new with MANY questions

[beachboy]

Hi Jenny,
I have been a T12-L1 since Sept. 06, I have lots of nerve pain and bladder and bowel issues as well. I too just found this site and I think it is amazing, I wish I would have found it after my accident, I would not be as dumb about it as I am. I self cath every 4 hrs. or so. In the morning after my 2 - 20 oz. coffees I cath at 2 hr. The only time I have leakage problems is after consuming too much alcohol, not very often. I am on Lyrica and Vicaden for the pain and nerve stuff. It just takes the edge off because there are times I just want to scream. I went back to work teaching but I should not have went back so soon, but I was going nuts at home. I have regained my leg movement on the left side to about 80% and on the right side about 50%. It like a balancing act on the legs and I use crutches most of the time but occasionally move without them. I really challenges the nerves and muscles.
DON'T EVER GIVE UP, YOU NEVER KNOW WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN THE NEXT DAY.

[use2walk]

I get the botox done too and it works like a charm!! I recommend it definitely!
good luck with everything

Where did you guys get the Botox done? Is it available to the public now?

I was in the trial at USC 2yrs ago and it worked great, but the last time I talked to my Dr. he said it still wasn't approved for general use, has that changed?

[SCI-Nurse]

yes, of course depends on your insurance, and you have to be free of UTI, try all the meds and failed,ve to have recent urodynamcis studies. Plus it needs to be repeated every 6-9 months.

CWO

[SCI-Nurse]

Cymbalta helps with neuropathic pain and you can take it with the Gabapentin.
CWO

[trey_phish83]

hey jenny,

where in new hampshire do you live? i'm local nh as well.

www.myspace.com/trey_phish83

[jody]

welcome. sorry and glad to meet you. the neuro pain may get better or worse over time. you may learn to live with it. I can no longer use neurontin, so its nice that it is not so terrible all the time. the sci nurse is very reliable for sound advice. true about self cathing, though you will have to be patient while your body gets used to a cathing schedual, I find no problem with keeping cathing suplys handy, and doing clean discreat bladder care while out is no problem once you get used to it. I still drip now and then so I use poise panty liners, or the drugstore brand for lite bladder leaks. they work better at preventing pee smell. please look at the posts in the womens only forum on bladder and cathing issues. their is a wonder gadget for women who cath. it makes learning to cath easyer. you can learn even if you dont have great hand and finger control. those valvs and sp catheters still can leak.

[JennyB]

hi jenny,

i'm from new hampshire, too. don't know if you need the name of a different urologist but if so i went to a good one in boston. dr. robert oates, he was with boston medical and he was very familiar with sci. it was about 6 or 7 years ago but i think he's still there.

jen

[NHsciGuy]

Im from NH also

Crazy to see so many people from NH. I live in Antrim.