Hello All,
 I'm back on Lactnet after a nearly 3 month absence. I must admit I missed my
daily dose of Lactnet. Several of you have written me privately so once again
I beg the list's forgiveness while I update everyone at once.
I finally got into a pain the management clinic at Loma Linda University
Medical center (after begging and pleading for help) in early April and was
put on a routine of 30 mg of sustained release morphine every 8 hours along
with a few other meds (Norco and Vioxx). I have to see them once a month but
I think we have the pain under control finally.
My hip is still very unstable and dislocates an average of 3 times a week. My
DH and I have gotten getting it back in down to a science. There have only
been a couple that we could not get back in ourselves. The doctor says as
long as I can live with it this way there is still nothing that can be done
surgically at this point in time to improve the situation. The major muscles
are either dead, gone or atrophied. Especially the abductor muscle. Once they
figure out how to transplant or grow muscles there is some hope for me in the
future. As long as the pain is kept at bade I think I can go on like this for
as long as I have to.
Worker's Compensation literally cut me back to just over 100 per week (the
lowest amount they could legally get away with) and we are having very severe
financial problems. Going from a two wage earner family to just my DH
paycheck took some juggling but we've held it together so far.

We decided to take a break from all the stress and I hadn't been away from
home in almost 2 years so we went to Sequoia National Forrest over the 4th of
July week. What started out as a simple family vacation and reunion, ended up
a NEAR DEATH experience for me.
I had to be rushed to the hospital July 5th (spent 3 1/2 days in critical
care). I ended up with something called High Altitude Pulmonary Edema. Both
of my lungs literally filled with fluid. I was discharged home on July 11th.
Even as a nurse, I never dreamed that I was at risk for this illness. We were
only at 7000 ft. (my books say it happens above 10,000 ft.) and after 72
hours the doctor said I was a train wreck waiting to happen.
My family stayed nearly 5 hours away at the Quaking Aspen campground in the
Sequoia's while I was in the hospital at Kaiser Fresno. They commuted back
and forth every day just to see me for a few minutes. (We don't know what we
are going to do about the fuel bills when they come in or the phone bills
either. But we will take them as they come.)
During my hospital stay, my hip dislocated twice DH got the first one back in
while I was in the ER at Porterville Hospital and I had to go in for a closed
reduction the day before I was discharged. I developed cellulititus on my
abdomen from heparin injections they were giving me in the ICU. Just about
every vein I had blew out from IV's and blood tests. I still have the bruises
and abrasions from the adhesive tape.
 I am home recovering and the doctors tell me that It will be a long and slow
going recovery. It may take months from what my text books say.  I am still
very weak from the experience.
I just wanted you to know that I am OK. and thank you for all you kind word
and thoughts. Kathy Catone if you are still on the list I've been thinking
about you and your family and hope that things are going better for you now.
Thank you Lactnetters for you constant loving support. You've gotten me
through so many jams that I don't know how I would have made it without all
of you.  I just hope to be able to tell everyone that we see the end of the
tunnel soon.
Marie Davis, RN, IBCLC
Mail to : [log in to unmask]
http://sites.netscape.net/mariedavisrnibclc/index.htm
     mirrored at
 http://hometown.aol.com/davisrnclc/myhomepage/index.htm

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