgery. I am going to cont to ask for people to send positive thoughts to get the date asap. I have still been having problems with my balance and sleeping/motion sickness, but from what I have read the surgery will fix most of this. The pain has been 5-6 every day with a occasional waves of 7-8. Yesterday was a really good day as the pain was about 2-3. Work has been good, but very busy. Also want to thank my partner for being there and being so supportive and willing to help! Nothing much is new just going day by day and relaxing as much as I can J Again thank you and I hope everyone is doing well. I will keep you updated if I find out any new info this week!

Its Wednesday :)

Wednesday, March 28, 2012

            Good morning its 10:25 am. I am tired and frustrated. As most of you know I was in the ER sat and I still don’t feel well. My neck and head are still very sore even with the meds I have been taking. I have not heard anything regarding my surgery date yet, but I do have phone calls into both the doctor and the surgery coordinator.  The severe pain hit me sat am when I woke up and it has been present ever since. The emergency room doctor confirmed my feelings that this condition is getting worse and nothing is going to make it better until I have the surgery done. Since it is Wednesday I go back to work tonight… I am looking forward to running calls and talking with my work family. (I just wish I felt a little better) I also want to take the time to thank the people that have been texting/calling and checking up on me it really does mean a lot!! Also sorry if I have been cranky ( I am not frustrated with you guys/girls) As you may think I also did not sleep well last night… ( I haven’t slept well since Friday when I got home from work) To end this on a positive note, I hope to have a fantastic day and a safe fun night at work J I also hope all my friends /family have a great week and stay safe with the weather!

JR

To the Emergency Room Again

Sunday, March 25, 2012

            Good afternoon 3:26 pm. So yesterday was a very bad day.  I woke up about 11:30am and got really dizzy. Once I got up out of bed it felt like my head was going to explode. It was much worse than my normal every day pain. It felt as if I was getting hit in the back and side of my head with a ice pick. My parents took me to Kaiser north er ( at 3:30pm) I was very pleased with the staff and I was took right to the back after checking in. The system is a lot different than Kaiser South but was very smooth and everyone was very nice. Once in the room I got a IV and the doctor walked right in. as soon as he started talking with me a ambulance came in with a lady no breathing. The doctor apologized that he had to leave and work with her. About 30 mins later he came back to finish the exam. He was very patient and listened to me explain everything. He even asked what meds worked for me. He put the orders in and in a few minutes later they were back with the meds. Usually in the past the meds they give work but this time the pain was 10+/10. To make a long story short the meds were not working. Over the time I was in the ER got a total of 6mg Dilaudid, 30mg toradol, 2mg zofran and 10 of decadron. I was also given another medication that I could not recall the name. It is very rare and used for nerve inflammation.  For most people this combo of drugs would knock them out. I slept for a little bit but the pain was not calming down. The staff was being very patient with me as the pain was not calming down. They were also unsure what to do as my condition is somewhat rare. I ended up with 2 bags of fluid. They cont to give me pain medicine and I finally has some relief after the final 2 of dulaudid. At about 11pm the doctor came in and explained that he had used up all his resources and they felt that there was nothing more that they could do to help the pain. The pain is originating from the “damaged nerves” and the only thing that is going to fix it is the stimulator placement. The er dr said that he could not get in contact with my neurosurgeon. We agreed that this was a ok plan and about 30 mins later I was discharged. While leaving I got very motion sick and nauseated on the way home. I feel that was caused from all the pain medications and not eating since sat around 1am (when I was at work). Today im doing better, I just feel really loopy from all the medication. I have to say the pain in my head is back to where it is any normal day.  I would like to thank the staff at Kaiser North for being so patient, caring and understanding. I would also like to thank my wife, family and friends for everything they have done for me- Also a big thanks to the few people for checking on me thorough out the day yesterday- that means a lot!! Sorry not everyone was told I was going to the ER L Hope everyone is having a great day and weekend!!